The baby food diet is one of the latest dieting crazes in the United States. Apparently, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston have shed pounds on it and other celebrities have followed their example. This diet is similar to lots of other crash diets, in that it works in the short term by controlling portion size. The baby food is considered to be a healthy alternative to snacks and meals that may not be nutritious and make people put on weight. In general, baby food contains fewer additives and preservatives than regular processed food. Like all crash diets, they can work, but do not tend to produce long-term success. It should be noted that this diet is aimed at adults only.
How Does It Work?
The baby food diet plan involves eating 14 helpings of baby food or pureed food each day, plus a healthy regular meal for dinner. Because the jars of baby food come in controlled sizes, the diet is easy to follow. There is no need to weigh out ingredients or follow complicated recipes. The food can be eaten straight from the jar at room temperature, or warmed slightly to make it more palatable, and it may be a lot cheaper than other crash diet plans, such as those that require dieters to buy adult sized shakes and bars. At the root of the baby food diet is a drastic reduction in calorie consumption.
Pros and Cons
People who find the baby food diet effective are those who need a quick fix; they may need to lose several pounds in a short space of time or to fit into a particular outfit for a big occasion. It is also good for those who are busy and do not have time to shop for various different ingredients and create their own diet meals. Baby food can literally be eaten “on the go”, no matter where you are. No matter what kind of flavors you prefer, you will be able to find the baby food of your choice, from fruity varieties like plum, peach, mango and strawberry, to savory options such as chicken, beef, cheese and vegetables.
Unwanted side effects of the baby food diet include feeling weak and dizzy, due to the drastic drop in calories. You are likely to be left hungry, as the baby food portions will not fill you up. This leads to a lack of energy and tiredness, which can in turn adversely affect the appearance of your skin and hair. Some people cannot bear the thought of eating pureed food, as they do not like the mushy texture. In addition, in order to eat enough calories per day to stay healthy, you need to eat a lot of baby food! This can end up being expensive.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the baby food diet for weight loss does produce great results, but only in the short term. The problem with this diet is that it is virtually impossible to stick to it for any length of time. Apart from the boredom of eating pureed food for the majority of the time, there is debate over whether this plan provides all the nutrients the body needs to stay healthy. As soon as the dieter stops the diet and returns to a normal way of eating, any weight that was lost will just pile back on. The baby food diet for adults is safe if you get enough calories per day (recommended 1,000-1,200 calories per day for a woman who wants to lose weight), but a far healthier and easier way of losing weight–and keeping it off–is to stick to a diet consisting of plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable, combined with regular exercise.
