Arguably the trendiest weight loss solution around, Dr. Nowzaradan’s diet plan is basically a successful dietary regime created for massive weight loss.
This dietary regime works through reducing calorie intake down to 1200 calories a day, all while maintaining a balanced diet that is inclusive of almost every essential food group. Typically, this diet is perfect for anyone who wants to shed off substantial weight.
Multiple patients widely follow Dr. Nowzaradan’s diet for two significant reasons: as a first, you have to show that you can autonomously follow through a significantly restrictive regime without hospitalization.
The other reason is the patients’ severe obesity state (that forces them to lead a somewhat stressful life, and needs a significantly radical treatment before the intervention) as these individuals require to shed off massive kilos (usually between 10 and 20 kgs) monthly before they can go for surgery.
This diet might not be for everyone but Dr. Nowzaradan’s advice can be used by anyone looking to lose weight. So this article is well worth a read.
So who is Dr. Nowzaradan, and what is the Dr. Nowzaradan Diet Plan all about? Here is everything you need to know…
Who is Dr. Nowzaradan?
Dr. Nowzaradan is quite a popular figure. Also known as Dr. Now, this established Houston-based surgeon is among the main characters on the My 600-Lb Life TLC show. This is a show that documents the lives of various morbidly-obese individuals in their quest to lose weight.
Ideally, while these individuals feature on the show courtesy of different factors, including emotional eating, genetic factors, trauma, and loss, what unifies them is their weight loss desire. And in most cases, Dr. Nowzardan is their only hope, both for his expertise and also for his widely acclaimed dietary regime-Dr. Nowzaradan diet plan.
He is a Houston-based surgeon who specializes in bariatric, vascular, and general surgery. His rise to fame, however, started when he became a consultant physician and who performs various procedures on multiple patients in the trendy TLC show, ‘My 600-Lb Life’.
TLC Show, ‘My 600-Lb Life’
This TV program follows through the life of numerous patients who are suffering from adverse obesity with weights ranging from between 250-400 kgs. Thanks to Dr. Who’s intervention, they successfully achieve their weight loss goals and lead healthy lives.
Dr. Nowzaradan works with massively-morbid obese by offering strict dietary and effective exercise plans. This is in addition to the necessary surgical procedures designed to help them shed off their excess weight.
He is also known for his staunch expectations, something which numerous patients on the show have expressed concern about. In fact, some even reveal that Dr. Nowzaradan will not perform any surgical procedures on a patient who hasn’t shed off enough weight.
Dr. Nowzaradan is typically a no-nonsense individual, and he is known to openly turn down patients who are looking to get the surgical procedures.
Dr. Nowzaradan’s diet is not a typical fun diet, such as a mango-only diet. Essentially, if you decide to start this system, you have no choice but to make substantial changes-but for the better! This famed diet plan has traditionally been hard to get-until now! Luckily for you, this guide has detailed every aspect of the strict but effective diet plan for you.
Who is it designed for?
Dr. Nowzaradan’s diet regime is purposely created for his distinct surgical procedures. Usually, these surgeries ensure less eating and effectively restrict the food amount you can consume. These restrictions typically happen either by banding or reducing the stomach size. As such, after the surgery, you will get fuller much quicker and consume relatively less food.
Dr. Nowzaradan’s diet regime is distinctly created to promote consequential weight loss by reducing calorie intake. Therefore, this diet plan is ideal for obese or overweight individuals, and who are looking to shed off massive weights. Nonetheless, it applies to everyone.
To reap the maximum benefits, though, you need to carefully incorporate this diet plan since you want to reduce calorie intake while also maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.
Essentially, the main idea behind this weight loss plan is to reduce the consumption of calories to 1200 calories/day without excluding the essential food and nutrition groups. The concept is to cut your daily caloric intake, promoting the burning of fat in your body, and eventual weight loss.
Dr. Nowzaradan’s 1200 Calories Golden Rule: How does the Diet Plan Work?
Dr. Nowzaradan recommends that you don’t exceed 1200 calories a day. Naturally, it is not easy to consume all the necessary nutrients with a calorie intake of below 1200 calories per day. The idea is to ensure you have a controlled calorie intake while ensuring that your diet is balanced.
While you may often feel hungry by following this diet, you should not, however, compromise your overall health. In essence, this necessitates for you to ensure you don’t go below 1200 calories.
Dr. Now’s weight loss diet plan also encourages that you change your approach to eating and adopt some new habits. This diet plan will expertly guide you on how to regulate your calorie and total food intake. Even after losing weight, you must continue taking a healthy, balanced diet to maintain your perfect weight subsequently.
Initially, it is common for individuals to feel somewhat hungry in the beginning phase of this diet change. Nonetheless, you can consume various permitted snacks in between your meals and also drink adequate water.
Dr. Nowzaradan’s Weight Loss Diet Plan Explained: Understanding this Famed Pre-Surgical Dietary Regime:
Dr. Nowzaradan’s weight loss diet is ideally a pre-surgery diet created to assist individuals in losing significant weight and quickly. This explains the severe calorie limitations. Moreover, calorie limits mean that you eat relatively fewer portions. This is a reality that patients will need to adapt, especially since their stomachs after surgery will be relatively smaller.
Dr. Nowzaradan Diet Plan List of Foods
The primary philosophy is of Dr. Now’s dietary plan is having a low-calorie, healthy diet. Therefore, the foods that should make up this diet need to feature high protein and low carb content. While it does not entirely eradicate carbs, you should only consume low-calorie carb foods. All you need to avoid is sugar!
The Four Essential Food Groups:
Dr. Now’s Diet typically segregates food into 8 distinct groups, with seven of them forming what you need and one comprising what you need to avoid.
According to Dr. Nowzaradan’s diet regime, the four essential food groups include Dairy, Grains, Vegetables and Fruits, and Meat. Typically, both women and men should consume similar amounts.
However, the general recommendation of Dr. Now’s Diet is that compared to men, women should consume relatively fewer meats and grains as this article will help you discover.
Grains
The recommended grains per day intake as per this diet plan are 6-7 ounces for men and 5-6 ounces for women. Naturally, whole grains are not only vital for a healthy diet, but they are also excellent sources of fiber.
As such, a minimum of three servings must come from whole grains. Ensure that you carefully read the package labels to ascertain that the products you buy comprise whole grain.
Generally, one serving of whole grains is equivalent to a slice of bread, ½ cup of cooked rice, cooked cereal, or pasta, 1 breakfast cereal cup.
Brown rice, buckwheat, whole grain pasta and bread, wild rice, spelt products, amaranth, and quinoa are a few sources of whole grain.
Dairy
Ideally, you need to consume approximately 3 cups daily of standard dairy products, or various milk alternatives. Dairy products are vital sources of calcium. Food products with low or no-fat whatsoever are mostly recommended.
You can go for the various alternative sources of calcium, such as calcium-fortified foods, tofu, and sardines. One serving is equivalent to a cup of yogurt, milk, and ½ ounce of cheese.
Dairy products and milk sources include cheese, milk, and sour cream, which can usually come from goats, sheep, and cows.
Meat
When it comes to meat, the recommended daily consumption is between 4 and 6 ounces (women) and between 6 and 8 ounces (men). Low-fat meats, as well as other sources of protein, are necessary to offer protein and other multiple nutrients.
You need to realize that numerous meat types comprise high saturated fat, which is not suitable for you. What’s more, other proteins such as seafood and fish boast high omega-3 fatty acids content that you need.
The USDA outlines that one serving is equivalent to one-half ounce. However, other sources deem two ounces as one serving size. Various protein sources include poultry, meat, seafood, dry beans, fish, seed, beans, and nuts.
Vegetables and Fruits
As for vegetables and fruits, the recommended daily vegetable and fruits is 5-9 servings. Brightly colored and dark green vegetables and fruits feature numerous bioflavonoids and antioxidants, not to mention minerals, fiber, and vitamins.
One serving is equivalent to ½ cup for starchy vegetables like corn, or potatoes, and 2 low-starch dark green vegetable cups such as leafy greens or broccoli. One serving of fruit is equivalent to a medium/small-sized fruit or ½ cup berries.
Vegetables and fruit sources include brightly colored and dark green vegetables, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, apples, carrots, peaches, bananas, oranges, etc. keep your calories in check as calorie counts significantly vary.
The Four Essential Nutrient Groups
Dr. Nowzaradan’s diet plan will be more natural to go through when you understand the disparity between how to effectively track the four distinct nutrient and food groups. When it comes to the four essential nutrient groups, they are Fiber, Sugar and Salt, Fats, and Oils. However, you should avoid sugar altogether.
Typically, these four nutrients naturally occur in the earlier mentioned food groups. This is either in foods such as fats and fiber or utilized in preparing the food such as oil and salt.
Consequently, when you are choosing food within the four distinct food groups, you should track and check the overall amounts of the four nutrients. Afterward, correctly choose your food to meet the Dr. Nowzaradan Diet guideline.
Fats and Oils
Healthy fats and oil are a necessary component in your daily dietary routine. Dr. Nowzaradan Diet outlines that women need about 7 teaspoons, while men need about 9 teaspoons of fats and oil daily. Fats are usually a vital source of vitamin E and essential fatty acids.
You should consume adequate amounts of omega-3s found in flax and fish and limit saturated fat consumption present in hydrogenated and trans-fat oils present foods have and red meats.
A single serving is equivalent to 1 tablespoon. The ordinary foods we consume have fats. Some healthy fats sources include seeds, flax, and vegetable oils such as olive oil, fish, safflower, and peanut oils.
Fiber
For overall good health and maintenance of healthy levels of cholesterol and a properly functioning digestive system, you need to consume fiber. The recommended daily intake quantity varies between women (20-25 grams) and men (23-25 grams). Usually, the serving size is dependent on the distinct food group, which is the fiber source. Various fiber sources include vegetables, whole fruits, and whole grains.
Salt
Essentially, the daily quantity of sodium you need should not exceed 2300 mg and, as such, ensure you carefully read the package labels on processed and prepackaged foods. A single serving is equivalent to a dash of salt that comprises 155mg sodium. Sodium or salt sources include prepared foods and salt, processed foods, and canned vegetables.
Sugar
Sugar is not a daily requirement in your daily routine. Sweets and sugar add excess levels of calories but significantly little nutrition. Keep off from sweets and sugar sources, which include candy, all sugars, soft drinks, honey, pastries, molasses, and honey.
Nowzaradan’s Diet Plan Foods To Eat
- Tuna
- Eggs
- Non-starchy vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, spinach, kale, etc.
- Whole grains like quinoa, wild rice, oatmeal, etc.
- low-fat, high quality, protein such as turkey breast or chicken
- Egg Whites
- Low-fat or Non- fat dairy like low-fat yogurt and cheese, etc.
- Unsweetened Tea
- Water
- Black Coffee
Nowzaradan’s Diet Plan Do-Not-Eat List:
Conceivably, just as essential as it is to follow through what you should eat on the Dr. Now’s plan, is what you shouldn’t consume. To guide you, here is a list of some foods you should avoid-several are no-brainers while others might catch you by surprise:
- Sugar
- Crackers
- Chips
- High sugar content fruits like bananas, mangoes, pears, cantaloupe, watermelon, cherries, figs, and grapes
- Candy
- Potatoes no matter the form-chips, mashed, fried, baked, tots, etc
- Starchy vegetables like peas, beans, etc
- Chocolate
- Jams and Jellies
- Sports and energy beverages
- Nuts
- Soda
- Molasses
- Alcohol
- Shakes and meal supplements
- Juice
- Candied or dried fruit
- Popcorn
- Honey
- Syrup
Essentially, the central concept behind the strict but effective Dr. Now’s weight loss diet is small portions, sugar elimination, and cutting on the calorie. By adhering to this approach, you can subsequently have 1200 calories a day, ideally spread across breakfast, lunch, and diner-and snacks in between.
Dr. Nowzaradan’s diet plan also incorporates snacks in the afternoon and morning. Typically, these various snacks can assist you in getting through your day in between larger everyday meals. Naturally, this diet has no stringent rules about dividing calories per meal; however, the daily calorie intake per day needs to be 1200 calories.
Dr. Nowzaradan’s Diet Plan Sample Menu
The exclusive Dr. Nowzaradan’s dietary plan isn’t officially available online. However, this excerpt has established some assumptions centered on that which we already know about this particular diet’s philosophy.
This is in addition to the various accounts that have been shared online by patients on the My 600-Lb Life show relative to their customized diet plans. Below is a simple sample menu for low fat, low-carb, high protein 1200 calorie diet:
Breakfast
- 1 egg and 1 egg white (don’t fry it): 105 calories
- 2 oz microwaved or cooked in water turkey sausage: 130 calories
- whole-wheat toast (1 slice): 80 calories
- 0.5 low-fat cheese: 90 calories
- Plenty of water or black coffee, unsweetened tea
Total: 405 calories
Lunch
- 1 tuna can: 200 calories
- Light mayo (1 teaspoon): 50 calories
- Spinach (2 cups): 40 calories
- 2 carrots: 60 calories
- Plenty of water, or tea (unsweetened)
Total: 350
Dinner
- grilled chicken (3 oz): 130 calories
- steamed broccoli (2 cups): 100 calories
- low-fat cheddar cheese (1 oz): 50 calories
- Plenty of water, or tea (unsweetened)
Total: 280
Snack
- Turkey breast slices (2 oz): 75 calories
- Low-fat Swiss cheese(1 slice): 60 calories
Total: 135
Daily Meal Total: 1170 Calories
Meal planning and preparation is essential for hitting the 1200 calories a day. To find out more about meal preparation read my article low-calorie meal preparation.
Monitoring the Dr. Nowzaradan Diet Plan
Dr. Nowzaradan Diet Plan is a useful and beneficial dietary regime that was created to help in pre-surgery weight loss. However, there is a need for you to continue tracking what you consume. This is whether you are on a custom diet for weight loss or if you are already on an exclusive post-surgery diet routine.
After you have adapted to a diet, it gets quite more natural, and you will subsequently distinguish what you may or may not eat. After you get familiar with what you may or may not eat, not to mention that you can abide by your diet limits autonomously, it might be time to stop tracking.
Nonetheless, if you want to benefit from Dr. Nowzaradan’s Diet Plan, you need to plan your meals around the mentioned food groups and effectively ensure you don’t surpass your nutritional limits.
To find out more about meal preparation read my article low-calorie meal preparation.
