The latest diet craze is all about cookies. In fact, cookie diet companies are not just fighting for your attention…they’re fighting with each other. See an overview of the cookie wars from Calorielab, and check out WebMD’s recap of the various cookie-based weight loss plans — including Smart for Life, Hollywood Cookie Diet and Dr. Siegal’s.
Maybe you’ve seen those annoying commercials for Smart for Life with newly slim dieters singing about stealing cookies from the cookie jar. The latest version of the ad talks about how much money you’ll save on groceries if you eat these cookies for breakfast and lunch in place of real food. What a cheap shot to appeal to people’s cost-saving mindset by suggesting you’ll save $1200 a year if you buy these cookies instead of shopping in a grocery store.
All of these cookie plans are basically the same — trade your breakfast and lunch for cookies and then eat a sensible dinner. Sure, these are “special” cookies — fortified with nutrients, protein and “hunger-suppressing” ingredients. But all of these plans are simply another fad diet trying to entice people with the promise of eating cookies all day. Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet is dangerously restrictive — only 800 calories a day. None of the plans are nutritionally adequate.
There are some valuable nuggets buried in this approach — portion control, managing hunger and small, frequent meals. But for me, these cookie diets fall flat. Yes, you can lose weight on these plans if you’re eating fewer calories. And there are plenty of cookie-dieting success stories that these companies tout. They even have celebrity endorsements, which are always amazingly powerful. The Hollywood Cookie Diet has been mentioned in an episode of “Lipstick Jungle” and regularly appears on the pages of celebrity magazines. Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet, created by obesity doc Sanford Siegal in Florida, is opening its first full-fledged store in Beverly Hills.
These cookie diets may seem enticing, but they’re not really teaching you about portion control. They’re not helping you change your habits or prepare you for long-term success. To me, they’re setting you up for failure.
How long can you stick to eating 6-8 cookies a day. A quick-fix approach almost always backfires. Any type of severe calorie restriction can shed pounds. But the hard part is keeping it off. And what have you learned by eating cookies? Plus, there’s nothing magical about the ingredients in these cookies. Curbing hunger is important to help you stay on track, but there are better, more nutritious ways to boost satiety.
I’m hoping this cookie diet trend soon fades away, but it appears to be gaining steam. Think twice before you start stealing cookies from the cookie jar.
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Couldn’t agree with you more – these kind of diets seldom work (in the medium term)!
When it comes to cookies, I want them chocolatey and fattening! I don’t want to eat cookies for some diet plan, that is just silly!
Great post! I agree with you – the diet doesn’t promote anything long-term. Even though most people like cookies, it’s just not practical, and you couldn’t benefit from all the antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other health benefits from eating fresh foods whole. I could not imagine eating a cookie as my meal 6-8 times a day, EVERY DAY.
I do not agree at all!! When I was diagnosed diabetes the doctor said that either I loose weight or start getting oral medication (metformin) I decided to join the best diet cookie ever Smart for Life. These cookies are made of complex carbohydrates, protein and fiber. Besides they are 60% organic and do not have preservatives. In the afternoon dinner I did have fresh foods. It’s been more than a year and I still mantain my weight loss. I exercise 5 days a week and PLAN AHEAD what I am going to eat. My blood sugar has stabiilized and I do not take medication. It does not matter if it’s Weight Watchers, Smart for Life , LA Weight Loss if you do not do YOUR part afterwards of course you will get the weight back. What you expect? You go to your old eating habits and no exercise of course you’ll get the weight back. I strongly suggest to do a good research before you write about something you do not know….Smart for Life and Dr. Sasson Moulavi are a blessing!