I've written several times on this blog about the great debate between consuming three low-calorie meals per day vs. consuming many low calorie meals per day and the effects each diet has on weight loss.
Some sources argue the frequency in which you consume meals makes no difference to your weight loss and that what you are consuming (the health benefactors or lack thereof) is what makes the difference in your weight loss. Others argue that by eating more meals, you are boosting your metabolism and able to consume more calories.
A new diet has been introduced along a similar though path of the second argument, although really somewhere in between. The 400 Calorie Fix is a diet that's purpose is for you to consume between three and four 400 calorie meals per day. The diet, created by the folks at Prevention magazine, is designed with the expectations that you will lose up to 11 lbs. in 14 days by following the diet's principle rule religiously-and not even needing to exercise!!!
Of course, to help you with this diet, the Prevention people have also come out with a book full of recipes and ideas for tasty 400-calorie meals to keep you going during the diet.
To me, the diet seems reasonable, although I don't think it would work well for me for two reasons:
1.) I barely have the time to prepare one meal in the morning (I'm lucky and my fiance cooks dinner most nights, so I don't have to worry about preparing that too often), let alone preparing three! And if I don't have time to prepare all the meals every day, I'd be worried that as I'm out and about I wouldn't pick the best options to get me under that 400 calorie mark.
2.) With only 400 calories allowed per meal, I feel like I'd miss out on whole meals, like dinner, that are difficult to do under 400 calories.
Now, I know this is possible. For example, many of the Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine meals are under 400 calories. Maybe I should give it a shot before I say it wouldn't work for me?
What do YOU think? Does this diet sound like a good idea?