To read the reviews, you’d think that the Fat Loss for Idiots program was the greatest thing to happen to the dieting world since…well, ever! The truth, in my opinion, falls a bit flat from the claims.

When you sign up for the program, you get access to an online meal generator. This software will plan your “meals” for the next 11 days. You’re able to select your favorite foods from a pre-defined list of foods. They do have vegetarian options, but if you’re vegetarian, you will have to eat a lot of fake meats (I learned this the hard way). You’ll get to eat 4 times a day…but at each of these “meals”, you are only able to eat one food.

The claim is that you will lose weight through a process of “calorie shifting”. In a nutshell, this means eating your calories from one source each time you eat and then changing it the next time. For breakfast, you’d eat primarily protein…lunch is primarily carbs, etc.

After 11 days of eating like this, you’re given 3 “cheat days” where you can eat whatever you want. This is supposed to shock your metabolism which in turn will help you to lose weight.

Despite the fact that the creators criticize low calorie and low carb diets in their marketing, their own diet program is still low calorie and low carb. After all, if you’re only eating one type of food at a time (say, chicken), four times a day…you’re not going to be eating too many calories.

Additionally, you’ll get access to other weight loss tips and mistakes to avoid…but it’s nothing you’ve never heard before.

Fat Loss 4 Idiots may be relatively cheap as far as diet programs go, but it’s unlikely to hold up over the long haul. You may lose weight initially, but can easily gain it back when you begin eating normally. This type of losing and gaining weight is bad for your metabolism and makes it harder and harder to lose weight.

Additionally, it is never a good idea to reward good eating habits with food, which is what you can do on your three “cheat days”. Of course, the diet encourages you to make healthier choices on those days, but people who have been on highly restrictive diets have a tendency to “go crazy” when they finally loosen the reigns.

In short, you’d have to be an idiot to buy the Fat Loss 4 Idiots program.