Can the viral 5/25/25 diet formula really aid weight loss?

There’s never been a dearth of fitness and diet trends. There is the 5:2 eating method, also known as the ‘fast, stop fast, stop’ method; the 3/2/8 exercise method, which required one to do strength training for three days of the week, Pilates or yoga and stretching for two days, and clock in 8,000 steps every day. Another workout trend was the 12/3/30 workout, which advised you to walk for 30 minutes every day on a treadmill that was set to an incline of 12 and 3mph speed. Joining these numbered plans is the 5/25/25 diet plan that has gone viral in the past few months. 

Also read: Understanding metabolic syndrome, a condition affecting 1 in 3 Indians

The plan is the brainchild of US-based online fitness coach Julie Capoziello. “Harder time with your weight loss than me trying to open up any can. Try the 5/25/25 METHOD!!!” Capoziello posted on her Instagram handle, @juliexfit, in April to her 290,000-plus followers setting off a trend that’s got weight watchers curious. 

What is the 5/25/25/ method, you ask? It encourages you to eat five small meals throughout the day by incorporating 25 grams of protein in each meal and a total of 25 grams of fibre per day. Explaining the rationale behind the formula, Capoziello wrote that proteins were “the building block of muscle, had the highest thermic effect on food and helped us feel satiated through the day”. 

Calling fibre one of her favourite food groups, she explained that having 25gm of fibre every day aided digestion, reduced bloating and kept one feeling full. Having five meals a day, she wrote, was a great option for people who were snackers as it helped prevent overeating and maintain blood sugar and good energy throughout the day.

The thermic effect of food, according to Mumbai-based nutritionist Maithili Pashtekar, is the amount of energy your body takes to digest and metabolise the food you eat. “The more energy your body expends to metabolise the food, the more it adds to your calorie expenditure, creating a calorie deficit in the process,” explains Pashtekar. 

Eating 25 grams of protein in each meal for five meals a day racks up to 125 grams of protein a day. “Having as much as 125 grams of protein daily is feasible only for someone who has a high metabolic rate. When you keep a check on consuming 25g protein and 25g fibre, it is easier to bring down the calories than burn them,” says Pune-based dietician Prithmesh Mago. 

Mago feels that men would benefit more from the diet as they have a higher rate of metabolism compared to women. It would also be more effective on obese people, he says. “Compared to other fad diets, the 5/25/25 method is a great approach for an overweight person to follow a healthier eating pattern but I won’t say that it is a foolproof method for weight loss. It is always advisable to understand the pros and cons and how a fad/trend will affect one’s body long term before trying something new out,” he says. 

Simran Takawane, 26, a Pune-based media professional hasn’t heard of the method but says that she follows a similar diet. “I typically have five meals a day, each mainly consisting of protein and fibre along with small portions of carbs and healthy fats. Following this diet has helped me with my digestion, has reduced bloating, controls my appetite, and has significantly improved my metabolism, which is evident in my appearance,” says Takawane who eats her meals within an eight-hour window.

Capoziello, in her post, listed out a rough eating plan for a day. This includes proteins like eggs, turkey bacon, steak salad, nut butter, chicken, protein shakes and beans. She also encourages eating a lot of vegetables, which are both a great source of fibre and complex carbohydrates that are easy to digest. The method doesn’t seem restrictive as she has also included foods like banana, toast and roasted potatoes. Of course, Capoziello’s post also contains a disclaimer: “Remember everyone’s dietary needs look a little different so pls use this as a guide/starting point not as the perfect meal plan for you!” 

According to Mago, the quality of proteins one eats while following the diet matters. “Meat tends to be a better, complete quality of protein but when it comes to food habits, a lot of Indians are vegetarians. So, vegetarians would need to look for better sources of protein for this diet to be effective,” he says. Some options of good quality vegetarian proteins are soy, tempeh, legumes, leafy greens and whey protein. As for the intake of 25gm of fibre, the nutritionist believes that 30gm of fibre a day is the optimum amount but, in reality, most individuals end up having not more than 17-18 grams of fibre a day. 

Bengaluru-based fitness and wellness coach Atlee Afroz believes that “theoretically the 5/25/25 method, could be a great way” to lose weight as the high protein and high fibre diet mimics a keto diet. “The body will adapt to weight loss over a period of time but that will be subjective to each individual,” he says.

Commenting on the protein dosage, Afroz notes that consuming 125 grams of protein a day could be good for achieving certain fitness goals. “However, for a layperson who is working out to just remain fit, it would be better to portion out the protein based on age, weight, height and individual requirement,” he suggests. 

Sumitra Nair is a journalist based in Kochi, Kerala. 

Also read: What is the 12-3-30 workout and should you do it?