The Pocket Diet

The Pocket Diet, created by George Kashou and registered dietician Caitlyn Lorenze, focuses on teaching dieters portion control.

The Premise

George Kashou, founder of the Kangaroo Brands bread company, teamed up with dietitian Caitlyn Lorenze to create this unique portion control diet that is based on the idea of recommending individuals learn portion control by eating only pita pockets. This is based on the belief that only so much food, and therefore calories, can fit into a pita pocket at a time. This forces an individual to limit the number of calories she eats per day and should lead to weight loss.
The Community Memorial Hospital in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, researched this diet with 38 volunteers. All volunteers lost weight, with the average being eight pounds lost over the course of six weeks.

The Diet

The Pocket Diet recommends that individuals eat four to five pita pockets per day. Pita pockets are to be filled with healthy ingredients. Healthy suggestions for stuffing the pita include fruits, legumes, vegetables, grains, lean meats and fish. Dieters are advised to avoid high-calorie condiments or sauces and are advised to add only low-calorie condiments to their pita, such as light mayonnaise, mustard and light sour cream.
In addition to the pitas, dieters are allowed to have snacks between meals. Recommended snack foods include cottage cheese, yogurt, nuts, raw vegetables and fresh fruit. Kashour and Lorenze recommend that dieters always eat breakfast, which will be in a pita, because this will reduce the risk of overeating and cravings later in the day.

Things to Consider

No foods are off limits on the Pocket Diet. The only rule is that the food must be able to fit inside the pita pocket. This proven method will help individuals learn portion control.
Compared to numerous other diets on the market, this diet offers a balanced approach to dieting and includes all food groups. The diet is great for individuals who live a busy lifestyle and have limited time to prep meals. Many of the pitas are portable and can be prepared ahead of time.
Eating four to five pita pockets a day may get boring for some dieters very quickly. While there is a variance in what can go into the pita, it may be difficult for many individuals to remain on this diet for the advised six weeks.