Side Effects of the Tony Ferguson Diet

The Tony Ferguson diet involves purchasing various food products that will function as replacements for regular meals. This can include diet shakes, soup, gelatin, fiber supplements and vitamins. According to his web site, Mr. Ferguson is a pharmacist from Australia and is not a medical doctor or professional nutritionist. The plan is a low calorie, low carbohydrate diet that can yield results for dieters, but not without some unpleasant side effects.

Features

• If followed as directed, the Tony Ferguson diet is a very low calorie weight loss plan. Women are allowed 800 to 1000 calories per day and men are allowed 1200. This is extremely restrictive.

Misconceptions

• Low calorie diets will result in weight loss, but this loss can be short lived since a good portion of what is lost can be water or muscle weight in addition to fat.

Warning

• Since regular meals are given up for prepared shakes, soups, and gelatins, the dieter has little flexibility. While such a routine may be tolerable for a while, the dieter runs the risk of eventually falling off the wagon and resorting to unhealthy binging.

Effects

• Low calorie diets will eventually slow down the metabolism as the body struggles to adapt to insufficient calories. Slower metabolisms will tend to also slow down weight loss and cause increased weight gain after the dieter begins to eat normally.

Significance

• Maintaining a low calorie diet over an extended period of time can lead to an imbalance in electrolytes.

Considerations

• Before a potential participant in the Tony Ferguson diet can purchase products online they must answer a health related questionnaire. Of course, there is no verification process to ensure that the questionnaire has been answered truthfully.