How Does the Cookie Diet Work?

It is actually a very low-calorie diet, in which six of the special cookies are eaten when hungry during the day, along with eight glasses of liquid, and only one meal is eaten, dinner, consisting of 6 ounces of lean protein (chicken, turkey, fish or seafood only), plus one cup of vegetables.

The total calorie count of the diet comes out to approximately 800 calories per day, and total carbohydrate intake is about 70 grams per day, making program an extremely low-calorie, low carbohydrate diet.

What is not as frequently mentioned is that reportedly, as many as 60 percent of patients on the Cookie Diet are also prescribed appetite suppressant drugs, and another 25 percent are prescribed thyroid hormones.

The cookies, have amino acids with appetite suppressant properties, are available in chocolate, raisin or coconut flavors, but even they don't taste very good. Don't look for them on your local store shelves anytime soon, however. cookies are available only to patients at his weight loss clinics (five are in Florida, and one is in Montreal), as part of his estimated $400 a month weight loss treatment program.

Is the Diet Effective?

Some weight loss experts say that any diet that provides only 800 calories a day is bound to work, but at what price? Critics say that the diet provides far too few calories to maintain health and energy, and is seriously lacking in fruits and vegetables. (1 cup a day of vegetables doesn't make a dent in the recommendation that we eat 5-9 servings a day of vegetables and fruit). Others have alleged that the Cookie Diet doesn't provide sufficient vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Even Siegal admits that the Cookie Diet is not meant to be used for long periods of time. Many diet experts say that once people resume normal eating habits, they will regain the weight lost on drastic diets like this one.