It is express, and it is less than we can say: it promises to lose a size in less than a week thanks to a strict and ultra light diet. What is the principle? What foods are allowed and prohibited? What are its dangers? We take stock with Nathalie Negro, dietician-nutritionist and head of the nutritional center of the thermal center of Brides-les-Bains.

This is the express diet to see your pounds fly away. In 4 days maximum, the Natman diet allows a weight loss of 4 kg, or 1 kg less per day! A particularly limited period which would correspond to the stopover time of the air hostesses who would take advantage of their time spent on dry land to relieve themselves of the extras done in flight. Hence the second name of this diet: “the flight attendant diet”. His secret? It is low calorie and high protein.

Many restrictions but for a short time
The breakfast menu is common to the 4 days: coffee or tea without sugar and half a grapefruit. For lunch and dinner, only meat, white fish, seafood, 0% dairy products, eggs, tofu and vegetables (unlimited) are allowed. All other foods are prohibited: starches (rice, pasta, bread, etc.), legumes (lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc.), pastries and other cakes, other dairy products only at 0% fat (yogurts, cottage cheeses, cheese, etc.) as well as lipids (butter, oil, margarine, etc.). Salt should also be removed in order to release some of the water present in the tissues. If you find your dish bland, only spices are tolerated. Finally, it is recommended to drink well throughout the duration of the diet to eliminate waste and toxins.

“After these 4 days, there is a one-week stabilization phase during which you can gradually reintroduce starchy foods, fats and non-skimmed dairy products but in small quantities, so as to reach a calorie intake of between 1200 and 1500 Kcal for women and 1500 Kcal and 1800 Kcal for men”, specifies Nathalie Negro. The snack is again authorized, but must only include a hot drink and a dairy product with 0% fat.

The advantages of the Natman diet
First of all, its effectiveness: 4 Kg over 4 days, it’s not nothing! This can be handy if you have an event coming up where you want to shed a few pounds or don’t have the patience to wait a few weeks to see the effects of your diet.

Thanks to its richness in proteins, provided by dairy products, meat and fish, and in fibres, from vegetables, this diet provides good satiety. Meals stall well and avoid cravings for snacking during a good part of the day.

The cost of following this diet is quite moderate since few foods are listed on the menus.

The disadvantages of the Natman diet
“First of all, in such a short time, weight loss is mainly made up of water because the body draws primarily on its carbohydrate reserves, and their use requires a large amount of water. Weight loss is therefore a lure that is unlikely to be sustainable,” says our expert.

Because it excludes many foods, this low-calorie diet cannot meet our vitamin and mineral needs and those that are allowed do not provide the many nutrients that are essential for our daily lives. It can cause fatigue, especially in particularly active people as well as fragile people, such as pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescents and the elderly.

If you suffer from certain pathologies (cardiovascular problems, diabetes…), take the advice of your doctor before starting this diet. “Four days should also be the maximum. Because if within such a period, the risk of deficiencies is almost zero, beyond that, the food restriction is such that it can cause deficits in minerals, vitamins, fibers, carbohydrates and lipids”, specifies Nathalie Negro.

The risk of weight regain is also very high: inherent in 80% of people who have followed an overly restrictive diet, according to ANSES1, the Haute Autorité de Santé recommends losing no more than 1 to 2 kilos per month2.

Because it is particularly severe and the notion of pleasure is not present, it can lead to frustration and the risk of cracking.

Finally, no substitution is possible on the menus: this is likely to complicate vegetarians and vegans.

Sample one-day menu

Morning: coffee or tea without sugar + half a grapefruit

Lunch: 2 boiled eggs + a portion of green beans + a glass of tomato juice

Dinner: Grilled steak (150 g) + a salad of lettuce without fat + a glass of pineapple juice without sugar.