Can you imagine sunbathing while enjoying a plate full of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats? Between each serving of food or food, are you sipping a glass of good wine, mindful of your location surrounded by hikers, cyclists and small slopes dotted with olive trees?
Well, whether you can or not, this is the scenario offered by one of the latest diet programs available. The Sonoma Diet by Dr. Connie Gutterson is a weight loss plan that promotes the healthy and tasty eating style of the Mediterranean and Sonoma Valley, California. However, are all these illusions of self-promotion and self-marketing to attract customers, or will they really work?
This article answers this question by detailing the pros and cons within the Sonoma Diet to help prospective dieters determine if the program is right for them.
The Sonoma Diet:
advantages
– SIMPLE:
The Sonoma Diet is extremely simple for dieters to use. There are no formulas to calculate as with the Weight Watchers program, and no grams or calories are counted daily. Rather, plate and bowl sizes are used for portion control.
– EMPHASIZE THE POSITIVE:
The Sonoma Diet Program’s emphasis is on what you eat rather than what you can’t eat. Although the show still has a list of forbidden foods that dieters are supposed to avoid.
– TASTE THE FOOD:
There is a focus within the Sonoma Diet on eating slower and savoring your food. This is marked by the healthy use of fine wines with meals after the initial 10-day period. By using tasteful recipes, meals are enjoyed, and by slowing down, dieters avoid overeating.
– NUTRITION:
The Sonoma Diet has a strong nutritional component, encouraging dieters to consume a number of phytonutrients and antioxidants. This is key to dieting as it is based on nutrition, not hunger. The dieter stays healthy and keeps his metabolism rate at an effective level.
– EMPHASIS ON WHOLE FOODS:
Emphasizing whole foods in the diet and very few processed foods helps dieters improve health and lose weight.
– STRUCTURED DIET
There are definitely various weight loss programs and diets that lack a prescribed structure for participants to follow. One of the strengths of the Sonoma Diet is its step-by-step guidance, however this is obviously a personal choice for each individual.
The Sonoma Diet:
cons
– LACK OF FLEXIBILITY
A diet analysis shows that most Wave 1 menus only offer around 950-1100 calories for women and 1050-1300 for men. Once you get to Wave 2, diets only receive an additional 200-300 calories. Now, although this is going to be effective in losing weight, it’s hard for people to live on. People will starve for the first week and in the long run this is not sustainable for most dieters.
– LACK OF ORIENTATION WHEN HUNGRY
Given the levels of hunger some may experience during the Sonoma Diet, instructions on what to do and what to eat when hungry are lacking.
– LIMITED SIZES, IN PARTICULAR VEGETABLES
Compared to most other diets, the Sonoma Diet has an extremely controlled volume of food, particularly when it comes to vegetables. The lack of available vegetables may not be intentional, but people will usually experience a surprise when it comes to the amount of food they can consume by sticking to the Sonoma Diet portion sizes.
– FORBIDDEN FOOD
By emphasizing whole foods, the Sonoma Diet is doing a great job of providing dieters with nutrients. However, the number of prohibited foods does not leave dieters with as many alternatives or substitutes in terms of sugars, fats, etc. This can be difficult for dieters to handle.
– LACK OF CARBOHYDRATES IN WAVE 1
In many diets there is a risk of a carbohydrate crash. However, the Sonoma Diet is designed as a low-carb diet and has no means of controlling this risk, which can occur in the first phase of the diet, Wave 1.
To conclude, it’s clear that the Sonoma Diet offers both positives and negatives for would-be dieters. It is important for each dieter to approach these issues in terms of their own personality and make a decision that is tailored to them personally. If you like a structured diet focused on flavors, health, and wellness, then the Sonoma Diet is for you. However, if you require a higher level of flexibility and food consumption, an alternative may be recommended.
