The GM diet (or General Motors diet) was designed in the 1980s to help overweight General Motors employees get healthy by alternating different food groups throughout the week (think fruit one day, meat the next). It’s a simple, low-carb and low-calorie diet that promises weight loss of up to 7kg per week – but does it really work?
Before we find out, here’s how the average weekly food plan goes.
- Day 1 – Only eat fruit. You can have as much as you want (particularly melons), but avoid calorie-dense bananas.
- Day 2 – Only eat vegetables. Like with day 1, you can eat as many vegies as you want, but potatoes are only allowed at breakfast time.
- Day 3 – Eat a mixture of fruit and vegetables, again avoiding potatoes and bananas, which aren’t looked upon favourably in the GM diet.
- Day 4 – Only eat bananas and drink milk. It’s a bit of a backflip from the first few days, but protein-rich dairy and energy-rich bananas will keep you full and give you enough energy to keep going with the diet.
- Day 5 – Now you can introduce meat – two 200g servings of lean beef, chicken or fish are allowed, along with up to six tomatoes.
- Day 6 – Again, you’re allowed two 200g servings of lean meat, plus unlimited amounts of vegetables. The carb cravings are likely to set in today, but you don’t have long to wait!
- Day 7 – Carbs, precious carbs! Today, you get to eat brown rice, fruit juice and unlimited amounts of fruit and veg.
It’s not dangerous, either – alternating food groups is a great way to get all the nutrients you need, and shaking up the traditional breakfast-lunch-dinner pattern in favour of regular small meals is good for your metabolism.
Have you tried the GM diet? Did it work for you? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Article created in partnership with Over60.