The F-Factor diet began like many diets in the noughties, 2006 in fact when its founder Tanya Zuckerbrot published her book, The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss. This is one of those diets that has benefited hugely from social media. If you’ve heard of it than all well and good but it isn’t as well known as some others like the DASH diet or the Mediterranean Diet.
What Is This F-Factor Diet?
The diet is based on four principles which fit a pattern common to many other diets. Essentially it is all about eating well by eating enough carbohydrates, drinking some alcohol, being able to eat out in restaurants and not having to exercise too much. Sounds great to be honest but it doesn’t sound believable on this basis.
The key however is what the diet attempts to focus on. Satiety (keeping full) is perhaps at the heart of it. The eating part centers on consuming high-fibre carbohydrates which is where the F comes from. These are combined with lean protein and keeping the overall calorie content down. That fits with many good dieting plans but it’s the way it is managed that counts. It fits totally with lifestyle.
Dietary fibre is highly important in diet anyway so it’s a no brainer to include it in the diet. This diet though recommends women need to have 35 grams of fiber per day whilst men take 38 grams or more.
We have known fiber was important for over 50 years when clinical studies started showing the benefits that it brought to good gut health, to reducing and managing cholesterol levels and reducing blood sugar levels by stopping the spiking that occurs. From that perspective, diabetes rely heavily on fibre in their diet simply to iron out blood sugar rises. It also helps to reduce constipation combined with good bowel movements and even reducing colon cancer. Weight management is just one of the many benefits.
One of the ways that fibre is working here is to add bulk to food. This fills up the stomach so that it not only acts as a low-calorie food but also drops your appetite. The stomach has stretch receptors which register the bulk and releases a hormone called cholecystokinin. This particular hormone is responsible for triggering the feeling of satiety or fullness to the brain.
How Is The Diet Applied?
The diet allows three meals per day and snack every four or five hour intervals. The reason it works is because it has a long-term benefit exploiting fibre.
There are three steps followed with this interesting diet:
Step one: In the first phase of the diet, less than 35 grams of net carbs is spread over three servings. This is taken along with 35 grams of fiber, which forms the core component of the diet.
Step two: A continuation of the diet of 35 grams of fiber. Additionally, less than 75 grams of net carbs are consumed over six servings in a day.
Step three: This is the part of the diet where an individual aims to maintain and increase net carb intake to 125 grams over nine servings per day.
It is an interesting approach.
The F-Factor Website
Looking at the website, I was struck by how many recipes it covers. Zuckerbrot has also added a range of protein powders and protein bars to supplement the diet. There is no shame with the diet and it is open about what to eat and when. There is a good, useful section on exercise and should not put anyone off who is a stranger to the locker room.
What Can You Buy That Is Associated With F-Factor Diet Plans ?
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The original book The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss published under the TarcherPerigee label is still available and always seems to be reduced. Worth getting hold of as it sets the scene for all the derivative versions that have followed on. It is also possible to get it as part of a triple set alongside Fast Metabolism Diet and Lose Weight For Good; The Diet Bible.
Always preferred this one