People who are trying to lose fat are eager to try any weight loss plan they can find online or hear about from others, such as the ice cream diet.
Some of my clients heard about this fad diet and asked me if there is any truth to losing weight by eating ice cream every day.
To answer their question, I reviewed some literature and met with a dietitian to uncover the scientific basis for the ice cream diet.
I felt obligated to share what I gathered with my readers, so I encourage you to read the full article.
Quick Summary
- The ice cream diet is a weight loss plan that focuses on consuming ice cream as part of a low-calorie diet.
- Eating ice cream daily is linked to brain stimulation, improved bone strength, and increased energy levels.
- The ice cream diet helps limit your calorie consumption per day.
What Exactly Is an "Ice Cream Diet Plan"?
An ice cream diet plan is a weight loss method first described in a book by Holly McCord in 2002, which mainly focuses on consuming ice cream as part of a low-calorie diet.
On the fad diet, dieters are recommended to consume 1,500 calories per day, including one cup of ice cream for women and one and a half cups for men [1].
Furthermore, the original ice cream diet suggests that including the creamy treat in your daily routine can help you lose weight if you follow a balanced diet and an active regimen.
How Does the Ice Cream Diet Help You Lose Weight?
The ice cream diet can help you lose weight by following specific healthy eating suggestions that will enable you to limit your calorie consumption and stay on track, according to the book.
Eating A Low-Fat Diet
The ice cream diet recommends eating a low-fat diet with one scoop every day to help you reduce weight.
According to research, eating low-fat foods introduces fewer calories per gram than consuming other nutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins [2].
Therefore, eating more lean meat and just the right amount of ice cream per day may enable you to cut calories while still enjoying a tasty dessert.
Eating A High-Fiber Diet
Dieters are also advised to eat a fiber-rich diet, as well as one serving of ice cream per day, in order to lose fat.
Research suggests that fiber-rich foods may help regulate cholesterol and sugar levels in the blood and improve satiety, allowing you to eat less food throughout the day [3].
Thus, taking whole grains, root crops, and seeds for weight loss with a small serving of ice cream per day can help you reduce calories while also satisfying your taste buds.
Eating More Vegetables And Fruits
Our recommendation is to eat more fruits and vegetables to lose fat while on the fad diet.
Research showed that eating low-glycemic nutritious foods can help you pack on vitamins and minerals without loading you up with extra sugar and more calories [4].
Thus, eating a serving of ice cream every day, along with more fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, oranges, avocados, and leafy greens, may help you lose extra weight.
Are There Health Benefits to Eating It Every Day?
There might be some health benefits to eating ice cream every day, such as increased energy, bone strength, and brain stimulation.
Ice creams are made from milk, which is high in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D and calcium, which have been found to not only help with weight loss but also boost immunity [5].
"We found that calcium signals play a vital role in keeping the immune system finely balanced, ramping responses up and down at the appropriate time."
- Stefan Feske, MD
However, you should always try and opt for organic ice creams, which are low on sugar, possibly containing just a few natural ingredients, without additives and artificial sweeteners.
If you want to incorporate this into your diet regimen, you can always make healthy ice cream at home without any specialized equipment. That way, you have full control over ingredients and their amounts.
Losing weight and improving health can be achieved with a well-balanced diet, an active lifestyle, and practicing portion control when eating ice cream.
Does It Have Negative Effects on Health?
Daily ice cream intake can have negative effects on health, especially if you don't control your consumption, as it usually contains quite a bit of sugar and fat.
Jack Grabon, holistic nutritionist and health coach at Stellar Nourishment, says this is a prime example of a calorie-restrictive diet that is not generally sustainable as ice cream tends to be high in unhealthy fats and sugar.
If you continue adding more sugar and unhealthy fat to your eating plan on a daily basis, you may develop lifelong diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Furthermore, researchers have found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods, such as ice cream, can increase the risk of many illnesses, including cancer [6].
FAQs
Can You Lose Weight Eating Only Ice Cream?
You can lose weight by eating only ice cream if you restrict the amount, but you will most likely become unhealthy and ill.
An ice cream-only diet would provide excessive amounts of saturated fat and sugar, increasing the risk of chronic diseases and poor health conditions [7].
How Much Weight Can You Lose With Ice Cream?
With the Ice Cream Diet, you can lose one to two pounds per week. Research shows that adults need between 2000 and 2500 calories a day.
Eating 1500 calories per day while on the fad diet can give you a daily calorie deficit of 500 to 1000, allowing you to lose that much weight for some time [8].
Can Ice Cream Diet Promote Weight Loss?
An ice cream diet can promote weight loss if you strictly adhere to taking 1500 calories per day of nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods.
Eating desserts like ice cream has little to do with slimming, but it can motivate people to stick to a diet.
Nonetheless, I usually recommend my clients take natural fat loss pills to accelerate weight loss.
Our testing data showed that these products were effective at burning fat and preventing weight gain while still allowing us to indulge in frozen desserts on occasion to avoid feeling deprived.
References:
- https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=125912&page=1
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553097/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559033/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4578962/
- https://nyulangone.org/news/calcium-signals-balance-bodys-response-infection-against-potential-self-attack
- https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-020-00604-1
- https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/could-i-survive-just-on-different-flavours-of-ice-cream/
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/calorie-deficit
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