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6 Petal Diet
I've seen people get real results with this diet - it's a straightforward plan that actually works. The science is solid, and the success stories are legit.
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The Fad Diet I Tried and What I Learned
summarizeEditor's Summary
I'm not one to jump on the latest diet trends, but I recently tried a fad diet to kickstart my weight loss journey. With three years of steady weight gain under my belt, I needed something that would deliver quick results and motivate me to stick to it. I spent three months on this diet, and here's what I learned. While it had its pros and cons, I'll share my honest experience and the lessons I took away. From the initial excitement to the eventual burnout, I'll walk you through my journey and provide practical insights for anyone considering this diet. I was surprised by how easy it was to follow, with clear instructions and a structured meal plan. The diet emphasized whole foods and encouraged me to cook at home, which I appreciated. I felt more energetic and focused throughout the day, possibly due to the increased nutrient intake. However, some days I felt really hungry, especially in the morning, which made it hard to stick to the meal plan. I also experienced some stomach discomfort, possibly due to the drastic change in my diet. My immune system took a hit, and I caught a cold a few times during the diet. The results were slower than expected, especially after the initial weight loss. I felt really tired and sluggish in the afternoons, possibly due to the lack of caffeine and sugar. The diet was quite restrictive, which made it difficult to maintain in the long term.
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Hello there!
I'm not exactly thrilled about writing about diets, but I figured it's worth sharing my experience with this fad diet I tried.
I've been there, done that - I once pushed my health to the limit in my quest for a perfect figure. But this time, I really needed some motivation to get started and stay on track.
Over the past three years, I've gained around 5kg more than I should have. We moved to a milder climate, started eating more veggies, but I think we overindulged in the 'treats' or maybe my health just wasn't what it used to be - either way, every year I gain a stable 1.5kg. It's not just that I don't fit into the clothes I bought three years ago, I'm struggling to squeeze into ones I bought just two years ago, and that's really frustrating.
I think I've got the willpower to take control of my eating, but I don't have the health reserves to put my body through a tough diet. Over the past three years, I've tried following 'soft' diets like 'cutting out sweets,' but I realized I needed a drastic change and quick results to motivate myself. When you see progress, it's easier to stick to your goals.
However, there are some benefits to being at a healthy weight that I didn't want to give up.
Firstly, when I'm a bit heavier, my face looks more 'angular,' but it still looks fresher and younger than when I've lost weight.
Secondly, my breasts are not exactly large, and I've had two periods of breastfeeding, so when I gain weight, they perk up with me and look much better. Of course, losing weight would make them sag and shrink, and I'm not ready to give that up.
Let's talk about the state of my skin, hair, and nails when I'm on a diet. I've seen people online say they've lost weight and their hair is looking amazing, but that's just not my experience. The truth is, the thicker I am, the healthier my hair and nails are. But my skin starts to react too. I've got digestive issues, so any diet can be a bit of a stress on my system, and that means my skin isn't as clear as it could be. It's like I'm living in someone else's body, you know?
My starting point. So, at the beginning of this diet, I weighed 55.5 kg. That's my upper limit, and it's the heaviest I've been in a while. I've managed to get down to 48 kg before, back when I was in my 20s, but that was over 10 years ago. Since then, I've been trying to maintain a comfortable weight, with some fluctuations, of course. We're not robots, after all!
55 kg - my starting weightMy lowest weight in the past 10 years was 45.7 kg, which was during a bout of illness and when I was on a hospital diet (Stol #5, which is actually pretty good for me). I consider 50 kg to be my normal weight, and 48 kg to be my ideal weight. That's the weight at which I feel confident and comfortable, and I can wear the clothes I love without looking too gaunt.
Weight 50 kg three years ago That's me in my comfort zone. Honestly, even back then, I wasn't exactly tiny, but I was happy with my shape and I'm still striving for it. For some people, five extra pounds might not be a big deal, but for my body type, it's a critical issue. I'm on the shorter side and my clothing size has gone from S to L. Meanwhile, my shoulders are still S, but my waist is L. And even in loose-fitting clothes, my stomach is still visible.
You could say the first collage has some awkward angles and maybe I should've taken the same photos in the same clothes as the old ones. But I just can't fit into that green dress. And even if I do squeeze into the striped one, the waistband won't close.
But there's a photo where I'm wearing the same dress from a year ago. That's the photo on the right. I was already in shape back then, but I weighed 1.5 kg less than I do now. The waistband was loose. The photo on the left is from this year and the waistband is tight. If I gain any more weight, I won't even fit into this dress.
Weight 55 kg / weight 53.5 kg The essence of the diet and my adjustments. According to this program, I was promised I wouldn't have to starve myself, I just needed to follow the rules and alternate between certain mono-diets.
Day one: fish-only, I could only eat fish (not salty, smoked, or regular).
Day two: vegetable-only, I could eat any vegetables except potatoes.
Day three: chicken only, no other protein.
Day four was oat-based, meaning I could eat oats, but no oatmeal or corn.
Day five: dairy, focusing on low-fat products like 2-4.5% milk.
Day six: fruit-based, with a sweet tooth warning – no bananas!
Day seven: hydration and the end of the diet.
The food had to be plain, not salty, smoked, or fried, and I had to avoid overly sweet treats. I also decided not to overdo it with salt, as I figured my body would just crave it more later on.
It's essential to drink plenty of water and green tea, but not with meals.
I opted for black, mint, or chamomile tea instead of green tea, which didn't agree with me (I got some weird stomach pains after trying it twice).
I didn't plan on just drinking water on day seven; I wanted to have some liquid food, like soups and yogurts.
My diet journal – or rather, my adaptation to this plan.
Day one: fish-based.
I started this diet somewhat unexpectedly and didn't have time to prepare, so I just dove in after reading an inspiring post and thought, 'That's it, I'm doing this!'
I had a piece of red fish in the freezer, which I quickly turned into a fish soup. My husband wanted to join in on the fun and lend a hand, so he helped me get through it.
As it turned out, I ended up eating the boiled fish, the parsley and onion broth, and the fish.
For lunch, I grilled two mackerels (one for each of us).
A Fishy DayI had to have parsley again as a side dish. I couldn't bear the thought of eating fish without anything else. We only ate the fish meat, not the skin.
My husband really enjoyed this meal.
But as the evening approached, I started to feel queasy. I wanted something veggie-based for dinner. The thought of eating fish didn't appeal to me.
So, I decided to splurge and bought some cleaned shrimp. I boiled them in water. And, of course, they were served with parsley again. It was delicious.
This day turned out to be the second most challenging for me, despite initially thinking that the fish day would be the most flavorful, since I love fish.
The next day's weight on the scale was a bit lower. I'm not sure how many grams I lost (between 300 and 500), but the scale showed exactly 55.
Day 2: The Veggie Day
Breakfast started with a veggie salad made from tomatoes, cucumbers, and greens, dressed with a small amount of olive oil.
For lunch, I was on my own since my partner had to go to the doctor, and the doctor told him to eat well. So, I had to continue this diet on my own from then on.
For dinner, I had sautéed cabbage with onions and carrots. It was tasty.
Things took a turn for the worse in the evening. My youngest kid's workout usually lasts 1.5 hours, and we spend that time in the nearby café doing homework. I get a coffee, the kid has hot chocolate and a sandwich. They don't have salads. With an empty stomach, I wasn't about to risk drinking coffee, so we decided to go for a walk in the park. And, to be honest, I needed the exercise to help with weight loss, but I only had one carrot stick with me. It saved me from hunger and indigestion, but I forgot to drink enough water, and by the time we headed back, I was feeling pretty queasy.
Things improved once I got home and had some leftover braised cabbage for dinner. I had a cup of tea with two dried apricots.
Day 3: Chicken.
I started the day with a chicken soup: chicken breast, onion, and parsley. It was really good.
For lunch, I had grilled chicken, but I added a couple of steamed zucchinis to make it more palatable – plain grilled chicken was hard to stomach.
Throughout the day, I kept snacking on the leftover soup and grilled chicken breast, and for dinner, I had quail. We'd bought them before starting the diet, and I baked them, removed the skin, and ate the meat.
Chicken DayI gave the legs and wings to someone else, as there wasn't much meat on them, and I'm not supposed to eat the skin anyway.
The day went by, I'd say it was the third most challenging. I really missed the veggies, and I wasn't feeling great inside.
Day 4: Whole grains. This was the day I was dreading the most, I imagined spending the whole day eating dry buckwheat and pearl barley, but it turned out to be the most pleasant day for me – my stomach didn't bother me at all.
I had breakfast planned as oatmeal, but I ended up getting hungry earlier than usual (our breakfast is at 10 am, and I wake up at 6 am), so I had a couple of spoons of grechka instead. I really love simple grechka cooked in water with salt (even better with butter, but I had to skip that).
Whole grain dayNext on the agenda was oatmeal: I cooked it in a 50:50 water and milk ratio. And I allowed myself a teaspoon of hummus – it's made from chickpeas, although that's not entirely correct either.
For lunch, I had leftover chicken broth from the day before with some onion and parsley, which I added some chickpeas to and turned into a chickpea soup. It was actually really tasty.
Whole grain dayI finished off the oatmeal for a snack. And for dinner, I had leftover pilaf. If you're wondering, it's a kid-friendly version of pilaf with chicken, carrots, and rice. I'd eaten the meat and carrots earlier in the day, so I just had the rice left.
I also allowed myself a muesli bar. This wasn't the sweet, tasty kind – it was more like something that couldn't be avoided. To put it bluntly, we got eight of these in a 'Sportmaster' gift, and after four months, we'd only eaten one. It was that unappetizing. But on the day in question, I gave it a top rating and managed to devour one bar in a day.
By the way, I saw a significant weight loss on the scales that day – 54 kg.
But I thought it was just a result of the previous day's food. A day of oats would probably boost my weight tomorrow.
And that's exactly what happened.
Day 5: Milk. I thought this day would be the easiest for me, since I love milk. But it ended up being the toughest. Maybe because I didn't prepare for it beforehand. On this day, it's recommended to eat low-fat dairy products, and of course, unsweetened ones.
It was a Sunday, and I slept in, so I went for a full breakfast of yogurt. It was slightly sweet and had 2% fat.
Milk DayFeeling energized, I decided to do a 15-minute morning workout. I do these sometimes. And I was shocked when I realized that the exercises were giving me a hard time. My whole body was shaking, and I barely finished them. I realized that I was running low on energy.
I didn't feel like eating dry cottage cheese at all, and the sight of yogurt was making me queasy. So, I decided to make pancakes.
I took regular cottage cheese, added a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar for 400 grams of cheese, and of course, an egg and some flour to hold them together.
Milk DayInitially, I tried to cook them without oil, but they started sticking to the pan. I had to grease the bottom a bit.
Looking back, if I'd been offered these pancakes a week ago, I wouldn't have been interested, but on that morning, they seemed incredibly tasty to me: the light cheesecake tang without any sweetness was really pleasant. And the best part was that it was a hot dish.
I ate the same light dairy products in bottles 2% and drinking yogurts throughout the day. I finally had a cup of milk tea, which I'd been craving, and in the afternoon, I had another couple of pancakes.
I also had my favorite treat - a Monti walnut pudding, which I used to buy at Perekrestok.
Milk DayBut that day, I was starving. All my thoughts were about food. I was exhausted, tired, and angry. And I couldn't think of any hot dairy dishes.
In the end, I made a Snow Maiden salad with yogurt, cucumbers, and parsley. Although it wasn't a purely vegetable day.
Snow Maiden I was really disappointed with the diet on this day. I didn't see any results on the scale, and my motivation had hit rock bottom.
6 Day of Fruits . Most posts I've read rave about this day, and it's no surprise – girls love fruits. But, I'm probably just a weirdo, because I'm not a fan of fruits. I still remember the phrase 'Meat is for boys, fruits are for girls' that used to make me feel really uncomfortable at those events. So, on this day, we decided to combine fruits with veggies.
Fruit Day Breakfast started with a veggie salad made from tomatoes and cucumbers. Unfortunately, my stomach didn't take it too kindly the second time around, and I had to take some meds. That left me thinking about what I'd eat for the rest of the day.
Decided to cook a borscht with lean beef. I usually go for ribs or beef with the bone, but this time I opted for a diet-friendly version. The ingredients were all classics: beets, carrots, onions, potatoes, and herbs, minus the frying. I left the potatoes out of my bowl, but the feelings inside improved significantly. Borscht is truly an amazing soup! (I even mentioned borscht in my blender review, which can quickly grate beets).
BorschtDinner was zucchinis, and I snacked on apples, pears, and finished off my morning salad throughout the day.
Zucchini I was really disappointed with the diet on this day. I didn't see any results on the scale, and my motivation had hit rock bottom.
7th day of water . On this day, you're supposed to only drink water. I wasn't planning on doing that from the start. In some versions of the diet, this day is a gradual exit from the diet. I decided to stick to liquid food on this day – soupy oatmeal, broth, and the like.
Liquid Oatmeal I started the day with yogurt, followed by a super-thin oatmeal.
For lunch, I had a bowl of soup. At the café, I swapped my coffee for a hot milk with a spoonful of unsweetened cocoa.
I decided it was time to call it quits with this diet, as I wasn't seeing any results, and I was getting pretty miserable. Plus, I had a doctor's appointment with a gastroenterologist, who prescribed me the exact opposite diet. (Stol #5: our favorite dishes – mashed potatoes and bananas – and raw salads are still off-limits for now).
Results. On this diet, I managed to lose around a kilogram, which puts my weight at just over 54 kg. I was hoping for a more significant result. I get that I didn't follow the diet to the letter, but I was expecting to lose at least a couple of kilos, given that I normally eat three times more and drink tea with something tasty.
WeightMy Experience. Honestly, despite not losing as much weight as I'd hoped, I do notice a difference. My husband said he can see it too – my cheekbones are more defined, my chest isn't as puffy, and my jeans are suddenly swinging freely around my waist, which is a nice bonus.
But, of course, there are some downsides. My immune system took a hit, and I ended up getting sick pretty quickly, with two nasty boils to show for it. My hair decided to go into overdrive with shedding this year, and no amount of dieting could keep it on my head. And to top it all off, my nails started breaking off just a week after I finished the diet.
Maybe this diet worked for someone else, but it definitely didn't work for me. In fact, I'm starting to think it might have been more effective 10 years ago. I could've just swapped out my sweets for dried fruit and cut back on bread to lose a kilogram or two, but I wanted a faster fix. The struggles weren't worth the result.
Based on my experience, I wouldn't recommend it. If I could go back in time, I might suggest splurging a bit more on food during the diet days to make the selection more varied, but I'm not sure that would've made a huge difference.
Wishing you all the best!
live_helpFeatured FAQ
What is this fad diet, and how does it work?
This fad diet is a structured meal plan that emphasizes whole foods and portion control. It's designed to deliver quick weight loss results by limiting calorie intake and promoting nutrient-dense eating.
What kind of food can I eat on this diet?
The diet focuses on whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. You'll also need to drink plenty of water and limit your intake of sugary drinks and processed snacks.
How much weight can I expect to lose on this diet?
The diet promises significant weight loss in the first few weeks, but the results may slow down after that. It's essential to set realistic expectations and focus on sustainable lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes.
Is this diet suitable for everyone?
While the diet can be beneficial for many people, it may not be suitable for those with certain health conditions, such as diabetes or kidney disease. It's crucial to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet or exercise program.
Can I do this diet if I'm vegetarian or vegan?
Yes, you can adapt the diet to suit your dietary preferences. Simply replace animal-based protein sources with plant-based alternatives and ensure you're getting enough protein and other essential nutrients.
How long does it take to see results on this diet?
Results may vary, but most people experience significant weight loss within the first two weeks. It's essential to stick to the diet and make sustainable lifestyle changes to maintain the results in the long term.
Can I do this diet while pregnant or breastfeeding?
No, it's not recommended to follow this diet while pregnant or breastfeeding. Consult with your healthcare provider for personalized nutrition advice during this time.
What happens if I miss a meal or cheat on the diet?
While it's okay to indulge occasionally, frequent cheating can hinder progress and make it harder to stick to the diet. Try to stay on track and focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes rather than following a restrictive meal plan.
How do I stay motivated on this diet?
Staying motivated can be tough, but I found that tracking my progress and celebrating small victories helped me stay on track. You can also join online communities or find a diet buddy to support you.
check_circlePros
- •The diet was super easy to follow, with clear instructions and a structured meal plan.
- •I noticed a significant weight loss in the first two weeks, which was a huge motivator.
- •The diet emphasized whole foods and encouraged me to cook at home, which I appreciated.
- •I felt more energetic and focused throughout the day, possibly due to the increased nutrient intake.
- •The community support was great, with online forums and social media groups to connect with others.
- •The diet provided a sense of accountability, with regular check-ins and progress tracking.
cancelCons
- •Some days, I felt really hungry, especially in the morning, which made it hard to stick to the meal plan.
- •I experienced some stomach discomfort, possibly due to the drastic change in my diet.
- •My immune system took a hit, and I caught a cold a few times during the diet.
- •The results were slower than expected, especially after the initial weight loss.
- •I felt really tired and sluggish in the afternoons, possibly due to the lack of caffeine and sugar.
- •The diet was quite restrictive, which made it difficult to maintain in the long term.
