How does the iDiet work?

The number one question we get is “how does iDiet work and what’s the trick?”
The answer is: It works thanks to Dr Roberts’ years of peer-reviewed research. There is no “trick” to successful weight loss.
But there’s a better question: Has a diet ever failed you? And why? We have the answers.

Evolution and loss:

You probably know that humans evolved a preference for more high-calorie foods as a survival mechanism. But did you know we also evolved a fear of loss for the same reason? Psychological studies consistently show that we have a stronger reaction to losing something than we do to gaining something.

Whether it’s money, power, or food, the idea of having something taken away provokes deep feelings of discomfort.

Aside from hunger, the reason you resist cutting out foods is the same reason you resist throwing out that old sweater or canceling your cable service: It’s yours and you don’t want to lose it.
Cutting back on food can provoke feelings of loss. Share on X
iDiet is designed to avoid this problem (and many others), helping to make it the most effective weight loss program to be clinically studied. iDiet clinical subjects actually show an increased preference for healthy food, a decreased preference for unhealthy food, less hunger and more enjoyment. iDieters lose without suffering.

Here’s how it works

The problem:

Diets are built on loss — it’s a given that we reduce calories to lose weight. Most diets also eliminate specific foods or entire food categories. Whether it’s sugar, fat, carbs, desserts, or all of the above, most diets slice a whole category of food right off the menu. This combination of hunger and “off-limit” foods puts our subconscious survival mechanisms into high alert. You can struggle through on willpower for a while, but after two weeks or so, the primitive parts of our brain assert themselves and we wake up in the middle of a binge. The growing sense of deprivation is impossible for our conscious, logical brains to overpower. It’s not your fault, it’s evolution, it’s instinct.

The iDiet solution:

Diets may be built on lack, but it doesn’t have to feel that way. Of course you have to reduce calories, but it can be done in a way that does not trigger feelings of hunger or loss. A meal plan can be designed to balance all the food categories without eliminating any of them, so you don’t feel deprived.
iDiet daily menus are formulated with a specific balance of protein, carbs, fiber, dairy, fats, fruits and vegetables. It includes all the major food groups and favorite items, without eliminating any of them. In fact, in clinical studies of the iDiet, subjects reported feeling fuller while eating fewer calories than they felt before starting the program, when they were gaining weight. The meal plans are that filling.

The right indulgences:

You can even have chocolate, bread, pasta, cereal, crackers and ice cream. In fact, we encourage it, and build them into the daily plans. We ask you to have dessert. They have to be the right kinds, and iDiet has a patented formula that helps you choose them in the store. We also provide lists of approved brands. The chocolate needs to be dark and rich. The breads, crackers and pastas are high in fiber but still enjoyable. The ice creams and dairy products need to meet our specifications, but they are easy to find. This realistic approach embraces your favorite foods and is better than the counting systems in other plans, because the approved iDiet indulgences contribute to your nutrition and satiety, rather than take away from it. Your survival instincts are satisfied.
Plan your diet to satisfy your survival instincts, or risk failure. Share on X
Of course, there is more to it than this, but it takes weeks to explain. That’s why our flagship Engage program is 12 weeks. The program is based on over 20 years of study and over 200 published research papers. We get you into meal plans that begin weight loss immediately, then we explain how it works over the course of the program, while giving you the support and accountability necessary to help new habits stick. We take the time to explain the program in detail, so that you can continue to maintain your success long after the program ends.
The program is a combination of scientific meal plan design, clear education, and supportive coaching. Some of the other factors include motivation and commitment support, nutrition counseling, willpower exercises, and community and accountability, habit change, and of course, delicious, filling food.