Losing Lucy

I wanted to find out more about the 5 Factor Diet. Is it hype or is it for real? Well, it seems to be hot in Hollywood right now for weight loss. The 5 Factor Diet is by Harley Pasternak, and it is based on, of course, the number 5.

So, there are 5 meals per day, and there are 5 workouts, each of the workouts having 5 exercises to do.

What are the five meals per day? They are low-fat, low-calorie meals. Each meal has some protein in it, usually from lean meat. The carbohydrates in the meals are low glycemic index carbs, which means they will not spike your blood sugar.

Each meal also has fiber in it. There are 2 kinds of fiber, you know – soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber does not stay in your body. It washes out, and it takes some fat out when it goes, which is a good thing.

Also, you should drink water before each meal to cut down on the food you are hungry for. Plus, water cleanses the body and flushes out toxins.

Another number 5 is that each meal only takes 5 minutes to make – cool, no? That is the part I could really go for. I never have a lot of time to cook elaborate meals. Sure, you can make stuff ahead of time, but who plans that far ahead?

A big thing with the 5 Factor Diet is that you shouldn’t skip meals. If you do, your body will go into starvation mode and store up fat, instead of burning it. This is just the opposite of what you want, of course, so be sure not to skip any meals.

This is why the 5 meals a day is supposed to be good. You will never be hungry enough for your body to go into starvation mode. Your metabolism will stay high and you will lose fat.

Another thing that appeals to me about the 5 Factor Plan is that it has a “cheat day” built in to it. For one day of the week you can eat foods that are normally not in the plan. Still, you should stick to the basics of 5 meals a day and the basic types of food – protein, good carbs, and fiber.

The 5 Factor Diet has 25 minutes of exercise per day. You can go to their website to get ideas for exercise and suggestions on what to do. Since it was originally a diet for celebrities, it has a lot of ideas for getting in shape fast.

On the website of the 5 Factor Diet, you can find menus, meal plans, guides for eating out, customized plans for dieting and exercise, weight loss journals, etc. There is a lot to learn and take in, but at least they don’t leave you on your own but guide you through it.

I can see a few flaws in this plan. First of all, we don’t all have personal chefs to prepare our meals! Second, we don’t have our own personal trainers. But I guess we can make do.

So how long does the plan last? 5 weeks, of course. These “5”s are starting to drive me a little crazy! But hey, if the gimmick of “5” works for this diet, why not?

I do like the idea of the cheat day and also they do seem to do a lot to teach you how to eat healthfully for the long run. So I think the 5 Factor Diet could be a good thing.

Tags: 5 Factor Diet, Diets, Harley Pasternak

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