May 6, 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. hey guys, im on day 5 of this diet, and i have already lost 11 lbs, and my last weigh in was about an hour ago. This diet frikkin works!

    I actually have a printed copy that circulated through my department. Its a vegetarian version of the diet and calls for 1 cup of rice and 6 whole tomatoes instead of beef and its pretty much always a cup of rice on the days that we’re supposed to eat beef. so there’s that for those of ya’ll that are vegetarians.

    It also says that 20 minutes of mild exercise is required for the duration of this diet.. so try and burn some extra calories too! that might help with loss numbers 🙂

  2. Day 1 lost 3 lbs
    Day 2 gained 1/2 lb =(
    Day 3 lost 3.5 lbs!!
    Day 4 lost 1 lb
    I am on day 5 right now…this by far is the worst day for me, although I am sticking to it, as I do not like tomato’s very much. I am NOT hungry at all though, so that is good. Looking forward to some veggies tomorrow!. I have not eaten any soup, just what the daily calls for. So far 7.5 and I am very happy with that!!

  3. I am starting the diet today with my husband, and wanted to know if the GM soup is allowed on any day or only day four? Everywhere I read about the diet it says you can eat it at any time of the day in virtually unlimited quantities, but the diet only references it on day four. Thanks in advance. J

  4. hi GM . I almost on 2second of this GM DIET.But Could you please provide the Timings(Which time to eat, What to eat) it very usefull for us to use this DIET. Pls update me to my mail

  5. This is the 2nd time I am doing the diet this year; I only lost 1.8kgs the first time and today is the 6th day of my second cycle and I have only lost 1 kg till now 🙁 I am not doing any cheating, in fact I ate only 2 bananas on the 4 th day, and only 4 tomatoes on the 5 th day…maybe I am drinking less water…could that be why my is not shedding?

  6. I have been on this diet for 4 days and have only lost 3 pounds, seems a little discouraging, and I drink tons of water. Mostly salads and fruit….

  7. Yesterday is our last day and i reduced 6lbs and my hubby reduced 9lbs. Not bad. Isn’t?Really i feel lite.

    Day one was really hectic and am about to quit. But some how managed.Had little bit of headache by the end of the day.

    Day two, to start with baked potato was really yummy.I baked with Lipton onion soup mix ‘coz it is allowed for soup. For vegetables,we used Birds eye steam fresh frozen vegetables and salad with lime juice.Also munched some carrots.So Day two went really well. Weight started reducing.(For me 2 lbs and for my hubby 3 lbs)

    Same with Day three as it has veggies and went well.

    Day four is little bit hectic to stay with only milk and banana.The wonder soup is really wonder on this day. But the craving is reduced a lot compared to day one.

    Day five,as i baked potato with lipton onion soup mix i did the same for chicken too (for me) and baked beef with lipton onion mushroom mix(for my hubby).I convinced myself to sprinkle little of salt over tomato ‘coz the soup mix has salt in it. lolz!!

    Day six went on very well and the cravings were really subsided.

    Day Seven,Again the lipton soup mix helped me to prepare brown rice and very easier day of all..

    Once followed the diet gives the feeling to follow again.

  8. Sridhar

    Yes I did, but I think I will blame that on my really really bad food habit. It is nothing to do with the GM diet as you know how we have office parties, weddings and all in December. It is true that no other diets work for me as this one but as this is only for 7 days, after the diet I went back to my normal food habit. What I have understood by doing this several times is that it works like magic but our normal food habit is what we should change if we want to keep it off forever.

    Moreover I have not completed GM diet twice. I like to do it for the First 4 days instead. I have seen that I lose the same on the 4th day or 7th day.so even this time I am doing it for 4 days.

  9. Ana.
    When you lost around 10 lbs each time when you followed the diet, Did you gain any after that?

    I heard from some people saying that they re-gained the after they stopped the diet.. is that true?

  10. It is my Day 2 on GM Diet. Started the day 2 with one Boiled potato and water… I am going to have some salad for lunch..

    For vegitarian diet, I understood from other forums that beaf can be replaced with 1 cup of cooked brown rice. is that correct? can we add spices/salt while cooking the rice?

  11. My day two,,,,started with boiled potato and cauliflower. I have done this diet several times and everytime I have lost around 10 lbs. but this time i really really need to lose atleast 10 lbs and also dont want to gain it back.I am 30 and think that this is the best time of my life when i should be perfect,need some inspiration..:)

  12. On day 5, can I have 1 cup of cooked rice instead of beaf? what should I eat along with rice as it is very difficult to eat plain rice.

    Can we use salt and spice?

  13. I have done this 7 day diet several times. I do it to increase my metabolism when I reach a plateau in losing . The first 2 days are difficult, but by day 3 your cravings will subside. If you go to the main webpage for this diet their are substitutions for those with special dietary needs. Good Luck to all!

  14. Irene… hang in there!

    Subsitute for beef is rice as per a lot of the websire recommendations. 1 cup of rice instead of beef on Day 5…

    I am on Day 5 and the diet is proceeding like a summer breeze on a rainy day.

  15. This is the first sight that I’m reading to eat beef.. all the other GM Diet sites have said to eat small amounts of chicken or fish (salmon or tuna preferred) and then on day 6 eat unlimited amounts of the chicken and fish.
    This is the ending of my 2nd day.. I can’t say I’m doing all that great. I’m craving anything other than that wonder soup!! lol, I’ve been trying my hardest to stay on track but I did eat about 5 small pieces of chocolate. It’s 8:30pm now and I ate dinner at 6. I am STARVING. It says to eat until your hearts content but the taste of the soup and the vegetables and water only is starting to make me nausea. Not sure what to do about this. I believe I am eating enough and drinking plenty enough water but yet my mouth is always dry.. I just wish this 7 days were up and I sure hope that I lose something out of all this other than my mind.. hehe. Good luck everyone

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