Rotation Diet - Diet Plan Outline
From the Critics
From Publisher's Weekly - Publishers Weekly
Is there need for another diet book on your shelf? Decidedly yes in the case of Katahn's new plan. Director of the Vanderbilt University Weight Management Program, author of The 200 Calorie Solution and Beyond Diet, and a dieter himself, he provides here a simple, sensible approach to controlling weight on a long-term basis. Men and women vary the number of calories they consume during a three-week period (the rotation for women is 600/900/1200 calories; for men, 1200/1500/1800); after three weeks and presumably a hearty weight loss, the dieter takes a breather and is allowed to return to ``normal'' eating habits. The premise at work here is that diets fail because people get tired of dieting and because metabolism gradually slows after the body maintains a strict diet. To control eating during the maintenance phase, Katahn makes a number of helpful suggestions (i.e., exercise, drink plenty of water and avoid artificially sweetened drinks) and includes some not-so-exciting recipes. 100,000 first printing; first serial to Self; BOMC alternate; author tour. (May 12)
"To Count Or Not To Count? The T-factor and Rotation Diets"
by Tanya Zilberter, PhD is a health educator, researcher, exercise physiologist, and writer with more than 20 years in health sciences.
To Count (calories) Or Not To Count? That is the question! Some dieters think the very act of counting is very beneficial. They believe the more variables you are counting the better. It disciplines and creates awareness, they say. In the T-factor and Rotation Diets you don't count calories but only fat grams. Dr. Katahn promises weight loss of up to a pound a day, but the good thing is that even if you cheat, you progress anyway, just at a slower pace.
If you choose to follow the T-factor system, you count only fat. However,when you take a close look at it, the diet contains the same elements as those in the rotation diet. This is how it looks (I calculated data for this chartfrom the books.)
The permissible fat amounts fluctuate significantly making three distinctmaximums during the cycle. However, it is more evident in the daily fat gramsand less evident in the breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack planners.
Dr. Katahn promises weight loss of up to a pound a day, but the goodthing is that even if you cheat, you progress anyway, just at a slower pace.
This is the program's simple schedule. You go on a 600 Cal. a day regimefor three days, 900 Cal. a day for the next four days, then to 1,200 Cal.for a week. After that you repeat the cycle (600+900+1200) once again andenjoy your well deserved vacation from dieting. The vacation is exactly whatprevents your metabolism from slowing down. Depending on your desired degreeof weight loss and your current success, the vacation can last for a weekor a month, it is completely up to you as long as you are not gaining weight.If you need it, there is the maintenance part of the plan. Then you go onthe diet again and so on and on, until you reach your ideal weight. Simple!
What I personally liked the most is that Dr. Katahn noticed that histaste sensitivity increased so that much plainer food became delicious to him.Since it can be considered confirmed that taste intensity influences thevery set point for body weight (the tastier the heavier), this diet can workby lowering this set point because you just don't need overly intense flavorsto satisfy your taste buds.
You might want to use even more practical versions of the diets. There are two books, one a cookbook, The Rotation Diet Cookbook A 4-Day Plan for Relieving Allergies, another is also a very practical aid: The T-Factor Fat Gram Counter.