written by ERICA DICK. August 10th, 2020
Let’s just get one thing straight. Almost any weight-loss company that claims not to be a diet is most definitely a diet. Cue, the F-Factor brand. I was hesitant to even write about it since I don’t want to bring attention to it for those who haven’t yet heard of it but now might be tempted to start. However, in my two short years at college, I’ve met too many people who dangerously live their lives by the F-Factor rulebook for me to just turn a blind eye.
So, to start off, it’s important to know what F-Factor even is. Created by registered dietician, Tanya Zukerbrot, F-Factor is an eating plan and “lifestyle” that encourages absorbently high intakes of fiber to help you lose weight. Their products include protein powders, energy bars, and encourage eating a minimum amount of GG crackers each day.
Don’t get me wrong. Fiber is the king of all macronutrients. It can help with bloating, feeling satisfied, and clearing your skin among a whole host of other things. However, the amount of fiber F-Factor requires is not natural nor healthy. Especially when it’s not from whole foods. In fact, it can have the exact opposite effects leaving people feeling uncomfortable with bad indigestion.
They subsequently restrict other foods, like fruits and veggies they deem too high in carbohydrates, yet encourage you to swap in their processed powders and protein bars, seemingly restricting fats and carbs. And, they sell this all with the slogan: “Eat out more, drink alcohol, workout less and lose weight with F-Factor.”
I’m no nutritionist but this screams red flag to me. Swapping out whole foods with chemical-ridden products that haven’t even been cleared by the FDA is a horrible approach to supposedly living a healthier life. Cutting out two entire food groups (carbs and fats) is borderline dangerous as we need these things to fuel our brains and bodies. Plus, requiring people to eat fixed amounts of these little cardboard crackers creates food anxiety and can only promote a horrible relationship to food.
Finally, working out and limiting alcohol consumption is not in any way just about weight loss. Working out lowers stress, blood pressure, and the likelihood of heart disease, type II diabetes, and way more. Heavy alcohol consumption, on the other hand, has the opposite effects. So whatever trained medical professional is telling you they can help you lose weight while undoing healthy lifestyle habits is a major fraud.
While I myself have only tried a product or two here or there, it upsets me to see how this diet highly restricts friends of mine and creates toxic relationships with food. There are plenty of healthy weight loss methods and nutrient-dense protein powders and energy bars on the market. F-Factor, you are not one of them.
Sorry xxx.
whats-the-dish.com 