Why Indians must say NO to GM Diet

We all have heard about GM Diet, and many of us have gone bananas over following it. We made a hell out of a whole week of our lives and let our taste buds be wracked for losing some kilos. But is the diet plan really as clean as it sounds?

This crash diet that became a fad in India a couple of years ago wasn’t actually meant for Indian stomachs. GM Diet expands to General Motors Diet and was exclusively designed for the employees of General Motors Corporation. Following this diet can let you be at loss if you do not understand what you are signing up for. Here, we take a look at why GM Diet is not an ideal way to lose weight and what risks does it entail for Indians.

Why Indians Should Not Follow It

There are three reasons why the GM Diet plan is not suitable for Indians, says Pragya Sood, a health chef.

The first reason is that Indians traditionally follow a five meal plan, which is a combination of different grains, fruits, vegetables, vitamins and nutrients. If we follow GM Diet, we consume only one type of food for the whole day. Indian bodies are not accustomed to such a diet and this may lead to constipation and other gastrointestinal issues.

The second thing that Indians should consider before following GM Diet is the biological difference between their bodies and the bodies of American General Motors Corporation employees whose main aim with the diet was to combat obesity. An American way of life and their diet is very different from ours. This is the reason why the results of a GM Diet are very short lived for us.

Thirdly, because our bodies are not accustomed to consuming one kind of food the whole day, GM Diet can throw our bodies in a shock mode. This shock mode can manifest itself in multiple ways. The person who follows it will become more prone to falling ill, may develop dark circles, may impact his immunity adversely and so on.

There are some other risk factors that are associated with GM Diet, such as follows:

Causes Nutritional Imbalance

The seven day diet that is proposed in GM Diet offers fibre while upholding protein, carbohydrates and fats. This makes you lose weight quickly as there is fat loss and muscular loss because of less protein intake. This can cause muscle weakness, duller skin, and lead to hair loss.

Disrupts Fitness Regime

The GM Diet is such that that it does not support an ongoing regular fitness regime. Because your nutrient intake is hampered, the energy to sustain a workout is not generated in your body.

Slows Metabolic Process

Because GM Diet restricts protein intake, it will slower your body’s metabolic processes. A slower metabolism can, on the contrary to your purpose, lead to quicker weight gain.

More Weight Gain After You Stop

If you have followed the GM Diet whole heartedly and it gave you a good five kilos loss in weight, congratulations. But, that’s temporary. You will gain more weight once you are off the diet. This is because the GM Diet slowers your body processes and once you are off it and consume a normal diet, it will reflect in the kilos you gain again.

Can Cause Dehydration

When you are on GM Diet, your body uses fluids to maintain body’s metabolism. This can develop a state of perpetual thirst and feeling dehydrated.