The original GM Diet Plan was developed by General Motors, with the help of the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture, in 1985 for its employees. The idea was to make these employees healthier, and in the process, improve workforce productivity.
The initial results were impressive and the workers underwent significant weight loss in just a week which showed improved efficiency, energy and confidence.
While the GM Diet Plan for weight loss was deemed a success and is considered easy to follow, most nutritionists do not recommend that you follow it. Although it results in immediate weight loss, the diet also has several side effects that we will be discussing later in the article.
At HealthifyMe, we believe one should aim to follow a balanced diet that would ensure weight loss while also helping the body absorb the nutrients it requires. If you’re looking for a diet chart to help you lose weight and keep you healthy, we suggest you take a look at the best Indian diet plan for weight loss.
Table of Contents
- 7 Day GM Diet Plan
- GM Diet Plan Indian Version
- GM Diet Soup Recipe
- Side Effects of GM Diet
- Expert Review
- Summary
7 Day GM Diet Plan Chart for Weight Loss
The GM Diet Plan is focused on ensuring the consumption of complex carbs, along with low-calorie foods. This combined with an increased water intake can result in a significant weight loss in the span of a week.
The idea is to limit one’s weekly diet to just fruits, vegetables, brown rice, and chicken. The plan, initially designed for the employees of General Motors, is as shown below.
| Day | Meal |
| Day 1 |
|
| Day 2 |
|
| Day 3 |
|
| Day 4 |
|
| Day 5 |
|
| Day 6 |
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| Day 7 |
|
7 Day GM Diet Weight Loss Plan Chart Indian Version
The Indian version of the GM Diet Plan would not change very much from the original version. But, while the original GM Diet allows the consumption of meat in the form of beef, this will be replaced in India with vegetarian alternatives, since a sizable portion of the population does not consume beef.
While the non-vegetarians can still consume protein in the form of chicken on day 5 and 6, the vegetarians can replace the meat with a cup of brown rice.
GM Diet Plan Chart – Day 1
Start the diet by consuming as many fruits as you wish to on the very first day as there are no specific instructions on the quantity and when one should eat them. However, watermelons and muskmelons are highly recommended since they contain high amounts of fiber, you can also include apples, oranges, and papaya in your diet.
Another important part of the diet would be to consume 8 to 12 glasses of water in the day and one must avoid starving at any point of the day. If you’re hungry at any time, feel free to eat some fruits and satisfy your hunger.
These fiber-rich and low-fat foods keep an individual full for longer, thereby reducing an individual’s calorie intake. The high water intake will also serve to flush out the toxins from the body and prepare it for the rest of the diet.
On day one, avoid any kind of vegetables completely and stick to consuming fruits. Among fruits, it is ideal to stay away from bananas. Day one should feel a little easier since the monotony of the food would be yet to kick in. So, stick to the plan, and feel active and energetic for the rest of the day.
| Time | Meal |
| 8:00 AM | 1 medium apple
A few plums or an orange |
| 10:30 AM | ½ bowl of sliced muskmelon |
| 12:30 PM | 1 bowl of watermelon |
| 4:00 PM | 1 large orange or mosambi |
| 6:30 PM | 1 cup of muskmelon and pomegranate salad |
| 8:30 PM | ½ cup of watermelon |
GM Diet Plan Chart – Day 2
Unlike the first day, the second day of the GM Diet involves eating just vegetables. These veggies can be consumed raw or can be cooked in order to make them palatable. Also, ensure that there is no oil involved in their preparation.
If you choose to eat potatoes, avoid choosing unhealthy options like deep-fried, or even a packet of your favorite brand of chips, though you can snack on vegetables at any time of the day if you’re hungry. If absolutely required, olive oil or butter can be used sparingly for flavour.
Vegetables contain all the nutrients that you need to sustain the body. You get the necessary carbs from potatoes, protein from peas, and carrots and beans are packed with fiber and all essential vitamins. After a relatively low-carb day one, this will help restore the carbohydrate content in your body and further provide you with enough energy to keep the diet going. As per the plan, you must stay away from fruits altogether on day 2.
| Time | Meal |
| 8:00 AM | 1 cup of boiled potatoes |
| 10:30 AM | ½ bowl of cucumber |
| 12:30 PM | 1 cup of lettuce, spinach, cucumber, and capsicum |
| 4:00 PM | ½ cup sliced carrots and a glass of lemon juice with a pinch of salt |
| 6:30 PM | 1 cup boiled broccoli and green peas |
| 8:30 PM | 1 cucumber |
GM Diet Plan Chart – Day 3
On the third day of the diet, one must stick to eating a combination of fruits and vegetables. These foods could be the same as those consumed in the first two days. However, the only foods that must be avoided are potatoes and bananas.
Halfway through the week, your body would have begun to adjust to the new diet. After a day of eating only vegetables, the fruits would be a welcome addition to it because the combination of fruits and vegetables also provides the body with the benefits of high fiber and protein.
You would also need to include 8 to 12 glasses of water in order to flush out all toxins from the body. In addition to replenishing your body and giving the body all the nutrients it needs, you can also add the GM Diet Soup to your diet on the third day. This change will also help satisfy your taste buds and break the monotony of the first two days.
| Time | Meal |
| 8:00 AM | ½ bowl of muskmelon |
| 10:30 AM | 1 cup of pineapple or pear |
| 12:30 PM | 1 cup of lettuce, spinach, cucumber, and capsicum |
| 4:00 PM | ½ cup sliced carrots and a glass of lemon juice with a pinch of salt |
| 6:30 PM | 1 cup of boiled broccoli and green peas |
| 8:30 PM | 1 cucumber |
GM Diet Plan Chart – Day 4
The bananas that were avoided over the first three days can finally be consumed on the fourth day and one must consume 8 bananas over the course of the day. The consumption can be split across the day’s meal and snack times. In addition to that, one should also consume a big glass of milk each, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In case this becomes monotonous, a bowl of soup can also be included in the diet.
Bananas are rich in pectin, and hence, they help in digestion. They also provide one’s body with the instant energy they need to keep going. Along with other nutrients, they are also high in potassium, and low in salt. Additionally, the milk one consumes on this day is also a great source of potassium and calcium. Thanks to being fortified with Vitamin D, the milk further helps strengthen bones.
On Day 4, one must completely avoid snacking on fruits other than bananas. Though you can also substitute bananas and milk with fig and soy milk. Potatoes and sweet potatoes must be ignored as well.
| Time | Meal |
| 8:00 AM | 2 bananas |
| 10:30 AM | 1 banana |
| 12:30 PM | Milkshake (2 bananas + 1 glass of milk + a dash of cocoa powder) |
| 4:00 PM | 2 bananas |
| 6:30 PM | 1 banana
1 glass of milk |
| 8:30 PM | 1 glass of milk |
GM Diet Plan Chart – Day 5
On day 5, vegetarians can opt to eat a bowl of brown rice, while non-vegetarians can consume a lean protein source like fish or chicken breast. In addition to that, one must also eat 6 large tomatoes.
While vegetarians can eat a bowl of brown rice for lunch, you must take care to ensure that minimal oil is used for cooking, non-vegetarians can eat about 500 g of baked or lightly fried skinless chicken, along with the 6 tomatoes. You can combat the high amounts of uric acid that your body will be producing by drinking up to 15 glasses of water every day.
Brown rice is rich in fiber and helps with digestion. At the same time, chicken and fish are excellent sources of lean protein. Additionally, fish also has omega-3 fatty acids and the high fiber in tomatoes means they aid digestion too.
One must note this, it is important to avoid potatoes and sweet potatoes among vegetables, and bananas among fruits that were recommended earlier in the week. You can also have a bowl of GM Diet Soup as part of the mid-morning or evening snack.
| Time | Meal |
| 9:00 AM | 3 tomatoes |
| 12:30 PM | ½ cup of brown rice
Sautéed assorted veggies |
| 4:00 PM | 2 tomatoes |
| 6:30 PM | 1 bowl of brown rice
1 tomato ½ cup of sautéed veggies |
GM Diet Plan Chart – Day 6
Day 6 of the GM Diet requires the individual to have cooked or uncooked vegetables. As suggested before, vegetarians can opt for a cup of brown rice, while non-vegetarians can include a lean protein source like fish or chicken breast in their diet.
Another relatively high food intake day, the sixth day also follows a pattern similar to the previous day with the addition of cooked or uncooked vegetables. One must make sure that the vegetables are boiled and not fried and salads should not have any heavy dressing either.
Non-vegetarians can consume up to 500 g of skinless chicken along with vegetables apart from tomatoes and potatoes. In addition to the previous day’s foods, the mix of vegetables on day 6 also provides the required fiber for the body.Ideally, one must avoid all fruits along with potatoes and sweet potatoes.
It is great to see the results after such a difficult diet as on the sixth day, the weight loss progress will now be showing.
| Time | Meal |
| 9:00 AM | 1 glass carrot juice |
| 12:30 PM | ½ cup of brown rice + ½ cup of veggies |
| 4:00 PM | 1 cup of cucumber slices |
| 6:30 PM | ½ bowl of brown rice
½ cup of veggie, chicken/cottage cheese |
GM Diet Plan Chart – Day 7
On the last day of the 7-day plan, one would be eating a cup of brown rice, an assortment of vegetables, and fruit juice. One can eat a cup of brown rice along with a bowl of boiled vegetables for lunch. As for hydration, drink a glass of sugarless fruit juice after every meal or snack to complement the nutrient-rich vegetables.
The rice and vegetables will provide the body with some much-needed energy to keep the body to function efficiently and the fruit juices will help flush out the toxins from the system.
As with the previous 6 days, one must avoid certain foods on the seventh day as well. It is advisable to stay away from vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes, whereas fruits like banana, cherry, mango, and pear are to be avoided as well.
| Time | Meal |
| 9:00 AM | 1 glass of orange/apple juice |
| 12:30 PM | ½ cup of brown rice
½ cup of sautéed veggies |
| 4:00 PM | 1 cup of watermelon/few assorted berries |
| 6:30 PM | 1 bowl of GM Soup |
GM Diet Plan Soup Recipe for Weight Loss
The GM diet soup is an important part of the diet. It can be consumed in relatively higher quantities on any day, in order to make sure that one doesn’t go hungry.
Ingredients
- One cabbage
- Three medium-sized tomatoes
- Six large onions
- Two green peppers
- A bunch of celery
- Half a liter of water
Preparation
- First chop the onions and peppers. Place them in a pot and sauté them in olive oil till they turn mild brown.
- Then, cut the tomatoes, celery, cabbage and add them to the pot along with water.
- It takes about 60 minutes for the soup to get cooked. The vegetables must be boiled and left to simmer. Next, season the soup with some salt and pepper, and enjoy a bowl of delicious soup.
Side Effects of GM Diet Plan
The GM Diet is popular all over the world. However, they have several side effects that need to be considered before one chooses to follow the diet.
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- Although the diet may help you lose weight quickly, it is high in fiber but low in protein, carbs, and fats. Because of this, your body may not receive the essential nutrients.
- The GM Diet can lead to a metabolic slowdown in your body. While your weight loss process may not be affected initially, this would eventually make it difficult to maintain your body weight.
- The body would use all the fluids in the diet for metabolism. The diet could, therefore, lead you feeling dehydrated.
- The other possible side effects of the GM Diet also include weakness, headaches, and hunger pangs.
Expert Review
GM diet is a crash diet that goes against the principles of a balanced diet. Though the weight loss or the results are pretty quick and evident, the long-term effects are more damaging.
Since you undergo a drastic change in your regular eating routine, the body sheds weight and when you resume your normal diet, one gains as much or more weight than they lost.
It is believed that any diet which requires you to stop eating your day-to-day regular staple food is not sustainable. Weight management requires consistently good eating habits and a balanced diet with all nutrients.
Avoid following an unrealistic diet that requires extra effort to change your lifestyle completely, and put the same effort into balancing your daily meals. This will help maintain a good lifestyle change and ensure sustainable weight management.
Summary
By focusing on the consumption of complex carbs and low-calorie foods, the GM Diet Plan almost guarantees weight loss. However, following the GM Diet could lead to an individual not receiving the nutrients they require. In addition to that, it could also make it difficult to maintain one’s body weight after the diet has helped one lose weight.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Is GM diet harmful?
A. Though highly effective for short term weight loss, GM diet is not recommended for a longer period of time. The diet plan is not scientifically backed and also may cause nutritional deficiencies in people.
Q. How do I complete the GM diet?
A. GM diet is a restrictive diet that needs to be followed for 7 days. You need to dedicatedly follow the diet plan to see results at the end of 7 days.
Q. Is curd allowed in a GM diet?
A. Yes, you can have unsweetened curd or buttermilk instead of skim milk on the recommended days..
Q. Is paneer allowed in GM diet?
A. Yes, you can eat paneer instead of lean meats in the diet on the days recommended as a protein source.
Q. What can I eat on day 7 of the GM diet?
A. The GM diet is a low calorie, high protein diet. So, you are free to choose a variety of fruits and vegetables, protein like paneer or brown rice or lean meats and beverages like curd/ skim milk smoothies.
Q. How much weight can I lose from fasting for 7 days?
A. Depleting your body of glycogen stores by fasting will cause water loss, resulting in a marked weight reduction of 3 to 5 kgs or more in a week. However, this can differ from person to person.
Q. What can you eat on Day 5 of the GM diet?
A. On Day 5, vegetarians can opt to eat a bowl of brown rice, while non-vegetarians can consume a lean protein source like fish or chicken breast. Added to that, one must also eat 6 large tomatoes and have a half a cup of sauteed vegetables.
Q. Can we replace milk in the GM diet?
A. Yes, absolutely. You can replace skim milk with unsweetened yogurt or buttermilk.
Q. Can we eat sprouts in a GM diet?
A. Yes, you can eat sprouts in a GM diet plan.
Q. Can we eat chicken on a GM diet?
A. Yes, you can have chicken on the 5th and 6th day of initiation of your GM Diet plan.
