SCAN Diet - Temporary Success - Long Term Failure

by Jerry
(Choteau, MT)

A few years ago, the SCAN diet, a European program, was very popular. It was carried at all the GNCs and other nutrition stores.

It was a meal replacement diet that used powders to make shakes. You would make the shakes at home, adding flavors like almond extract to give them more taste. It was very high fiber so you would feel full.

Having gained 25 pounds over the past year, I felt like I needed to do something.

I followed the program to the letter and sure enough, weight started to come off. Over a matter of 12-16 weeks, I had lost the 25 pounds plus another 5 or so and was really pleased with how I looked.

There was just one problem with this diet. It taught me nothing at all about changing the habits that had caused me to gain the weight initially.

Because it was so low calorie, I had no energy to exercise. Because it was simply meal replacement, when I went off the diet, I had no new skills for managing my food.

In no time at all my old eating habits returned and I was in trouble again!

Needless to say, the standard story applied. I lost the 30 pounds and then over the next year gained back 40.

The lesson I learned was pretty simple. Eat less and exercise more if you want to lose weight. And whatever program you choose, make sure that it involves learning to understand and make better food choices - not just replace your choices temporarily.

Note from Dr. Dan

Jerry,

You've got a lot of wisdom packed into your report.

As you point out, here's the key to successful weight loss: "whatever program you choose, make sure that it involves learning to understand and make better food choices - not just replace your choices temporarily."

And then, "Because it was so low calorie, I had no energy to exercise." A healthy weight loss program should leave you feeling stronger, not too weak to exercise.

Dr. Dan