Pound-Melting Miracle or Just Another Fad Diet?

While some people swear by their fat-zapping powers, I've never been bit by the fad-diet bug. To me, there's nothing less appetizing than cabbage soup or more boring than Subway subs. I don't like red meat, so Adkins was never an option. Math's not my strong suit, so I never got my head around The Zone's percentages. I tried South Beach awhile back with my mom, and while I did drop some lb's during Phase 1, the food options just weren't practical for my busy (then) high-school life. So when a new fad diet--the Alternate-day diet--started making headlines, I thought I'd at least take a look (while preparing for disappointment).

Created by New Orleans plastic surgeon James B. Johnson, the diet's mantra is "no restriction necessary" and the concept is simple--every other day, eat as you please. Yes, absolutely however you want. Craving pizza? Go for it. Sweeting on ice cream? Add an extra scoop. The catch? (Because obviously there has to be one.) Those other days you've got to cut your cals--big time.

Johnson got the idea from animal studies that have shown weight and health benefits from fasting every other day. As an overweight and mindless eater himself, Johnson tested the animal-based theories and saw dramatic results (35 pounds in 3 months!). Instead of fasting like the test mice and primates did, Johnson stuck to a calorie-restricted diet (approximately 20 to 30 percent of his daily caloric intake) of low-cal foods like yogurt, fruit and salads. The best result for him? The one-day-at-a-time mentality was doable and he never felt deprived.

I'm all for anything that lets me enjoy the "forbidden foods" that have been exiled by other diets, but something about this on-off approach has me thinking twice. On the one hand, I'd be a perfect candidate. I can't seem to say goodbye for good to taboo foods, I have great short-term discipline, and I'm an eater who laments every time I "mess up" on my diet (causing a downward, devastating blow to my progress). On the other hand, I see red flags all over this diet plan. My be-healthy intuition leans toward making balanced and nutritious choices everyday, while giving yourself room to enjoy the things you crave in moderation. This diet certainly doesn't teach a healthy mentality; instead it teaches that you can eat absolutely anything--just as long as you don't eat the next day. When I dug around Johnson's website, I found a calorie calculator to breakdown the "up" and "down" days based on my info. While I tend to nibble into the 1,200-1,600 daily calorie range, I could eat my way up to 1,900 calories if I wanted to on the "up" days. But on the "down" days, I'd be looking at a 350-calorie allowance. I really don't see how that could get me through 24 hours.

My verdict's still out on this one while I read into what other people have to say. What do you think? Is this a legit, get-slim-quick plan or just another fad diet gone wrong?