Every now and then most of us feel that we could shift a few pounds but with so many crazy diets flying around it's often difficult to know which direction to head in. The quick fix diet or the long term healthy diet?
I think most of us can honestly say that we often just want a quick fix and with so many celebrities allegedly using quick fixes themselves it only seems to make more sense. Beyonce on the Master Cleanse or Maple Syrup Diet, Jennifer Aniston and her Atkins Diet and who could forget Renee Zellweger losing her lovely Bridget Jones curves by reportedly sampling a few diets including Atkins, the Zone Diet and the Macrobiotic Diet.
Recently I met a friend for lunch during work. Being on a health kick myself this particular day I pulled out my neatly prepared packed lunch including a ham salad sandwich, banana and a small packet of sushi. As I tucked in I was abruptly halted as from my friends bag emerged a tiny little tea spoon and a jar of baby food. Spagetti Carbonara to be precise. She went on to explain that the reasoning for the baby food was that she wanted to drop some pounds and quickly. She also claiming that so many celebrities has reportedly tried it out and it all worked for them. Intensely intrigued I watched as she ate the whole jar with no apparent taste or texture issues at all, apart from a few strange glances from passers-by. I went home that night and did a little research. The next day I joined the baby food craze.
Day one started off well
From my research the night before I had found that celeb fitness guru Tracy Anderson has reportedly assigned Jennifer Aniston the diet to drop a few pounds. Jennifer Aniston and many other celebs alleged to have tried the Baby Food Diet deny these claims. The plan is to eat a jar of baby food for breakfast and lunch and have a healthy, sensible dinner. My trip to the local supermarket before work left me in high spirits. Not only could I have twenty pots of baby food for just £10, but there were so many delicious meals to choose from. Some of my favourites in fact. Cheesy pasta bake, noodles with vegetables, vegetable and chicken casserole, even chicken korma and also some lovely desserts like chocolate pudding. This wasn't going to be so hard.
As I settled into my day at work, I waited patiently for lunch time to come. Strangely enough I was looking forward to trying out the baby food diet, just to kill my curiosity. The time finally came and I settled into the staff room with my favourite magazine and tiny glass jar of Spagetti Carbonara. I felt confident enough to try this first as I had seen my friend eat it the day before. As I heated my lunch in the microwave it actually didn't smell too bad and I found myself thinking, how convenient and handy when you are on the go and less than 100 calories. Plus my portions are controlled without me even having to think about it, something which I usually struggle with. This positivity was however short lived. My euphoric state came crashing down around me with the first mouthful. Bland, tasteless and a very unpleasant texture, slightly lumpy. I couldn't wait for dinner time to come for some grown up food.
Soldiered into day two
Despite my unsatisfying first taste of the baby food diet, I soldiered on into day two and woke up ready to give it another go. Perhaps it was my hearty grown up meal from the night before that gave me the positive attitude. Breakfast consisted of some strawberry cereal with yoghurt. I totally ignore the 7+ months sign on the front of the jar and tucked in. I cannot lie, it wasn't too bad. Not the best breakfast I've ever had by a long stretch but easily edible. It is only day two but as my lunchtime approaches I find myself dreading the thought of having to stomach another mouthful of baby food lunch. One spoonful of my heated chicken and vegetable casserole and that is it. No more for me. I would rather have my stomach rumble until dinner time than have anymore.
There is no day three
I must confess that unless I lived on a breakfast and lunch diet of jarred strawberry cereal with yoghurt baby food, which I was not willing to do, then this was not for me. After just a day and a half I couldn't do it anymore and at the beginning of day three I found myself on the phone first thing to a close friend who luckily had a real life baby to consume my other 17 jars.
My experience overall
This diet is ridiculous and anyone who can maintain it has some serious willpower. I not only felt like an embarrassed idiot pulling baby food from my bag, but I was totally unsatisfied and didn't see the appeal or the positives of the plan at all. A quick fix it may be but I think I will stick to healthy eating and exercise from now on. Because of course, there are no quick fixes.
