In an ideal world, most of us would probably be thinner, taller and with a higher IQ. In real life, we can only change something about our weight, which explains why we’re constantly in a rush to do so. Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet Plan 10X can prove an excellent ally in this sense. No matter how toned they are or how amazingly they fit their clothes, few are the women who would openly and honestly say “No, thank you, I don’t want to lose any weight.” Let’s just say we’re programmed to strive for perfection.
Dieting and working out are the ingredients for the recipe for success in this sense, allowing us to lose weight in a very healthy and, just as important, beautiful way.
Because this usually takes time, the former has become venue for many charlatans to try their hand at scamming honest people (not just women, men too), offering them products that, they claim, will help them shed lots of pounds without the least effort on their part – if possible, without even having to work out.
Fad diets are the reason I became “allergic” (for lack of a better term) to the very concept of dieting. I hate the idea of being told what I can and cannot eat, I hate restrictions and I hate feeling hungry all the time – which is why I only did a diet twice or thrice in my life and then too for brief periods of time.
I have never been too overweight, though I always seem to find plenty – and, to my estimation, sound – reasons to complain about my figure.
A little over a year and a half, I quit smoking and, in about five months, I was already gaining weight visibly. By the time Dr. Sanford Siegal had launched the new and improved Cookie Diet, called
Plan 10X, I was much heavier than I was at the time I quit smoking (which, I should note, was probably about 7 pounds too skinny).
At 5’7” and in my late 20s (I’ll be 30 in April), I weigh at my lowest 121.3 pounds (when I quit smoking) and, at my heaviest (when I went on the diet), 150.3 pounds. My ideal weight would be at about 128 pounds. I am now down to 137.7 pounds, five weeks after going on the diet.
Dr. Sanford Siegal has been on the market with the Cookie Diet for over 3 decades, which, in itself, should be more than enough to convince any skeptic that this is no “fad” diet. As to those who roll their eyes when they hear they can lose weight by eating cookies – just read on.
Earlier this year, Dr. Siegal took the original diet plan and
overhauled it completely, reducing the number of calories per each cookie and increasing the number of snacks dieters can have each day.
The idea is simple: you eat 9 high-protein and fiber cookies every day, every two hours, and an adult meal of 500-700 calories in the evening. With a caloric intake between 1,000 and 1,200, you are bound to lose weight, it’s actual science, proven fact.
Dr. Siegal was kind enough to provide me with a supply of cookies that lasted 3 weeks, plus a complex of vitamins and minerals (also for 3 weeks), and a book of low-calorie meals, organized neatly in categories from 100 calories (per 100g) to 500 calories.
The box included three flavors of cookies, Cinnamon Oatmeal, Chocolate Brownie, and Maple Granola. All are kosher and suitable for vegetarians and, to speak the truth, they taste surprisingly good, especially the brownies. If you expect sweet and yucky sawdust, you’re in for a surprise.
Cookies are bagged in re-sealable packages for a daily supply, and they taste just as good cold as they do microwaved. To avoid getting bored, I mixed and matched, and had all three kinds of cookies every day – they were just as fresh the next day after the bag was opened.
Naturally, as with every other diet, the first week was the hardest: since I have this thing against diets, once I realized that I would be eating these cookies for a longer period (which was sometime during day 3), I started to get cravings. The only thing that saw me through them was the fact that I wasn’t hungry, so I rationalized the cravings and overcame them.
This is actually the strongest suit of Plan 10X (second strongest, after the good taste): because you get to eat something every two hours, you never get hungry. In fact, by week 2, there were times when I would have to force myself to have a cookie just because I knew I should, as I wasn’t feeling hungry at all.
Dinners usually consisted of salads (with fish or chicken) or grilled chicken breast and veggies – I made sure I mixed and matched here too. Fruit was always there for dessert but I should note that, if you count your calories right, you can even indulge in a scoop of ice cream, or some other low-calorie sweet treat you might fancy at the moment.
In other words, Plan 10X leaves plenty of room for meal options, as long as you have the time and are willing to do your research and cook them.
My regular work schedule made it very easy to stay on the diet because it meant I no longer had to worry about bringing lunch to work, which is another plus to consider. Moreover, what I could have spent on the cookies ($49.95 a week), I would have saved on food, so the diet is probably the cheaper option in the long run.
Low-calorie diets can be tricky especially if you also work out. During testing of the cookies, I stuck to my regular schedule: Pilates once a week, Striding once a week, and strength training with weights every other day.
Even though I was on a low-calorie diet, the vitamin supplement and the fact that I wasn’t starving myself did their part, in that I did not feel faint or considerably weaker than before. I did notice, though, in my first week, that working out required a bit more effort on my part, but that was to be expected.
For improved results, I also took out a subscription at a spa and did vacuum and electro-stimulation, which helped me lose an inch (tops) overall, while toning the skin and ridding of cellulite.
After the three weeks on the diet, I took some time before writing the review to see if my weight would yo-yo: to make sure it didn’t, I kept a close tab on the calorie intake, replacing the cookies with low-calorie rice cakes and fruit, and keeping the low-calorie dinner.
The only difference is that, now, I have moments when I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. Also, I didn’t drop any more pounds, but weigh the same as I did when I finished my last cookie. This made the following decision easier to make: on my next paycheck, I’m buying myself a new supply of cookies.
The Science Behind the CookiesThey’re all natural, they’re fresh and have a very homemade feel to them. They’re also low in fat and calories, high in proteins and fiber, very filling and tasty.
Eating cookies every two hours means you never get hungry, which cuts down the risk of overeating, binging, and even becoming faint or frustrated. As long as you remember to stick to the strict schedule (08.00, 10.00, 12.00, 14.00, 16.00, 18.00, 20.00 – the low-calorie dinner, and 22.00) and you find in yourself the will to not stray, you should lose 10 to 15 pounds every month.
ProsDiets tend to be very complicated, requiring you to cook three meals a day, sometimes with very expensive and hard to find ingredients. Cookie Diet makes it all easy for you.
Diets can become boring, but Cookie Diet offers you plenty of room (up to 700 calories, to be exact) to be creative with your dinner. Furthermore, it even includes a book to help you with that.
Cookie Diet Plan 10X comes with lots of support from Dr. Siegal – all details are printed on the box and included leaflet, but you can also find additional support on the
official webpage, which even provides direct contact information.
Cookie Diet doesn’t promise effortless weight loss; in fact,
Dr. Siegal recommends coupling it with regular exercise; he also says you must drink lots of water and should see your personal physician before starting it.
If you have a desk job, Cookie Diet is perfect for you because it doesn’t become an impediment in your daily schedule.
Once you’re done with the Diet, you will have a better appreciation of your daily calorie intake, thus know what foods and drinks to avoid in the future in order to not gain weight.
Cons If you don’t plan to make it a long-term thing, the Cookie Diet can be pretty expensive in the short run. If you’re determined to lose weight, though, it’s more than worth it.
Conclusions Cookie Diet Plan 10X does as promised: it helps you lose weight but it’s not some sort of a miracle cure. If you approach it in the right frame of mind (that is, be reasonable about your expectations), you can find in it an excellent ally in the battle against the bulge.
Results*Note: testing period of 3 weeks on the Cookie Diet and approximately 2 weeks of calorie control, without the cookies
Before Height: 5’7” (170 cm)
Weight: 150.3 pounds (68.2 kg)
Bust: 34.6 in (88 cm)
Waist: 29.5 in (75 cm)
Hips: 41.3 in (105 cm)
Thigh: 26 in (61 cm)
AfterHeight: 5’7” (170 cm)
Weight: 137.7 pounds (62.5 kg)
Bust: 33.9 in (86 cm)
Waist: 28 in (71 cm)
Hips: 39.4 in (100 cm)
Thigh: 22 in (56 cm)
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