You may have seen news swirling about the F-Factor diet over the last few months.
ICYMI: The F-Factor diet is ahigh-fiberdiet intended forweight lossand created by Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D.
Zuckerbrot has categoricallydenied these allegations.
Yulia Reznikov/Getty Images
Gellis filed a counterclaim seeking to dismiss Zukerbrot’s suit.
(Representatives for Gellis did not respond to SELF’s requests for comment.)
So lets look at the actual diet behind all the headlines.
F-Factor is not a restrictive fad diet, an F-Factor representative tells SELF via email.
This is supposed to be largely thanks to the miracle status of fiber.
For instance, they categorize some as proteins.
F-Factor does not recommend calorie-counting, a company representative tells SELF in an email.
The companyexplicitly saysyou dont need to count calories because there is an inherent calorie-cap built into the program.
The average caloric intake is anywhere from 900 to 1,100 calories per day, Zuckerbrot explains inThe F-Factor Dietbook.
However, unrestricted non-starchy veggies must be raw, plain or steamed with no oil, according tothe site.
You remain on step two until you reach your intended goal weight.
In step three, you begin the maintenance phase that you stay on for the rest of your life.
That includes satiating and calorie-dense fats likeolive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
This is the hand that will either undermine your intentions or honor them.
We grouped what they said into four main critiques.
And the more restrictive a diet is, the less likely it is that people will find it sustainable.
From Day 1, F-Factor encourages breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner and discourages skipping any meals.
Take calories, for instance.
Take the diets policy on dessert, for example.
You might say this stretches the meaning of the word indulgent.
Now, lets talk more about the star of the F-Factor diet.
Fiber is generally awesome for our bodies, and most Americans donteat enoughof this key nutrient.
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.
The dietdoes recommendincreasing fiber intake gradually in the beginning and drinking three liters of water a day.
It’s pretty much encouragingdisordered eating, Spence says.
“It’s important to note that the problems aren’t just with F-Factor, Hartley says.
The fact is that weight loss in and of itself is not a healthy goal for many people.
On top of all that,most weight-loss diets dont even deliveron thelong-term weight loss they promote.
And when that person has R.D.
But it’s not unique.”
