The Suzanne Somers weight loss plan is a diet plan developed by Suzanne Somers, an American actress and health advocate. This diet plan emphasizes making simple, healthy food choices and reducing your intake of simple carbohydrates and sugars. It also advocates combining certain food groups during meals and snacks to facilitate weight loss.
Phases
Like the Atkins and South Beach diet plans, the Suzanne Somers plan involves phases with distinct dietary restrictions and guidelines. However, the phases are more simply defined than in other weight loss plans. The first phase, referred to as the weight loss phase, lasts from the beginning of the diet until you reach your target weight. The second phase, referred to as the maintenance phase, is designed to prevent weight gain after you have reached your target weight.
Funky Foods
Somers advocates avoiding certain foods, which she calls "funky foods," during the weight loss phase of this diet. These include sugary foods such as molasses, beets, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup and refined sugar. Starches such as carrots, potatoes, winter squash, corn, white pasta and bananas are also forbidden during the weight loss phase. Somers also advocates eliminating whole-milk dairy products such as cheese, sour cream and yogurt. These foods are permitted in moderation during the maintenance phase.
Food Combining
Somers recommends combining food groups to stimulate weight loss. Followers of the Suzanne Somers weight loss plan should combine fresh vegetables, such as spinach, artichokes, broccoli and sweet peppers, with lean proteins and fats such as white-meat chicken, low-fat dairy products, fish and olive oil. Vegetables are combined with carbohydrates not on the "funky foods" list, such as whole-grain breads, chickpeas, black beans and lentils. Somers advocates eating fruits alone as snacks or in smoothies.
Considerations
There is no scientific evidence to support combining food groups to facilitate weight loss. Food combining may also make it difficult to choose convenience meals or dine at restaurants. The elimination of foods like sweet potatoes, carrots and nuts may lower your intake of essential vitamins and minerals such as potassium, vitamin A and zinc. Also, the Suzanne Somers weight loss plan does not provide specific guidelines regarding food portions, which may facilitate overeating.
References
- "Suzanne Somers' Fast and Easy"; Suzanne Somers; 2004
- Every Diet: Suzanne Somers Diet
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