Peter M. Millerdesigned the Hilton Head metabolism diet.
He was born on October 5, 1942. He went to the University of Maryland to receive his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1964.
He received his master’s and doctoral degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina in 1966 and 1968 respectively.
At present, he is the educational supervisor of the Alcohol Research Center and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and in the College of Graduate Studies at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Miller’s writings are based on different themes and fields including consumption of saturated fat, uncontrolled eating, weight loss programs, alcoholism, and addictive behaviors.
The Hilton Head metabolism diet increases the metabolic rate of the dieter, thereby helping them to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight in the future.
It helps the dieter to incorporate healthy lifestyle habits and regular workouts in their daily routine.
How was Hilton Head Diet developed?
Peter M. Miller founded the Hilton Head Health Institute in 1979 on the Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Hilton Head Health Institute is a center for weight loss where the dieters can go to lose weight and learn healthy lifestyle habits.
Miller gathered information while helping the dieter in Hilton Head Health Institute and then formulated the Hilton Head metabolism diet.
The Hilton Head metabolism diet was first published in the year 1983. The updated version is known as“The New Hilton Head Metabolism Diet” was published in 1996.
He has published several books including “The Hilton Head Over-35 Diet” and “The Hilton Head Diet for Children and Teenagers.”
Hilton Head Diet for Weight Loss?
The Hilton Head metabolism diet intends to raise the metabolic rate that helps the dieter to lose weight.
According to Miller, metabolic processes (such as digestion, maintenance of body temperature, protein production, break down of products and genesis of new cells) helps to burn 70% of the calories during the day, and the physical activities help to burn the rest 30% of the calories.
Since a large proportion of calories is being spent on metabolic activities, therefore, Miller concluded that increased metabolism helps in effective and healthy weight loss that couldn’t be achieved through exercises alone.
The energy required for these metabolic processes is acquired through the consumption of food.
The elevated metabolic rates increase the calorie expenditure, and if in case, sufficient food is not consumed then the energy requirements are compensated through the burning of fat stocks that in turn leads to rapid weight loss.
What is the diet plan of Hilton Head Diet?
Hilton Head metabolism diet is a 6-week weight loss program followed by a 2-week maintenance phase.
The dieter can follow the Hilton Head metabolism diet plan as many times as required until the target weight is achieved.
Hilton Head metabolism diet focusses on eating frequent meals ( i.e. 5 small meals in a day) in conjunction with regular exercises that helps to increase the metabolic rate of the dieter which will help the dieter to lose weight.
Miller recommends the dieters, especially the obese individuals, to lose 10% of their body weight initially as this may help them to obtain maximum health benefits from the Hilton Head metabolism diet.
The Hilton Head metabolism diet comes with meal plans and recipes that limit the calorie consumption by the dieter to 1000 calories per day throughout the weight loss phase.
The dieter is allowed to have a little extravagance on weekends, and the level of calories consumed is raised by 200-250 more calories on the weekends.
The level of calorie intake may vary depending upon the needs of an individual.
The dieter is advised to take a 20-minutes stroll, two times in a day.
A set of exercises, three times in a week should be performed by the dieter to increase strength and endurance.
The dieter is also advised to consume multivitamin and calcium supplements during the Hilton Head metabolism diet.
Miller offers intellectual help to the dieters who are timid about their weight by instructing them that being overweight is not their weakness and they should never let anyone humiliate them.
He believes that obese individuals have a slow metabolism which should not be confused with abnormal metabolism.
Therefore, it is recommended that overweight people should change their metabolism for rapid weight loss and opt for healthy lifestyle habits to maintain a healthy weight in the future.
What are the benefits of the Hilton Head Diet?
The Hilton Head metabolism diet helps the dieter to lose weight, stay fit and active. Weight loss helps to prevent obesity and hence decreases the likelihood of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension amongst the dieter who follows the Hilton Head metabolism diet, especially in overweight individuals.
The Hilton Head metabolism diet focusses on weight loss at a moderate pace that is considered healthy, and it is not gained back easily after the diet is over.
Regular workout session also reduces the possibility of cardiovascular diseases.
The Hilton Head metabolism diet plan offers many recipes, and the dieter is allowed to select food items such as fruits and vegetables of their own choice.
This helps the dieter to feel that they are in control of their diet and therefore, it becomes easier for the dieter to stick to the Hilton Head metabolism diet as compared to other diet plans.
The Hilton Head metabolism diet allows the dieter to savor the food and simultaneously controls the calorie intake.
Moreover, the dieter is not restricted to consume a particular type of food, but instead, he/she can switch to other food items of their choice mentioned in the Hilton Head metabolism diet plan.
The consumption of extra calories on weekends compensates for the extra work done on the weekends.
This weekend treat also motivates the dieter to stick to the Hilton Head metabolism diet plan.
Is Hilton Head Diet safe?
TheHilton Head metabolism diet is a restrictive diet plan that includes specific food items, and hence it becomes difficult for the dieter to get an appropriate quantity of essential nutrients while eating particular food items.
The consumption of multivitamin and calcium supplements, even if they are natural, may turn out to be more injurious than beneficial.
Therefore, it is recommended that one should always ask a doctor whether to consume these supplements or not to make sure that the intake of these multivitamin and calcium supplements is safe and will have no side-effects in future.
Precautions associated with Hilton Head Diet
It is recommended that the dieter should seek advice from a doctor before starting the Hilton Head metabolism diet as the daily requirement of calories and nutrients may vary from person to person based on their age, weight, sex, daily physical activities, and health profile.
Moreover, medical professionals can motivate the dieter to stay positive by ensuring that he/she will stay healthy while following the Hilton Head metabolism diet plan.
Pregnant or nursing women should pay special attention while following the Hilton Head metabolism diet plan.
She should consult a medical professional before starting this diet to ensure that it meets the daily requirement of nutrients as a lack of nutrients in the mother’s diet can disturb the health of the baby.
Conclusion
A couple of evidence prove the effectiveness of Hilton Head metabolism diet to promote long term and healthy weight loss.
According to a study conducted at the University of South Carolina, it was observed that Hilton Head metabolism diet helped 70% of the dieter to lose weight and then motivates him/her to maintain a healthy weight even after the diet is over.
These dieters didn’t follow the Hilton Head metabolism diet as described in Miller’s book, but they had attended the Hilton Head Health Institute, and the basic idea of Hilton Head metabolism diet is somewhat similar to that followed by the dieter during this weight loss program.
The contribution of metabolism in weight management is not clear.
An individual with high metabolic rate will burn more calories during the day, and hence, the dieter will be able to consume more calories during the day without gaining weight as compared to the individuals with the low metabolic rate.
However, the connection between metabolism and obesity is not completely understood. According to some studies, a relatively lower metabolic rate is correlated with obesity.
Several research studies prove that exercise and diet are the most effective option for weight loss when done together.