The 5 Bite Diet Review: Does It Work for Weight Loss?

Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
Aug 2, 2019
2 min read

Healthline Diet Score: 2.5 out of 5

The 5 Bite Diet is a fad diet that promises impressive weight loss, all while allowing you to eat your favorite foods.

It’s marketed as an alternative to weight loss surgery, and its proponents rave about its easy-to-follow guidelines and quick results.

However, some find certain aspects of this diet worrisome, including the extremely low calorie content, potential lack of nutrients, and high risk of weight regain.

This article reviews the 5 Bite Diet and whether it works for weight loss.

RATING SCORE BREAKDOWN

Overall score: 2.5

Fast weight loss: 4

Long-term weight loss: 1

Easy to follow: 3

Nutrition quality: 2

BOTTOM LINE: The 5 Bite Diet is a very-low-calorie diet that promises quick weight loss without counting calories, restricting food choices, or exercising. Though it may result in short-term weight loss, it has several downsides.

What is the 5 Bite Diet?

The 5 Bite Diet is a very-low-calorie diet promising to help you lose a lot of weight in a very short time, without surgery, special diet foods, counting calories, or exercising.

How to follow the 5 Bite Diet

On the 5 Bite Diet, no foods are off-limits, but you need to severely restrict the number of bites you take per meal or snack. Multivitamin and omega-3 supplements are encouraged to cover any nutritional gaps related to the diet.

Can it help you lose weight?

The 5 Bite Diet is likely to help you lose weight. However, this weight loss may be accompanied by several health risks. Plus, the risk of weight regain once you go off the diet is very high. This diet should only be followed under medical supervision.

Other benefits of the 5 Bite Diet

By helping you lose weight, the 5 Bite Diet may reduce joint pain and lower your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. However, these benefits are likely negated by the high risk of weight regain.

Potential downsides of the 5 Bite Diet

As with all severely calorie-restricted diets, the 5 Bite Diet comes with several downsides.

The 5 Bite Diet makes it difficult to meet your nutrient needs. It may also increase your risk of disordered eating and cause your metabolism to slow, hampering your ability to maintain weight loss over the long term.

Foods to eat and avoid

No foods are off-limits on the 5 Bite Diet. Still, protein-rich foods should be included at each meal. In addition, multivitamin and omega-3 supplements should be taken daily.

Sample menu

Here’s a three-day sample menu tailored to the 5 Bite Diet. Snacks are optional but included in this sample menu.

Day#1

Breakfast: coffee and a multivitamin

Snack: 1 bite of an apple

Lunch: 5 bites of an all-dressed hamburger or veggie burger and an omega-3 supplement

Snack: 1 bite of a snickers bar

Dinner: 3 bites of macaroni and cheese and 2 bites of a chocolate brownie

Day#2

Breakfast: coffee and a multivitamin

Snack: 1 bite of a mango

Lunch: 5 bites of taco stuffed with chicken, peppers, and avocados and an omega-3 supplement