I tried the mono diet, the results changed me

Have you ever found yourself constantly overthinking your food choices, worrying about how to avoid unhealthy choices, and feeling out of control over your eating habits?

If so, you’re not alone. Me too.

I recently embarked on a five-day experiment with the so-called “mono diet” and it completely changed my perspective on food and eating.

A mono diet is when you commit to eating only one food for a long period of time.

The idea is to simplify your diet, focusing on whole and healthy foods, while avoiding processed and spicy options.

You should also drink plenty of water during the diet.

Intrigued by the concept, I decided to try it for five days with a good friend of mine as a diet buddy for extra support.

How my Mono diet journey went

Day one: Corn

My mono diet journey started with corn. More specifically, I can only eat boiled corn all day.

Surprisingly, the first day didn’t go too badly. The simplicity of knowing exactly what I can eat is strangely reassuring.

I don’t feel tired and make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day as recommended.

Day two: Apples

Under normal circumstances, I enjoy eating apples, but I quickly grew to loathe them.

At the beginning of the day, I was tired of eating apples. It makes me feel drained of energy.

I can’t wait to move on to the next dish.

Day three: Eggs

This day was great because I love eggs.

There are a lot of breakfast shops where I live and they sell these soy sauce tea eggs, which are super delicious, although a bit pricey because they have a lot of salt.

I don’t eat them too often and mostly eat boiled eggs throughout the day.

I love eggs and their protein content got me thinking about the benefits for my strength training and workouts.

Day four: Meat

Today it’s really about meat. My diet partner chose shrimp, but I chose chicken breast, which I liked better.

Despite being a good source of protein, chicken gets old quickly and I find myself missing the flavor and texture of fruits and vegetables. Meat alone does not satisfy my taste.

Day five: Boiled vegetables

The last day was a very difficult day. Boiled vegetables are on the menu and I need quite a lot of them to feel full and satisfied. I battle cravings for sugar and carbs all day long.

On the plus side, I liked the steamed broccoli and peas, but overall, I didn’t feel as full as I would have liked.

Results and 4 valuable lessons

My starting weight was 206.7 lbs and after completing the 5-day mono diet, I weighed 200.1 lbs. That’s a total loss of 6.6 lbs.

Interestingly, my fellow dieter achieved similar results, losing the same amount of weight.

While the mono diet is not a sustainable long-term solution, it has provided some valuable lessons and insights for which I am extremely grateful.

1. Reset eating behavior: This diet provided a much-needed reset to my eating habits, which left me feeling out of control. It eliminates the constant overthinking of food choices, such as how I avoid junk food, and allows me to just focus on eating what’s healthy.

2. Be grateful for food diversity: Eating apples all day makes me appreciate the variety of healthy food options available in my regular diet. It reminds me how lucky I am to have so many healthy options and makes me more grateful for it.

3. Discover new favorites: It reminds me of so many healthy and nutritious foods out there. I discovered a new appreciation for eggs on this diet. It encourages me to incorporate more foods that I really love into my daily meals.

4. Change mental attitude: My mindset shifted from constantly worrying about avoiding certain foods, such as sugar, to actively seeking out nutritious options. Now I make healthier choices and make them a priority. I remind myself that I can feel satisfied and energized by eating a healthy, balanced diet.

Additionally, one aspect that contributed significantly to my success in this challenge was having a dieting buddy. We keep each other accountable and share the excitement of the experience.

My friend’s dedication to sticking to his diet even during his trip to big cities like Guangzhou and Shanghai was truly impressive.

In short, my experience with the mono diet has been truly enlightening and transformative.

I wouldn’t recommend it as a long-term solution. But I would highly recommend it as a valuable tool for a healthy reset to help realign your eating priorities and get back on track.

Jordan Biesinger is a health and fitness vlogger on YouTube, where he tracks his weight loss journey.

All opinions expressed are the author’s own.

Do you have a unique experience or personal story to share? Email the My Turn team at myturn@newsweek.com.