Shangri-La Diet

The Shangri-La Diet is different from other weight loss programs in that it was created by a psychologist rather than a weight loss or medical expert. The Shangri-La Diet is not really about food. Seth Roberts, the creator of the diet, says that willpower doesn't work and instead advocates solving your cravings with a trick that suppresses your appetite.

Supplements

The Shangri-La Diet doesn't advocate taking vitamins or other supplements but does require you to consume several tablespoons of oil a day. Although Roberts says other flavorless foods also will do, he recommends between 100 and 400 calories of extra light olive, flaxseed or refined walnut oil every day. This should be taken at least one hour before or after a meal. If you can't stomach the oil, you can try sugar water, which is basically a teaspoon of sugar dissolve in a glass of water. To calculate how much sugar water you need to drink, weigh yourself. Robertson recommends that you consume 1 tsp. of sugar for every 20 lbs. you weigh. You can mix the oil or sugar in as much water as you want and then sip slowly throughout the day.

Behavior Changes

The Shangri-La Diet is based on something called a "set point." Your set point is the weight at which your body tends to feel most comfortable, meaning you don't experience hunger and don't have a hard time trying to maintain that weight. According to Roberts, your body will regulate appetite to force you to stay at your set point. If you consume flavorless foods such as the oil every day, this will lower your set point. This will in turn help control your appetite and help you lose weight effortlessly.

Foods

The diet recommends certain foods but allows you to eat anything you want. Roberts emphasizes that if you work on lowering your set point, then you won't be hungry anyway, so you won't indulge in high-calorie, high-fat foods. Still, the diet recommends foods that are unfamiliar to you. When you eat a flavor that your body doesn't recognize, this also lowers your set point. The diet also stresses the importance of eating bland foods. Foods that are rich in flavor increase your set point and trigger your desire to eat more. Instead, try mashed vegetables without spices or salt and unprocessed foods. They will fill you up without providing many calories and control your hunger and cravings as well.

Criticism

The diet has generated plenty of criticism. The main one is that there's no scientific reasoning behind the program. UCLA professor Dr. John Ford points out that Roberts hasn't written any papers to back up the diet and that no peer review has validated it. Roberts insists he doesn't need validation because the diet works. This position has attracted much criticism as well.