Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Woman's World
The Virgin Diet — What “7 Days, 7 Foods, 7 Pounds” Really Means
By Lizzy Rosenberg,
7 days ago
The Virgin Diet includes only "gut-healthy" foods. SolStock/Getty Images
Most diets focus on eliminating “unhealthy” foods like refined sugar, carbohydrates or fat. The Virgin diet, however, eliminates food that most people supposedly can’t “tolerate.” And, in turn, may lead to weight loss.
Avital Schwartz, RD, at Fay Nutrition says attributing weight gain to various “intolerances” is a myth. And while intolerances do exist, the diet vilifies generally harmless food groups that dieters can supposedly tolerate.
“Diets that focus on intolerances and eliminations have that age-old promise of ‘the secret’ or ‘the answer’ to finally losing the weight, keeping it off, and making it effortless,” Schwartz says. “Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. Regaining the ability to be an intuitive eater, one that listens to, understands, and follows their own body, while proactively adding in things, rather than restricting them, is the key to healthy bodies at healthy weights.”
The Virgin diet eliminates 7 “widely intolerable” foods, which some feel may be the key to weight loss. Dzonsli/Getty Images
Resources
With any elimination diet, it’s important to pay attention not just to what you’re removing, but what you still include
There are three cycles of the Virgin diet. Cycle 1 lasts for three weeks, Cycle 2 lasts for four weeks, and Cycle 3 is “the Virgin diet for life,” to keep dieters on track indefinitely. Dieters can choose to stick with either a 1,200 calorie or 2,000 calorie diet.
Cycle 1 Eliminates Everything
During Cycle 1, or “Elimination,” dieters eliminate all seven prohibited foods: Gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts and sugar. Beauty entrepreneur Krista Dolash describes the diet. She says although Cycle 1 of the Virgin diet is straight-forward, it requires quite a bit of attention to detail: “Easy, you eliminate these 7 hi-FI foods from your diet,” she writes. “You have to read every single ingredient on anything that is packaged. And let me tell you they sneak these 7 foods in SO many different things that you’d never expect.”
Cycle 2 Brings Four Foods Back
Although tofu, which is made from soybeans, is eliminated during Cycle 1, it can be tested in Cycle 2 — and (ideally) brought back during Cycle 3 of the diet. Yagi Studio/Getty Images
Following Cycle 1 is Cycle 2: Reintroduction. Four of the seven foods are brought back into the diet, with two “potentially healthy foods,” including dairy and eggs, and “potentially unhealthy foods,” which include soy and gluten. One of each is tested for four days per each week, with three days off in between. Corn, peanuts and sugar, the diet alleges, should supposedly be avoided 95 percent of the time. Any possible negative symptoms should be heavily monitored, though “intolerant” foods can be introduced three, six or nine months later, to see if the intolerance has subsided.
“By [reintroducing foods one at a time], you will be able to create a customized diet that is perfect for YOU,” Dolash wrote in her blog. “So many diets are the exact same for everyone, but each person is different so that is why I really appreciate this diet. Not one diet works for every single person.”
Cycle 3 Is for Life
The final cycle is meant to keep people on track for the long haul. They will continue to avoid sugar, corn and peanuts 95 percent of the time, while eliminating any foods that trigger unpleasant symptoms. “Once you get to Cycle 3 you are set and you should be pretty confident knowing what foods you should be eating,” she explains. “The book recommends that once a year you repeat Cycles 1 and 2 to see if your body has changed at all.”
Permitted Foods
Fruits
Vegetables (minus corn)
Meats
Fish
Legumes (minus soybeans and peanuts)
Whole grains
Restricted Foods
Gluten
Soy
Dairy
Eggs
Corn
Peanuts
Sugar and artificial sweeteners
Supposedly, Dieters Can Lose 7 Pounds in the First Week
On her website, JJ Virgin says that dieters can lose up to seven pounds during the first week (during Cycle 1!). However, Dr. Chris Mohr, Fitness and Nutrition Advisor at Fortune Recommends Health, attributes the weight loss the diet’s elimination of high calorie foods. These include sugar, peanuts and corn.
Short-term, many may see weight loss primarily due to a reduction in calorie intake and the elimination of foods that may be high in added sugars and less healthy fats.
Dr. Chris Mohr
Other Benefits Include More Energy, and More
One advantage of the Virgin diet is boosted energy. Milan Markovic/Getty Images
But weight loss supposedly isn’t the only benefit to adhering to the Virgin diet. On her website, Virgin also says that dieters will lose any belly bloat, gain energy and clear up inflammation.
The Diet May Lead to Deficiencies, and an Unhealthy Relationship With Food
Although weight loss is likely, there may be short-term side effects and long-term risks of the Virgin diet. Dr. Mohr explains this is why working with a nutrition professional before trying any kind of diet is so important.
“Nutrient deficiencies are a concern because eliminating major food groups can make it difficult to get essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and fiber, among others,” he says. “There is also the risk of developing an unhealthy relationship with food, leading to anxiety and stress around eating.”
However, the Virgin Diet is Mostly Harmless
For the most part, though, the Virgin diet is largely harmless. It might be a good experiment to determine any intolerances, but Avital Schwartz says it likely won’t bring major advantages or disadvantages.
“This diet is certainly not dangerous, so if someone wanted to attempt 16 weeks of restricting certain foods, as a fun experiment (key word fun, not unbearable!), they would not end up with any deficiencies or physical issues,” she says. “In the long term, eliminating whole foods like soy, corn, peanuts, wheat or other grains does not contribute to health, as these foods are excellent plants that have mountains of research supporting their positivity for our bodies from healthy microbiomes to lower LDL cholesterol.”
The Virgin Diet Will Likely Be More Costly Than Your Average Diet
Shopping at the grocery store on the Virgin diet may be more expensive than the average trip. SimpleImages/Getty Images
Because the Virgin diet eliminates refined sugars and carbohydrates (aka the pinnacle of the American diet), the Virgin diet will likely hike up grocery bills. Swapping that side of pasta for fresh veggies, or a bowl of ice cream for fresh fruit, will inherently make your grocery trips more expensive. Buying frozen fruits and veggies, along with less expensive cuts of meat will keep prices lower, but assume your trips to the store will result in higher grocery bills.
Pros
Weight loss
Less bloat
Lowered inflammation
Cons
Possible nutrient deficiencies: calcium, vitamin D, and fiber
Possible disordered eating habits
More effort and time dedicated to finding and making “permitted” foods
May take a toll on social life
If You Need One, Personalized Elimination Diets May Be Better
A dietitian-prescribed elimination diet plan will likely have more positive results than that of the Virgin diet. M_a_y_a/Getty Images
All in all, the Virgin diet appears to be mostly harmless. So Dr. Mohr says that if eliminating food groups works for you, it wouldn’t hurt to try. However, adhering to a personalized elimination diet, with expert guidance, would be more helpful.
“Personally, rather than prescribing the Virgin Diet, I would look to understand the specific needs and symptoms of the individual,” Dr. Mohr explains. “If someone is experiencing issues that could be related to food intolerances, I would first suggest eliminating one food group at a time to find the trigger, rather than eliminating multiple food groups right away.”
And Listening to Your Body Is More Important
Avital Schwartz adds that maintaining a stable weight requires listening to intuitive hunger cues. While intolerances exist, that likely isn’t the reason why you aren’t losing weight.
“As an Intuitive Eating practitioner, who understands that bodies want to work well and feel good, I know that any external source of control over your body is the opposite of what it needs, and the opposite of what ‘works’ psychologically,” she says. “If you can get back in touch with your hunger and fullness signals… you will live healthfully, longer, and at a stable weight for life.”
What foods can you eat on the Virgin diet?
Foods that are permitted on the Virgin diet include: fruit, vegetables (minus corn), meats, fish, legumes (minus soybeans and peanuts) and whole grains. Restricted foods are gradually brought back in over the three cycles, but sugar, corn and peanuts remain restricted.
Risks to the Virgin diet include possible nutritional deficiencies (calcium, fiber and certain vitamins). Such a restrictive diet may also lead to disordered eating habits.
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0