The notion of eating cookies to achieve one’s goals for losing weight seems nonsensical, as most people associate snacks with weight gain. Most of these foods have ingredients that are likely to be stored by the body as fat reserves, rather than being burned for energy early on. However, that’s exactly what the cookie diet claims to do for people looking for a way to cut down on excess pounds. Like most diet programs, it has a marketing machine that hypes up its effectiveness. It is left to the consumer to figure out just how much of that hype is actually true.
What this is
The cookie diet essentially refers to a low-calorie diet that is based on the use of meal replacements that control hunger. These come in the form of a cookie, thus the name of the diet. The idea is that people eat about four to six of these cookies a day, with the possible addition of other food. The cookies control hunger through a combination of specific amino acids being baked into the food item. A common daily routine involves substituting these cookies for meals throughout the day, with a reasonably-portioned dinner in the evening. Recent variations of cookie-based weight loss plans have come in the form of drinks and soups with similar properties.
The positive
One of the foremost positive aspects of the cookie diet is psychological in nature. A person eating a cookie psychologically associates it with regular cookies, rather than products from diet programs. This means that the mind may feel less inclined to break the diet and binge. These cookies also contain good amounts of protein, amino acids, and fiber, providing a good nutrient mix. Some studies have shown that these are very good for suppressing hunger, and there is a large amount of anecdotal evidence about the effectiveness of this plan. The program also follows an organized and structured plan, which many dieters need.
The negative
One of the main problems with the cookie diet is that, unlike most diet programs, it contains no comprehensive or recommended exercise guidelines. This can be problematic, since most attempts at losing weight involve exercise at regular intervals, with intensity usually adjusted to match the diet. A lack of it can become a problem, since it opens the risk of a person exercising too little or too much. The diet is risky because of the very low calorie intake, depriving the body of energy. There are also indications that diets based on meal replacement are rarely capable of sustaining weight loss.
A cookie diet is a very interesting approach to losing weight, but one that may not be sustainable. There is data suggesting it is a good way to start, but experts advise weaning off of the cookies and getting into a real weight loss strategy after a while.
Related posts: