Top 3 Pros & Cons Of Galveston Diet – Does It Work (For Weight Loss)?

What are the pros & cons of Galveston Diet?

Does it really work for weight loss?

And is it the safest option at the moment?

Let's talk about its positive and negative aspects in this article, as well as whether it's worth trying or not.

Note: This article includes references and studies on Galveston Diet.

What Is Galveston Diet?

Let's start this article by talking about the basics of the Galveston Diet.

So to give you an idea, here are a few things you need to know about it [1]:

• it claims to be an anti-inflammatory approach to nutrition
• Dr. Mary Claire Haver founded it (board-certified gynecologist and obstetrician)
• it's designed to help women lose weight and improve their hormonal balance
• this diet focuses on low-carb, high-fat, anti-inflammatory, fiber-rich and antioxidant-rich foods

In addition, this regimen is made for women in midlife and all stages of menopause.

Again – the diet targets body inflammation and hormonal imbalance.

According to its creators, these issues can contribute to weight gain and other problems.

As usual, it's a special diet so it has several benefits (according to its claims):

• alleviates symptoms of menopause
• promotes weight loss
• reduces abdominal fats
• lowers inflammation
• normalizes hormones
• decreases the risks of diabetes
• improves sleep and mental sharpness

As we all know, menopause is not an easy part of a woman's life.

In this stage, there are some significant changes appearing.

Some of them include hot flashes, troubled sleeping, depression, changes in the skin and more [2].

Those are the negative reactions that Dr. Haver's diet aims to reduce (besides weight loss).

However – body inflammation and weight gain due to hormonal imbalance are more serious.

So it's recommended to consult a specialist to find the proper way to address them.

Sure – the founder of this diet is also a doctor.

But remember that health conditions are not the same for al.

How Galveston Diet Works For Weight Loss

Now – Dr. Haver mentioned that physiological factors also affect weight gain [3].

She said that women tend to store more fats and are more prone to hormonal fluctuations.

That especially if they reach the midlife age range (40+ years old).

In order to address that problem – she developed the Galveston Diet.

It's a self-paced online program where you can decide when to start and when to finish [4].

With that, let me quickly give an overview of how the diet works for weight loss.

1. Allowed & Not Allowed Foods

Firstly – let's look at what you can and cannot eat if you follow this diet.

Allowed foods include:

• lean proteins, healthy fats
• low-carb fruits and vegetables
• nuts, seeds
• herbs
• tea and dairy products

Foods not allowed include:

• processed foods
• drinks/foods with added sweeteners
• foods containing additives/preservatives
• alcohol and fried foods
• refined grains/flours and saturated fats

In addition – the foods you need to consume should be whole, fresh and healthy.

Honestly, the Galveston Diet suggests almost the same foods as the Mediterranean Diet and Sirtfood Diet.

To summarize – eat high-fat, low-carb, antioxidant-rich, fiber-rich and anti-inflammatory foods.

The rest of what we consider unhealthy foods should be avoided altogether (which is pretty obvious).

2. Diet's Components

So let's now move on to the three components of the Galveston Diet.

Just so you know, these elements should be applied simultaneously while following the diet:

1. Intermittent Fasting – you need to fast for 16 hours and eat for 8 hours daily (16/8)
2. Anti-inflammatory Approach To Nutrition – consume a lot of foods rich in anti-inflammatory properties (foods and vegetables)
3. Shift in Nutritional Intake To Fuel The Body – calories should come from healthy fats and protein

As you can see – you can only eat foods in the 8 hours window per day.

So during your fasting, it's highly encouraged that you consume only water or coffee/tea with no sugar.

The next component is about focusing your meal intake on specific foods.

Those should be high in anti-inflammatory nutrients and that can regulate hormones.

Again, the Galveston Diet states the major causes of weight gain are hormones and inflammation.

Also, they can also induce the development of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Lastly – the third component reminds you to get calories from lean proteins and healthy fats.

So you need to stay away from carbs as much as possible.

If your body is low on carbs, it will then burn your stored fats to give you fuel to function.

The process is called ketogenesis [5] and it's common in any low-carb diet.

Overall, this diet promotes weight loss via fasting, anti-inflammatory foods and a low-carb approach.

Conclusion

To sum it up, the Galveston Diet is a restrictive diet to support weight loss in women 40+ years old.

It has 3 components that help your body burn fats and fight inflammation.

To be exact, it's by eating anti-inflammatory and low-carb foods (as well as fasting).

Ideally – if do them all at the same time, you will lose weight effectively.

Pros Of The Galveston Diet

We now know how the Galveston Diet works to support weight loss.

With that, let's discuss its major advantages over other types of dietary approaches.

#1 – Noticeable Weight Loss

Obviously – the major pro of the Galveston Diet is weight loss.

Again, it has 3 elements that help you achieve that:

• 16/8 fasting schedule (daily)
• anti-inflammatory and hormone-regulating foods
• low-carbohydrate foods

Again – it promotes foods that can help regulate the hormones (fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats).

To help you understand it better, this regimen encourages you to achieve a normal hormonal balance.

If that happens, you would reduce the chances of hormonal-related weight gain.

Another way is by consuming foods with anti-inflammatory properties.

The reason is to lower the risks of having inflammation.

Overall –  the Galveston Diet helps women who are in the menopausal stages.

They are more prone to inflammation, hormonal imbalance and weight gain [6].

#2 – Specifically Designed

The next advantage of the Galveston Diet is how it specifies the people it can help:

• women around 40 years and above
• those who are in the different stages of menopause
• women in the same age range that find it hard to lose weight

Usually – any dietary regimen is designed for people 18+ years old with the goal to lose excess weight.

But what makes the Galveston Diet different is it aims to alleviate menopause-related issues.

So unlike other types of diet out there, it's more unique and targets specific problems.

But take note that this type of diet shouldn't be followed by people with certain health conditions.

I'm talking about diabetes, metabolic syndrome and internal organ damage.

Due to its strict guidelines, it's better to consult a doctor before giving this diet a try.

#3 – Wide Food Choices

Lastly – the Galveston Diet is like a Keto Diet and the Mediterranean/Sirtfood Diet.

So if you're curious, let me give you the reasons why:

• it emphasizes the consumption of nutrient-dense, whole and fresh foods
• its basis of weight loss is through ketogenesis and fasting

Basically, youonly need to avoid unhealthy foods/beverages.

But the rest of the food groups are allowed (as long as they are fresh and whole).

These include fruits, vegetables, lean meats, dairy products, nuts, seeds, herbs, healthy fats and more.

If you list all the possible meal recipes you can create, you still have ample options to choose from.

However – just make sure that the types of food you eat have a very low carbohydrate content.

Conclusion

Firstly – the Galveston Diet's major pro is that it's specifically designed for a certain group of people.

The next one is that it's not that strict when it comes to food choices (a lot of options).

Lastly – it can effectively help you lose weight.

Cons Of The Galveston Diet

Of course – any variety of diet comes with a set of disadvantages.

Since the Galveston Diet is a special kind of dietary regimen, it has enough drawbacks as well.

With that, I listed below the 3 major cons that you might experience with this diet.

#1 – Nutrient Deficiencies

Usually – nutrient deficiencies in restrictive diets are due to food elimination.

But in the case of the Galveston Diet, it might come from other reasons:

• very low carbohydrate intake
• fasting and improper meal schedule

Firstly – even though the diet has a wide variety of food choices, they might not be enough.

That especially when it comes to providing the essential nutrients for your body.

Again – you need to cut your carbs intake dramatically.

Generally, carbs are essential for the body, since they provide energy [7].

Also, they play an important role in glucose, insulin, cholesterol and triglyceride metabolisms.

Sure – you get energy from burning your excess fats in this regimen.

But it won't make up for the needs of other bodily functions.

Another factor that you should consider is the eating schedule.

If you don't eat at the right times, your body will lack the nutrients it needs during the day.

Again – our bodily functions don't stop, so it's always better to fuel them.

In general, it's always healthy to maintain a balanced diet and eat every 3 to 4 hours [8].

In this way, you keep the optimum digestion of your stomach and regulate blood sugar levels [9].

Overall, potential nutrient deficiencies can be due to low-carb intake and improper eating periods.

#2 – Restrictive Nature

As expected – the Galveston Diet comes with several restrictions.

Well, that's because fasting and very low consumption of carbohydrates are required.

So with that, here are the possible repercussions of following this restrictive diet:

• eating disorders (overeating/binge eating)
• opposite effect and weight gain

Again – the fasting period suggested by the diet is 16 hours.

So when the 8 hours eating window comes, you will most likely feel very hungry.

There's a high chance that you eat more than the suggested portion (without noticing it).

So that's how you might develop a binge eating disorder [10].

In addition to that, weight gain can appear if you overeat foods (even if they are permitted in this diet).

Also – this phenomenon can lead to other related issues, such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa [11].

Based on some studies, restrictive diets are one of the major causes of eating disorders [12].

#3 – Pricey Regimen

Lastly – to get the best of the Galveston Diet, you need to purchase its coaching offers.

So to give you an idea, here are the prices of its plans [13]:

• Original Online Program costs $59
• Online Program Plus Digital Tools costs $99
• Platinum Coaching costs $49.99/month ($24.99 for the 1st month)

The first two plans are similar – except that the second one includes digital materials.

On the other hand, Platinum Coaching has live sessions and other materials to track your progress.

Now – the prices above are quite expensive.

So besides the food cost, you need to also take care of the diet plan fee.

Honestly, it's not that practical, since there are other types of diets that you can follow for free.

So if you want to really address your health issues in your 40s, there are still better options.

One of them is to invest first in proper medical consultation to get the best intervention for you.

Conclusion

Overall – the Galveston Diet has several disadvantages worth noting.

But the major one includes imbalanced nutrition, extreme restrictions and a paid diet program.

Honestly – these are the common ones you get with any version of a special diet.

So I highly encourage you to do your research first and consult a medical expert before trying anything.

Final Conclusion

The Galveston Diet is a weight loss regimen for women (40+ years old).

I'm mostly designed for those who are in the different stages of menopause.

Since it's a special diet, it comes with major pros and cons.

But first – let me list down its advantages:

• Noticeable Weight Loss
• Specifically Designed
• Wide Food Choices

Now – it has 3 components that will help you lose weight.

To keep it short, it's through fasting, very low-carb foods and ketogenesis.

Again – hormonal imbalance and inflammation can possibly cause weight gain.

So eating different types of foods that target those root causes are suggested in this regimen.

Meanwhile – here are the disadvantages of following this diet:

• Nutrient Deficiencies
• Restrictive Nature
• Pricey Regimen

Again – you need to eliminate foods high in carbohydrates.

However, doing this can affect different body functions that require carbs.

So even if you lose some weight, the risks are not worth it.

Also – the Galveston Diet has several restrictions, which are common to any special dietary regimen.

Lastly, this dietary approach is not free – so you also need to consider if it's worth investing in or not.

Overall – it's still safe to have a proper consultation with a healthcare provider first.

References:

1 – https://galvestondiet.com/-the-galveston-diet/

2 – https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/-what-menopause/

3 – https://galvestondiet.com/-book/

4 – https://galvestondiet.com/-frequently-asked-questions/

5 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-books/-NBK493179/

6 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC4493396/

7 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-29083823/

8 – https://nutrition.ucdavis.edu/nutr-health-info-sheets/-intermittent-fasting/

9 – https://www.diabetes.co.uk/-diabetes/-fasting-blood-sugar-levels/

10 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC2850570/

11 – https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders-explained/-disordered-eating-and-dieting/

12 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-12573387/

13 – https://galvestondiet.com/-join-now/-plans/