Laura Mellin, from the University of California in San Francisco, developed this diet plan. She has written a book by this name that sells for $24.95, on most discounted websites. The premise of the diet is based what the title implies, a 3-Day Solution.
Emotional Self-Analysis and Detox:
She bases the plan on the fact that most people with a weight problem, may often reach for food for reasons other than being hungry, such as depression or emotional reassurance during stressful times. She recommends a 3-Day detox/isolation to self-examine your reasons for over-eating, from an emotional standpoint. During the 3-Days, you are to focus on yourself, eating very little, drinking fluids and detoxify your system, while isolating yourself from any outside emotional triggers. Even turning off your cell phone is suggested.
Solution is based on balanced diet and exercise:
During the 3-Day detox/cleanse, you may lose 5 to 6 pounds. Then you begin a diet based on 40 percent Carbs, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fats, called the 1-2-3 diet. Menus are provided and are quite tasty, but you must follow the recommended diets, and no caffeine or alcohol is allowed. In addition, 1 hour of exercise per day is in this program, often broken into two-30 minute sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening.
Plan is affordable:
While the only expense involved with this diet is the $24.95 for the book, you need to follow the menus suggested, such as eggs with strawberries for breakfast, a mid morning fruit snack, then maybe lunch of California Chicken Salad, another mid afternoon healthy snack and Flank Steak with green beans for dinner. These are basically healthy meals that you could come up with based on your own, taking the 40 carb-30 protein-30 fat formula, by becoming more aware of package nutrition numbers. The other premise of the plan is if you cheat and have a piece of cake, then you need to skip dinner.
Too Restrictive?
While the plan allows you to cheat to a small extent, it still requires you to stay to a restricted, controlled diet, and exercise an hour a day, which many people don’t have time for. While the 3-Day Solution detox, emotional self-analysis is something that would be good for any emotional overeaters, it is only a temporary solution without the follow-through and willpower to lose the weight, and make the diet a lifestyle. In addition, many overeaters may not want to go on a diet and give up caffeine and alcohol at the same time.
In Conclusion:
This is a good way for emotional overeaters to start, the immediate 5-6 pounds during the detox/analysis phase is a good morale booster to get you on the way to making weight loss a lifestyle to get to your ideal weight and maintain. Many emotional overeaters are able to lose weight on fad diets, only to regain it once they return to their old habits. This plan focuses on doing something for yourself and looking at the reasons you use food for your emotional comfort during stressful or depressing times.
