Does The Morning Banana Diet Work?

The Morning Banana Diet was developed in Japan in 2008, gaining popularity so rapidly that Japanese supermarkets were unable to maintain adequate supplies to meet the demand for bananas. The diet claims that you will lose weight by eating bananas in the morning and adhering to a strict diet schedule. Consult your physician prior to starting the Morning Banana Diet or any other weight loss program.

Morning Banana Diet Guidelines

You don't count calories, measure your food or otherwise regulate your portion sizes on the Morning Banana Diet. Instead, you must stop eating your meals and snacks when you are 80 percent full. The only permitted beverage on the diet is water, which must be drunk at room temperature. Exercise is not required, but is encouraged on the diet. The program does require that your bedtime be no later than midnight.

Morning Banana Diet Menu

Breakfast consists of as many bananas as you need to eat to be 80 percent full. Any meal you desire can be eaten for lunch, except foods containing alcohol or dairy, which are forbidden on the diet. A small sweet snack, such as a cookie or piece of candy, is permitted at 3:00 p.m. but only if you are hungry. You can eat anything you like for dinner as long as it does not contain forbidden foods. However, you must complete dinner and stop eating for the evening by 8:00 p.m.

Controversy

Since no portion control is required, it would be possible to eat foods allowed on the diet and consume too many calories to lose weight. Being aware of your hunger level and being able to stop eating when you are 80 percent full is a skill that not everyone has mastered. Therefore, the Morning Banana Diet may lead to weight loss in some people and weight gain in others. Requiring bananas to be eaten each morning may grow redundant, which often leads to overeating empty calories and sabotaging weight loss, according to "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies."

Considerations

Many of the habits emphasized by the diet are beneficial, including eating breakfast, going to bed at a set time each night and ending your meal before you are stuffed. However, the diet does not address many of the vital aspects of successful weight loss, including planning a balanced menu and preparing healthy meals. It is important to remember that you'll have to maintain your goal weight once you reach it. Failing to learn how to eat a balanced diet often leads to rebound weight gain, according to "Handbook of Obesity Treatment."