by Amber Hilton

Created on: October 06, 2009

In my never-ending quest to return to my high school weight, I recently ordered "The Shangri-La Diet" by Seth Roberts from the online book-swapping club that I subscribe to. The swapper reviews had little to say about what was actually involved in the diet, but I was drawn to the book cover, which described it as "the no hunger eat anything weight loss plan." This promise of course sounded too good to be true, but I figured it was worth a shot.

I have read dozens of diet books in the past and have always found that either the plans were total shams or if they were effective they were too strict to permanently include in my lifestyle. I have to admit that the Shangri-La Diet seemed like it might belong in the sham category, but I was comforted by the fact that it involved little financial or health risk.

The main idea behind the Shangri-La Diet is that calories without flavor (in the form of extra light-tasting olive oil, sugar-water or wearing nose clips while eating) help to decrease appetite and control cravings. Seth Roberts, the diet founder and book author attempts to explain the science behind how this works, but I won't even begin to try to explain it here. I will admit that it is both counterintuitive and at times seems contradictory, but since there was little risk involved I was willing to give it a try.

I was nervous to add the calories into my diet (approximately 120 per tablespoon of olive oil), when all my life experience told me that I should be cutting fat and calories. However, I have only been following the plan for about a week and am amazed at the results. After just one day it was like having instant willpower.

I was also a bit worried that a plan that worked by controlling my appetite wouldn't work for me because I tend to be an emotional eater. However, after a few days on the plan, I realized that it is much easier to fight cravings and emotional binges when you're not very hungry. I have been eating much less throughout the day and have been able to make healthier choices because I don't have that constant gnawing hunger. I have only lost a few pounds so far, but I am confident that if I keep it up I will be able to not only reach my goal weight, but also maintain it.

There is nothing about the oil that actually makes you lose weight other than the fact that it controls your appetite and therefore you consume fewer calories. Because of this, you can expect slow, steady weight loss rather than a fast, unhealthy drop. Of course, if you add aerobic exercise to the plan, you will lose weight faster (which I plan to do).

The only unfortunate thing about this diet is that it is a lifelong program. You will have to keep taking oil for the rest of your life if you want to maintain your results. Thankfully, oil is cheap (about $5 for a 3-4 week supply) and good for your heart health, hair and skin. Unlike plans like Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem there is no expensive food to buy and you will be eating so much less that your grocery and dining out expenses are likely drop significantly.

I strongly suggest the Shangri-La Diet for anyone who has a significant amount of weight to lose and wants a cheap and healthy option. Check on Seth Robert's book on amazon.com or pick it up at your local library. I will continue to report back on my results in future articles.

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