The Biggest Loser Diet is a calorie-controlled, carbohydrate modified, fat reduced, loss diet geared to help you burn pure fat from the body. The premise behind the Biggest Loser Diet is that it is said to  also help to do so without deprivation or loss of energy.
 

How The Biggest Loser Diet Works

The Biggest Loser Diet guides you to choose foods that are closer to their natural source, particularly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, because your body processes and uses them much more efficiently to build health. Whole foods are those that have not been modified from their natural state, or have been modified only a little bit, for example, through cooking. Foods that have been substantially modified are classified as processed foods. For example, blueberries are a whole food but blueberries toaster pastries are not. 

Whole foods are higher in fiber, which aids in weight loss, both because it is filling and because it helps reduce the number of calories that your body absorbs after a meal. Further, whole foods are much less fattening than processed foods because they do not contain added sugar or other sweeteners. Nor do they contain added fats or oils.

This is a low calorie diet based on the Biggest Loser pyramid of 4-3-2-1 (four servings of fruits and veggies; three of lean protein; two of whole grains; and one "extra"), along with good old-fashioned exercise. Eat a diet based largely on fruits, vegetables and lean protein, add a heavy dose of physical activity and you will lose weight, lower cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and become stronger and more energized. 

The Biggest Loser Diet is based on a diet is high in lean protein. Protein has a hunger controlling effect on the body, which is why higher protein diets are so effective for weight loss and fat-burning.

What Food is Allowed in The Biggest Loser Diet 

The Biggest Loser Diet gives you the freedom to eat a wide variety of foods, as long as you stick to mostly whole, natural foods. Over the course of the 12-week program, you can expect to eat small, frequent meals containing plenty of fiber and protein, for fullness without too many calories.

The Sample Meal Plan for The Biggest Loser Diet

The Biggest Loser Diet plan includes one week sample meal plans for 1,200, 1,500 and 1,800-calorie diets, along with some recipes. Forty-five percent of the total calories come from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 25% from fat.

The 4-3-2-1 Biggest Loser Pyramid sets the stage for number of servings from each of the food groups:

• 4 servings of fruits and vegetables
• 3 servings of protein -- lean, vegetarian, or low-fat dairy
• 2 servings of whole grains
• 1 extra of fats, oils, sweets, alcohol, or your choice, equivalent to 200 calories 

What Foods are Not Allowed in The Biggest Loser Diet

The Biggest Loser Die doesn’t allow eating any appetite stimulating white foods like bread, pasta, or potatoes.  You have to keep daily food logs, watching portion sizes, and drinking 48-64 ounces of water each day round out the basic plan.

Dieters are urged to choose foods that are not processed and contain no added fats, sugar, or salt. 

How to Benefit from The Biggest Loser Diet 

There is a simple formula for you, put together by the Biggest Loser doctors and nutritionists.   

Your present weight X 7 = Your daily caloric needs for weight loss.
 

Your calorie count should never be static; in fact, it's a moving target. As you lose weight, you'll need to readjust your daily calories downward in order to keep losing at a good pace and break through plateaus, should your weight loss ever seem stalled. Your Biggest Loser online program will make this adjustment for you, and change your meal plans as necessary. 

Note: Everyone is different, and we all burn different amounts of calories at different rates. So if you and a partner, friend, or buddy follow The Biggest Loser Diet, one of you might lose weight at a different rate, faster or slower, than the other from week to week. 

Additional Suggested Health Benefits of The Biggest Loser Diet 

The biggest loser diet program contains a detailed cardio and strength-training program that increases in intensity for a fat-busting boost. 

It works because you burn more calories than you eat, and if you follow the prescription for eating healthy, whole foods every few hours, you shouldn't have to deal with hunger. 

Potential Risks of The Biggest Loser Diet 

Sounds simple enough, but when you don't have a personal trainer pushing you, as the TV contestants have, it is difficult to stay motivated. If you're motivated by the television program, you have to struggle hard at home with this sensible and straightforward approach. 

While the Biggest Loser Diet doesn't provide viewers with a realistic format for exercise, it does motivate them to get started and that is a good thing. 

What the Experts Say about The Biggest Loser Diet 

The Biggest Loser Diet has certain advantages. When you eliminate refined starches and sugars or the appetite stimulating foods, hunger and appetite go way down because blood glucose and insulin spikes are minimized. 

The diet is endorsed by the American Dietetic Association.  According to American Dietetic Association spokesperson Amy Jamieson-Petonic, MEd, RD, the Biggest Loser Diet is a worthwhile diet-- as long as you consume at least 1,200 calories daily. "It is not recommended to consume fewer than 1,200 calories a day because it is difficult to obtain the necessary vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed for daily activities," she says. 

Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, assistant director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California at Los Angeles also endorses the diet. According to Bowman, "The Biggest loser Diet is very similar to the plan we use at our clinics, using very low-fat and lean protein, lots of fruits and vegetables (with an emphasis on vegetables), and avoiding refined grains -- which has proven to be successful because the diet is very satiating," she says. Bowerman also recommends that dieters get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, either in a supplement or by eating low-mercury types of fish twice weekly. 

American Dietetic Association spokesperson Amy Jamieson-Petonic, MEd, RD, endorses the Biggest Loser Diet -- as long as you consume at least 1,200 calories daily. "It is not recommended to consume fewer than 1,200 calories a day because it is difficult to obtain the necessary vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed for daily activities," she says.

Bottom Line Evaluation of the Biggest Loser Diet

Only four components of food supply calories: protein and carbohydrates (4 calories per gram), alcohol (7 calories per gram), and fat (9 calories per gram).  Vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber, and water do not supply calories. 

Diet-wise, no matter what you've heard, calories really do count, and they count big-time. If you don't eat fewer calories than you burn off, there will be no weight loss.

About the Author

Jeff Behar, MS, MBA