juiced reboot program

Question
hi,
saw "fat, sick and nearly dead", an excellent and enjoyable documentary about the aussie guy going around the u.s. while doing a 60 days juice-only diet.  rather amazing results.  i'm a 70 year old active woman that hasn't really had a weight problem but as i've slowed down - metabolism, menopause, etc - i've gained about 30 lbs more than i want (being 5'11" i can carry extra weight without looking too "big", but clothes just don't fit like they use to).
i want to do the "reboot" program that the aussie guy did.  i think i can go at least 5 days on a juiced program, and maybe more, and then maybe just use to maintain.  if you're familiar with the program, you know it's all the good stuff - kale, spinach, other veggies, all the fruits, etc.  no cleansing junk, just nutritious foods.  
since i've never had to "diet" seriously, i don't know a lot about nutrition, which is where my question comes in.  will i be leaving out anything important?  like protein or carbs or whatever else one should have in moderation?  will i be messing with my system too much if i go "on and off" - like two days of juicing and then regular eating (which for me is mostly non or low fat, fish/chicken, no red meat sort of vegetarian)?  frankly i enjoy eating too much to give up chewing for very long - but also concerned that i might "yo yo", which i know is not good for anyone.
what do you suggest before i break out the juicer???  and would really appreciate your thoughts on the "reboot" program, if you're familar with it.  the website has sort of crashed from popularity, but maybe you can check it out some other way?
thanks,
ellen

Answer
Hello Ellen,

What an interesting story! Like most crash diets, this one works because you can't possibly get in more than about 500 calories a day drinking fruit and veggie juices. You would be just as well off eating the fruits and veggies, giving you some more fiber and something to chew on.
And over a period of just 4 or 5 days, it's unlikely you would suffer from any nutritional deficiency.
On the down side, you would be greatly reducing your protein intake (which is important to conserve during weight loss) and any essential fats (unless there are some oils included in this diet?).
Many starchy foods (carbs) also contain B vitamins important to metabolism and I wonder if this diet recommends taking any type of supplement while on strictly just fruit and veggie juices?

Juice fasts have been around a long time. People find it difficult to "start the diet on Monday", weigh and measure what they're eating, go out and take a 30-minute walk, and resist the junk foods they've grown to love. So sometimes it's just easier to say no to food! Thus the popularity of all the "liquid protein diets" as well (Medifast, Optifast, Slimfast, etc) which are nutritionally balanced so you can live on them for weeks without worrying about nutritional deficiencies.

The allure of these diets is that they work--and FAST. People see 5 or more pounds of weight loss in the first week and it's gratifying to see your work pay off. On a healthy-eating-and-exercise plan, you might just see one or two pounds off in the first week and maybe even less after that.

But the benefit of the healthy-eating-and-exercise diet is that, with the right motivation, you can stay on it forever: It becomes a lifestyle. The juice diet? What happens when that's over? Do you go back to eating like you were and gain the 5 pounds back? Probably.

My advice: Consider keeping a food diary (there are many sites online that help you do this, such as FitDay, SparkPeople and LiveStrong) and eliminating (or at least cutting down) foods and drinks with little nutritional value (cookies, chips, soda). Also think before you eat, "Am I hungry?" or "Why am I eating this?" Keeping a diary helps you realize how much mindless eating goes on during the day (and more often during the evening) and being aware can help you stop ingesting those extra unwanted calories!

Good luck, and let me know how it goes for you :)
Laurie

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