Thanks for the inetrsting link!

Below is an opinion piece only:

I have read the link and that diet doesn't sound good to me. I mean, in the sense of good-tasting and sustainable. It sounds like the guy comsumes a few tablespoons of canola oil several times a day, as well as drinking sugar water to keep his body with a continual souce of energy.

So, out of curiosity, I mixed a tablespoon of oil with some superfine sugar, just to see what this guy is into. It looks okay, but then I tasted a TINY amount of it and yuck. That was it---I tossed it down the drain. I could never gulp a couple (or a few, as the article states) of tablespoons of this stuff every few hours all day. Not to mention the possible laxative effects one might experience from the consumption of this much oil all day long. I wonder if he's mainly losing weight through bodily functions.

And the article mentions that he eats whatever he wants. I hope it's a healthy balance. Nutrition and roughage (veggies, fruits, fiber) aren't mentioned in the article.

So sure, it may be a successful weightloss program, but like I said previously, it doesn't sound healthy or sustainable.

But it IS interesting that people come up with these theories and experiments!

Let us know if you try it and what your experiences are!

Good luck!

I looked into this a bit today. From my understanding you take either the fructose water (2 tbsp. in however much water you want twice a day) or a tbsp. of light olive oil at times you would have a snack. Well before or after eating a meal and not to mix them as Wild Chicken did.

Sounds pretty kooky to me, but worth a try. Won't hurt you any. Let us know how it works.

Yes....Wild Chicken needs to read it over again! You don't mix them.

These work on teh same "health tips" principles that have been around for years. Every heard the one about eating a small piece of bread with butter a bit before a meal. Or a small bit of chocolate?

The idea being to trick your body into thinking it's already eaten.

In this guy's case, he's taking it one step further. He's using an oil (Canola is probably best, with light olive oil NOT EVOO as a close second) or sugar water at the times whenever you would normally snack. You get the fuel intake as with the tip above, but by denying any sort of flavor the sugar or oil doesn't trigger the hunger response for more food. Flavor is one of the components that does this.

It really isn't a tough call. Give it a try for a week. If it works, keep it up. If not, you haven't eaten/done anything unusual or harmful.

Important to note: the people that have tried this made NO other dietary or physical changes at all and lost the weight.

aiki

Here's a short piece explaining the diet in shorthand.

Here is a link that might be useful: Diane Sawyer piece -- ABCNEWS.com

I saw this original inventor describing his theory on Canadian TV channel today (Apr 30,2005). Came to your page after Googling a bit. Thought I should share my take on this:

His theory goes like this:

Theory:Regularly consuming nutritional but tasteless food (such as Olive oil and sugar syrup) will eventially lead to weight loss.

ExplanationOur system stores fat based on a quantity computed by brain called "Set Weight". This is like a "target weight" that a body needs to reach at anytime. Once set by brain, all of our body systems, digetive, metabolism, whatever work towards this common goal of acheiving this weight.

Consequences are simple:

If "Set weight" is higher than our current body weight, we store fat. If equal or less, we burn it.

How is "set weight" computed: Or brain uses the "flavour and taste" in food to calculate nutritional value (calories) in the food. Having access to plenty of tasty and flavoury food represents what used to be "good days" in our ancestoral times. Our instincts dating back to stone ages, teach us to store the food in the form of fat while we are in "good days" so you can survive during the "bad days" when you starve.

Conversely, when we are starve, the "set weight" is set to our current body weight and the body burns the stored fat. Note that the "starving" in ancestoral times is means that there is nothing to eat and your body continues to do hard labor, even more so, to hunt for food. Unlike todays fashion diets when your brain knows the food is right there few feet from you. Just that you are not supposed to eat it. Consciously imposed conditions on brain dont necessarily have any impact on the rest of "automated" regulatory operations of the body. In other words, the "set weight" trigger doesnt change.

Humanity have developed faster than it could evolve. As a result, we always have our daily un-interrupted supply of nutritional food or live in "good days" (at least in north america :) ), and never see "bad days" whem we are supposed to "starve" to complete this genetically predisposition balance.

This theory attempts to trick the brains clever "set weight" algorithm by consuming nutritional but tasteless food. The brain computes calories incorrectly, thinking you are not eating well or at all, and doesnt trigger "good days" alarm. The "set weight" continues to go down untill ideally becoming equal to the current body weight. At which point, all you eat is burnt instantly. No Fat stored.

Assuming this theory is correct, I came up with my own corrolaries :)
It is impossible to fake "starvation". Forced hunger doesnt compute as "starvation" to the brain.
If we constantly eat tasty but nutritionless food, our "set weight" will continue to rise and no matter what we do, we will always gain weight.
If we constantly eat tasteless but nutritional food, our set weight will eventually be less than our current weight and we will be constantly lose weight.

Even if...

Hi Just wanted to let you know that I have been on the plan since the first of May and as of this morning have lost 9 pounds. The beauty of it is you will naturally want to eat less and will even want to choose healthy foods over the less nutritious calorie laden ones. I too was a sceptic at first but after seeing Seth Roberts on a Canadian news program I figured what the heck, if it works fantastic and if not I may be out some sugar and a bit of extra light olive oil. That would be a far cry from all the other expensive programs I have followed and failed at. Anyway back on topic. I think any one who poo poos it and doesn't at least give it a try is doing a great disservice to themselves. I am not saying it works for everyone and if you check out the forum at sethroberts.net you will find posts from people who have had great success and others (very few) who have not. I suggest you read the book as it not only explains the procedure and why it works but also gives you other tips to use to continue losing and believe me there is more to it than just swallowing oil and sugar water. All I can say is I am finally feeling like I am in control for once. Food is slowly starting to become a non issue. Don't get me wrong you still get hungry and will still enjoy food just as much as ever but.... You will find you will not be able to eat as much as you have in the past and that my friends is empowering. It becomes your choice to push away that dinner plate. There are no diets to follow no eliminating certain foods. Heck if you want pizza have pizza, but try to eat more than a few pieces and you will feel like you have a five course dinner with dessert. I will continue to use the plan and incorporate all his ideas so there will come a day when I won't have a weight problem ever again. Hallelujah!!!

Hi! I'm a new member here and this is actually the first forum i've been too. I've heard about the book on the Dennis Prager show and have found the concept interesting and extremly intruging. I have wanted to lose weight for a long time now and with me going to Hawaii in only a few weeks I'm pumped to start out. But with graduation parties all over i'm affraid eating well is quite out of the question. This diet claims to slove your hunger without any other outside work, can you say 'miracle'? I say anything that promises to make my overwhelming hunger subside is well worth the effort. Every peice of evidence i've seen says that this diet really does work, you're hunger subsides immediatly however, if this alone is what you're relaying on to lose weight you'll only end up losing about 1.5 lbs a week. (depending on your body, of course.). I'd like to warn people though that if you're deiabetic, or in risk for dieabeates that you should relay on the olive oil because the sugar might cause incine problems; that's all skeptisim though. It has not been proven however, being at a high risk of dieatbeates myself (and being at a young age) I'd rather not risk it. I wish all of you the best of luck with this routine and hope to hear more about your progress, i know i'll share it with you!

God Bless

Hi, i was just doing some math after someone told me that they didn't think this diet would work... we're consumeing 980 caliores a day of olive oil. Hopefully this won't change anything but i'm just putting it out there.

Actually if you are doing the math, you are supposed to have 1 TBSP of oil, 2 times a day. 1 TBSP oil = 120 calories, so 2 times a day is only 240 calories. If you are doing it the sugar way its about the same in calories...approximately 300 calories a day.

I started the 'diet' today. I've been doing some research on it and it seems a lot of people are having success on this plan.

I haven't read the book, but have read LOTS of forum and blog posts and think I have the jest of the diet.

You need 2 2 hour 'windows' a day where you drink only plain water and either the sugar water or Canola or Olive oil. My windows are between breakfast and lunch and then again in the afternoon before dinner. You are to consume between 100 and 400 calories of either per day. You take the water or oil 1 hour after eating and don't eat/drink anything for the next hour. Not eating or drinking anything includes coffee, gum, tobacco, mints...anything with flavor. Even brushing your teeth is a no-no. Some people have better success with the oil, others the sugar water (which can be taken hot or cold). Some need to up the calories to the 400 mark, others need to lower them closer to the 100 calorie point. I think the more you need to lose the higher caloric intake you need.

I figure it's not going to hurt me to give this a try for a couple weeks. I am doing the sugar water now, but I do have problems with low blood sugar, and may change over to the oil if the sugar seems to bother me.

I'll post back in a couple weeks with my results.

As a nurse, I think it sounds strange. As a fat gal that has tried every diet known to man and failed, I say what the heck, can't hurt, might help. I think the idea of tricking the set point makes sense. Started the diet today- we'll see how it goes. I just had the sugar water about 3 in the afternoon and the canola at 9pm. (Didn't want sugar that close to bed time)I do know that at supper, I wasn't as hungry as I usually am. Also, I don't have any urge to snack tonight.Hmmmm.

It's been a couple weeks for me...the sugar water seemed to make me hungrier and I think I ate more than usual, but I didn't gain weight and actually lost a lb. Unfortunately I came down with a case of food poisoning last week and haven't been following the protocol (I did lose an extra 3 lbs due to being sick, but don't recommend it for weight loss. *S*). I am going to try the oil once I am feeling better.

My teen DD has been drinking the sugar water when she remembers and she definately says she has lost her appetite - she's lost 4 lbs in just over a week. Could be a placebo effect though?

I have been on it 4 weeks I am taking the ELOO twice a day and have lost 7 pounds without even trying. I have had 5 Birthday parties of family members in the past 2 weeks then add Mothers day and 2 trips "WOW" I love it.
patsianne

I really believe that it is probably the same as the morning or afternoon snack many eating plans encourage you to do...It just keeps you from being starved at mealtime and consequently pigging out...for 300 calories you could eat a lot of food and enjoy it too...

Well, well. Been on the diet at least a week. Have lost 5 lbs. Didn't really feel like snacking at all this week. For the first time in my life, I feel satiated after a meal. Have gotten some feedback from the medico's around work- to a person they said it is probably the placebo effect. I say so what, I'm losing weight.

Actually I have been doing this since June 2. Shock of all ages, I have lost 10 bs. Hunger is definitely diminished, as well as the urge to snack. I tried to just drink water in the evening instead of the suger or oil. Weight loss slowed down, urge to snack increased. When I started back up, weight loss increased. Great.

I started this diet yesterday.
Does it take more then 2 days to start benifiting from the effect of not wanting to eat so much. I have been doing the sugar and water option and I actually think I have been hungrier.

I do have a few questions for this forum and I would love to get some input:
Could this diet work just because there is two 2 hour gaps of time where you are not allowed to eat?
How many people snack usually in those times?
Do you still have the urge to snack?

Thanks everyone :o)

Hi,
I lost my appetite the first day didn't have to wait the 2 days and being one of the all time great snackers I love the freedom.
You don't have to take the oil or sugar water during the day some take it an hour before rising and at bedtime so they don't have to wait.
Have you gone to the official site that Seth Roberts runs a lot of info there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shangri-la diet

I think I've given up on the Shangri-La diet. I took the sugar water for 3 weeks with no results and then the oil for 2 weeks (although not always twice a day) and had no diminished hunger.

I don't think this works for everyone. I am a long time yo-yo dieter and recently have been unable to lose weight even following a 1500 calorie diet. I need to lose at least 20 lbs, and even 30 to 35 would still put me in the recommended weight range for my height.

If you read Seth's blog - he eats very little (at or under 1200 calories and exercises often). He also mentioned making food taste 'bad' by adding unusual spices to it. Do I really want to live my life eating such low calories and having to resort to making my food taste bad to stay thin?

I agree with you Lydia...I have been over at the site reading the posts and there is no way I am going to take all that oil or sugar...He specifically says that if you are doing weightwatchers, as one of his testimonal people was, she accounted for the points...4 ponts per day...Well you can eat a lot of food for 4 weight watchers points and I mean good food not tablespoons of oil...

For those that it works for more power to you but I'd be willing to bet that if you substituted real food for the same calorie count as the oil and sugar water...you would have just as much success...

The idea behind adding spices is not to make the food taste "bad", just different and unfamiliar.

You cannot substitue "real" flavorful foods for the oil or sugar - that defeats the whole theory of the diet. You really need to read the book to understand why it works. There is nothing dangerous about this method, and it costs practically nothing to try it, most people already have sugar and light oil in their kitchen. And you don't have to drink the oil "straight" - you can float a tablespoon of oil on top of about a half a cup of water and you barely notice the oil at all.

So how is everyone doing...any reports?

I started this diet yesterday after reading the book and I definitely noticed a decrease in appetite. Today for example: I had a cup of yogurt and coffee for breakfast then I drank 2 cups of water mixed with 2 TBS of sugar @ 11am. I did my workout @ noon for an hour and by the time I was finish I would generally feel like a starving buffalo. This time, although the hunger was there it was not overwhelming. I ordered a small cup of Chillie and a side salad from Wendy's and I couldn't even finish my salad bcs I felt so full.

I do the oil thing (2 TBS & chase it down with lots of water) in the afternoon around 1-2 hrs before dinner.

Oh, the correct way to drink the sugar water is to SIP IT SLOWLY (in about 1/2 hour timeframe) like you would when you drink hot coffee, otherwise it will not work. The theory is that if you drink the sugar water too fast it will raise your blood sugar level and makes you even more hungry.

I like this diet bcs it helps me control my hunger, something that I haven't been able to achieve no matter what diet I've tried over the years.

hey, ive been reading up on this diet and plan to start 2maro thru friday and see the results. the main thing i want to do is lose weight, u know, drop the love handles and get some of the muscle showing. this diet would rock if it worked for me. i am physicaly active but when i eat, i eat. so this friday, ill update and say the results. right now i way 182 lbs.

Well I have been doing the diet for a few weeks...No I have not stuck to it like I should. I do it monday-friday, drinking the sugare water once sometimes twice a day and I cannot believe it works. The sugar water kind of makes me hungier but once I start eating I get full quicker even on the weekends. I have done a wiegh in but in 2 weeks I lost 3lbs. I never was a big snacker or ever ate unhealthy so I am extatic! I will do this weeks wiegh in tomorrow or the next day to let you all know how its going. I really need to read the book though. I check this site once a day because I am excited to here how its working for others too! Have a great day.

If you are really serious about doing the Shangri-La diet you should read the book and check out the Shangri-La forums so that you do it correctly. The forums also have lots of tips on timing and tweaking the diet to suit you.

i read about this diet in someone's blog that i happened upon quite accidently. so for the past 2 days i had been doing it wrong! i was only doing a tsp once a day. so i'm glad i decided to research it further and ended up here. now i know that there is TWO windows of time i need to drink the sugar water, that it's a TABLESPOON and not a tsp, and that i'm supposed to sip it slowly instead of downing it all at once like i was! i hope i havent wrecked my chances for weight loss since i started off the first 2 days on the wrong foot. thanks also to terriks for posting the link to the forum. i really dont NEED to lose much weight, i just want to. do you think it will still work for me since that is the case?

Actually if you are using sugar water you need to use 2 - 3 tablespoons. You are aiming for a certain number of flavorless calories per day. A tablespoon of sugar has 45 calories and a tablespoon of oil has 120 calories. In the book it says that if you want to lose less than 20 pounds you need about 165 flavorless calories per day. I have found it easier to take the oil, because you can take it all at once. I float a tablespoon of oil on top of about a quarter cup of water and gulp it all back, aiming towards the back of my throat. I hardly get any oily taste or feel at all that way. I do it at bedtime, and then again mid morning. You can also use something like fish or flax seed oil capsules, but since they only have 10 calories each you have to take quite a few of them. The plus is that they are portable. So I can get 120 calories with my bedtime dose of oil, then take 4 - 5 fish oil capsules at work mid morning.

well, its my second day. quite easy to do, except the oil is hard to get down. i am definetly feeling less hungry.

Well i am getting ready to look at the forum and to buy the book but i have a quick question? It seems to be working for me but can we use splenda? Its suppose to be calories but it seems to work for me a little bit or would I loose more weight if I used real sugar. I am trying to loose 10 more lbs.

Well i am getting ready to look at the forum and to buy the book but i have a quick question? It seems to be working for me but can we use splenda? Its suppose to be calories but it seems to work for me a little bit or would I loose more weight if I used real sugar. I am trying to loose 10 more lbs.

No, you cannot use Splenda. You must consume calories.

aight, third day in and ive lost 4 lbs. pretty cool iguess

I have belonged to the SLD forum and have been on this diet since 5/10 and have lost 8 pounds it has worked for me and I am the Queen of the YoYo diets. I have been traveling and the only thing I have done is take my Extra Light Olive Oil faithfully and enjoyed the lack of appetite.
I am 64 and have been dieting since age 13 and have never had such an easy time. You can probably tell I am very excited about finally finding my answer.
patsi

OK. So, I'v been doing the diet for nearly 2 months (started at the beginning of June) I'v lost 15 lbs total. I have noticed a definite decrease in that insatiable, overwhelming hunger that used to grip me. I started out using the sugar during the day and the oil at night. Well, my labs were off. The triglicerides were out of sight high. Since I don't usually eat fast food,fried food or much oil, it had to be the diet. My blood sugar, on the other hand, was better. I then switched to using the sugar twice a day and my blood sugar is good. I don't do the diet as religiously as I used to, probably why the weight loss has trickled down. Anyway, just watch your labs if you are taking the oil.

Ok...I just started this diet right now. I waited an hour after breakfast and now I am sipping on a glass of water with 2 tbsp of sugar in it. Then i wait another hour, right? Which have you guys had the most results with....oil or sugar water? I figured for the first few days i would try both and see what i like.
I will keep you all posted on my progress. Lets keep our finger crossed that this will work since nothing else does!!!

Most people at the Shangri La diet forum are using oil, though there are quite a few who have had good results with sugar water. I think that the consensus is that oil is quicker to take, and has some other benefits, such as softer skin and hair.

Thought I would check in I shattered my elbow in August so have not been doing any exercise or dieting my Dr.said stop. I did keep taking the oil and have lost another 5 lbs. I just can't believe it.
patsianne

I started this diet Oct 7th and have found it very easy, I have lost 12 lbs. I take 2-TBSP Extra Light Olive Oil, in the morning and at night time (No eating for 1-hr before and 1-hr after as required). This is truly one of the easiest diet's I have been on. I do not feel hungry at all and do not hate doing the diet. Usually diets bore me, this one does not...I can litterally eat what I want without restriction! Of course, it helps to count calories if you really want a stronger weight loss, so I am maintaining myself and not going over board, but it's not a big deal...if I want to splurge,I do! I just make sure to continue the oil the next day and go back to counting those calories, it's hassle free. I have not felt left out, food neglected or starved at any point and I can actually go out to dinner with my husband without the guilt of falling off my diet! Also another benefit, my skin and hair look better, my skin appears healthier and my hair seems shinnier as well.

This is truly a Bliss diet for me, I have 45 lbs to go...but it will be a piece of cake because of the Shangri-la Diet!

I love this diet :)

I've been reading all the posts here and have a question. I don't necessarily eat because of overwhelming hunger pangs. I eat when I'm bored. You know, when you go to the fridge, open the door and stand there looking long enough to finally find something "to do". (eat yourself silly) Is there anyone else out there who does this and does this diet help with that? (Already anticipating your answers - but sometimes even trying to think of something else to do doesn't work.)

Hi guys, I'm interested in trying the shan-gri la diet. Do you guys think it would work with benefiber? its 15 caloriesfor two tsp. but flavorless.... I know i would have to eat more of it in water than i would with oil or sugar water, but would it work? tried the oil today and vomitted.
Thanks so much!!