The Six Bite Diet is a variation of a fad diet known as the Five Bite Diet. That diet was first popularized in 2007 after the publication of "Why Weight Around? Changing the Weight Loss Strategy," written by Alwin C. Lewis, a doctor of internal medicine. Though this diet is promoted by a doctor, it is generally regarded as unhealthy and is not a sustainable method of weight loss.
About the Diet
In Dr. Lewis' book, he shares his secret to losing over 50 pounds in just one month. His Five Bite Diet plan involves skipping breakfast, then eating five bites of food for lunch and five for dinner. Obviously, on the Six Bite Diet plan, you would be eating six bites for lunch and six bites for dinner. He recommends making one bite per day a "high-value protein" and taking a multivitamin. No other food is allowed on the plan. Dr. Lewis' philosophy in developing this diet is that these 10 bites of food are all humans need, though he does not point to any studies or research confirming this. His diet is based completely on personal experience.
Weight Loss
One woman interviewed about the diet for "The Burbank Leader" reports eating five bites of a McDonald's Big Mac for lunch and another five for dinner. She did lose weight, but this diet is not nutritionally sound. On this diet, you will almost certainly lose weight. However, you will lose weight in an unhealthy way. According to MayoClinic.com, weight you lose when it is lost too quickly may be largely composed of muscle. Losing muscle lowers your metabolism, so at the end of the fad diet, it will be difficult to keep the weight off, and further weight loss attempts will be difficult. Additionally, losing muscle mass will make you weaker and may make you look flabby and lacking in tone.
Alternatives
Depending on what you eat for your 12 bites per day, your diet may be dangerously low in calories. For example, if you eat a 4-oz. chicken breast for lunch in six bites and a slice of toast with peanut butter for dinner, that totals fewer than 400 calories in an entire day. The absolute minimum number of calories you should eat in a day is 1200 if you are a woman and 1500 if you are a man. Your weight-loss plan should instead be slow and sustainable. Eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full are permanent habits to develop as you transition to a healthy lifestyle. On the Six Bite Diet, you likely will be constantly hungry, which will make the diet hard to maintain, possibly resulting in binge eating and gaining weight later.
Problems
It is practically impossible to eat enough calories on this diet and to get all the nutrients you need in a day, even when taking a multivitamin. Multivitamins are designed to fill in gaps in a diet, not to substitute for food. On this diet, you risk starving your body. Side effects of starvation-level fad diets include dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea and fatigue. You also may be doing permanent damage to your body by depriving it of nutrients. It is unlikely that you will have the energy to exercise on this diet. If you are curious about this diet, please discuss it first with your doctor.
