5 Factor Diet Plan Tips

The 5 Factor diet is a five-week diet plan designed by celebrity fitness trainer Harley Pasternak. Instead of three large meals a day, the diet focuses on five small meals a day. People on the 5 Factor diet must eat specific types of food and exercise regularly in order for the diet to be successful.

The Five Criteria

• Each 5 Factor diet meal should have low-fat protein, a low to moderate glycemic index carbohydrate, fiber, healthy fat and a sugar-free beverage. One great 5 Factor meal would be a lean turkey sandwich with multi-grain bread, carrot sticks, almonds and tomato juice. Lean turkey provides you with protein. The multi-grain bread is a high-fiber carbohydrate. Other great sources of low-glycemic carbohydrates include fruits and vegetables. Carrots sticks add fiber and other essential vitamins. The almonds provide healthy fat. Another great source of protein is tofu. Tofu is low in fat and tasteless, meaning it can be easily flavored. Tofu is especially useful for vegetarians on this diet. Other sources of protein, such as peanut butter, can be very high in fat. Use these protein sources more sparingly during your diet.

Monitor Your Cheat Day

• The 5 Factor diet has a weekly "cheat" day, when dieters can go off the diet and eat whatever they want. Portion control is strict in the 5 Factor diet, so the cheat day can be a great way to relax. However, some users may go too far. Eating an excessive amount of food may stretch your stomach. It can even cause an upset stomach. For example, it is a bad idea to eat a lot of meat if you have cut it out of your diet. Your stomach won't be used to meat and may have a hard time digesting it. This can cause indigestion, nausea and other stomach problems. Try to stick close to the types of foods you eat during the week to avoid these problems.

Exercise

• The 5 Factor exercise routine lasts 25 minutes and features five different exercise routines. It should be performed five days a week. Exercises include aerobics, upper body strength, lower body strength and core exercises. Do each one of these four exercises every day. Add an extra exercise every day. For example, one day you could do two five-minute upper body exercises. The next day you could do two five-minute lower body exercises. Great exercises include jogging, weight lifting, squats, Pilates, yoga and swimming. Avoid exercise boredom by varying your exercises every day. For example, you can vary your aerobic exercise by running one day and swimming the next. Take two days a week to rest from exercise.