The 10 Day Challenge Is Not For Real

If you've seen any of the infomercials touting the 10 day challenge that claims to burn fat in a week, then I'm sure you're skeptical. After all, a week of fad diets seems like bad news and doesn't really promote long-term weight loss - even if it's only temporary. But did you know that the promise of fast weight lose is false? The truth is that a short term weight loss boost is possible but not lasting.

10 day challenge doesn't exempt you from basic dietary rules of healthy long term weight loss. A healthy long term dynamic is around 1-2 lbs per day, which means 500-1000 carb allowance per day (depending on your height and activity level). Rapid weight reduction is still widely thought to be unhealthy, so drastic carbohydrate restriction is definitely not an option for long term steady weight loss.

So, is there really a "10 day challenge"? Another format, another product, same concept? No. The "10-Day" challenge started by Dr. Laura Schmitz (a famous LA personal trainer) and is marketed by another fitness guru, J.Lo. The idea behind the challenge was Dr. Laura's belief that most women were eating too many carbs and therefore gaining excess weight, not losing it!

For her challenge, Dr. Laura recommended a low calorie, high protein, high GI diet plan. In addition to following the low calorie, high protein, high GI diet plan, participants were also instructed to cut out or drink water daily! That was a pretty direct shot at processed carbs. We all know the excess sugars and flour consumed by most Americans each day. Most of us also know about the enormous impact saturated fats have on our health. So, cutting those out the equation was a pretty direct way to attack the source of the excess calories in the diet.

So, instead of drinking shakes or counting calories, or measuring portions, participants were asked to photograph pictures of everything they ate every day. Those pictures were then posted on Instagram with the caption "drink this every day! #10days". J.Lo was also a part of the program, but not as active as some of the other participants, she and her trainer were both encouraging followers to be more "active", and "get moving".

So, what did they find? While it may seem obvious, there's actually a bit of a hidden truth here. Participants who were eating a high carb, high-sugar diet had a significant increase in insulin resistance! That means, basically, that they were building up an excess of glucose in their blood stream, which goes against the general advice of what goes into our body. So, if you are trying to lose weight, cut those carbohydrates and sugar out of your diet for at least 10 days! It's a safe and healthy alternative.

In addition to helping participants lower the amount of carbohydrates and sugar they are consuming, the Instagram challenge encouraged participants to incorporate cardio exercises into their everyday routines. As mentioned above, this is something that we all need to do if we want to lose weight, get healthier, and feel great. By incorporating some cardio exercise into one of your weekly routine, you can literally burn off more calories than you ever think, and in a shorter period of time. It's truly incredible.

The final Instagram challenge that I want to discuss involves the food that participants are allowed to have every single day. It's true, the diet is designed around the idea that you should cut out all of the "bad carbs", and all of the "sugar". However, there is one caveat. If you have a sweet tooth, or you enjoy eating starchy carbs such as white bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes, then you are free to have them as long as they are consumed in moderation. That's the short version of the rules, but if you want to learn more about the full story, and why this challenge has been growing so much popularity among both dieters and Instagrammers alike, be sure to check out the link at the bottom.