Dr. Sanford Siegal’s Cookie Diet has caused a stir in the weight loss community. Dr. Siegal claims you can lose weight quickly by eating six specially designed cookies per day with water and having a sensible dinner of lean meats and vegetables.
Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet: The Pros
Proponents of Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet swear by the results.On Good Morning America, Josie Raper discussed how she went from a size 24 to a size 6 in just six months. She liked the fact that Dr. Siegal’s Cookie diet helped to curb hunger cravings. Dr. Siegal designed the cookies with a specific amino acid formula to help the users feel full in spite of a 1,000 calorie diet. This diet seems to produce quick weight loss without feelings of deprivation.
The Cookie Diet seems to be quite user-friendly as well. The cookies are easy to prepare and to eat, as they don’t need to be refrigerated. You can also fit them inside your bag or your purse.
Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet: The Cons
Yet some in the medical community have expressed concern that Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet does not provide adequate nutrition. Dr. Louis Aronne of New York-Presbyterian explains, “”I am concerned that if someone were to follow this over the long term there are many different nutrients that they would be missing that you would normally get by eating regular food.” He also suggests lack of evidence that the cookie diet could help users maintain weight loss over long periods of time.
Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet: Thoughts
I could see both sides to the Cookie Diet. On the one hand, it’s essentially a nutritionally balanced restricted-calorie diet (users take one multi-vitamin per day). In that respect, why spend $250/month or $8/day when you can simply prepare sensible balanced low-calorie meals at home? And if hunger is a problem, why not adopt a high-fiber diet in order to feel full?
On the other hand, for those who have struggled with weight-loss programs in the past or those who cannot stomach fruits and vegetables, Dr. Siegal’s cookie diet may be the step in the right direction. Users seem to be able to stick with it.
As for concerns about the lack of nutrition in Dr. Siegel’s cookie diet, it’s not meant to be a long term solution. Besides, given that many Americans live on fast food and processed snacks, the cookie diet is probably healthier than what many are currently consuming.
Sources:
Can You Shed Pounds on the Cookie Diet?, Elizabeth Leamy, Vanessa Weber, Jessica Hoffman, ABC News
