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Our Reviewer Says ...
"What sounds like a diet of pure decadence is actually nothing more than a simple meal-replacement program designed to limit the amount of calories you eat each day ..."
At a Glance
What sounds like a diet of pure decadence is actually nothing more than a simple meal-replacement program designed to limit the amount of calories you eat each day. There are three popularized programs out there that all follow the same basic guidelines: Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet (the longest-running version of the diet), The Hollywood Cookie Diet and Smart For Life.
Although the rules vary slightly for each of the three programs, the premise is basically the same. Instead of having a meal or snack, dieters eat a nutrient-enriched cookie meant to satiate their appetite. Each cookie can range from 90 to 150 calories each, and may be fortified with more fiber, protein, fats, vitamins or minerals (depending on which program you follow.) The flavors also vary, ranging from oatmeal, raisin, chocolate chip and lemon to blueberry, banana and coconut.
Checklist
- Cost: Average to pricey, depending on which version you try (A week's worth of cookies from Dr. Siegal runs $59; a 21-day package of Hollywood Cookie Diet products is around $99.95 from their site and a four-week supply from Smart for Life is $280 from their site.)
- Meals Provided: Yes (cookie packs are sold on-line and in select stores).
- Diet Duration: Until target weight is reached.
- Fitness Requirements: Exercise is encouraged with the Hollywood Cookie Diet (although no specific instructions are given.) With Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet and Smart For Life, there are no guidelines, but they both believe dieters should begin exercising after they've reached their goal weight.)
- Time Commitment: Minimal.
- Eating Out: Doable (if the waiter doesn't mind you bringing your own cookie, that is.)
- Alcohol: No specific guidelines are given for Dr. Siegal's program (although others encourage abstaining from alcohol).
- Vegetarian-Friendly: Yes, but the cookies do contain both milk and eggs.
- Strict/Flexible Eating Plan: Strict.
Books:
Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet Book: "How a Doctor and His Cookie Helped 500,000 People Lose Weight Fast"
Online:
Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet
Hollywood Cookie Diet
Smart For Life
Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have, Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and The Men's Health Gym Bible.
