After graduating from high school, you probably don’t give much thought to the eventual reunions. Sure, they have them after five years, but people really don’t start looking forward to them until it gets to the 10 or 20 year reunion. It seems that a lot of people go to these reunions just to see what people look like these days. One thing that a lot of classmates look forward to is seeing who ended up gaining weight after high school.
It can be a humbling experience to realize how much weight you have put on since your late teenage years, which is why high school reunions rank right up there with weddings as certain days where people try to lose weight quickly. Knowing that, Dr. David Colbert came up with a plan called “The High School Reunion Diet”, which promises that you will be able to lose “20 years in 30 days.” It’s a pretty bold claim, but does it work? Let’s look at the High School Reunion Diet to see if it will get you slim and trim in enough time to see all of your old classmates.
Behind the High School Reunion Diet
When you hear the word diet, your brain automatically turns to weight loss, and for good reason. However, creator Dr. David Colbert is not a nutritionists, but rather a head physician with the New York Dermatology Group. He is one of the most well known in the practice and has helped several celebrity clients get the flawless skin that they were looking for. With that in mind, Colbert says that you will not only improve your skin, but also help you get leaner.
Colbert’s claim is that the High School Reunion Diet will improve your look more than Botox ever could, and you can do that through eating whole foods. There are some detox diet aspects to Colbert’s plan, as he says that the High School Reunion Diet will “clear your system of toxins and allow you to attain and sustain complete health and beauty.” The guide for the plan was released in the form of a book back in 2011 that you can pick up for right around $10 online and in bookstores.
How does the High School Reunion Diet Work?
To enhance both your skin and boost your weight loss, there are six groups of foods that should be making up almost your entire diet. There are also foods that you should be avoiding the entire time during the 30 day plan. Here is a quick guide to eating on the High School Reunion Diet:
Foods to Eat
Vegetables – Pretty much all vegetables are on the table during the diet, though the best ones for you will be the leafy greens. Not only can they be filling if you eat enough, there are almost no calories. Since the diet focuses on eating often in smaller meals, you will be eating a lot of vegetables, so hopefully you’re a fan of the greens.
Fruits – Like vegetables, there are not many fruits that you can’t eat. However, you should focus on only eating whole fruits that are not processed or dried out. Fruits are high in dietary fiber and can be filling while low calorie in nature, giving you the nutrients you need to have healthy skin. You should also be avoiding the sugary fruit juice, opting for the freshly squeezed kind.
Beans – Protein and fiber are big parts of having healthy skin (and just being healthy overall). It’s not just beans that you should be eating, as other legumes, seeds and nuts are also included in this category.
Dairy – There are only certain types of dairy that you should be eating, as obviously you don’t want to be shoveling ice cream on a consistent basis to lose weight. The types of dairy that you should be aiming on eating more often include plain yogurt and low-fat cheese.
Whole Grains – One food group that seems to pop up on any good overall diet is the whole grains. There is a lot of nutritional benefits that you can get from these grains, so you should be eating brown rice, whole wheat and oatmeal more often.
Meat – Like dairy, there are only certain types of meat that you can have while on the High School Reunion Diet. Shoot for getting smaller portions of meat that includes fish, lean meat and poultry while erasing the burgers and ribs for the 30 day program.
Foods to Avoid
Soft Drinks – For the most part, you will only be drinking water while on the High School Reunion Diet. There is no soda allowed on the plan (including zero calorie drinks), as well as energy drinks, iced tea and just about any other soft drink you can think of. Green tea is still fine on the diet, however.
Processed Foods – You probably saw this coming, but processed foods are going to be off the menu for 30 days. Anything fried or processed with sugar is off limits. This means that you likely won’t be hitting any fast foods joints for a month, which can be hard for people that are often on the go.
Prepackaged Foods – Anything that comes with a wrapper is likely not going to help you, since the focus is on whole foods. This is another problem for people that often eat on the go and depend on a breakfast bar to get them through the morning. Instead, you’ll have to focus on eating at home more often.
Alcohol – Unless you like red wine, those that enjoy their alcohol might have a hard time with this diet. That’s because beer and liquor are completely wiped out from the menu. As for the red wine, you can drink an average of one glass per day as it has been found to have great health benefits, including benefits for your skin.
What’s on the Menu?
Now that you know which foods to eat and which to get rid of for a month, let’s take a look at what a sample eating plan might look like. To be honest, it’s not quite as painful as you might think as there are plenty of delicious and filling foods to be had.
Day One
Breakfast – Low-fat yogurt parfait with oatmeal, strawberries and blueberries
Lunch – Lean ground turkey in a whole wheat tortilla with olive oil, red onion, seasoning, tomatoes and feta cheese
Dinner – Turkey chili with garlic, onions, beans, tomato paste, vegetable juice and pepper
Snacks – Carrots and Almonds
Day Two
Breakfast – Whole grain tortilla with one egg, olive oil, an avocado and teaspoon of lemon juice
Lunch – Asian salad with grilled chicken breast, sesame oil, cabbage, carrots, sesame seeds, honey and Dijon mustard
Dinner – Slow roasted chicken breast with garlic, thyme, pepper, paprika, celery and sea salt
Snacks – Low-fat yogurt and a banana
Day Three
Breakfast – Fruit smoothie containing kale, spinach, kiwis and a banana
Lunch – Grilled chicken salad with blueberries and olive oil
Dinner – Four ounces of salmon with miso paste, vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic
Snacks – Low-fat cottage cheese with strawberries
Summing it Up
While the claims of being able to look 20 years younger in just a month are very exaggerated, the High School Reunion Diet is certain to have some good benefits. Getting rid of processed foods, alcohol and other junk is going to do you some favors for your overall health. While it does take a little more preparation than those types of diets that offer up prepackaged foods that are low in calories, it’s going to be worth it in the long run.
The diet itself lasts for just 30 days, but will really get you into some healthy habits, making this a good long term diet, as well, since it’s fairly easy to stick to. For those that are vegetarians or have gluten and/or lactose allergies, there is plenty to eat on the menu where you can still stick to the plan. It’s also suggested that you take a multivitamin each day to make sure that you are getting your all around nutrition needs.
As for exercise, another positive mark for the High School Reunion Diet says that you should be getting 30 minutes of daily activity at a minimum. That is going to work out to a well rounded diet, and even walking for 30 minutes is going to have benefits. The only minor negative is that there aren’t many resources for the plan overall outside of the book that was released more than five years ago.
All in all, the High School Reunion Diet makes some pretty bold claims that are highly unlikely to be met in 30 days. However, sticking to the plan for a longer amount of time is almost certain to allow you to lose weight while getting a healthier look because of the superfoods involved. It’s not the most popular “fad” diet, but it’s among the healthiest and best overall.