Hunger Games: The Best Diets for Weight Loss
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The Plan
Bicoastal nutritionist Kimberly Snyder, CN, created slimming solutions for clients such as Drew Barrymore and Fergie with a complex and strict green-centric plan (zero gluten or dairy), as outlined in her book, The Beauty Detox Solution.
Editor’s Take
The food-pairing rules (starch only with vegetables; protein never with starch; fruit on an empty stomach) took a little getting used to but eventually became second nature. My Vitamix juicer was a lifesaver; I blended my greens and fruits together into smoothies that made them go down fast and easy. I cut out coffee (the hardest part!) and replaced balsamic vinegar with naturally fermented apple cider vinegar, which Snyder says aids digestion.
The Results
I lost around three pounds in two weeks, and I think of this as not a crash diet but a lifestyle change I can stick with. The whites of my eyes are clearer, as is my skin, and I swear I see less cellulite, even though that seems impossible. I love that the focus isn’t on counting calories or losing weight but on achieving glowing skin, shiny hair, and healthy digestion.
The Plan
The Fork It! diet (courtesy of non-nutritionist French businessman Ivan Gavriloff) claims that you can cut a few pounds just by switching to a fork when you eat your last meal of the day. Steaks, soups, and all finger foods are interdit.
Editor’s Take
The line dividing what I could and couldn’t eat seemed blurry—I can fork pancakes and lasagna; does that make them okay? According to the online eating plan, I’m to eat normally at breakfast and lunch, and eat fork-only at dinner (oh, those laissez-faire French!), but when I followed the rules, the scale didn’t budge. I noticed only a slight slimming once I started to fork 24-7, as my four-tined friend kept me away from my morning cereal and midday crackers and cookies.
The Results
I dropped two pounds in two weeks before quitting the plan completely. And it was only self-control that kept me from eating ice cream and other calorie bombs with a fork.
Fort it!!!
The Plan
The Green and White Diet, the unofficial diet of the fashion world, has no book or website to back it up—I heard about it word-of-mouth from other editors. The first week, I’m allowed unlimited green veggies only; week two, I graduate to white proteins (egg whites, chicken breast, fish).
Editor’s Take
A year of magical drinking (and eating, and lazing) has left me at my heaviest since freshman year of college. I throw myself into the green stage, and after four days of nothing but broccoli, string beans, and kale salad, I’m feeling woozy. Before calling it quits, I speak to NY-based nutritionist Charles Passler, DC, who, although unaffiliated with the diet, does encourage a weeklong veggie detox to some clients. To help me survive, he recommends I add five snacks throughout the day in the form of rice-protein shakes or bars.
The Results
Passler’s advice helps me complete week one, and the first piece of chicken in week two is a godsend. I lose around five pounds in 14 days—though Passler warns that much of it is water weight (when imbalanced, the body retains water). I feel more sprightly already. “You realize you don’t need as much food as you think,” Passler says.
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