Rush Limbaugh’s Diet Review By Dr Husbands

After Rush Limbaugh revealed his weight loss diet last week, someone asked me to review the diet to determine why it works, whether it is healthy, and why it works without exercise. 

I heard that this diet was negatively criticized on The View and some articles.  When I Googled “Rush Limbaugh’s Diet”, the first result page had mostly negative criticisms.  Here are some examples:

From Associated Content, August 3, 2009, Robert Dougherty wrote:

These new stories about Rush Limbaugh’s diet seem like something that would be aired on a diet infomercial, where people lose so much weight in just a few weeks. However, there is usually a catch to all that. Dramatic and sudden weight loss like this isn’t always healthy, and if Limbaugh continues this diet, there could be problems later on.

From ABC News, August 3, 2009, Yunji De Nies and Linda Owens wrote:

But some doctors warn that diets that promote dramatic weight loss like this — can be dangerous and are often very difficult to sustain.

“This diet is really no different than any other quick weight loss diets,” said Dr. Marie Savard, “Good Morning America” medical contributor. “To lose that much weight — he talked about losing as much as a pound a day which is not safe — you need to severely cut your calories. [That] starvation mode, has potentially dangerous health effects including losing fat and lean muscle mass.”

From NY Daily News, August 6, 2009, Rosemary Black wrote: 

Quick-fix diets often don’t work over the long haul, experts say. When dieters lose weight that quickly, the pounds tend to pile back on once they stop the starvation regimen.

Before I give you my review, I need to give you one caveat: This review is based on information posted on the Quick Weight Loss Centers website.  A comprehensive review of the diet is not doable at this time, because I did not have access to some of the information, such as the information on supplements.

Upon review of information available online, I determined that this is a healthy weight loss diet.  It works because it applies sound principles of physiology and nutrition.  These are the same principles I teach to my patients.  This diet follows the best practices of a healthy diet, including:

• eat small frequent means throughout the day
• never go hungry
• always have breakfast and have it with significant protein
• have protein with every meal and snack
• have plenty of vegetables
• have only moderate amounts of starchy carbs per meal
• drink plenty of water
• change your eating habits to incorporate all of the above so it becomes second nature

As an former competitive bodybuilder, former exercise trainer and a doctor that has the training and experience in weight loss, fitness and athletic performance improvement, I have a lifetime experience in transforming the human body.  I consider exercise a valuable component in a healthy weight loss program.  However, I know and understand why this diet works without exercise.  The reason is this diet, when followed consistently, will burn fat and maintain muscle.

Since the diet is based on healthy and safe principles, I doubt that “there could be problems later on”.  Unless there are long term harmful effects from any of the supplements, I don’t see why there could be problems later on just because the results are “dramatic and sudden”.

The ABC News and NY Daily News both referred to starvation.  It appears that they are saying starvation because of the reduced calorie intake.  Because the diet involves frequent meals, the body won’t go on self-preservation mode of storing up fat as in the case of a starvation regimen.

In summary, this diet appears to be one of the healthy weight loss options out there.

Dr Husbands is a Chiropractor, a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, an Anti-Aging Healthcare Practitioner and a Functional Medicine Doctor. For more information, visit http://www.holistichealthbayarea.com.

Copyright © 2009; Douglas Husbands, DC, CCN, ABAAHP. All rights reserved.