Smart for Life is a weight management program providing meal replacements and snack foods you can order online. The program is perhaps best known as the Cookie Diet, but the company offers numerous other foods as well. Smart for Life says dieters can expect to lose 12 to 15 lbs. in four weeks when following their program. One of their options is a medically supervised program that encourages human growth hormone injections.
Identification
Meal replacement plans provide a low-calorie fortified food, such as the Smart for Life cookies, to replace one or two meals a day, explains EveryDiet.org. On this particular plan, you also eat Smart for Life foods for healthy snacks. Calorie intake on the Smart for Life plan is about 800 calories per day. You can follow the diet at home or join a Smart for Life center.
Foods
Along with cookies, Smart for Life offers muffins, cupcakes, cereals, bagels, shakes and soups. All contain vitamins and amino acids, as well as fiber to suppress appetite and decrease food cravings. By eating one of these foods every two to three hours, you prevent hunger and keep your blood sugar stable. Low-fat dinners feature chicken or fish with five cups of vegetables.
Programs
To participate in the At-Home Lifestyle Program, you order the cookies and other products online and have the option of joining in weekly support telephone calls. The At-Center Lifestyle Program provides additional benefits, including weekly weight checks, nutritional education and discussion of strategies for achieving your weight loss goal or maintaining your desired weight once you reach it. As of November 2010, Smart Life centers are located in California, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Ontario and Quebec.
Medical Program
The company also offers the Smart for Life Medical Program, in which dieters undergo a physical examination and medical testing. They also receive metabolic monitoring and personal attention from a medical care practitioner who helps them reach their goals. This program recommends receiving injections of human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, a natural growth hormone that increases during pregnancy. The company calls it a Smart Injection, saying it is intended to kick-start weight loss and increase energy. It is unclear whether more than one injection is recommended. Clients can obtain Smart Injections in California, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Considerations
Taking hCG injections for weight loss is controversial. The long-term health effects are unknown, and the established medical community does not approve of the practice. Even for programs without the injections, very rapid weight loss may be unhealthy, and regain of weight may be likely when you return to a regular diet. This diet does not provide adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables for proper nutrition, and the very low-calorie intake may cause fatigue and muscle loss. A two-week variety pack of Smart for Life products runs about $145 as of November 2010, according to the official website.
Member Comments