General description
Bill Phillips, owner of a supplement company and magazine publisher, wrote Body for Life: 12 weeks for physical and mental strength in the mid-1990s. Phillips, a longtime bodybuilder who published a bodybuilding magazine and owned a supplement company, wanted to bring a bodybuilding program to the masses.
The Eating Program recommends eating six small meals a day, consisting of a balance of lean protein and “good” carbohydrates throughout the day. This is done to speed up your metabolism by eating throughout the day, and it also curbs your hunger by never running out of food. The exercise portion consists of working out six days a week alternating between high-intensity cardio and weight lifting. The focus of his exercise regimen is high-intensity, Phillips recommends interval training over long-distance running, and high-intensity short repetitions for weight training.
Most controversial about this diet are the dramatic before and after photos of participants who have entered the Phillips Weight Loss Challenge. They show what many believe to be impossible transformations in a supposed 12 week period.
advantage
- Solid Plan: At the end of the day the program recommends a simple philosophy; eat well and exercise. There is no question that working out six days a week and eating a balanced diet of lean, healthy foods will make you leaner and healthier.
Cons
- False expectations: The real pitfall of this diet is the false expectations it might invoke in some of its users. My claim is not that the before and after photos are fake, but rather that the people who took them were likely to have been in good shape at some point in their lives. Muscle memory is a very real thing, and it’s much easier for someone who was once fit to get back into shape than it is for someone who was never fit.
Bottom line
While Phillips has her heart in the right place, she seems to encourage an all-or-nothing mentality to lose weight. Overall though, this is a very solid and sensible approach to weight loss…if a bit regimented.
