The Shangri-La Diet, developed by psychology professor Seth Roberts, claims that your body's natural "set point" can be reset by changing your diet -- drinking small quantities of sugar water or pure oil in between meals and eating only bland foods with little or no texture.
Dr. Roberts defines the set point as the weight your body "wants" to be when you are not strictly counting calories. It may not be the healthiest weight or your natural weight, but rather it fluctuates in response to what you eat.
Step 1
Discover your set point. If you're always hungry and think about food often, your set point is probably a few pounds more than your current weight. If you're hungry sometimes and ready to eat at mealtimes, you probably weigh close to your set point. If you're rarely hungry, often forget to eat and don't often think about food, you probably weigh a few pounds more than your set point.
Step 2
Lower your set point to lose weight by increasing your consumption of what Dr. Roberts calls "zero set point foods," which reduce hunger and cause you to eat less. Zero set point foods are bland and tasteless foods. The Shangri-La Diet theory suggests that people overeat their favorite foods because they enjoy the taste. "We are born liking sweet foods and salty foods, but most flavors we learn to like. Much of this learning is associative. We come to like a flavor when we associate it with calories. As a flavor become better associated with calories, it tastes better," says Dr. Roberts in his book.
Step 3
Add approximately 300 calories a day to your diet in the form of pure olive oil or water with fructose or sucrose added. Dr. Roberts suggests that this acts as an appetite suppressant and will help you naturally consume less food, lowering your set point and making it easy to lose weight without feeling hungry.
Step 4
Wear nose clips when eating to reduce your sense of smell and enjoyment of eating. Dr. Roberts refers to this as an "extra credit weight loss method."
Tips and Warnings
- Switch from regular extra virgin olive oil to flaxseed or walnut oil for increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help you sleep better.
- There is very little scientific data behind the theory of the Shangri-La Diet plan. Dr. Roberts used himself as a guinea pig and claims that because he lost 35 pounds in 3 months, this plan will work for anyone. Always consult your doctor before beginning any weight loss plan.
Member Comments