Rotation Diet

People quit diet plans at the thought of missing on their favorite food. Normal diet plans can also induce headaches, constipation and nausea due to reduced intake of food. Diet plans that do not restrict people from their favorite food and yet give them a solution to lose weight are sure to find many takers.

Lose weight without forgoing your favorite food - this is the basis of the rotation diet plan. Reducing weight without bringing down the metabolic rate of the body is the secret behind rotation diet. Rotation diet was designed by a psychologist and obesity expert in the year 1986.

Diet plans get monotonous over a period of time. In rotation diet plan, the dieter is allowed to take a week off from the diet plan. This means the dieter has to diet for three weeks and eat without restrictions for one whole week. This break of a week makes this diet plan very interesting and easy to follow too. A minimum of thirty minutes of exercise is also advised to maintain a healthy and ideal body weight.

Principle of rotation diet

Rotation diet focuses on reducing the overall calorie intake without reducing the metabolic rate of the body. A diet rotation with varied calorie levels is the key to this diet. For the first three weeks, restricted calories are consumed and in the fourth week there is no restriction on the calorie or diet intake. A typical example for this diet:

• A low calorie routine for the first three days
  
  
• Followed by moderate calorie diet for the next four days
  
  
• Followed by small levels of calorie control in the diet for the following week.
  
  
• Repeat the diet cycle for week three.
  

Men and women have different caloric requirements. Keeping this in mind, the diet plan suggests different calorie levels for men and women. This diet plan creates a dearth of 700 calories in week one followed by a 600 calories in the second week. This leads to a weight loss of about 4 pounds.

Rotation diet's recommended diet schedule for men and women

For men

First 3 days 1200 calories per day
Next 4 days 1500 calories per day
Next 7 days 1800 calories per day

For women

First 3 days 600 calories per day

Next 4 days 900 calories per day

Next 7 days 1200 calories per day

Repeat the diet cycle of week one for week three, after three weeks of dieting, the dieter can get back to his/her normal eating habits (i.e. during week four there is no restrictions on diet intake).

During the diet break week

For women

First 3 days 1,200 calories per day
Next 4 days 1,500 calories per day

For men

First 3 days 1,800 calories per day
Next 4 days 2,000 calories per day

Guidelines for rotation diet

• Following a low-calorie plan can lead to severe hunger pangs. The rotation diet plan encourages you to eat vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, spinach, asparagus, zucchini and watercress. Fruits termed as safe fruits like pineapple, peaches, apple, cantaloupes, berries, oranges and grapefruit can be consumed.
  
  
• This diet plan does not bar caffeine or alcohol.
  
  
• This diet also counsels on behavioral management as this will help in learning how to deal with hunger, diet compliance and appetite.These tips and suggestions help dieters a lot.
  
  
• The serving size followed by this diet plan adheres to the guidelines set by the USDA.
  
  
• This diet recommends moderate and mild exercise.
  
  
• Plenty of water should be consumed while following this diet.
  
  
• No artificial sweeteners should be consumed while following this diet.

• Calorie intake is not restricted all through the diet plan.
  
  
• No ban on caffeine or alcohol.
  
  
• Dieters can gradually increase the calories they consume.
  
  
• Dieters can get back to their normal diet for one week after following the diet plan for three weeks.
  
  
• The break period for the diet can be as per the dieter's choice.
  
  
• Body metabolism is not affected during the dieting period.
  
  

Limitations of rotation diet

• The first three days and the following four days strictly restrict calorie intake thus making the diet plan not too healthy.
  
  
• Low calorie intake causes severe hunger pangs.
  
  
• When the dieter gets back to the normal diet schedule during the off days and maintenance week, chances of weight gain are high. The dieter should be careful on what he/she consumes during these days.

Rotation diet for food allergies

Many people suffer from various allergic reactions. Most of the allergic reactions are caused due to allergy of particular food items. People with repeated allergy attacks can try rotation diet for food allergies. Food management teaches you to rotate food items, limits are set for how much and how often you can repeat any food item.

The program is simple and just suggests rotating food items that you regularly eat. This diet is helpful for people suffering from asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.

Principle of allergy rotation diet

This diet encourages the person to eat any kind of food, but that food item should be repeated after a gap of four days. A person following this diet can eat biologically related food on the same day, this will help prevent food allergy. This diet will help you identify the food items you are allergic to and help your digestive system fight the allergy by itself.

Hypoallergenic food items include apples, non-gluten grains like millet, amaranth, pears, a good number of vegetables and fruits, legumes minus peanuts, lamb and rice. Common food allergens are egg, dairy products, cow's milk, soy food, wheat, corn and peanuts. You have to select food items that go well with your system.

Typical allergy rotation diet plan

Breakfast: Hot rice cereal with maple syrup, sliced pears, and chopped cashews along with rice milk

Lunch: Rice pasta topped with garlic

Dinner:Lamb stew with lentils, cabbage, garlic and parsley

Guidelines for allergy rotation diet

• Identify food items that cause allergy in you and list them separately.
  
  
• Check with your doctor for allergy testes for certain food groups that you might have skipped and get these tests done to rule out allergy from these food groups.
  
  
• Classify food into families and avoid food items belonging to the family that cause allergy in you.
  
  
• After you set well into the diet schedule, try the food items that had caused allergy in you. Eat them in moderate amounts. In case they are causing problem, leave them out.
  
  
• Try eating different types of food instead of repeatedly eating the same varieties.
  
  
• Make a list of extra food that can be combined with other food items without any problems. For e.g. onions, lettuce, white-potatoes, etc.
  
  
• Drink plenty of water to keep your system well hydrated.