The Lindora Lean for Life diet originated in the 1970s and has spawned more than 40 clinics, an online program and the diet book "Lean for Life." It's essentially a low-calorie, low-fat, low carbohydrate diet that claims it can help you lose 10 lbs. in 30 days. As with most diets -- low-carb diets in particular -- there are several factors that will determine whether the Lindora plan can actually help you lose weight and keep it off permanently.
Identification
Dr. Marshall Stamper created the Lindora Diet in the 1970s after his mother died from obesity-related complications, according to Lindora.com. The plan originally required regular visits to clinics in Southern California, providing a personalized program addressing the patient's nutrition, physical, psychological, social support and stress management issues. The Lindora program eventually added an online program and an online store selling diet-compatible products.
The Program
Lindora diet plans include three meals per day plus three snacks totaling about 900 to 1,200 calories per day, using foods that are low in carbohydrates and fat, with moderate levels of lean protein. This type of eating is known as a ketogenic diet because it places your body in a state of ketosis where your body uses stored fat rather than glucose as its main energy source. There are four-week, six-week and 10-week programs available, although you can repeat any program as long as you like. The diet plan also includes walking, with patients encouraged to take at least 10,000 steps each day as measured on a pedometer.
The Claims
The Lindora web site states it's not possible to guarantee an individual's rate of weight loss. They point to two separate clinical studies, however, in which patients who stayed in ketosis at least 90 percent of the time and recorded at least 25,000 pedometer steps per week, averaged a 3.2 lb. weekly weight loss. If you follow the Lean for Life program correctly and are moderately active, they state you will lose an average of approximately 2 to 5 lbs. each week.
Expert Insight
A two-year study published in the "Annals of Internal Medicine" in August 2010 showed that people on a low-carbohydrate diet lost about the same amount of weight as people on a traditional low-fat diet, although those on the low-carb plan had slightly better blood pressure and levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol. A review of longer-term studies spanning 26 years and published in September 2010 by the journal, however, showed that people on a low-carb diet that emphasizes animal protein over plant protein have an increased risk of total mortality and cancer mortality in particular.
Considerations
People in a state of ketosis can experience some side effects, from the minor--bad breath, weakness, nausea, dizziness, insomnia and low energy levels--to the more serious, including kidney stones and gout. The main drawback of the Lindora diet for many may be the expense; the clinic-based program can cost over $1,000, and the online program close to $500, as of July 2011, and not many insurance programs cover such costs.
References
- Lindora.com: Online Program
- "Bariatrician"; Weight Loss Results after One Year of Continuous Treatments at a Medically Supervised Weight Loss Clinic; Peter D. Vash, M.D., et al.; 2003
- "American Journal of Health Promotion"; Weight-Loss Programs in Convenient Care Clinics: A Prospective Cohort Study; S. Wollner, et al.; Sep-Oct 2010
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; Weight and Metabolic Outcomes after 2 Years on a Low-Carbohydrate Versus Low-Fat Diet; Gary D. Foster, et al. August 2010
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; Low-Carbohydrate Diets and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality; Teresa T. Fung, et al.; September 2010
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