Vinegar Diet Plan
Vinegar Diet Plan
The Vinegar Diet plan is a low calorie diet that involves consuming one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or an apple cider vinegar capsule about an hour before each meal. Adherents to the Vinegar Diet claim that apple cider vinegar helps speed fat burning, although skeptics say that it is the low calorie eating plan that triggers weight loss. Unlike some weight loss plans, the Vinegar Diet plan does not incorporate specific food combinations; it does, however, limit sugar, salt, and fat.
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VINEGAR DIET PLAN: MENUS
Virtually every Vinegar Diet plan has a set of daily menus. The general rule is that one day’s menu may be substituted for another, but that one meal cannot be substituted for another. For example, you cannot substitute the lunch from the Day Two menu for the lunch from the Day Five menu. This is because the Vinegar Diet plan daily menus have a caloric ceiling, and the lunch from Day Two might have a higher calorie count than the lunch from Day Five. Some Vinegar Diet plan menus also have rules about substitutions, saying, for example, that you may substitute any day’s menu for another’s, except that you can only eat the Day Three menu once each week.
Here is one sample menu for the Vinegar Diet plan. Remember to drink one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed in a glass of water one hour before each meal. Breakfast: 1 poached egg on 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 banana. Snack: 1 small apple. Lunch: Carrot salad made with 1 grated carrot, 1/4 cup raisins, and 1 tablespoon reduced calorie mayonnaise; 1/2 grilled chicken breast. Snack: 1/2 cup non-fat frozen yogurt. Dinner: Salad made with 2 cups leaf lettuce and 2 tablespoons low-calorie salad dressing; 1/2 grilled chicken breast and 1 cup steamed broccoli over 1 cup wheat pasta; and 1 cup fresh strawberries.
This menu is approximately 1,289 calories. Breakfast is 254 calories, lunch is 330 calories, dinner is 543 calories, and each snack is 81 calories. A Vinegar Diet plan of approximately 1,200 calories a day will lead to a moderate weight loss (one to two pounds per week). Incorporating exercise into your daily routine will speed up weight loss.
There are some Vinegar Diet plan menus that restrict caloric intake to 1,000 or 900 calories per day. These are considered Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCDs), and are thought to be unsustainable over long periods of time. This is because the body doesn’t know that the calorie restriction is intentional, and interprets it as going through a period of starvation. As a result, metabolism slows down and conserves all of the calories it can, storing them as fat.
VINEGAR DIET PLAN: SNACKS
Hunger will sabotage even the best of intentions. You’ll have more success on the Vinegar Diet plan if you eat low-cal snacks:
- Slice 1/2 of an apple and spread 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on the apple slices
- Sugar-free flavored gelatin with a dollop of sugar-free whipped cream
- 1/2 cup of fat-free, sugar-free frozen yogurt
- One sliced carrot dipped in 2 tablespoons of low-calorie salad dressing
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries
- 5 saltine crackers spread with 2 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese
- 1 ounce gouda cheese
- 12-15 dry roasted almonds
VINEGAR DIET PLAN: MORE MENU AND COOKING SUGGESTIONS
Here are more menu and food preparation suggestions for a Vinegar Diet plan:
- Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs and 1/2 toasted English muffin with 1 teaspoon reduced calorie margarine (254 calories). Lunch: Fruit salad, made with 1/2 apple, 1/2 orange, 1 kiwifruit, and 1/2 banana; 1/2 pita with lettuce, 3 ounces turkey breast, and 1 slice tomato (404 calories). Dinner: Stir fry with 1/2 chicken breast, 1/2 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup celery, 1 cup Chinese cabbage, 1/4 cup onion, and 1/2 cup cauliflower; 1/2 cup brown rice (347 calories). Snacks: 12 almonds, 1 medium apple, 1/2 cup non-fat, sugar-free frozen yogurt (266 calories). Total: 1,271 calories.
- Breakfast: 1 pouch instant oatmeal with 1/2 cup 1% milk and Splenda; 1 cup cantaloupe; and 1 slice bacon (358 calories). Lunch: Green salad made with 2 cups leaf lettuce, 1 hard-boiled egg, 1/2 grated carrot; 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds; and 3 tablespoons low-calorie Thousand Island salad dressing (238 calories). Dinner: 1 cup raw spinach dressed with balsamic vinegar; 3-1/2 ounces baked salmon; 1 cup steamed broccoli; and 1/2 cup white rice (389 calories). Snacks: 5 saltine crackers with 2 tablespoons peanut butter (250 calories). Total: 1,235 calories.
- Cookware: If you don’t have nonstick cookware, it’s wise to invest in some. When you cook with nonstick cookware, you don’t have to add oils or other fats, which quickly add calories.
- Learn to read labels: When buying prepared foods, it’s important to carefully read the labels. Take into account the serving size specified by the manufacturer when counting calories – it’s often unrealistically small.
- Fresh and natural: Fresh and unprocessed foods are not only more nutritious, but they also tend to be lower in calories.
- Wise restaurant dining: When dining out, ask how foods are prepared. Request that meats be grilled or broiled, and that butter, sauces, and salad dressings be served on the side.
- Start moving: Exercise will help you lose weight faster, and will improve your overall health. If you need motivation, ask a friend to join you in your exercise regimen.
- Keep a counter handy. Pick up a pocket size calorie counter and keep it close by.
- Keep a food journal. Write down everything you eat, so you can better track your daily caloric intake.