A major factor in the success of any weight loss plan is your level of commitment. The Mayo Clinic notes commitment requires not only a decision to lose weight, but also to make necessary lifestyle changes. The Fat Smash diet, according to creator Dr. Ian Smith, is a commitment-based weight loss plan designed to change your perspective on food and exercise. This diet, Smith says, is a lifestyle plan that incorporates healthy eating habits, physical activity and sustainable weight loss.
Background
Dr. Ian Smith introduced the Fat Smash diet in 2006 in his book "The Fat Smash Diet: The Last Diet You'll Ever Need." His inspiration came from attempts to help celebrities lose weight on a VH1 cable television reality show called "Celebrity Fit Club." Smith states he created the diet based on principles that apply no matter what your weight loss goals might be.
Theory
In contrast to many other diet plans, the Fat Smash diet does not in the traditional sense, count calories. According to the health and nutrition website Diet.com, general principles of this diet include a regular eating schedule, strict portion control, large amounts of fruits and vegetables, careful consideration of carbohydrates, proper food preparation methods, exercise and stress reduction. Smith describes his philosophy as one of balance, flexibility and activity. Over the course of 90 days, the Fat Smash diet takes you through four phases, each of which builds on the previous phase.
Process
Each phase of the Fat Smash focuses on food choices and an increasingly rigorous exercise routine. Phase One, the shortest phase, prepares your body to lose weight. This phase consists of a nine-day, salt-free and mostly vegetarian detox diet along with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day, according to Smith's diet plan.
Phase Two, called the 21-day foundation phase, adds limited amounts of protein and salt, as well as increasing your aerobic exercise program to 35 minutes a day, five days a week.
During the next 28 days, called Phase Three, or the construction phase, you follow the vegetarian detox diet one day per week and move from three to four meals a day for the remaining six days. Although you continue basing your diet on mostly fruits and vegetables, this phase allows greater amounts of protein and whole grains. Exercise requirements for this phase increase to a total of 45 minutes per day of aerobic exercise, divided into two sessions.
The final phase is the maintenance phase, also called the temple. There are no food restrictions and you have the option to include alcohol in the form of three glasses of wine or beer each week. At this stage you increase exercise sessions to one hour a day, five days per week and add weight training to your routine.
Time Frame
The Fat Smash diet is not a quick weight loss diet. Smith provides an estimated weight loss of six to 10 pounds during Phase One and recommends continually repeating phase one through three until you reach your weight loss goals before moving on to the maintenance phase.
Considerations
According to Diet.com, phase one severely limits calories and may be difficult to follow for this reason. In addition, food choices during phase one and two are so limited you may find restaurant dining difficult to impossible.
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