The Starvation Diet

No, this is not something I am promoting, but after reading the March 28, 2011 article in the Wall Street Journal, "The Starvation Vacation", I had a revelation.  People fork over $5,600 to spend a week at a Malibu, California ranch to exercise 6+ hours and eat less than 1,500 calories per day.  The diet is Vegan except for an occasional egg for breakfast (kind of like the diet I hope to maintain after Lent.  Well, except for the desserts and red wine that I allow myself now and then...).   The meals are actually prepared by a renowned chef, but are described as "small", "teensy" and  "toy-sized", and include a lentil cake on a disc of spinach, and an artichoke with fava bean puree.  As a pick-me-up during a strenuous hike, campers are allowed 3 almonds and 2 cashews to keep them going,   The author of the article who was obviously a participant, did a tremendous job of walking the reader through the initial frustration, anger, and obvious hunger she experienced.  But it was the way she ended it that provided the impetus for this Blog post. 

After a week of strenuous exercise and fasting, she had lost over 6 pounds and a few inches off her waist and lower quads.  Moreover, she found that the food cravings she had experienced the first few days had vanished and that, instead,  she craved exercise.  Even though she was an avowed carnivore, her first meal after returning home was not the hamburger she had been dreaming of, but sushi.  She did not want to ruin what she had accomplished.  

I have often mentioned that eating healthy requires ridding oneself of old habits and re-accustoming one's palate to new foods.  And exercise is something you just have to get out there and do.  At first you are forcing yourself, but after a while, like the author of the Wall Street Journal article, you begin to crave it.  The people who go to this Malibu ranch pay $5,600 to have someone help them to change their eating habits and to get them moving.  For me, it took a serious illness.  What will it take for you to make the changes necessary to give your body what it needs to function at its best?

I am not advocating 6 hours of exercise a day with only 1,100 to 1,500 calories to supplement it.  6 and 1/2 pounds is, frankly, too much to lose in one week.  Without strict supervision, such a "diet" could have deleterious side-affects.  Duirng the first hike, several of the campers were vomiting because their blood sugar was too low.  But I like the idea of kick-starting healthy eating and exercise with a friend or a group of friends.  See my earlier posts on how many calories you should consume for your age and activity level, and establish a goal for yourself.  If you want to maintain your weight but need to exercise more, adjust your diet accordingly.  If your goal is to lose weight, remember that a 500-calorie a day reduction should equal a loss of a pound a week.  If you increase your activity level as well, the calories do not have to be reduced as much. 

I have attached the link to the article at the bottom of this Blog.  If it does not inspire you to at least try to make some healthy changes to your lifestyle, it will make for some very entertaining reading.   

Until next time, happy and healthy eating!