The Thonon diet is a crash diet that promises a reduction of up to ten kilograms of body weight within 14 days. It is a dietary trend based on a very low-calorie diet, and its name comes from a French spa town where this diet is carried out under medical supervision. It is divided into two phases: the weight loss phase, in which 600-800 calories can be consumed, and the subsequent stabilization phase, in which calorie intake increases to 1200 to 1500 calories.
To address nutrient deficiencies, the first part of this diet should not last longer than two weeks. The Thonon diet program mainly includes low-calorie foods with a high protein content. It is therefore another new ketogenic diet with few carbohydrate-containing foods.
Examples of foods you can eat on the Thonon diet are black coffee, tea, eggs, lean meats (chicken, steak, ham), fish, vegetables, salad, fruits low in fructose, and whole grain products, but these should be consumed in moderation. Sweets, alcohol, fast carbohydrates, and fruits with a high fructose content are prohibited.
An example of a daily diet on this diet:
Breakfast: black coffee and/or tea without sugar
Lunch: two boiled eggs, a small salad
Dinner: lean meat or fish with green vegetables
On the 7th and 14th days of the Thonon diet, one can eat whatever they want for dinner, what we all call a cheat day, but here only for one meal. One might wonder if the Thonon diet is dangerous. A crash diet is usually not harmful to healthy individuals for only two weeks, but it is rarely successful in the long term. The physical and psychological stress during such a radical diet should also not be underestimated.
Our conclusions: Although this diet leads to rapid weight loss, very few people will be able to prevent weight gain after its two-week duration without changing their diet in the long term. For most, a moderate calorie deficit and daily exercise provide a more sustainable weight loss strategy. Also, a weight loss of 0.5 kilograms per week is considered safer for our bodies.