May 2, 2024

I had not heard of this until today but a few years ago there was a diet created by General Motors called the GM Diet to get or at least keep the employees in shape (to bad it didn’t help the bottom line) and this diet was really popular even outside of General Motors.

The GM Diet is one of those older diets that seems to be based on heresay and fads more than anything and you can see this in the strange ideas about drinking certain alcohols and the idea of eating until you are “stuffed” can not be at all good over the long term. Also funny is an all meat day as opposed to the fat loss 4 idiots all fruit day.

The GM Diet was originally created by GM and only for the employees and families. Somehow GM (biggest company in the world at the time) got a grant from the FDA and the Department of Agriculture to create this. Johns Hopkins was involved and the diet was approved and launched in 1985.

This GM Diet program is designed for a target weight loss of 10-17 lbs per week. It will also improve your attitudes and emotions because of its cleansing systematic effects.

This can also be used over and over again although I am not to sure about the food balance as it seems to be extreme in a few ways. The GM Diet is designed to flush your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well being. The plan is designed to lose you 10 pounds or so in a week. Has anyone tried and found this?

GM Diet Plan

During the first seven days you must abstain from all alcohol. You must drink 10 glasses of water each day on the GM Diet

Day One All fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe. If you limit your fruit consumption to melons, your chances of losing three lbs. on first day are very good.


Day Two
All vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.

Day Three A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.

Day Four Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with the special soup which may be eaten in limited quantities.

Day Five Today is feast day. You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.

Day Six Beef and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your hearts content.

Day Seven Today your food intake will consist of brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.

Tomorrow morning from the GM Diet you will be 10-17 lbs. lighter than one week ago. If you desire further weight loss, repeat the program again. You may repeat this program as often as you like, however, it is suggested that you are allowed two glasses of white wine in addition to the instructions on the program. You may substitute champagne for white wine. Under no circumstances are you to drink any other alcoholic beverages with the exception of beer which is allowed. Any liquor (bourbon,vodka, rum) is forbidden.

Cream drinks are especially forbidden on the GM Diet. You may have an occasional cordial such as creme de menthe or schnapps, but you must always limit yourself to two drinks.

If you wine, drink only wine that day. If you have beer, drink only beer that day, etc. Alcohol adds empty calories to your diet. However, after the first week on the GM Diet it will help your digestion and settle your stomach.

GM Wonder Soup

The following soup is intended as a supplement to your GM Diet. It can be eaten any time of the day in virtually unlimited quantities. You are encouraged to consume large quantities of this soup.

28 oz, Water, 6 Large Onions, 2 Green Peppers, Whole Tomatoes (fresh or canned), 1 Head Cabbage, 1 Bunch Celery, 4 Envelopes Lipton Onion Soup Mix, Herbs and Flavoring as desired.

GM Diet Additional Notes

Vegetables as may be taken in the form of a salad if desired. No dressing except malt, white or wine vinegar, squeezed lemon, garlic, herbs. No more than one tea spoon of oil on the GM Diet.

You have above a recipe for the wonder soup which can be eaten in unlimited quantities. This soup is a supplement while you are on the program and it should be a pleasure to eat. Not everyone likes cabbage, green peppers, celery etc. This recipe is not inflexible. You may substitute vegetables according to your taste. You may add any vegetables you like: asparagus, peas, corn, turnips, green beans, cauliflower, etc. Try to stay away from beans (lima, pinto, kidney, etc.), however, because they tend to be high in calories even though they are very good for you.

Beverages you may consume while on the GM Diet program :

1. Water (flavored with lemon/lime if desired).
2. Club Soda is OK.
3. Black Coffee. No cream or cream substitute. No sugar or sweetness.
4. Black Tea = Herb or Leaf.
5. Absolutely nothing else except the fruit juices which are part of day seven. No fruit juices before day seven.

How and Why the GM Diet Works

Day One – You are preparing your system for the upcoming program. Your only source of nutrition is fresh or canned fruits. Fruits are nature’s perfect food. They provide everything you could possibly want to sustain life except total balance and variety.

Day Two – Starts with a fix of complex carbohydrates coupled with an oil dose. This is taken in the morning for energy and balance. The rest of day two consists of vegetables which are virtually calorie free and provide essential nutrients and fibre.

Day Three – Eliminates the potato because you get your carbohydrates from the fruits. You system is now prepared to start burning excess pounds. You will still have cravings which should start to diminish by day four.

Day Four – Bananas, milk and soup sound the strangest and least desirable. You’re in for a surprise. You probably will not eat all the bananas allowed. But they are there for the potassium you have lost and the sodium you may have missed the past three days. You will notice a definite weight loss of desire for sweets. You will be surprised how easy this day will go.

Day Five – Beef and tomatoes. The beef is for iron and proteins, the tomatoes are for digestion and fibre. Lots and lots of water purifies your system. You should notice colorless urine today. Your allowance calls for the equivalent of five “quarter ponders”. Do not feel you have to eat all this beef. You must eat the six tomatoes.

Day Six – Similar to day five, Iron and proteins from beef, Vitamins and fibre from vegetables. By now your system is in a total weight loss inclination. There should be a noticeable difference in the way you look today, compared to day one.

Day Seven – Finished off the program like a good cigar used to finish off Victorian meals, except much healthier. You have your system under control and it should thank you for the flushing and cleaning you just gave it.

I am not sure of the value of the GM Diet but go ahead and try this and see if you are pleasantly surprised. Make sure that if you try this that you also let us all know of the results good or bad in the comments below. Maybe GM Diet will me the legacy that General Motors will be remembered for instead?

877 thoughts on “GM Diet

  1. Hi everyone! I just wanted to say that I too LOVE this diet! I started this diet on Sept. 26th and did the entire 7 days (no cheating) and lost 11 pounds. I took only 2 days off and then got on it again, which it is now day 4 for me today. Since the 4 days, I have lost 4 pounds, for a total of 15 pounds since the 26th. I’m very happy about this. I decided this time around to add exercise into it everyday, but I forgot how sluggish I feel on day 4. I’m not sure why but day 4 is kind of hard for me, which I guess it is because I eat the least. I hate bananas but before ever starting the diet I had decided to chop them up, freeze them and make smoothies, which works much better for me. However, I drink it in the morning and then in the evening but the in-between is where I feel hungry. I could eat some soup, which I will probably have a bowl and drink more water to hold me over, but I don’t feel like I could exercise today. Also, I messed up my soup this time, as it was much better last time. Last time I added peeled tomatoes in a can, which was much better than just using tomatoes and water this time. It gave it a better flavor and worked just fine. Lesson learned! I am looking forward to having beef the next two days and hope to lose another 2kgs before the end, but honestly I will take what I can.

    It really is a great diet as it encourages you to eat more fruits and vegetables.

    Good Luck to everyone! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!

  2. Hi everyone,

    Today is my day 2. I am already on WW program, but wanted to get a head start on losing this baby . I weighed myself this morning and had lost 3 pounds since yesterday. Yesterday was really hard, I felt like I was walking on clouds and no energy what so ever. When do you guys start taking the soup, I made the zero point soup from Weight watchers, is that okay to eat??? Well see how it goes, I am not looking forward to the Banana day 🙁

  3. @Lei: I had my day 4 yesterday and it went pretty easily. I had 7 bananas and 2 big mugs of milk which i guess equals 3 glasses. Today is my day 5 and its pretty hard. I am craving for food but we can’t have anything except tomatoes. I am saving the 1 cup rice for evening as I know I will feel even more hungry in the evening.
    You are almost done with your diet. Congrats !!!

  4. @Neha: on day 4 I only had 5 bananas & the 3 glasses of milk. It was so nice to have a change that it didn’t phase me. I haven’t eaten the soup since day 3 (yuck) that stuff got old really fast!

    Good luck with the rest of the program! Tomorrow is Day 7 for me! WOO!

  5. @Lei: Congrats Lei ! I have figured out the reason for my headache. Actually I have a low blood pressure and I didn’t take salt the 1st day so I landed up having the headache. So from day 2, I am making an effort to take salt somehow.

    Its my Day 4 today and I am feeling good. Although I am fed up of having bananas since morning but I am looking forward to day 5 when I can have rice. lolzzzzzz

  6. Neha – Thank you! I did have the headache on day 2 (veggie day) but by day 3 it was gone.

    I just wanted to update and say that I officially LOVE this diet. I am on day 5 and have lost 8 lbs & I feel great! No cravings & my body just feels amazing!

  7. @Lei: Congrats Lei for losing 4 lbs in just two days. Its my day 2 today and i am having headache since morning. Did you also face such headache initially??

  8. I am starting day 3 and went from 193 lbs on day 1 to 189 lbs this morning. I think its going great. Yesterday was hard because veggies are not easy to eat when you are starving (veggies don’t fill me up the way fruit does)

  9. Hey Guys,

    I am having a severe headache since morning.
    i hv already had the boiled potato with some salt bt still this headache doesn’t go away…. pls suggest what do i do????

  10. Hi every1…

    I have started my GM diet today.
    wasn’t tht tough until 7pm but had a severe headache aftr tht…
    still didn’t give up….
    Looking forward to day 2…
    Is it necessary to have baked potato??
    can v have boiled potato instead??
    pls reply soon as i need to have 1 tomorrow morning..

  11. Hi,

    I never eat bananas. I don’t like them some how. I eat all other fruits though. Is there a substitute for banana in GM diet plan?

    Please let me know.

  12. Hi there will be starting the GM diet. I have questions… So really any veg can go into the soup, it can be eaten on any day and in unlimited quanitities? so can you do this diet continuously like for a month non-stop? Usually these kind of diets are only done for a week and then you have a break in order for your body not to gain resistance?

  13. @cynthia
    Yes in general motors diet you can safely consume the wonder soup for all the seven days. The wonder soup is prepared basically from different vegetables like onions, green pepper, cabbage, small tomatoes and celery. All these vegetables are boiled in water and salt, herbs and other seasonings are added as per your choice. Remember not to add any cream, butter or other form of fat in the soup simply because it is very high in calories and would not serve the purpose for which you are on the diet

  14. hey swathi,

    i started today, had a black T in the morning and will be stuffing my self with juicy melon and green apple for breakfast and posibly the same for lunch good luck to u, keep posting ur comments i will do the same

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