ABD Diet – the name sounds a bit weird but its results are promising. It’s a method of tricking your metabolism into burning more fat without starving. How it works, what diet plan are you supposed to follow, and what are the side effects; tag along to get answers to all these questions.
What’s the ABC Diet About?
ABC means Ana Boot Camp diet. It was developed by Robert S Wider as a comical response to fad diets. It involves eating foods that begin with alphabets A, B and C. In the A category, you have asparagus, abalone, apples, in the B category you have bean curd, bouillon, beluga caviar whereas in the C category you have celery, carrots, chard and more. This diet was written as a satire but people started following it to lose weight and it works!
Wondering what led to the development of the ABC diet plan? It became popular via anorexia forums. Wait till you hear this – the diet actually promotes weight loss through anorexia. It’s kind of controversial I agree. It claims that anorexia is a lifestyle choice, not a mental illness!
How Does It Work?
Before we move onto the ABC diet results, it’s important to understand how it works. It consists of a 50-day eating schedule. You are only allowed to consume a said number of calories per day. Unfortunately, this program doesn’t promote a healthy diet or healthy snacks. On most days, your calorie count is 500. You are allowed to take 800 calories one day. Some days, you consume 100 to 200 calories whereas on others, 400 to 500 calories are acceptable. This would keep your body out of starvation mode and you would lose weight at the same time.
Here’s a breakdown of the number of calories you must take each day throughout the program:
| Day | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 500 calories | 400 calories | 250 calories | 250 calories | 200 calories | Fast | 200 calories | Fast |
| Tue | 500 calories | 500 calories | 200 calories | 200 calories | 300 calories | 500 calories | 200 calories | |
| Wed | 300 calories | Fast | Fast | 150 calories | 800 calories | 450 calories | 250 calories | |
| Thu | 400 calories | 150 calories | 200 calories | 100 calories | Fast | 400 calories | 200 calories | |
| Fri | 100 calories | 200 calories | 100 calories | 50 calories | 250 calories | 350 calories | 300 calories | |
| Sat | 200 calories | 400 calories | Fast | 100 calories | 350 calories | 300 calories | 200 calories | |
| Sun | 300 calories | 350 calories | 300 calories | 200 calories | 450 calories | 250 calories | 150 calories |
In the 8th week, after fasting, you must slowly return to your normal diet.
Note: This is a 50-day program only.
How Good Are the ABC Diet Results?
The bitter reality of the ABC diet is that it’s effective but not for long. Once you resume your normal caloric intake, the results will disappear. Some even say you are likely to gain even more weight than you had before you started the diet.
The diet consists of 5 days of fasting. If you are ready to follow it, you will surely see fast results but what’s challenging is maintaining your new weight. For that, you will have to stick to some fat loss hacks.
This diet has a very low nutritional value. Here is basically what you’d be doing:
- For 2 weeks, you must consume 20 grams of carbs.
- You are supposed to eat meat, poultry, seafood, butter, and cheese but only 20 grams of these products.
- You must absolutely avoid fruits, milk, grains, bread, and other veggies that are high in calories.
- After 2 weeks, you are allowed to add 5 grams of carbs to your diet. The maximum carb intake is 90 grams only.
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What Are The Risks?
There are certainly some risks associated with the ABC diet plan. A major argument is that one would be going against the daily recommended calorie intake which is at least 1,200 per day. Nutritionists say that it’s highly risky to follow such restrictive calorie intake.
Another argument is that you would be losing water instead of fat. Others say that it encourages our body to save limited calories and store body fat which can result in sudden weight gain.
Since it’s not a healthy diet, you will have to deal with laziness and tiredness. It will definitely cause dizziness, fatigue and lower your blood sugar level. Depression and paranoia might also coexist during and after the diet. In other words, this diet can be extremely risky for the wrong person.
General Rules of the Diet
Like any weight loss program, the ABC diet has some general rules too. Here are some of them you must abide by:
- It’s important to choose a food item rich in protein. Pick either fish or meat but don’t combine the two.
- You are allowed to consume alcohol but you are restricted to martini, whiskey or dry wine only.
- You must eat meals in small portions. Divide your food into 5 to 6 small meals a day.
- Avoid intense physical activities. The ABC diet plan would have made to weak. You won’t have the strength for hard work out.
- Don’t go to bed immediately after your last meal. It’s recommended to walk a little bit and then lie down.
These dos and don’ts are the drivers of success. If you want results, you must follow the plan and it rules seriously.
Final Words
Each day during your diet, don’t forget to check your weight and measure your body (forearms, waist, and hips). Throughout these 50 days, it’s extremely important to keep yourself hydrated. Break your meal into 5 portions to control your hunger pangs. It will also help your body to process all the food consumed more efficiently.
This program is not for the faint of heart. It’s challenging and risky. Those who are a victim of diabetes or other health problems; this diet is not for you. Once your diet is over, try eating healthy and nutrient-dense food. Stay mindful of what you eat so that you don’t lose that lean figure you have built with so much hard work.
