The Eating Man's Diet

"The Eating Man's Diet" is a calorie-shifting plan. The book outlining this diet was written by Thomas Sharkey and published in 1969. Numerous versions of this diet have been promoted by various names since Sharkey's book was released, including the QOD Diet, the up-day down-day diet, the alternate-day diet, the carb-cycling diet and the intermittent fasting diet. Always consult a doctor before trying a new diet.

Identification

When you participate in "The Eating Man's Diet," you eat the number of calories you need to maintain your weight on one day and then consume a smaller number of calories on the next day. You continue to alternate eating days with dieting days. "The Eating Man's Diet" does not advocate eating unhealthful foods on non-diet days but rather encourages you to eat nutritious meals.

Features

Under Sharkey's theory, you need to calculate the number of calories you need to maintain your weight. Most people can get a good estimate by multiplying their weight by 13. If you are obese as well as sedentary, multiply your weight by 10. If you are extremely active you need to multiply by 15, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, American Dietetic Association spokeswoman.

Potential

Alternate-day fasting might, indeed, help you lose weight, says Krista A. Varady, lead author for a study published in the 2009 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It also might help reduce risk for coronary artery disease, Varady notes. You might be able to lose weight on such a plan because you are cutting calories overall and are not depriving yourself for long periods, notes Leia Kedem in the March 2009 American Dietetic Association publication Eatright. However, critics of such a diet, such as The Independent newspaper writer Rachel Shields, draw parallels between this diet and bulimia. Shields' article, "Feast & Famine: The Alternate Day Diet," was published April 15, 2008.

Theories/Speculation

The theory behind calorie shifting is that your metabolism will be unable to adapt to low calorie consumption if you don't diet every day. Your body reacts to reduced caloric intake after two or three days by slowing your metabolism, asserts the QOD Diet website. However, muscle mass, sex and age play roles in metabolism in addition to caloric intake, Kadem notes.

Considerations

If you have an eating disorder, a diet such as "The Eating Man's Diet" is not for you, "Alternate Day Diet" author James B. Johnson acknowledges in Shields' article. If you have other health concerns, you need to consult a doctor before trying an alternate-day fasting diet. And if you have kidney issues or diabetes, you need to be particularly careful, says Blatner, the American Dietetic Association spokeswoman.