Smart for Life (The Cookie Diet)

Tacky weight loss commercials are my favorite… and this one is particularly great, “Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?” followed by a newly slim and extra-happy cookie-eater exclaiming, “I stole a cookie from the cookie jar… and lost 115 pounds!” Love it; so kitschy.

I’m sure you already know that I am extremely skeptical of diets. I struggled for many years with my own nutrition and eating. I tried most of the popular diets but saw no results. In fact, every year I gained another ten or so pounds. Defeated and frustrated, I finally raised the white flag to all the gadgets, programs, products and promises that had never followed through for me.

It was this surrender that helped me to look differently at my food. My nutrition transformation was then ignited through yoga, holding a commitment to practice self-acceptance and positive self-talk and reading some amazing books like Serving Fire by Anne Scott and Diet For a New America by John Robbins. I began to learn that food was not my enemy, it is not “good” or “bad.” Realizations like these transformed my mind and body in less than one year– I was suddenly down 40 pounds and actually enjoyed the journey.

Sorry, a bit of a tangent, but I think this is what’s missing in much of our nutrition today. We get so caught up in labeling our foods (good and bad) and then attaching emotional consequences to them (guilt, pride, defeat, failure, success). What a stressful way to spend such a large chunk of our lives.

OK, back to the blasted cookies. I was impressed when reading about the mission of the Smart for Life company and checking out the nutrition facts of the cookies. The company writes on their website:

Smart For Life™ recognizes that food should be free of chemicals such as pesticides and preservatives, and produces its food with triple-filtered water and pesticide-free Organic food ingredients.

Awesome! Off to a good start…

Smart for Life™ Cookie Diet is a comprehensive weight management approach to health and wellness which utilizes natural, hunger-controlling diet foods to deliver visible results.

The site continues, “The Smart Cookie square features a blend of proprietary protein, fiber and amino acids which are naturally filling and hunger-supressing.” There may be some validity to this. There has been some research to suggest that particular amino acids may reduce hunger and overall caloric intake. But, these amino acids are found in many foods like nuts, grains, meat and others. And the secret is already out that fiber helps to keep us full (find fiber in foods like veggies, fruits and grains).

Smart for Life describes how the cookie diet works:

Once you receive your Smart Cookies and other Smart Foods, read the printed materials and then start the program the next day. Within 1 hour of waking up, eat your first Smart Cookie along with a glass of water. Then every 2-3 hours, when you feel hungry, eat another Smart Cookie. You should eat 6 Smart Cookies throughout the day and then a healthy, low fat dinner of chicken or fish with 5 cups of vegetables as outlined in your Program Guide included in your order.

OMG. Five cups of vegetables with some chicken for dinner?!? So, let me get this straight… I eat six cookies (some places on the website say seven) and then a mountain of vegetables?

Smart for Life describes the program further:

While on our weight loss program, you will consume about 800 – 1200 calories…. Since a person’s average caloric need is around 2500 calories, your body will be burning up to 1700 calories per day from fat you have already stored.

OK the cookie fun stops here. This is NOT enough calories. When caloric intake drops too low, metabolism will slow down as the body tries to conserve energy. Most individuals should not drop below 1200 calories if they don’t want to see a steep drop in metabolism (metabolism will drop during weight loss, but too little calories will increase this drop). I’ve seen this scenario way too many times. Clients come to me because they’ve hit a dead end in their weight loss. They feel frustrated, tired, moody, cognitively foggy and unmotivated to workout. I’ll simply have them bring up their caloric intake through wholesome foods and the problem is solved.

I was actually dismayed to read how irresponsibly low the calories are for this program. The company’s philosophy of organics and saving mother earth sold me initially. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t hold true to their mission. Yes, there are natural and organic ingredients in the products, but (contrary to their earlier statement that “food should be free of chemicals”) Smart for Life has put some really UNsmart ingredients in their foods:

The Zilch Coffee Creamers contain artificial flavorings and food coloring (doesn’t say which color additives are used). Some of the chemicals that fall into these categories are associated with cancers, behavioral problems (i.e. hyperactivity in sensitive children), allergies… the list goes on.

The salad dressings include Acesulfame-K. This is an artificial sweetener that might cause cancer and/or thyroid problems.

Though Smart for Life uses much better ingredients than other diet foods, the use of artificial ingredients amidst their philosophy makes the company look deceptive.

To sum it all up, I’m not a fan of this program. The calories are too low and the company doesn’t walk their own talk. The program costs about $10 per day. That means you are spending $10 per day on cookies. I would save those $10 and purchase some organic vegetables, fruits, grains, etc.

If you really want a cookie, go to a local bakery that makes a divine, homemade cookie from natural and organic ingredients. Enjoy one (not seven) and continue eating healthy the rest of the day. That would be a much better cookie diet (I would get a cookie from my local co-op or the Birchwood cafe).

If you’ve tried the Cookie Diet, please share your experiences by commenting below.