Rotation Diet Review

 

The "Rotation Diet" by Martin Katahn (also author of T-Factor diet) alternates food consumption between low and moderate intake in an effort to prevent the body from lowering its metabolic rate as an adaptation to decreased food consumption. The regimen, which includes regular daily exercise, is designed to increase metabolic rate. Men and women vary the number of calories they consume during a three-week period (the rotation for women is 600/900/1200 calories; for men, 1200/1500/1800); after three weeks and presumably a hearty weight loss, the dieter takes a breather and is allowed to return to "normal" eating habits. The premise at work here is that diets fail because people get tired of dieting and because metabolism gradually slows after the body maintains a strict diet. To control eating during the maintenance phase, Katahn makes a number of suggestions including, exercise, drinking plenty of water and avoidance of artificially sweetened drinks.

 

"To Count Or Not To Count? The T-factor and Rotation Diets"

by Tanya Zilberter, PhD is a health educator, researcher, exercise physiologist, and writer with more than 20 years in health sciences.

To Count (calories) Or Not To Count? That is the question! Some dieters think the very act of counting is very beneficial. They believe the more variables you are counting the better. It disciplines and creates awareness, they say. In the T-factor and Rotation Diets you don't count calories but fat grams. Dr. Katahn promises weight loss of up to a pound a day. The good thing is that even if you cheat, you progress anyway, just at a slower pace.

If you choose to follow the T-factor system, you count only fat. However, when you take a close look at it, the diet contains the same elements as those in the rotation diet. This is how it looks: The permissible fat amounts fluctuate significantly making three distinct maximums during the cycle. However, it is more evident in the daily fat grams and less evident in the breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack planners.

This is the program's simple schedule. You go on a 600 Cal. a day regime for three days, 900 Cal. a day for the next four days, then to 1,200 calories for a week. After that you repeat the cycle (600+900+1200) once again and enjoy your well deserved vacation from dieting. The vacation is exactly what prevents your metabolism from slowing down. Depending on your desired degree of weight loss and your current success, the vacation can last for a week or a month. It is completely up to you as long as you are not gaining weight. If you need it, there is the maintenance part of the plan. Then you go on the diet again and so on and on, until you reach your ideal weight.

What I personally liked the most is that Dr. Katahn noticed that his taste sensitivity increased so that much plainer food became delicious to him. Since it can be considered confirmed that taste intensity influences the very set point for body weight (the tastier the heavier), this diet can work by lowering this set point because you just don't need overly intense flavors to satisfy your taste buds.

You might want to use even more practical versions of the diets. There are two books, one a cookbook, The Rotation Diet Cookbook A 4-Day Plan for Relieving Allergies, another is also a very practical aid: The T-Factor Fat Gram Counter.

Commentary: The science of this diet is up for question. This sounds more like a scheme to decrease caloric intake. The daily calorie levels of this plan place it squarely in the category of starvation diet. Most nutritionists would place the figure between 1000-1200 calories, which is significantly above the first two rotations. The reality of popular diet products and programs is that few work in the long term because they don't focus on the sustainable strategies of balanced nutrition, exercise and personal motivation. The "Rotation Diet" is simply not sustainable in the long-term because it's just too aggressive and short-term in its focus. But don't be discouraged, there are good plans out there that can help you achieve your goals.