The mono diet may seem like a quick fix for your weight loss woes, but it might not be as sustainable or practical as it appears.
Times may have changed, but some things remain constant – one of those is managing weight. People in almost every generation have struggled with managing weight. While the intensity may have changed, the woes remain the same. And when people struggle, they are ready to resort to anything and everything that promises to give them what they desire. In this case, it is the ideal body weight.
A type of diet that is currently trending is the mono diet or monotrophic diet, and celebrities swear by it. Who? Well, Victoria Beckham, Anushka Sharma, and Virat Kohli, for starters.
The idea is simple – eat only one type of food per meal or even per day. No complicated meal planning, no calorie counting, and no confusion. But our question is (and we know many of you have the same one) – is it even practical?
If your question resonates, then let’s find out.
Understanding the mono diet
The monotrophic diet, or mono diet, involves eating just one food item for an extended period, with the primary goal of shedding weight.
Dr Karthigai Selvi A, head of clinical nutrition and dietetics, Gleneagles BGS Hospital, Kengeri, Bengaluru, explains, “The mono diet is a diet plan that involves consuming only one food item per meal or per day. It offers some initial appeal due to its simplicity and the potential for short-term weight loss. Some common foods used in monotrophic diets include various fruits, eggs, potatoes, grapefruit, cabbage, milk, bananas, brown rice, chicken breast, and even nuts. In a nutshell, any food or food group can become the focus of a monotropic diet.”
For example, someone might eat only watermelon or apples for all meals, either for a few days or a few weeks.
Dieting for weight loss is a significant challenge (you will agree) and that is where this diet seems to be winning some brownie points. “Mono diet promises to simplify this process of choosing the right kind of food for weight loss by eliminating the need for calculations – no food logging, carbohydrate counting, fat tracking, or calorie counting is required. The diet removes the guesswork about meal preparation, making it easy to follow,” she adds.
The pitfalls of the mono diet
Mono diet is typically best when you need to lose weight in a very short period of time but experts warn that its risks far outweigh its benefits. According to Dr Archana Batra, a Gurgaon-based nutritionist, it is simply not a practical approach to weight management.
- Nutrient deficiencies – No single food provides all the essential macro and micronutrients the body needs. A diet restricted to just one type of food can cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies, leading to fatigue, weakness, and long-term health complications.
Dr Selvi believes that the mono diet has gained popularity, especially with social media’s ability to mainstream pseudoscience. “Many people promote this way of eating, preying on the human tendency to seek shortcuts. But if something sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. There is no substitute for a balanced approach to eating—a diverse and nutritious diet is essential for promoting long-term health and maintaining a healthy weight,” she says.
- Muscle loss and slower metabolism – Relying on a single food group often means missing out on essential proteins, healthy fats, or complex carbohydrates. This can lead to muscle loss, which in turn slows metabolism, making future weight management even harder.
A monotrophic diet causes lean muscle to burn more calories than other types of body mass. If you lose lean muscle mass, your metabolic rate can decline, and you tend to gain weight later, experts suggest.
- Risk of nutrient toxicity – Too much of any one food can be harmful, says Dr Batra. Some examples include:
Tender coconut water – Excessive potassium can cause irregular heartbeat.
Chicken breast-only diet – Lack of fiber and Vitamin C, and too much protein may stress the kidneys.
Banana-only diet – High carbohydrate intake can impact blood sugar levels and pancreatic function.
- Mental health consequences – If you think this is sustainable in the long wrong, you are misleading yourself because a monotrophic diet for an extended period can lead to an eating disorder. Such kind of eating restrictions promotes disordered eating patterns, including food moralising, which is the labelling of foods as “good” or “bad”.
When you feel deprived, it can result in a cycle of binge-eating, guilt, and anxiety.
- The rebound weight gain – “If you’re eating only one food, even if it’s your favourite, you’ll eventually get tired of it. This flavour fatigue may either make you stop eating altogether or push you into overeating. As a result, you may regain any weight you initially lost and could even gain more weight than before,” says Dr Selvi.
Is the mono diet practical?
While it may seem like an easy way to lose weight, experts agree that the mono diet is far from sustainable. According to Dr Batra, a healthier, more realistic approach involves:
- A balanced and varied diet rich in all essential nutrients.
- Regular physical activity to support metabolism and muscle health.
- Mindful eating habits that promote long-term weight management rather than quick fixes.
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