Rotation diet

This diet is designed to reduce overall calorie intake without causing the body to go into “starvation mode”, which leads to additional weight gain when normal eating is resumed.

How the Rotation diet claims to work

This plan recommends a rotation of diets of varying calorie levels that will create a calorie deficit great enough to produce significant weight loss, without causing the body to lower its metabolic rate as it does in fasting. The author recommends two cycles of rotation diet, each followed by no dietary restriction for one to four weeks. The author's rationale is that low-calorie diets cause a reduction in the body's metabolic rate, which sets the slimmer up for rebound weight gain when he or she stops slimming and reverts to a normal calorie intake.

The author describes the “starvation response”, which is the body's response to caloric restriction. To preserve essential functions, the body lowers its metabolic rate - the rate at which calories are burned at rest (see Calculating energy requirements).

The Rotation diet regimen

• Women are allowed:
  
  • 600 calories per day for 3 days
  • 900 calories per day for 4 days
  • 1200 calories per day for 7 days.
• Men are allowed:
  
  • 1200 calories per day for 3 days
  • 1500 calories per day for 4 days
  • 1800 calories per day for 7 days.

This level of caloric restriction is likely to cause more hunger than most of us are willing to tolerate. To compensate, the diet recommends filling up on “free vegetables”, such as asparagus, celery, chicory, Chinese leaves, endive, lettuce, cucumber, radishes, courgettes, spinach, and watercress.

The diet recommends “safe” fruits for snacking on when you are hungry; these include apples, berries, grapefruit, melon, oranges, peaches, and pineapple. It also recommends standard serving sizes, based on the American Food Guide Pyramid, and there is no specific restriction on caffeine and alcohol.

Is the Rotation diet healthy?

This extremely low-calorie programme should be attempted only under medical supervision. The claim that it prevents rebound weight gain is not proved. Because the diet produces a deficit of 7200 calories in the first week and then 6300 calories in the second week, it is designed for men or women to lose 2.7-3.2kg (6-7lb) in two weeks. However, what the diet actually claims to produce is weight losses of 6.4kg (14lb) in three weeks, which does not seem possible. The diet will result in significant weight loss if it is followed, but will also result in severe hunger and dehydration, which is likely to cause people to stop following the programme.

The rotational aspect of this diet seems like a gimmick, but people who are able to tolerate this level of caloric restriction will lose a significant amount of weight in a short period. However, whether or not they maintain the weight loss in the long-term is more likely to be due to what they eat after reverting to normal eating than to the diet they followed while losing the weight.

A psychologist and obesity expert has devised this plan, and its strength lies not in the actual diet recommended but in the many suggestions given for behavioural management in relation to eating and appetite. This section of the book is the most helpful.

Lisa Hark, PhD RD & Dr Darwin Deen

Nutrition for Life Copyright © 2005 Dorling Kindersley Text copyright © 2005 Lisa Hark and Darwin Deen

Posted 30.06.2010

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