The Fenoboci Diet, sounds fancy right? According to the website, this “well-researched” diet plan claims to help people lose 15 pounds in 30 days, and the structure of the plan is not just another fad diet. In fact, the creator of the diet studied the work “inside and out” of several dietitians, including Robert Atkins, Arthur Agatston, and Jenny Craig.
Let’s pump the brakes right here really quick. If a website claims to have worked with dietitians to create the next best diet, make sure you do your own research first. Here are the plan’s so-called registered dietitians (RD):
- Robert Atkins – not an RD, but a physician and cardiologist who fathered the low-carb Atkins Diet
- Arthur Agatston – not an RD, but a cardiologist and celebrity doctor who created the South Beach Diet
- Jenny Craig – not an RD, but a health and wellness entrepreneur who founded Jenny Craig, INC. with her husband
Again, when the diet’s websites starts off with errors and false information, makes you wonder how reliable the diet really is.
Anyway, let’s move on to what the plan entails!
The Fenoboci Diet Plan Basics
First, we’ll go over the approved and prohibited food lists. The approved list consists of the basics: animal meats, all fruits, all vegetables, nuts (but only 2 handfuls a day), water, tea, coffee, and coconut, olive and fish oils. The restricted foods are a bit longer, no surprise:
- Sugar of any kind
- Dairy – no milk, no yogurt, no cheese of any kind
- Grains – no bread, no crackers, no rice, no pasta of any kind
- Legumes – no nuts, no corn, no beans, no soy of any kind
- No alcohol of any kind
- No “junk” food
- No dried fruit
As you can see, the no-no food list is basically never ending. Not to mention, diet followers will be missing out on very important nutrients such as fiber and calcium. I always wonder when folks will stop being afraid of grains and dairy and realize the nutritional power they uphold!
Now after throwing out most of your food in your pantries and fridges, let’s look at the diet breakdown. Each day is broken down into 3 phases;
- 6:00-9:00AM: The Restoration Period-TRP
- 9:00AM-5:00PM: The Energetic Period-TEP
- 5:00-9:00PM: The Building Period-TBP
During the Restoration Period is when you will have breakfast. The idea behind this period is to have a combination between fruit and animal protein. This meal should be 80% fruit with 20% animal protein. One example given on what this looks like was 3 bananas and 2 eggs. How someone can eat 3 bananas in one sitting is beyond me!
The Energetic Period is suitable to lunch. This meal focuses on fruit, vegetables and animal proteins. TEP would consist of 50% vegetables, 40% animal protein and 10% fruit. Followed by the Building Period of only allowing animal protein and vegetables, with a 60/40 ratio.
“Accountability” in the Fenoboci Diet Plan
Aside from the strict diet, the Fenoboci plan also comes with tons of “resources” to get you through your weight loss journey. Resources for you to utilize, on your own, with little guidance. Some of these resources include:
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- A visual food reference (value $29) – a reference guide to help take the thinking out of grocery shopping and meal prep
- A video tutorial for online calorie tracking (value $29) – a quick lesson on how to track your food using the app My Fitness Pal (so basically utilizing another developer’s work)
- The Fenoboci Hypnosis Audio (value $79) – you read that right; a 32 minute tape to reprogram eating habits at the subconscious level
- The Fenoboci Health Life Cookbook (value $79) – a cookbook for vegetarians, even though the diet calls for animal protein sources
- Free Lifetime Updates (value $27) – the option to receive any updates made to any of the Fenoboci resources for life
All these options can be bundled together for a total price of $37.00 for the entire program. On top of the diet plan and resources, Fenoboci followers will also a receive workout plan. This plan is broken down into 4 weeks and is designed as shorter, more intense workouts to give maximum gain in minimum time. The workout structure completely eliminates cardio, and focuses solely on circuit training. Though, it does have the option to add cardio as you see fit, the thought of completely eliminating a heart healthy exercise category seems silly. Even if running or biking or even walking is not your thing, cardio should still be a part of any exercise regimen.
So the question remains, who is the Fenoboci diet plan good for? Looking at the general structure of the plan, it seems like an easy enough program to follow, right? You’ve got your food lists, recipes, calorie tracking and exercise routines all at your fingertips. But what happens after the 4 week period? What happens when you start incorporating the prohibited foods back into your routine? Or get tired of the same exercise pattern over and over? That’s always the question when it comes to these types of diets – how sustainable is it?
When it comes to losing weight, or cleaning up your eating and exercise habits in general, you do not have to go to the extremes. It’s not about what you are allowed and not allowed to eat, but figuring out ways to balance your habits to enjoy your favorite not-so-good-for-you-items. That’s called living! And that is what Noom focuses on.
Noom: Truly Not Just Another Diet
Participating in Noom, you will learn quickly how we do not expect you to be perfect. We do not want to pigeon hole anyone on what they can and cannot eat. The main idea behind our weight loss philosophy is helping you find ways to recognize when thoughts, emotions and events control your eating habits. Then, help you find ways to channel those psychological behaviors away from food. But, the key to this is knowing when a slip up happens, it is OK! Emotions will always play a role in food choices, positive or negative. We get that! Being able to recognize when it is happening and how you can do better next time is what we’re all about.
Anyone can follow a food list of yes and no items. But what fun is that? What happens when the holidays roll around and your grandma made her famous double chocolate, snickerdoodle cookies with sprinkles? Do you deprive yourself, only to over do the desserts later on? Or do you allow yourself to enjoy the once-a-year sweet treat, mindfully? The point is, we understand life happens and restrictions only make it harder to keep focused. By following a strict diet plan, you are more likely to deprive yourself not only of your favorite items, but optimal nutrition as well. Noom is about finding that balance between nutritional foods and your favorites.
Lean on Noom
So, how exactly does Noom keep you on track for developing new habits? Accountability! At Noom, we provide you with not only 1 but 2 coaches. One coach is utilized in the one-on-one setting of the app. This is where you speak with your, what we call, goal specialist to construct weekly goals to keep you focused. With the overall goal to lose weight or develop a general healthy lifestyle, it can seem very overwhelming to get to that “end” goal. This is why we break down that larger goal into smaller, more attainable goals. These are the stepping stones that get you closer to your overall goal without the overwhelming feelings of frustration and anxiety.
The other coach is one of our most unique features of the app, the group coach. The group setting of the app allows you to interact with other Noomers embarking on the same journey as you. In the group, the group coach posts educational prompts, challenges, recipe swaps, etc. The group allows you to share your victories, discuss your challenges and provide support and encouragement to one another. The group becomes that accountability factor that will celebrate your wins and pick you up when you fall down. I know, it sounds so unbelievably cheesy, but who better to lean on than those who understand the emotions this journey entails?
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Food Logging at the Next Level
How else does the Noom app differ from other diet plans, such as the Fenoboci diet? The biggest difference is we have our own food logging feature. Not only do you get to log your calories, but we kicked it up a notch. The food logging not only shows you how many calories you are consuming, but we’ve broken down the foods to give you an analysis of those calories. Our food system is based on a red-yellow-green breakdown. Red does not mean bad! The colors are categorized based on calorie density of foods (calories/gram). The more calorie dense items will be placed in the yellow and red categories, while lower densities are green. To give you a better idea, think of a handful of nuts versus a handful of grapes. Nuts are a great source of protein and healthy fats, but a small handful can easily be more than 150 calories. While one whole cup of grapes is only around 60 calories. This color system allows you to see where you are lacking in variety for your meals and snacks. Having a balance between all the colors not only gives you more opportunity for nutrients, but also gives you the option to have many different foods, including your favorite salty or sweet treats.
Laser Focused Daily Content
Lastly, what makes Noom stand out from the rest is our curriculum. What better way to help you develop new habits and stay focused on your healthy lifestyle journey than learning about your health? Our daily content is chalk full of tips, recipes, challenges and healthful pointers on how to stay focused with every choice. The lessons cover topics like basic nutrition, physical activity, sleep, hydration, emotional eating, and so much more. The curriculum is built to help app users learn how to build a concrete foundation for their habits in a fun, motivating way. Not only do you have your coaches and group members to hold you accountable, for the content keeps you engaged to make progress on your goals each day.
So, is the Fenoboci diet plan for you?
When it’s all said and done, following a diet plan just doesn’t cut it when it comes to long term weight loss. Developing new eating habits, finding ways to incorporate more physical activity, recognizing the ‘why’ in our decisions is the recipe for a healthy lifestyle. And that’s the thing, it’s for life! Not a 4 week program to help shed pounds for the time being; but carrying these healthy habits through your daily life to keep the weight off. Not only does Noom provide you with the support, resources and accountability to lose the initial weight, but your coaches guide you through how to carry that momentum into your days outside of the app.
