Bootcamp Diet

Dieting can be downright torturous between the food restriction and the physical exertion. Some dieters prefer to ramp up their food and exercise regimen in order to see results as quickly as possible. While weight loss experts disagree with the approach, bootcamp diets cater to this desire.

Structure

• Bootcamp diets derive their name from the rigorous 3-month training recruits endure upon joining the military. Bootcamp diets employ drastic measures for rapid weight loss, rather than following the "slow and steady" approach most medical professionals suggest, including Joanne Larsen, a registered dietitian, in which a person should lose no more than 2 lbs. per week. The intense regimens usually last for weeks or months, as opposed to diets that encourage permanent lifestyle changes.

Bootcamp Diet Examples

• Bootcamp diets are often tailored to specific life situations. For example, there are books on bootcamp diets for brides-to-be, as well as those for women who want to feel confident wearing bikinis. Television shows which feature obese contestants competing to lose weight on bootcamp diets which severely limit calories and encourage extreme exercise have gained popularity in recent years.

Appeal

• Joanne Larsen, a registered dietitian, encourages a person to adopt a diet and exercise regimen that she can follow her entire life. Preferably, the regimen shouldn't allow her to lose more than 2 lbs. per week at the outset because any more weight loss than this may come from muscle rather than fat. But the "fast and furious" approach of a bootcamp diet is more appealing for the person who wants to see results more quickly.

Criticism

• Media critics disapprove of the bootcamp diet approach used on weight-loss competition shows, saying that it encourages unhealthy weight loss practices, reports the "Herald Sun." They fear that the 4-hour daily exercise regimen that the show "The Biggest Loser's" fitness trainers impose on contestants is dangerous both for the contestants--some of whom weigh as much as 475 lbs.--and at-home viewers. The show's trainers cite the medical screening all contestants receive as proof of the regimen's safety.

Benefits

• Supporters of bootcamp diets like the swift return on the investment of effort. A bootcamp diet leaves little room for the excuses people often use for being overweight, such as not having enough time for exercise, says fitness trainer Bob Harper of "The Biggest Loser." Such diets also lessen the amount of time people spend being overweight, taking strain off their joints and vital organs, says trainer Michelle Bridges of "The Biggest Loser."