The Gerenal Motors diet aims to help people lose weight by focusing on a specific food or food group each day for a week.
The original GM Diet Plan was developed by General Motors, with the help of the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture, in 1985 for its employees. The idea was to make these employees healthier, and in the process, improve workforce productivity. The initial results were impressive. The workers underwent significant weight loss in just a week, and showed improved efficiency, energy and confidence.
How does it work?
Detoxification
Even dieticians agree that this type of diet resembles other detoxification diets. So while you’re not eating unhealthy fats, carbohydrates and proteins for the first few days, your body is flushing out the toxins and getting cleansed. This is not something that the diet starts, your body already does it, but as you no longer have any intake of these toxins your body can do it easily and will not be overworked. The diet just helps the natural processes. The followers of the diet are advised to drink up to 2 liters of water per day, which is enough for the digestion of the food that they consume and to keep the cleaning systems running.
Regular detoxification will result in faster digestion, regular bowel movement and eventually, weight loss.
Faster Digestion
The two important aspects of the GM diet are the kind of food intake and the amount of water you take with it.
The foods that you consume each day in the diet are high fiber fruits and low sugar vegetables. These are known to speed up the digestion as nutrition from them is easily absorbed in the digestive tract.
The increase in the intake of water is to compensate for the high fiber foods that you eat. They need a lot of water to dissolve the nutrients. Regularly drinking water increases the efficiency of the whole digestive process. So the person who is on this diets gets all the nutrients and at the same time the body uses up its reserve energy (fat) through their metabolism.
GM Diet Day 1
Start the diet by consuming as many fruits as you wish to on the very first day. There are no specific instructions on when one should eat them. However, watermelons and muskmelons are highly recommended since they contain high amounts of fiber. You can also include apples, oranges and papaya in your diet.
Another important part of the diet would be to consume 8 to 12 glasses of water in the day. One must avoid starving at any point of the day. If you’re hungry at any time, feel free to eat some fruits and satisfy your hunger.
These fiber-rich and low-fat foods keep an individual full for longer, thereby reducing an individual’s calorie intake. The high water intake will also serve to flush out the toxins from the body and prepare it for the rest of the diet.
On day one, avoid any kind of vegetables completely. Among fruits, it is ideal to stay away from bananas. Day one should feel a little easier since the monotony of the food would be yet to kick in. Stick to the plan, and feel active and energetic.
Time Meal
8:00 AM 1 medium apple
A few plums or an orange
10:30 AM ½ bowl of sliced muskmelon
12:30 PM 1 bowl of watermelon
4:00 PM 1 large orange or mosambi
6:30 PM 1 cup of muskmelon and pomegranate salad
8:30 PM ½ cup of watermelon
GM Diet Day 2
The second day of the GM Diet involves eating only vegetables. These veggies can be consumed, or can be cooked in order to make them palatable. Ensure that there is no oil involved in their preparation.
While eating potatoes deep fried, or even a packet of your favourite brand of chips may not be allowed, you can snack on vegetables at any time of the day if you’re hungry. If absolutely required, olive oil or butter can be used sparingly for flavour.
Vegetables contain all the nutrients that you need to sustain the body. You get the necessary carbs from potatoes, protein from peas, and carrots and beans are packed with fiber and all essential vitamins. After a relatively low-carb day one, this will help restore the carbohydrate content in the body. In turn, this will further provide you with enough energy to keep the diet going. Unlike the first day, you must stay away from fruits altogether on day 2.
Time Meal
8:00 AM 1 cup of boiled potatoes
10:30 AM ½ bowl of cucumber
12:30 PM 1 cup of lettuce, spinach, cucumber, and capsicum
4:00 PM ½ cup sliced carrots and a glass of lemon juice with a pinch of salt
6:30 PM 1 cup boiled broccoli and green peas
8:30 PM 1 cucumber
GM Diet Day 3
On the third day of the diet, one must stick to eating a combination of fruits and vegetables. These foods could be the same as that consumed in the first two days. The only foods that must be avoided are potatoes and bananas.
Halfway through the week, your body would have begun to adjust to the new diet. After a day of eating only vegetables, the fruits would be a welcome addition to it. The combination of fruits and vegetables also provides the body with the benefits of high fiber and protein.
You would also need to include 8 to 12 glasses of water in order to flush out all toxins from the body. You can also add the GM Diet Soup to your diet on the third day. In addition to replenishing your body, and giving the body all the nutrients it needs, this variety will also help satisfy your taste buds and break the monotony of the first two days. On this day, one must take care to avoid the consumption of bananas and potatoes.
Time Meal
8:00 AM ½ bowl of muskmelon
10:30 AM 1 cup of pineapple or pear
12:30 PM 1 cup of lettuce, spinach, cucumber, and capsicum
4:00 PM ½ cup sliced carrots and a glass of lemon juice with a pinch of salt
6:30 PM 1 cup of boiled broccoli and green peas
8:30 PM 1 cucumber
GM Diet Day 4
The bananas that were avoided over the first three days, can finally be consumed on the fourth day. One must consume 8 bananas over the course of the day. The consumption can be split across the day’s meal and snack times. In addition to that, one should also consume a big glass of milk each, at breakfast, lunch and dinner. In case this becomes monotonous, a bowl of soup can be included in the diet.
Bananas are rich in pectin, and hence, they help in digestion. They also provide one’s body with the instant energy they need. They are also high in potassium, apart from being low in salt. Additionally, the milk one consumes on this day is also a great source of potassium and calcium. Thanks to being fortified with Vitamin D, the milk further helps strengthen bones.
On Day 4, one must completely avoid snacking on fruits other than bananas. Potatoes and sweet potatoes must be ignored as well. You could also substitute bananas and milk with fig and soy milk.
Time Meal
8:00 AM 2 bananas
10:30 AM 1 banana
12:30 PM Milkshake (2 bananas + 1 glass of milk + a dash of cocoa powder)
4:00 PM 2 bananas
6:30 PM 1 banana
1 glass of milk
8:30 PM 1 glass of milk
GM Diet Day 5
On day 5, vegetarians can opt to eat a bowl of brown rice, while non-vegetarians can consume a lean protein source like fish or chicken breast. In addition to that, one must also eat 6 large tomatoes.
While vegetarians can eat a bowl of brown rice for lunch, care must be taken to ensure that minimal oil is used for cooking. Combat the high amounts of uric acid that your body will be producing by drinking upto 15 glasses of water everyday. Non-vegetarians can eat about 500 g of baked or lightly fried skinless chicken, along with the 6 tomatoes.
Brown rice is rich in fiber, and helps with digestion. At the same time, chicken and fish are excellent sources of lean protein. Additionally, fish also has omega-3 fatty acids. The high fiber in tomatoes mean they aid digestion too.
It is important to avoid potatoes and sweet potatoes among vegetables, and bananas among fruits that were recommended earlier in the week. One can also have a bowl of GM Diet Soup as part of the mid-morning or evening snack.
Time Meal
9:00 AM 3 tomatoes
12:30 PM ½ cup of brown rice
Sautéed assorted veggies
4:00 PM 2 tomatoes
6:30 PM 1 bowl of brown rice,1 tomato,½ cup of sautéed veggies
GM Diet Day 6
Day 6 of the GM Diet requires the individual to have cooked or uncooked vegetables. Vegetarians can opt for a cup of brown rice, while non-vegetarians can include a lean protein source like fish or chicken breast in their diet.
Another relatively high food intake day, the sixth day also follows a pattern similar to the previous day with the addition of cooked or uncooked vegetables. One must make sure that the vegetables are boiled and not fried. The salads should not have any heavy dressing either.
Non-vegetarians can consume up to 500 g of skinless chicken along with vegetables apart from tomatoes and potatoes. In addition to the previous day’s foods, the mix of vegetables on day 6 also provides the fiber the body requires.
Ideally, one must avoid all fruits along with potatoes and sweet potatoes. On the sixth day, the weight loss with now be visible.
Time Meal
9:00 AM 1 glass carrot juice
12:30 PM ½ cup of brown rice + ½ cup of veggies
4:00 PM 1 cup of cucumber slices
6:30 PM ½ bowl of brown rice
½ cup of Veggies Chicken/cottage cheese
GM Diet Day 7
On the last day of the 7-day plan, one would need a cup of brown rice, an assortment of vegetables and fruit juice. One can eat a cup of brown rice along with a bowl of boiled vegetables for lunch. Drink sugarless fruit juice after every meal or snack to complement the nutrient-rich vegetables.
The rice and vegetables will provide the body with some much-needed energy to keep the body going right through the day. The fruit juices will help flush out the toxins from the system.
As with the previous 6 days, one must avoid certain foods on the seventh day as well. It is advisable to stay clear of vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes whereas fruits like banana, cherry, mango and pear are to be avoided as well.
Time Meal
9:00 AM 1 glass of orange/apple juice
12:30 PM ½ cup of brown rice
½ cup of sautéed veggies
4:00 PM 1 cup of watermelon/few assorted berries
6:30 PM 1 bowl of GM Soup
GM Diet Soup Recipe
The GM diet soup is an important part of the diet. It can be consumed in relatively higher quantities on any day, in order to make sure that one doesn’t go hungry.
Ingredients
One cabbage
Three medium-sized tomatoes
Six large onions
Two green peppers
A bunch of celery
Half a litre of water
Preparation
Chop the onions and peppers. Place them in a pot and saute them in olive oil till they turn mild brown.
Then, cut the tomatoes, celery, and cabbage. Now, add them to the pot along with water.
It takes about 60 minutes for the soup to get cooked. The vegetables must be boiled, and left to simmer. Now, season the soup with some salt and pepper, and enjoy a bowl of delicious soup.
GM Diet Side Effects
The GM Diet is popular the world over. However, they have several side effects that need to be considered before one chooses to follow the diet.
Although the diet may help you lose weight quickly, it is high in fiber but low in protein, carbs and fats. Due to this, your body may not receive the nutrients it requires.
The GM Diet can lead to metabolic slowdown in your body. While your weight loss may not be affected initially, this would make it difficult to maintain your body weight.
The body would use all the fluids in the diet for metabolism. The diet could, therefore, lead to dehydration.
The other possible side effects of the GM Diet also includes weakness, headaches, and hunger pangs.
Expert Review
The genetically modified (GM) diet is a crash diet that goes against the fundamentals of a healthy diet. Though the weight reduction or results are immediate and obvious, the long-term consequences are far more harmful. When you make a significant shift in your regular eating regimen, your body loses weight, and when you return to your regular diet, you gain back the same amount of weight, if not more, than you lost.
It is widely accepted that any diet that forces you to give up your daily main foods is unsustainable. Weight management necessitates regular excellent eating habits and a well-balanced diet that includes all of the essential elements. Avoid unrealistic diets that need extra effort to entirely change your lifestyle, and instead focus on balancing your everyday meals. This will aid in the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle modification and long-term weight management.