5-Factor Diet

The 5-Factor Diet: Invented by celebrity trainer Pasternak, this diet is highly significant when it comes to the topic of losing weight. The principle of this diet if given in the name itself: everything revolves around the number 5. It is a 5 week diet, in which you eat 5 small meals a day. These should then only consist of a maximum of 5 ingredients from 5 different food groups and should take no more than 5 minutes to prepare. The exercise included in this programme is also based around the number 5: a 5 minute workout should be carried out 5 days a week. The principle behind this is as follows: by distributing the food over 5 small meals that are spread throughout the day, the metabolism is stimulated and the blood sugar level remains constant and does not succumb to any large fluctuations. This also staves off hunger. These meals are divided into three main meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus two snacks – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In total, the calorie quantity of the five meals should amount to 1300 kcal a day. The time of intake is irrelevant. There is only one rule: no food after 7 o’clock. The 5-Factor Diet is therefore a rather strict programme. However, in order to maintain motivation, it offers a “cheat day” once a week, during which you can treat yourself and do not have to exercise.

• The basic version of the 5-Factor Diet provides 120 dishes, but the internet is full of more recipes that follow the criteria of the 5-Factor Diet. The diet can be carried out by healthy people of any age who have the time and motivation to prepare the majority of the meals themselves and carry out the supplementary exercise programme.
• However, for athletes and people who do a lot of exercise, the recommended calorie level of 1300 kcal could be too low. Therefore the 5-Factor Diet is not suitable for this target group.
• For the average person who just wants to lose weight, nothing stands in the way to success with this diet.

• The 5-Factor Diet specifies 5 meals a day made from a maximum of 5 ingredients. The five basic rules of the diet determine which foods are used, a wide range of which are allowed. The diet book provides 120 dishes to choose from, but there are now countless recipes circulating on the internet that follow the basic rules of the 5-Factor Diet.
• Therefore the 5-Factor Diet can be used alongside other special diets like vegetarianism and veganism.
• It specifies a daily calorie intake of up to 1300 kcal. For many people this amount is not optimal for losing weight, however the diet is not customised to individuals.

• There are set times throughout the day, including meal times. After 3pm, no more carbohydrates are allowed and after 7pm, no more food should be consumed at all. This means that you are tied, which limits flexibility.
• For workers, planning and preparing 5 meals a day may be too time consuming.
• In addition to this, a 5 minute workout should be carried out 5 days a week.
• Preparing 5-Factor meals is quite simple. Eating out, on the other hand, could be a little difficult.

• The implementation of the nutrition plan is very possible, it just requires a little time. For some recipes, ingredients could be harder to find and may not be available in smaller supermarkets, e.g. quinoa and udon noodles.
• Cooking for groups or families is no problem.
• Finding time to prepare the 5 meals a day could be difficult.

• From a nutritional point of view, there is nothing wrong with the 5-Factor Diet at first glance. It is based on a healthy and balanced diet.
• The diet is somewhat heavy in carbohydrates, but contains sufficient protein and fat.
• Avoiding carbohydrates after 3pm when a lot of carbohydrates have already been consumed beforehand is questionable with regard to blood sugar management and nutrient timing. This recommendation is based on a nutritional myth and does not comply with the function of nutrients.
• Since the food is catagorised into 5 groups, the dieter is sufficiently supplied with all vitamins and nutrients. However, the prescribed calorie intake could be too low.
• The prescribed calorie intake may be too low.

• The average weight loss for someone on the 5-Factor Diet is 1.5 – 1kg a week. This is a perfectly healthy and acceptable pace. However, whether this is acheived or not depends on the dieter’s requirements, as the diet cannot be customised.
• However, this programme is not suitable to be carried out on a long-term basis. The daily recommended amount of calories of only 1300 kcal is not enough in the long-term and should be slowly increased to a normal level at the end of the 5 weeks. It is important to slowly get your body used to a higher calorie intake again in order to avoid the yo-yo effect.
• There are no health risks when following the 5-Factor Diet. The 5 specified food groups mean that you are sufficiently supplied with nutrients and deficiency symptoms do not occur.
• The cheat day carries the danger of slowing down the diet considerably if the calorie intake is not kept within reasonable limits. Continuing with the cheat day after the 5 weeks is not adivsable.

On the whole, the 5-Factor Diet is a good basis for a healthy, balanced diet and moderate weight loss. You are sufficiently supplied with all necessary nutrients and there are no deficiency symptoms. If the fairly low calorie intake is adjusted individually, the diet can be carried out permanently. Based on this, our overall assessment is as follows:

Nutrition is the key to success when trying to achieve permanent weight loss. A diet plan for losing weight, which helps you acheive and maintain your desired weight, should fit around you and your preferences and should take any allergies into account. Upfit offers the opportunity to fit your diet plan around your individual needs and helps you to lose weight in a healthy way.

Taking into account your desired weight, cooking times and physical activity, you can create your own personalised nutrition plan here in just a few short steps and watch those pounds drop off.