Is The 20/20 Diet Easy To Follow
Anytime you have a set number of meals you must eat, as well as the timing of those meals and the restriction of foods it will be hard. There is a lot of meal planning and prepping involved with this diet, which also makes it hard to follow. Being healthy and active does not come with a deadline, so making it the most realistic to stick to long term as you can will serve you well in the future. There is no end dates to health and wellness! This diet is very specific and demands a lot out of the customer, so just be ready to be committed if you go on a diet such as this.
All Foods In Moderation
Besides during the first 10 days, which are highly restrictive, the 20/20 diet allows all foods to be enjoyed in moderation.
Technically, no food is completely off-limits, which helps reduce the likelihood of bingeing, due to suppressed cravings. That said, limiting sensible splurges like dessert to 100 calories may not be satisfying or sustainable.
Ultimate Weight Loss Solution
Before the 20/20 Diet Dr Phil designed a weight management plan that was aimed at healthy thinking as well as healthy eating.
This is good, because healthy thinking leads to happiness. Many people eat when depressed, and it can often lie at the root of many weight problems.
He outlines the plan in his book The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution: The 7 keys to weight loss freedom.
This is a sustainable, long term plan that may assist you and your life in more ways than just losing weight.
Note that the book is fairly limited in terms of an eating plan . This is not so much about nutrition, but addressing causes of emotional eating.
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Healthline Diet Score: 288 Out Of 5
The 20/20 diet is a weight loss diet created by television star Dr. Phil.
It prioritizes 20 power foods along with diet and psychological tips that are claimed to help you lose weight quickly.
Despite Dr. Phils long run as a celebrity, you may wonder if a former psychologist has the secret to weight loss and whether this diet is something you should try.
This article tells you all you need to know about the 20/20 diet, including whether it helps with weight loss, its benefits and downsides, and instructions on following it.
Diet review scorecard
Focuses On The Mental Aspect Of Eating

Unlike many diets that focus entirely on eating low calorie meals, the 20/20 diet includes various tips to help you better manage your eating habits.
Trained in psychology, Dr. Phil emphasizes the importance of the mental psyche and its contribution to overeating and weight gain.
In his book, he dives into the psychology of eating, such as emotional eating and environmental influences that drive people to eat.
These tips may help you better understand the reasons behind your food choices and use various strategies to encourage healthy eating behaviors.
Summary
Benefits of the diet include eating food in moderation, paying attention to the reasons behind food choice, and encouraging regular exercise.
Despite some benefits, there are numerous downsides to the 20/20 diet.
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Dr Phil Delivers Sound Advice
Dr. Phils 20/20 Diet is a great tool for dieters to use to learn to eat healthier and to slim down.
Both of his popular diet books offer sound advice and address many of the emotional roadblocks that keep people unhealthy and fat. His many years of experience as a phycologist is evident in his work and approach.
Dieters that may need personal support might find 20/20 a little lacking, especially if they are not supported by their families.
Overall, a great plan for those that respond to a self-help type of approach and those who are committed to cleaning up their diet with Dr. Phils prescribed foods.
- References:
- Levine, J. A., Eberhardt, N. L., & Jensen, M. D. . Role of nonexercise activity thermogenesis in resistance to fat gain in humans. Science, 283, 212-214. link
- Jung, R. T., Shetty, P. S., James, W. P. T., Barrand, M. A., & Callingham, B. A. . Reduced thermogenesis in obesity. link
- Hursel, R., & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. . Thermogenic ingredients and body weight regulation. International journal of obesity, 34, 659-669. link
Do Dieters Lose Weight On The 20/20 Diet
The diet eliminates sugar and refined foods, so it will help you lose weight initially. The hardest part about the diet is sticking to the rigid choices and recipes four times a day, without going insane. The recipes in phase one are said to be very limited, and the book itself is said to be a bit wordy at times. Overall there was a good mix of people who saw nothing, or very little weight loss to those who liked the book, saw success and were pleased with the changes to their diet.
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On An Intermittent Fasting Diet What May I Eat
1. How can I keep hunger at bay when fasting intermittently?
- During your dining window, Varady suggests consuming high-fiber meals like nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables, as well as high-protein items like meat, fish, tofu, or nuts.
- Make sure you get enough of water.
- Choose black coffee or tea, or herbal teas with cinnamon or licorice.
- Try natural appetite suppressant essential fiber complex to keep your cravings at bay for the entirety of your fasting period.
Early Life And Education
McGraw was born in Vinita, Oklahoma, on September 1, 1950, the son of Joseph J. McGraw Jr. and his wife, Anne Geraldine “Jerry” . He grew up with two older sisters, Deana and Donna, and younger sister Brenda in the oilfields of North Texas where his father was an equipment supplier. At age 13, he worked at an A& W Root Beer stand and a local chain called Pizza Planet in Oklahoma City.
McGraw moved to Kansas with his father as his father pursued his lifelong goal of becoming a psychologist. There he attended Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kansas. He played linebacker on the high school football team and in 1968 earned a football scholarship to the University of Tulsa, where he played middle linebacker under coach Glenn Dobbs. He later transferred to Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.
McGraw graduated in 1975 from Midwestern State University with a B.A. in psychology. He went on to earn an M.A. in experimental psychology in 1976, and a Ph.D. degree in clinical psychology in 1979 at North Texas State University , where his dissertation was titled “Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Psychological Intervention.” He did a year of post-doctoral training in forensic psychology at the Wilmington Institute. McGraw’s PhD advisor was Frank Lawlis, who later became the primary contributing psychologist for the Dr. Phil television show.
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Cons Of The 20/20 Diet
Along with the pros, it’s important to review the disadvantages associated with this plan to determine if it’s the right choice for you.
Your cravings might be telling you something important. Perhaps your body needs carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores after a workout, or maybe youre just hungry.
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Is Mct Oil Good For Breaking A Fast

Is it OK to eat specific things while fasting? In terms of technicality, the answer is no. Coffee, for example, contains virtually no calories and is thus OK to drink during a fast, but adding healthy fats such as medium-chain triglycerides and/or butter to your coffee would technically break your fast.
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May Not Be Sustainable
Despite having a final management stage, the diet states you may need to return to phase 1 if you regain any weight.
This may suggest the diet is not sustainable long term, since participants may not stick with the recommendations in the final phase potentially due to its low calorie nature and limitations on splurge foods.
Is The 20/20 Diet A Healthy Choice For You
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods including fruits and vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein, and healthy fats. The key recommendations in the federal guidelines are:
- “Vegetables of all typesdark green red and orange beans, peas, and lentils starchy and other vegetables
- Fruits, especially whole fruit
- Grains, at least half of which are whole grain
- Dairy, including fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese, and/or lactose-free versions and fortified soy beverages and yogurt as alternatives
- Protein foods, including lean meats, poultry, and eggs seafood beans, peas, and lentils and nuts, seeds, and soy products
- Oils, including vegetable oils and oils in food, such as seafood and nuts”
A benefit of the 20/20 Diet is that it includes a variety of foods from different food groups, at least during phases three and four. Even during the first two phases, the 20 power foods include dairy, fish, nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables, and protein, though the diet does lack in whole grains and overall variety.
Once you move into phases three and four of the 20/20 Diet plan, you can start to add in more foods to meet the USDA recommendations for a healthy, balanced diet.
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How to Lose 20 Pounds in the Shortest Time
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What Is The 20/20 Diet

The 20/20 Diet, created by Dr. Phil McGraw of the popular daytime talk show “Dr. Phil,” is a four-phase weight loss plan based on the concept of “power foods.” According to McGraw, these foods take a lot of energy to digest, which may aid in the weight loss process. McGraw’s book, “The 20/20 Diet: Turn Your Weight Loss Vision Into Reality,” is aimed at people who have struggled with yo-yo dieting and weight regain.
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Is Noom A Viable Option
The Noom diet is a customized weight-loss regimen that can be accessed through a smartphone app of the same name. The apps developers say that it aids users in achieving their individual weight goals. The Noom app offers a customized eating plan as well as access to a health consultant.
The Food Doctor is the go to guy for all things food related, which is why his new book, My Plate , is so appealing. For those unfamiliar with Dr. Phil, he is the host of the long-running talk show, The Dr. Phil Show , where he helps people with everything from being fired from their jobs to being in an abusive relationship. His book offers a no-nonsense, no-jokes take on what he sees as the three most important rules for healthy eating. It is a book that anyone can use to improve their food choices, which is why it is already being hailed as a classic.. Read more about dr phil 20/20 diet pdf and let us know what you think.
I Have Done Research On Fasting
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Intermittent fasting may be done in six different ways.
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When You Havent Eaten In A Long Time
Fasting in a regular patternintermittent fasting seems to be important. All you have to do is sleep eight hours, which helps with almost every chronic health issue anyway, Oz says, and then you have four hours . At least two hours before bedtime, stop eating.
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Level Of Effort: Medium
No food is really off-limits, but it’s all about making better choices. Sugars and refined foods are discouraged. The App can help you in planning
Limitations: Allow yourself some occasional treats, so long as you keep from bingeing or returning to a pattern of âfree-for-all eating,â McGraw says. You can also choose âslenderizing substitutions,â such as no-sugar ice cream for regular ice cream, and dried fruit instead of candy.
Cooking and shopping: You need to plan what you’re going to eat each day and stick to it. A well-planned food strategy frees you from making last-minute decisions about what to eat, he says, and prevents you from caving in to sudden impulses to overeat. In his book he includes recipes as well as sample menus.
Packaged foods or meals: Not required.
In-person meetings: No.
Exercise: Aim for at least 3 to 4 hours a week of moderate activity and at least 2 to 3 hours a week of vigorous activity.