Dr. Bob Arnot's Revolutionary Weight Control Program

How many times have you tried to follow a diet and found that everything you want to eat is banned? Dr. Robert Arnot, NBC News' former medical correspondent, has created a diet weight loss program that tries to solve your hunger before you even know you have it. According to his "Feedforward Eating" plan, you should eat before you are hungry. Then, according to the Arnot diet, you will eat the right foods, avoid cravings, and stop bad food choices. It claims your pounds will melt away when you add foods that reduce hunger, improve your mood, decrease your glucose (sugar) load, and increase your nutrition.

Dr. Arnot's weight control program requires you to eat three meals and three snacks daily. Foods that are good for weight loss are described as "hard" foods since they are either tough to chew or slow to be absorbed. Examples of hard foods are beans, lettuce, celery, low-fat or non-fat dairy, and cantaloupe.

Add exercise to enhance the food plan. Dr. Arnot suggests both "fat-ripping" and "building a fat-burning engine" (muscle building) exercises. With all this ripping and burning, you're sure to look thinner.

What makes Dr. Arnot's Weight Control Program different?

Curbing your hunger is the key to eating right. On Dr. Arnot's diet, you'll be eating small, frequent meals to avoid getting hungry. You won't be counting calories or cutting out entire categories of food, but you will be cutting down your overall food intake by eating small meals. You'll begin every meal, especially breakfast, by eating protein. Exercise can also help burn calories and make you slimmer.

What is Dr. Arnot's Weight Control Program?

Dr. Arnot's diet is based on the idea that by choosing the right foods and anticipating hunger you'll be able to control your weight. When we eat in response to feelings, we'll eat whatever is available. "Feedforward Eating" short circuits this connection and encourages you to eat before you think you're hungry. If you're eating at short intervals all day, you won't be overcome by hunger and choose the wrong foods. That means breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner, and a snack at night. Sounds good so far. By now, you're probably tempted to dive right in and eat your six meals a day.

Eating protein at the beginning of each meal is a strategy to help curb hunger. You should also eat carbohydrates, or "carbos" as Dr. Arnot calls them, that are low in glucose (sugar) and consist of high fiber foods such as cereals and beans. There are many recommendations (some confusing) regarding carbohydrates. The Arnot diet suggests that you eat them 15 minutes after eating your breakfast protein, eating some later in the afternoon as a pick me up, and eating more of them at night to help you sleep. So, the idea here is that carbohydrates can both lift you up and put you down. Who knew?

You should also focus your eating on "hard" foods, meaning those that are tough to chew or slow to be absorbed. Hard carbohydrates are beans, cereals, and grains that are low in sugar and high in fiber. Hard proteins include low- or fat-free dairy foods, egg whites, and certain beans. Hard vegetables include Chinese cabbage and celery, while hard fruits include grapefruit.

Dr. Arnot also recommends embracing monotony. Once you find a meal that you like that fits the plan, you should eat it repeatedly to help keep down your calorie intake. If you can stomach the same meal every day, Dr. Arnot may be your ideal guide to weight loss.

In order to maintain your new svelte figure, you'll follow a maintenance plan. For this program, that means you'll eat a healthy, cultural diet of your choice. (Sorry, no Tex-Mex). Dr. Arnot suggestions include the Asian diet, a Mediterranean-type diet, and the Sonoran diet (a cuisine from an area in Mexico). You'll keep the pounds off by eating only the foods related to that culture.

What are the weight loss expectations?

The Arnot diet promises weight loss and a healthier lifestyle if its recommendations are followed. It offers no specifics on how much weight you can expect to lose, how quickly you might lose it, or how long you'll need to stay on the diet in order to succeed.

Is exercise promoted?

Exercise is a major part of this program. Dr. Arnot recommends "fat-ripping" exercises, sports and activities good for burning calories. He also suggests that you build a "fat-burning engine" and details exercises good for building muscle.

Are supplements recommended?

There are no mandatory supplements for the Arnot Diet.