A Diet for your Inner He-man or She-ra

Posted by Carolyn Simmons on February 25th, 2019

There are so many weight loss programs out there it is hard to keep track of them all. 

Have you heard about the newest diet trend?  It’s called the Warrior Diet. If you are ready to unleash your inner warrior or Amazonian goddess, it may be just the right tool for you to try if you want to lose weight.

What is the warrior diet?  It was introduced in 2001 in a book by Ori Hofmekler who was a former member of the Israeli special forces.  Hofmekler based the diet on his experience in the military and the way our ancient warrior ancestors (think Sparta and Rome) would eat.  Basically, battle all day and feast at night. This diet is based on his observations, not scientific fact, so do your due diligence if you decide this extreme diet plan is for you.

The warrior diet is basically a form of intermittent fasting, which means you’re limiting the time you consume food to specified hours.  With this diet, you are fasting for 20 hours and eating for 4 hours. During the 20-hour fasting period, you are allowed to snack lightly on certain foods like broth, eggs, and raw fruits and vegetables.   

It’s also important to continue to drink plenty of fluids during your fasting and non-fasting periods. The fluids allowed are water, coffee, and tea.

Benefits of the Warrior Diet:  Since this is a form of intermittent fasting, the warrior diet may have some of the same health benefits as other forms of intermittent fasting.  The benefits of intermittent fasting have been widely studied and include weight loss and maintenance, reduced inflammation, improved blood sugar, and reduced cholesterol levels.  

Drawbacks of the Warrior Diet:  Because this diet requires you to fast for 20 hours, it may be difficult to maintain.  Fasting for 20 hours may cause you to binge on unhealthy foods and overeat during your 4-hour eating window.  This diet is also not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing women, athletes and people with eating disorders.  

The diet is divided into three weekly phases.  The phases are outlined in Hofmekler’s book and include the Detox Week, the High Fat Week and the Concluding Fat Loss Week.  Once the three weeks are completed, you may cycle through them again.

The foods that are allowed are specified for each phase and are quite restrictive.  If you decided to try the warrior diet, you will need to avoid all fried food, fast food, refined carbs, sweets, snack foods, and artificial sweeteners.

Takeaway:  If you don’t mind the rigid nature of this diet, the 20-hour a day fast, and the specific list of foods, the warrior diet may be just the thing for you.  While this diet has little scientific evidence to back up its popular weight loss claims, many people have found dieting success. As with any diet, and particularly with extreme ones, always talk to your doctor before you begin.  

So what do you think?  Are you ready to unleash your inner warrior and give this trendy diet a go?