Starting the Johnson UpDayDownDay Diet

Last week I saw a message board on Traineo that was talking about the Johnson UpDayDownDay Diet. The basic premise is simple: you eat a seriously reduced-calorie diet every other day, alternating with a normal (or maybe even slight higher-calorie than normal) diet on the other days.

I was immediately torn between the appeal of the diet and (probably reasonable) concerns about both the safety and the long term effects. I read more of the message board posts and started leaning towards the “good idea” side. For one thing, Beth, the girl who started the topic, said she had started the diet a couple of days before January 26, 2007. It’s now a full three months later and she still seems to be going strong. In her first post she said:

I don’t have a lot of success restricting calories every day–I’m always “falling off the wagon” so to speak. Maybe I can do it every “other” day!

So the longevity of it seems like a big triumph. Add to this the fact that lots of other people have joined Beth and are having similar success. Now there’s a Traineo group for the diet.

I read through the official website and it seems like there’s at least some reasonable science behind the diet. I’m also aware that it seems to work well to change things up regularly (both diet and exercise) so it makes sense from that perspective.

I think the strongest argument in favor of the diet is its “ROI,” to borrow the investing term. With most diets, the return on investment is relatively low. You have to work hard, forgo most things you like, and then if things go well, you will lose a pound or two a week. Not awful, but considering that most dieters spend their time swinging between feeling deprived and feeling guilty, it’s not great, either.

Many of the folks on the message board report that it’s really not very hard to stick to the Johnson plan because at most, you have to wait 24 hours to eat whatever it is you’re craving. Compare that to a “normal” diet that says, “Once you reach your goal weight, you can begin adding some things back into your diet.” Given the choice between 24 hours (or less) and several months, guess which one I’m going to choose?

Hence the ROI comment: most folks seem to feel like they’re getting a great return for very little “investment” (sacrifice, in this case). Many people also mention feeling really good on the down days, after the initial shock.

So all that said, I decided to give it a go. Today is my first down day, and the weekend will be up days (the message board folks have found that two up days in a row don’t derail things, and I know the limits of my own will).

I’ve had two SlimFast shakes so far, and have one left within my meager calorie budget. I’m hungry but not famished, so I’m putting off the final shake for a while. I’m also trying Hoodia in conjunction to reduce the likelihood of real hunger. Will it work? Who knows! But I’ll report back regardless.

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