Can one lose weight in a week without starving?

One reader who thinks highly of this column wrote over a week ago asking about the GM Diet and whether it is possible that it can make one lose three to six kilos of weight in a week.

I promised her that I would try it out and then give her feedback; I would become the guinea pig and return with practical findings.

By the fifth day, I had lost at least 3 kgs. GM stands for General Motors and apparently, it is a proven strict diet that can make one lose weight within a week albeit with its own shortcomings such as general muscle weakness due to shortage of carbohydrates, and headache, especially on the second and fifth day, and general lack of energy; so, please consult your doctor before you try it out.

This is how it works. You must consume eight to 12 glasses of water every day.

Day 1: Any fruits (except bananas) consumed without limitation. There should be no fruit dressing and at no point should you starve yourself during the day. Day 2: Vegetables that can be eaten raw or cooked, but without any oils, for lunch and supper. For breakfast, you can have one large or two small-sized boiled potatoes.

Day 3: Fruits (except bananas) and vegetables

Day 4: Eight to 10 bananas and three to four glasses of milk (without sugar or sweeteners). You can have two bananas for breakfast, two for lunch, two for daytime snack, two for dinner and two for nighttime snack.

Day 5: Three whole tomatoes for breakfast. Lunch 250g of meat (it can be fish, chicken, eggs or any meat). Vegetarians can substitute meat with rice. Dinner a bowl of soup. No evening or night snacking.

Day 6: Meat and vegetables. Vegetables for breakfast, 250g of meat for lunch (as day 5) and cabbage soup for dinner. No snacking.

Day 7: Fruits for breakfast. Rice with juice (without sugar) for lunch and vegetables for dinner. No snacking in between.

fkisakye@observer.ug