The Shangri La Diet
The Shangri La Diet is absurd, ridiculous, and remarkable. It is quite simply one of the most unusual weight loss books ever written. Author Seth Roberts presents his radical ideas without melodrama or hype, and comes up with a weight loss diet that is both controversial and intriguing.
The technique is simple:
- Consume 100-400 calories of sugar water and/or flavorless edible oil daily.
- Consume the sugar water and/or oil before or well after meals - at least an hour away.
The sugar water (a mix of white sugar and water) should be consumed slowly (over half an hour). Sugar water is flavorless despite being sweet (unlike soft drinks that have flavors added). For the oil - Extra-Light Olive oil is recommended due to its lack of flavor.
That's it.
No calorie counting, no recipes, no forbidden or restricted foods, no meal plans, and no deprivation.
Set Point
Roberts believes that weight is regulated by a system with a 'set point'. If your weight is below your set point, then you will feel hungrier - and it will take more food for you to feel full.
It is possible to change your set point, and the basis of the Shangri La Diet is that set point can be lowered by eating a food that has little or no flavor - but still has calories.
Right about now your jaw will be hanging open like a fish gasping for water. The Shangri-La seems so farcical that any straight-thinking nutritionist might even dismiss it as a hoax.
Science?
The book explains - in some detail - the science and reasoning behind the diet, the authors own experiments, and various testimonies. The whole diet does in fact have the feel of an unfinished experiment.
Weight loss occurs because appetites are lowered, and the dieter is eating less. This book isn't about building muscle and attaining 8% body fat - but simply about eating less and losing weight. What's different to other diets is that the eating less is incidental.
A Bizarre Fad?
It's bizarre, and it's strange... but... I have an inkling that Seth Roberts just might be onto something.
The Shangri-La Diet is most certainly a paradigm-shifter of epic proportions. When our paradigms are challenged, we all too often respond with our own familiar dogma. Roberts ideas deserve closer attention - but they must not be allowed to turn into a quick-fix mass-market fad diet. When this occurs uninformed people can embark on foolish dietary regimes without batting an eyelid. Roberts is an experimenter - and the diet must be viewed as such - one person's experiments and ideas.
This is not a recommendation. The diet leaves some questions unanswered - it focuses solely on weight loss. What about the effect on metabolism or other health issues such as triglycerides or LDL cholesterol? How about diabetes?
Power to the Blogs
The Shangri La Diet frequently refers to the power of the so-called blogosphere - even as far as quoting blog comments (from Mark Schrimsher's CalorieLab).
You are most welcome to add your thoughts and experiments to this post.
The Shangri-La Diet, by Seth Roberts PhD (available at Amazon - 194 pages Hardback)
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hey there! do you have to take 2 tablespoons of light olive oil in, say 500ml water and then later another 2 tablespoons in 500 ml water or can you have 1tablespoon before and 1 tablespoon after breakfast and then one before and after supper? also, as oil and water do not mix, can you just drink the oil first and follow it with 500ml of water after that?...thanx so much:)
Replyand what about the brushing the teeth thing, can i brush my teeth and then drink the olive oil and eat an hour later?
ReplyHello to all of you.
I have been taking oil for about 2 month now. Everything works wery well. My only concern is the skin on my face. I have noticed significant spots that the oil causes. Well, I think it is due to taking the oil. Does anyone have a similar experience? I have been taking flaxseed oil, which I had thought was healthy as it containes omega6.
Do you think I should switch to a different oil or is it due to a brand?
I would appreciate anyone helping me on this issue.
Good luck to all of you.
ReplyI'm also concerned about the spot issue - I'm trying to lose weight for my wedding in August, but don't want to end up thin and spotty!!
Many thanks,
ReplySince January, I've lost 10 pounds doing the ELOO and Canola. 2 tbl a day. My doctor is very happy and so am I. Shangri La for life!
ReplyI've been implementing the diet using hot sugar water for the past week and have found it has worked extremely well. Who knows why, but I am getting full faster and have dropped a dress size already. I find it is important to introduce no other tastes during at least a two hour time window, including mints, toothpaste, mouthwash, flavored lip gloss, etc. I do this twice a day. If you have been struggling to loose weight, this is a very simple thing to try, and for me has been effective.
ReplyCan I just take the equivalent of two tablespoons of fish/omega 3 oil in capsule form? It doesn't seem to make a difference to me.
ReplyHi everyone. I'm a 41 yr old registered nurse. I am going to start this plan today. My weight is currently 154 lbs. I intend to lose 15 lbs. I am 5'8". I am currently not exercising, and intend to start again. I will post weekly to let you know of my progress.
I plan to eat breakfast by 8 am. At 10 am, I will drink 2 tbsp. of sugar in 1 litre of water. I will not eat anything from 9 to 11 am. At 2:30, I will take 1 tbsp of ELOO. I will not eat anything from 1 to 4 pm. Not eating during that time will be important for me, as I consume a lot of calories preparing snacks for my children, and starting dinner.
ReplyI noticed the comment from the doctor. I personally will not be paying any attention to comments from doctors, pharmacy or food industry people because they want to keep us fat. Doctors want you to keep seeing them and they write prescriptions that keep the pharmacy in business and the food industry surely will not want this diet to get around because they will lose money in sales of their chemically laced junk food. I have been on this diet one week and have lost 6 pounds already and it really does work. I have tried so many diets, pills and anything else that I thought would work but have been over 200 for 30 years and finally someone has come up with something that works, easy to do and can eat anything you want I love it thanks Seth Roberts.
ReplyKY, Seth Roberts IS a doctor.
ReplyI've been following Seth's methoad for about a month now and have lost 6lbs, which I'm very happy about. I have been having side effects though, which are not particularly pleasant. I've had constipation, followed by bouts of painful constipatative diarroeia (if you know what I mean!) Has any one else had these side effects? Will they go away? It's really not nice! Am I doing long term damage to my body?
Thanks,
Angela
ReplyI have been on the diet two weeks today and have lost 7½ pounds and this is major for me I am so excited about this. I have not had any diarrhea or constipation the only side effect I have had so far is when I went to the store the other day there were a lot of food smells in the air and it made me a little nauseas and that was strange cause that has never happen to me before. I don’t think a little diarrhea would hurt you I personally think it could be your body adjusting to the oil but maybe someone else could post if they have had experience with this problem.
ReplyStill losing 9½ pounds lost so far in a little over 3 weeks and have found this to be easy to do very inexpersive.
Replyif i were to add more than 1 tablespoon of suger would i lose more weight sooner?
ReplyI did this diet last summer when I heard Seth interview on the Dennis Prager show. I did it for about two weeks and lost about 10 pounds but for some strange and unknown reason I stopped doing it. I've been up and down on yo yo diets since especially Atkins. I'm never doing Atkins again. It scares me to think what my cholesterol is after eating 100 hamburger patties in a row. Anyway, I went and bought xtra light tasting olive oil today and took 2 tbls an hour ago and already can tell lunch is going to be a small one. I'll keep you all posted on my progress as well. Right now I'm 6'4" and weigh about 260 lbs.
Reply
ReplyYour cholesterol, after eating 100 hamburger patties and very very little carb, like the Atkins diet recommends, is probably better and lower than after drinking olive oil + sugar water, like the Shangri La diet recommends.
I doubt you know the difference if you felt the need to comment here. They have this HDL/LDL dogma going around, but it's not correct. The only "bad" cholesterol is a class of small, dense LDL particles that may get stuck in artery walls and become rancid, but your standard cholesterol test doesn't detect those levels.
ReplyWOW! this has all been very informative and inspiring. I would like your input though. i have been on this diet for a few days now...too early to show results i guess but i just want to make sure i'm doing this right. I am consuming sugar water (1 tabelspoon of sugar in about 1 cup of water) twice a day atleast an hour away from any food or drink.
again.. i'm i doing it right...please let me know...
thanks :)
ReplyVery interesting and not at all what my doctor tells me. He said olive oil is not only going to be safe but encouraged this method of weight loss.
Reply
Olive oil Its not helping for weighs loss.....
Replywww.lose-beter-with-hoodia.blogspot.com
I am going to try this diet. I have been on a diet for the past 3 months, and I haven't lost any weight. What have I got to lose?
ReplyP.S. people in the mediterranean area used to drink olive oil first thing in the morning. Old people from that area still swear by it. It keeps the body healthy and fit. So I think there is some truth to the oil part...
ReplyI've been doing this method for about three weeks and lost about 5 pounds. I should have lost more than that since I'm in the 260 lb range but I'm not sticking to it as rigourously as I should. When I take the oil I do indeed eat less so it works. I just need to do it twice every day. Sometimes I'll skip an entire weekend and then it's back to big meals.
Reply{Maria Wrote:
"Randy, I take exception to your comment "desperate lazy people". You must not assume everyone who is overweight is "lazy". I am extremely active both indoors (gym) and outdoors (biking,kayaking,etc.). Many of us are anything buy "lazy" and still have weight to loose. With such constant activity, even a slight decrease in appetite would be welcomed. I have been trying the olive oil for three days and am very pleased to see that I can fill up with smaller meals."}
Hi,
ReplyI too am very active. Farm, gym, gardening. But I am 185lbs now @ 5'7 and 48 years old. I cannot seem to lose. When I started going to the gym I was 172lbs. I know muscle weighs more but 'cmon!!!
I would like to weigh 145-155lbs.
The big problem is diabetes runs in the family. My weight has sprouted in my abdomen, and I have always had a flat tummy. Even after my kids were born I lost the weight.
I work really hard so skimping on food is hard.
This method of eating is so different it just might work.
I am starting today.
I am single/separated and going on a cruise to Alaska in two weeks, and I really, really, want to get back to my real self which lies below this layer of fat.
So here I go!
One question, what about wine??
Thanks, Great Blog!!
I loved the cruise to Alaska! Just know it's a FEEDING FRENZY! I lost a pound or two by running an hour on the deck EVERY DAY! Good luck!
ReplyThanks Dr. J
ReplyIt is my feeling after reading the SLD book that this will help. I think the eloo will curb some of the feeding frenzy. Also I will hit the gym. Did you go on the msNoordam?
"Rhapsody of the Sea" with Royal Caribbean Cruises out of Vancouver. Mrs J and I went a few days early and visited Victoria City before meeting the rest of the family in Vancouver. It couldn't have been a better vacation! Bon Voyage!
ReplyHello,
I'm going to give it a go because it sounds interesting and after a recent experience i figure what the heck.
The experience i mentioned was that i went camping for a week with my dad whom is 40ish years older than myself and has a weight issue, diabetes, blood pressure (all thanks to non-cancerous tumours in both his adrenal glands) and as a result we spent at least 3 hours every day walking to and from nature sites. One day we totalled about 25km. Another 14, another 3.5kms up/3.5 kms down etc etc
Anyway, as we were camping together we were eating almost the exact same things.
When we got back he had lost 1kg i had GAINED 1kg. I couldn't believe it. I'm still a teenager so why on earth would i be more likely to gain weight than a 58 year old who is bound to have a slower metabolism etc?
Anyway, i'm probably 10-15 kg over what i consider to be my goal weight and exercise and diet doesn't seem to work:
I had a personal trainer twice a week for an hour plus daily walking etc and after 2 months of running, bicycling, boxing and weights i hadn't lost more than a kilogram.
With that i kinda gave up and just settled for trying to maintain my weight... which i didn't really manage to do anyway.
So i figure that there is no way that this could hurt and there is a chance it might help so i'm going to give it a go.
Chris :-)
ReplyWhich leads me to my next question. My day is structured around the school timetable so i don't know how best to work it in. Any advice/help would be really hugely appreciated.
So here is an idea of my monday-friday schedule:
6:45 - Wake Up
7:15 - Breakfast
8:35 - Class begins
10:00 - Recess (first break)
10:30 - Class Resumes
1:10 - Lunch Break
1:55 - Class Resumes
3:00 - School Concludes for the Day
6:00 - Dinner
One thing i find in particular is that between 3:00 and Dinner i get quite hungry and tired. I often find that even after a good nights sleep i feel like i need a sleep in the car on the way home.
As for my eating habits my worst one is eating because i feel tired and it boosts my energy. Otherwise i seem to eat probably less than most people yet i still have a weight problem. Some of my friends are twice as lazy as me and can eat a whole thick-crust pizza by themselve yet i struggle with half :-S lol yet they are significantly skinnier than me.
I really feel it is important to loose the weight because otherwise i'll probably be looking at diabetes etc in 10 years time. Plus it doesn't hurt to look slim :-)
Chris
ReplyAfter seeing the book at the bookstore, I started this yesterday. Canola oil was very gross, but twice I have used the Pure Olive Oil that I have. Is this OK or do I have to buy ELOO? I have been mixing it with about a cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Is the sugar necessary? I then hold my nose just to help get it down and it is not bad. The Oure olive oil actually has no smell or taste to me, I use it for baking and cooking. I am a Weight Watcher for ages, doing the Core method - eat healthy w/ lean proteins, whole grain carbs, fruit, vegies, good oils and fats, exercise daily and I can still gain wait by looking at food! I do hope this works, it is the craziest thing ever. Please advise.
ReplyThanks,
Sharon
i learned about the program in "Freakonomics" and i have read Seth Roberts book. i still dont understand the science behind the setpoint or the relationship between taste and metabolism (or is it appetite?). I havent seen amy mention of flaxseed oil capsules, which would eliminate the problems with bad tasting oil. although the program has worked for many, there seems to be some voodoo involved.
ReplyThanks for sharing this about the Shangri La Diet !
ReplyI started this diet a couple of days ago and have noticed a reduction in *cravings*, which I suppose is the type of hunger that is really not useful unless you're a caveman trying to gorge himself in preparation for the inevitable winter or famine. Hunger itself is still there, but without the "wrapper" of cravings, it is focused more on actually nutritious things. I am not as tempted by junk food and snacks.
It's still pretty early to tell if this will work for me, although I find all the success stories encouraging, and I think a number of people who have not seen it work for them might be making other "mistakes" (EVOO instead of ELOO, eating for emotional reasons, not trying it long enough, etc.)
Time will tell, but since the only thing I had to buy was a $4 book (and really that's not entirely necessary), I don't see how this can be accused of being hucksterism. Natural oils are NOT bad for you in such small amounts (I'm taking organic canola oil, because it's relatively high in omega 3's, without having a strong flavor like flax).
ReplyI've been doing the olive oil for almost about a month and it's working for me.... I am really over weight and I've lost about 7 pounds so far. I'm really not hungry, and thats a first!!!!!!!
ReplyI saw a comment of a woman who says that it doesnt worik for ppl who overeat due to stress... well believe me it does! This not only fills you up but when you come to eat you feel slghtly nautious which takes away any desire to eat your "comfort food"...
ReplyRELAX
If it's a fad, than it's a fad. If you don't try it, your skepticism is simply theory for you. If you try it and it works, IT WORKED! Stop complaining about Other people looking for easy ways to do things. Easy is always great. I enjoy easy, I enjoy life. Get over doing things the hard way. I was once told by a very successful wealthy woman "If you're struggling, it's not meant to be. If it's hard, do something else."
So far, it's been a week and unfortunately, I don't have a way to tell if I've lost any weight aside from how my clothes are fitting. But for me, the weight isn't the real struggle. I'm a food addict, binge eater. I've never had any success since with weight loss or stopping the binge eating. However... in one week, I've stopped bingeing.
I am still not quite positive that it's the oil. I really can't believe that drinking oil has stopped the eating. LOL. I don't believe it's gonna last. I just don't believe it, yet. But for a week, without trying, feels good.
Downside:
Drinking oil, It's like 3 seconds oout of my life though. I'm already over it.
It doesn't stop cravings completely. I am having 1000's of those "I just don't know what I want to eat... I wanna eat something though" moments.
My compulsions haven't gone away. I get full, I fight the fork. Tell myself to stop, put the food down, go through some uncomfortable emotion, fearing I'll be hungry later with nothing to eat and I finish the food,. Full or not. Still eating 'til discomfort.
Other than that... hell, I'm bored all the time, because I'm not eating as much and stress is full on stress... not burying under food. Thank God. I'm human, lol... sorta. I'll let you know if anything changes.
ReplyHow well does soybean oil work with SLD?
ReplyJust wanted to share my experience... I started yesterday afternoon by taking 2 tbs. extra light olive oil. By 2:30 I had already started feeling hungry from lunch, but the olive oil stopped me from hitting the vending machines. Somehow I felt satisfied. I then ate dinner around 7pm and usually at night I get the munchies and always snack on something. Last night, I had no cravings to snack!
This morning I drank 3 tbs. sugar in a cup of water, then at lunch I had a sandwich. Let me tell you -- normally I tend to snack on chips after my sandwich as I still feel like munching. Today, I feel so full after just the sandwich that I feel like I just ate a three course meal at the Outback!! I am so full right now!
I've read that it could take up to 7 days for the method to take effect; however for me it was immediately. Usually I crave something -- especially chocolate and now I have no cravings at all!
It'll be interesting to see how much I can lose just by cutting out the snacking.
ReplyLots of questions posted about using capsules of omega fish oils or flaxseed oil but no answers I can find. Anybody know if the pills will work as well? Also, I am concerned about the refining and chemical adding process related to ELOO (vs. EVOO); what's the medical perspective on that?
Reply