Apparently, your toddler can teach you a thing or two about healthy eating habits. A new weight loss plan called The Baby Diet is gaining popularity among women looking to shed a few pounds. Admittedly, the name is a bit off-putting, but there's no need to cringe over the thought of grown women eating puréed peas and carrots using tiny spoons or munching on dry cereal plucked out of a bright plastic bowl. Above anything, The Baby Diet emphasizes the need to consume regular meals–mainly three meals and one snack a day–and to be mindful of portion sizes. In essence, the idea behind the diet is this: moms make sure their babies eat nutrient-packed, fresh, homemade meals at regular intervals, so why wouldn't they adopt the same attitude in regards to their own eating habits?
Read more ¿Qué más?: Victoria's Secret models share their crazy diet tips
Rather than focusing on what foods to avoid–think of all the weight loss plans that suggest cutting out carbs, eliminating dairy, or avoiding red meat–The Baby Diet extols the virtues of going back to basics in our eating habits. Instead of skipping meals or having them "on the run," nutritionist Nicolette Pace recommends that people sit down to have their breakfast, lunch, and dinner–much like a toddler would in his or her high chair. She also advises that these meals be spaced out in a logical manner, so that an eating regimen is created that takes into account the fact that food stays in the stomach for two to four hours. She also stresses the need to have each sit-down meal last at least 15 minutes–a behavior that comes naturally to babies and tots. Last but not least, Pace advises women to be mindful of when they're full– something babies do by pushing their plates of food away once they don't wish to continue eating.
Now, of course, The Baby Diet doesn't suggest that adults consume food in the same portions as their children, but it does remind people that their stomachs can only handle but so much. A newborn's stomach is about the size of a cherry, whereas an adult's stomach is closer in size to a softball. Portion sizes, then, should reflect these realities.
Good Morning America's Genevieve Shaw Brown actually tried The Baby Diet, eating slightly larger portions of the meals she prepared for her toddler over the course of a week. On the first day, for instance, she enjoyed one scrambled egg and a cup of Greek yogurt for breakfast; three chicken nuggets with a side of peas for lunch; grapes, crackers, and hummus as a snack; and chicken stir-fry for dinner. After four days, she wound up losing over two pounds and confessed she felt energetic throughout the duration of the dietary experiment and never felt hungry or unsatisfied.
I have to admit that the basic tenets of The Baby Diet sound logical enough, but I can't imagine a world in which three chicken nuggets and a side of peas would constitute a filling lunch. But hey, that's just me!
Image via Daniel James/Flickr
