Background

No one knows for sure who invented the seven-day diet. The diet claims you can lose 10 pounds in just one week through strict compliance with the tenets of the plan.

Theory

The seven-day diet has you subsisting on a new and different combination of foods each day. There is little explanation offered as to why certain foods are permitted on certain days and others are not. For example, Monday has you consuming as many fruits as you want, with the unexplainable exception of bananas, whereas on Thursday you are instructed to eat five bananas and drink five glasses of milk. Why bananas are forbidden on Mondays and indulged on Thursdays is one of the mysteries of the plan.

Following the Diet

On Monday consume all fruits and fruit juices, with the aforementioned exception of bananas. On Tuesday, eat nothing but vegetables and vegetable soups. On Wednesday, eat fruits and vegetables to your heart's content. On Thursday, forgo all fruits and veggies except for bananas---consume five bananas and five glasses of whole milk. Finally, Friday, Saturday and Sunday brings consumption of four 3-oz. servings of meat each day with green veggies.

Benefits

If you are looking for weight loss at any cost and you are not troubled between the dichotomy of lean mass vs. fat mass, this diet may meet your needs. Following the seven-day diet may result in a fair amount of lost weight, owing to the extremely low caloric content of the plan. However, expect to lose a fair amount of muscle along with the fat, as the diet is woefully low on overall calories. Additionally, be aware that you could regain the weight quickly upon resuming your normal way of eating, as rapid weight loss is usually unsustainable in the long term.

Considerations

TheDietChannel.com, EveryDiet.org, DietBites.com, and DietSpotlight.com all recommend against following this diet, as writers at the sites agree it is too low in calories and rather imbalanced in its macronutrient recommendations. If you feel you must try the diet, modify the plan by allowing for lean meat and unlimited fruits and vegetables on all days of the program. This may offer you a chance at losing weight while adhering to a diet that is somewhat balanced, better providing for your long-term health as well as your short-term weight-loss goals.