When you're in a rush to lose weight, drinking olive oil before every meal may seem like an effective way to curb your appetite. Although olive oil is a healthy source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, drinking it is not necessarily an effective way to lose weight. Talk to your doctor before you make any changes in your diet, especially if you have health conditions or allergies.
Indications
The diet was originally detailed in the book, "The Shangri-La Diet: The No Hunger Eat Anything Weight-Loss Plan" in 2007 by Seth Roberts, Ph.D., a psychology professor. The diet involves drinking a small portion of olive oil before every meal to keep dieters from overeating. By drinking approximately 300 calories worth of olive oil before each meal and eating bland foods, Roberts claims that dieters will break away from food dependency and the addictive properties of flavorful, fattening foods.
Sample Meals
There is no set meal plan that dieters must follow on the Shangri-La Diet. The only rule is that dieters must drink 300 calories -- that's one to four tablespoons -- of light olive oil. If the dieter goes out to eat and doesn't have olive oil available, he may substitute 300 calories of sugar water. Dieters are encouraged to eat bland, tasteless foods, like oatmeal, brown rice, salad greens and bananas that they wouldn't normally want to overeat. Avoiding trigger foods may also help dieters stay on track.
Results and Drawbacks
There is no scientific or medical proof that consuming olive oil before every meal will curb the appetite or help dieters lose weight. Although consuming 300 calories from oil before meals may keep dieters from eating less, it won't make a difference if the rest of the diet is unaltered. Whenever you consume fewer calories than you burn through physical activity, you will lose weight. But if you continue to consume the same amount of food and don't add more physical activity to burn extra calories, your weight is likely to remain the same; adding an additional 300 calories to your diet in the form of olive oil may even cause weight gain.
Healther Weight-Loss Alternatives
Instead of relying on olive oil and bland foods to help you lose weight, stick with a diet and exercise program that you actually enjoy. That way, you'll be more likely to maintain it in the long run. Eat a healthy variety of fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein and whole grains to keep you full and satisfied all day. Get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day to burn extra calories and keep the weight off.
References
- American Heart Association: Quick-Weight-Loss or Fad Diets
- Every Diet: Shangri-La Diet
- "The Shangri-La Diet: The No Hunger Eat Anything Weight-Loss Plan"; Seth Roberts; 2007
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