Comments on Six Weeks to OMG: the diet book

A new book out called "Six weeks to OMG" by British actor Paul Khanna (under the pseudonym Venice Fulton) is causing quite a stir. He gives tips such as skipping breakfast, taking cold showers, and making little distinction between a soda and a serving of broccoli as far as carb intake. He states that by following his tips- you can loose a significant amount of weight in six weeks and amaze your friends. 

Will it work? Sure...

Is it healthy? No

This diet sounds a lot like the mentality of a 15 year old girl trying to lose a couple pounds. As someone who attending an all girls private school - I witnessed all to many a times young girls skipping meals, yet drinking a soda or small bag of Cheese-It's as a meal replacement. Will they lose a couple pounds? Sure... but it is not a healthy way of life. Along the way they will be fatigued, their growth and development may suffer,  and mood affected. 


We all have different health goals. Some of us want to lose 5 pounds, some 40, some want to just be healthy overall, and others want to be physically fit and be able to eat anything they want. 


By skipping meals, you will lose weight. However just as a diabetic needs to strictly watch their blood sugars with meals and insulin, the result of skipping meals will directly impact our glucose levels. It has been presented that perhaps when we wake up feeling tired in the morning, it could be the quality of our sleep, or it could be from our blood sugar being out of wack. For those of us trying to lose a quick 5 pounds in a couple days- the best option is probably to reduce food intake significantly and not even bother exercising. Exercising requires calorie intake for the energy to do work. During exercise it is probably unlikely that you will burn off all the calories that you will intake in order to maintain your energy levels. A Time Magazine Health article explains this well:  "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin."
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914974-4,00.html


Don't get me wrong - exercise has it's benefits. For those wanting to be physically fit, have a healthy heart, have strong bones, reduce stress levels, prevent future ailments- exercise is a must. Eating healthy has the same effect. So while Khanna states that for your outward appearance a soda vs some broccoli make no difference, on the inside it makes a HUGE difference. 


Fad diets are just that- Fads. We all want to learn ways to loose a couple extra pounds quick. However, to have a better health lifestyle, we need to look beyond these quick fixes.