Weight Loss

Why do dieters fail on their eating plan? Because they get hungry. So what should they do to avoid hunger? Eat cookies! Half a million dieters have done that since 1975 and lost weight. Now these are not your regular cookies you get at the store; these are special cookies made by Dr. Sanford Siegal, an obesity physician from Miami. First available only to patients at his clinic, these cookies can now be bought online by anyone.

What are these cookies?
The cookies are meal replacements - dieters eat nothing but cookies all day long. They are made from bran, oats and whole wheat. But what makes them meal replacements is a combination of certain amino acid proteins. The mixture is kept secret by Dr. Siegal. The cookies are designed to reduce appetite and hunger, and are not exactly delicious.

But that's not the goal as Siegal says that "delicious" cookies are fatty and cause weight gain. His cookies contain 90 calories each and about six of them are to be eaten during the day. They come in several flavors - banana, blueberry, chocolate, coconut and oatmeal.

Since the cookies are high in protein and fiber, they help satiate hunger and make you feel full. So, other than the dieters following the cookie diet, anyone can eat these cookies with their meals to control appetite.

Sample meal plan
If dieters follow the Cookie Diet during the day, they have the liberty to end the day with a regular dinner. Foods high in lean protein, like fish, chicken and turkey are recommended, combined with raw or steamed vegetables. Recommended quantities are six ounces of protein and one cup of vegetables.

Fatty foods like dark meat are to be avoided.

Calories
Six cookies count for 540 calories. A dinner consisting of lean proteins and vegetables gives anything between 300 and 1,000 calories. Thus the total calorie intake ranges from 840 to 1,540 per day.

Dr. Siegal underlines the fact that the Cookie Diet is to be undertaken after consulting a doctor and under medical supervision.

Benefits
* Extremely convenient.
* Meal replacement cookies eliminate the need of planning.
* Quick and proven weight loss program.
* Good for those who like sweets.

Negatives
* Choice of dinner is left to the dieter and could be mismanaged.
* Doctor's guidance is essential to follow the diet.
* No exercise plan laid out.
* Eating cookies day in day out can become monotonous.
* No transition plan.
* Limited intake could cause harmful nutritional imbalances.
* Low carbohydrate could cause fatigue.
* Dieters will regain weight after discontinuation of the plan.