1. The Werewolf Diet
Originating in Latin America, the Werewolf Diet has you eating in sync with the lunar cycle. It boasts making you lose 6 pounds in one day, and even celebrities like Demi Moore and Madonna have tried it! The logic is that your body has about 60 percent water, and the moon’s influence on gravity affects you like it affects the tides. There are two versions of the diet: basic and extended. The basic diet has you on a fluid detox, drinking only healthy natural liquids (like water, juice, and birch water), on the day of a full moon. The full moon’s strong gravitational pull supposedly boosts the detox’s toxin-eliminating effects. The extended diet first follows the basic diet then instructs you to lower your solids or increase your liquids depending on the moon phase. Supposedly during a waning moon, your cravings significantly decrease and it’s easier to lose pounds. But, during a waxing moon your cravings increase and you need to restrict your eating. Is this supported by science? Even if the full moon’s gravity doesn’t help you get rid of toxins, the juice and water fasting definitely will. Birch water and fruit juices are filled with antioxidants, which help your body neutralize toxins, and their high-water content flushes toxins out of your system. Will eliminating toxins help you lose weight? Yes! Scientists found that environmental pollution affects your body’s ability to burn fat and regulate sugar levels. Getting rid of these toxins helps bring your body’s metabolism back to normal. Also, estrogen encourages insulin production. When your hormones become imbalanced and your body makes too much estrogen, it forces your body to store more sugar in your fat cells instead of burning it. This leads to weight gain. Studies show that the moon’s phases influence your menstrual cycle and your estrogen levels, which slightly supports the extended diet’s belief that your metabolism increases or decreases during certain moon phases. This diet may seem whacky, but it will help you burn that fat. If anything, doing things under the full moon seems healthy for your body overall. Some studies found that patients who undergo heart surgeries during a full moon have better survival rates and need less recovery time.
2. The Sandwich Diet
This cool diet comes from Spain. It’s very simple: You eat whatever you want, but it all has to fit between two pieces of whole-grain bread. You can have your BLT and cheeseburgers – as long as they fit between those two pieces of bread! Does it work? Yes and no. Many studies found that using a bigger plate or bowl makes you serve and eat larger portions. Using a smaller plate makes you more aware of the portions you’re eating, reducing your risk of overeating. The sandwich works like a smaller plate. This diet helps you lose weight using portion awareness. Why isn’t it so good? Fast food burgers fit between two pieces of bread – do you think eating those three times a day will make you skinnier?
3. The “Sun Eating” Diet
China’s hip crowd is convinced people can do photosynthesis – you know, like plants? You replace one meal with a 44-minute sunbath every day. They believe you’ll absorb “solar energy,” which supposedly suppresses your appetite and improves your sleep. Dieters report losing weight. Will it really help you lose weight? Yes! New research found that when sunlight hits your skin, it makes nitric oxide. Mice that overate and were exposed to UV rays had slower weight gain and less abnormal blood sugar levels than mice that weren’t exposed. From these findings scientists believe nitric oxide boosts your fat and sugar metabolism, while also helping prevent type 2 diabetes and obesity. If you’re not getting enough sun, this diet will boost your metabolism. You’ll also lose weight since you’re skipping a meal every day. If you try it, don’t skip breakfast. Eating breakfast boosts your resting metabolism by 10 percent.
4. The OCD Diet
In Indonesia, some dieters believe eating during set intervals leads to weight loss. This diet is called the “Obsessive Corbuzier’s Diet.” You choose a permanent eating window: usually four, six, or eight hours. For example, if you choose the six-hour interval and you eat at 8 a.m., you can only eat again at 2 p.m. and at 8 p.m. Your meal sizes depend on your chosen interval, with eight hours allowing for the largest meals. Does it work? Research shows that intermittent fasting boosts your fat burning process because your body starts burning fat for energy during the fasting period. It also apparently helps slow aging by activating inflammation-fighting and repair mechanisms in your cells. It makes you smarter too – rats forced to intermittently fast experienced new nerve cell growth. If you can stand not eating, this diet is proven to be healthy for you. Consult your doctor before trying, because it’s probably not a good idea if you have type 1 Diabetes or other medical conditions.
5. The 3-Day Military Diet
This popular diet’s murky origins lend toward the conclusion that the diet was inspired by various sources, including the armed forces and Cleveland Clinic’s special cookbooks. It has many variations, like the Birmingham Hospital Cardiac Unit Diet and the Hot Dog Diet. The 3-day military diet boasts losing 10 pounds in seven days without exercise. How? It combines intermittent fasting with a low-calorie plan. Unlike other diets, this specifies what you eat for three days. For example, for the first day’s breakfast, you must have a slice of toast spread with two tablespoons of peanut butter and half a grapefruit. It does allow for substitutions, like half a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water instead of the grapefruit. The next four days you’re free to eat whatever you want, but you can’t exceed 1500 total daily calories. Will you lose weight? Yes – the low-calorie meal plans will promote weight loss. Is it safe? WebMD says no. They conclude that the meal plans lack nutrition and are high-fat and high-salt. The diet is probably okay if you do it once in a while, but following it long-term can lead to heart problems. Try these interesting diets if your weight loss regimen gets boring. They probably won’t help you lose as much weight as a traditional plan of exercise and healthy eating, but they will definitely help you burn some fat. Featured photo credit: Pixabay: Baohm via pixabay.com
