If You Give A Dieter A Cookie
By Alice Hu
If I told you that you could lose weight by only eating cookies, would you believe me?
Members of Generation Y crave instant gratification and often times we think that we can have it all. However, a cookie diet sounds too good to be true. It is obvious why the diet is popular—it takes the “guilty” out of a “guilty pleasure” while being even more satisfying because hey, you’re eating cookies and losing weight.
The cookie diet was created by Dr. Siegel and is quite simple. You eat 6 cookies a day and a small meal that in total can’t exceed 1,000 calories. As I am reading about this wondrous diet, my mind begins to wander and I start to think about my favorite cookies. I love cookies. To be specific, I love chocolate chip cookies with walnuts. But wait, I also love steak, lasagna, and the list goes on and on. What happens if I start craving for real meals and not just a cookie meal? I can only imagine that the cookie diet will become restrictive and cookies will no longer be a guilty pleasure.
If I eat 1,000 calories a day, of course I’ll lose weight because I’m only eating half of what I need. But what happens when my friends want to go out to dinner? Let’s say it’s a Friday night and I’m going out to dinner with my friends. Do I pack a cookie and nibble on it while they are feasting on delicious pastas and non-cookie foods?
I can’t even imagine the awkwardness that would ensue on a first date when I tell my date, “Sorry, I only eat cookies. Oh, and not just any type of cookies. It has to be these special diet cookies.”
The problem with the cookie diet and other quick weight loss solutions is that they don’t fit into your lifestyle. You’re going to go out to dinner with friends and sometimes you have an extra brownie. To lose weight you have to change the way you live. Cut back on those cheesy fries and have only one slice of chocolate cake.
Start incorporating vegetables into your diet and eat small meals throughout the day to keep yourself feeling satisfied. I can also guarantee that if you start exercising every other day or a few times a week, you will start feeling great and seeing a thinner, fitter you.
Eating cookies may slim you down, but you won’t get a toned body. I’m also pretty sure that eating cookies every day will eventually get boring. When you stop the cookie diet, you’ll put on the weight again because you didn’t develop good eating and exercise habits. For some things, you still have to do it the old fashion way.
Use the $60 you would spend for a week’s supply of cookies and buy some real food and a gym membership.
Photo Credit: ldcross
Any diet that involves eating tiny, pre-packaged meals, bars, cookies, etc. — I just don’t think is very healthy or smart. What happens when you go off those meals, and you have to cook for yourself and don’t have some diet plan forcing you to eat that stuff? Better yet, what’s so hard about simply eating healthy and exercising? I feel like these diets are some sort of shortcut — “I don’t want to make the effort to go to the gym, so I’ll just eat this cookie.” Then, when it doesn’t work — “I don’t get it! How am I not losing weight! There’s nothing else that could possibly work!”
I remember a few years ago there was a chocolate diet. You eat chocolate all day long as much as you want. But only chocolate. It sounded appealing at first, especially because I am addicted to chocolate. But even for me eating only chocolate all day long gets boring.
I have lunch and dinner with friends almost every day and any sort of diet is just impossible. It doesn’t fit my lifestyle. The only way I can possibly be on a diet is if all my friends are on the same diet and I work in an office where people don’t bring cookies and cakes almost every day.
Alice – great post about cookies – and the importance of finding a balance. As I always say, everything in moderation, including moderation!
Nice job.
I wish I had a dollar for every email I’ve deleted from “The Coookie Diet” people! As a food blogger with the word “diet” in her name, I suppose such email solicitations are to be expected … but man, it gets old! I can’t even imagine trying a diet like this. Its crazy. Cook real food, eat real food in moderation, and get some exercise – its as simple as that. (And perhaps I’ll eventually take my own advice!
Great post!
As someone whose genes have guaranteed that she struggle with weight from youth to death, I know diets. I’ve also learned that if it’s called a diet, it’s probably not worth it. The only things you need to lose weight are a hefty helping of exercise and smaller portions of food. REAL food. Not anything that comes in a wrapper. Not food that contains so many preservatives that a more appropriate name is quasi-food-product. This cookie diet frankly makes me angry. It’s just perpetuating the idea that only extreme measures can kickstart weight loss. Learn portion control, go for a run, do a couple squats and bicep curls, and only eat a cookie (A cookie, as in one…okay maybe two) when you really, really want one.