Fat Flush Diet

The Fat Flush Plan can be found in a book by Ann Louise Gittleman. Ann has previously written a number of books and articles about nutrition and detox diets.

Fat Flush - Detox and Weight Loss

The Fat Flush Plan is both a detox diet and a weight loss diet. The idea is to provide all the necessary ingredients to boost metabolism, reduce water retention, and promote fat loss.

The program has 3 phases:

Phase 1 - 2 weeks
This is a restrictive phase of between 1100-1200 calories per day. The intention here is to "lose bloat" - which refers to reducing water retention as well as some fat loss. In this phase you are not allowed to eat; margarine, alcohol, sugar, oils or fats (except flaxseed oil), grains, bread, cereal, starchy vegetables, dairy products. Even the herbs and spices are restricted to a small list.

Phase 2 - Ongoing
Here the calorie allowance is lifted - to 1200-1500 calories. The idea is to continue on with the program until the desired weight loss is achieved.

Phase 3 - The maintenance phase
Essentially a weight maintenance phase, with a caloric intake of 1500 calories or over. Some starchy carbs are gradually re-introduced, along with gluten-free grains, and some dairy.

Exercise
The program contains a significant exercise component. This can be anything from 20 to 40 minutes of exercise per day, depending on the phase. This is typically low-impact (walking). Strength training (lifting weights) is also on the list (twice a week). A sleep prescription of exactly 8 hours per night is also required.

Sample Meal Plan - Fat Flush Phase 1

Upon Waking
"Long Life" cocktail [psyllium husks in cran-water - see below]

Before Breakfast
8 oz hot water with lemon juice

Breakfast
Vegetable scramble - 2 scrambled eggs, with spinach, green peppers, scallions, and parsley.
8 oz glass of cran-water [diluted unsweetened cranberry juice]

Snack
1/2 Large grapefruit

20 minutes before lunch
8 oz glass of cran water

Lunch
4 ounces of salmon with lemon and garlic, warm asparagus, mixed-green salad with broccoli florets and cucumber, 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil, and one 8 oz glass of cran-water

Mid afternoon snack
2 8 oz glass cran-water

4pm Snack
1 apple

20 minutes before dinner
8 oz glass of cran water

Dinner
4 ounces of grilled lamb chop with pinch of cinnamon and dried mustard, sautéed kale in broth, baked summer squash with a touch of cloves, and 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil

Mid evening
"Long life" cocktail

Fat Flush Pros and Cons

The Up side
The Fat Flush program has all the elements of a good and healthy weight loss program. It isn’t hard to find success stories regarding this program (however the true test is always the test of time - is the fat loss sustained or temporary?).

Remember this diet is a detox or cleansing diet, thus the very restrictive phase one. Unless healthy eating patterns are applied to your lifestyle, any benefits gained will soon be lost.

The Down side
One criticism is that the calorie level in Phase 1 may be too low for some people (particularly men), and the lower calorie levels could have the affect of slowing down metabolism rather than speeding it up.

There is a significant exercise portion (which is a good thing) and fortunately the longer exercise is added during phase 3. However there is little chance the calorie levels of phase 1 (or 2) will support a strong exercise regimen.

This diet is like many other diet books - the one size fits all approach will never suit everyone. Eight hours a sleep a night may be excellent for some, but with 40 minutes brisk walking a day, plus 2 weights sessions per week, this sleep is simply not enough for some people.

Recommendations
This diet is a book and like all those hundreds of diet books sitting on the shelves, you need to be a fairly motivated and focused person. This is why many of the on-line diet programs have been successful - they offer community, personalized support, lots of on-line tools and menu generators etc, AND can personalize your diet for YOU.

How many times have you tried the "latest new diet"? Only to find yourself back where you started 6 months later. It’s good to have a buddy system.

NOTE: Many medical professionals question the validity of most detox diets as there is little empirical evidence to suggest that any detoxification occurs.