Eva Mendes, Orlando Bloom, Katherine Heigl, Alicia Keys, Robert Downey, Jr., Halle Berry, John Mayer, Jessica Simpson, Kanye West, and Lady Gaga. These are the few famous personalities who have subscribed to the 5 Factor Diet.

5 Factor Diet is a dietary plan formulated by Harley Pasternak along with Myatt Murphy. Who is Harley Pasternak? Harley Pasternak is a renowned fitness trainer, expert and best-selling author. This diet originates from his book entitled, "5 Factor Fitness" which was released sometime in 2004. In 2007, he updated and expanded its dietary portion and released the 5 Factor Diet. In January 2010, he published his 5 Factor World Diet which is a compilation of healthy habits and diets of the world's top 10 healthiest countries.

The key principle of the 5 Factor Diet is to eat five meals a day. Pasternak encourages eating small but frequent meals. Each meal should consist of five main components: a lean protein (e.g. chicken, fish, and low-fat dairy), a complex carbohydrate (e.g. fruits and vegetables), fiber (e.g. whole grains), a 'good' fat (e.g. monounsaturated olive oil), and a sugar-free beverages (e.g. water). Food items recommended on this diet are based on their Glycemic Index (GI). Foods you eat should have low Glycemic Index. Since low Glycemic Index keeps your blood sugar stable, you can control your food cravings, thereby preventing yourself from overeating. You can now keep yourself in track of your goal to lose weight. Aside from that, Pasternak believes that consumption of moderate-carbohydrate and high-protein meals is helpful in order for you to remain full for a longer period of time, thereby diminishing your between-meal hunger pangs. A 'cheat day,' however, is granted once a week in order for you to satisfy your food cravings for forbidden foods.

Apart from regulating the kind of foods you eat, the 5 Factor Diet also requires twenty-five minutes of exercise a day, and five days of exercise in a week. Pasternak believes that regular exercise is necessary in order for you to get the full benefit of this diet plan. He advocates a combination of cardio exercises, strength training, bodyweight exercises, and rest. The 5 Factor Fitness has five phases: Cardio warm up, Upper body strength exercise, Lower body strength exercise, Core exercise, Fat burning cardio. Cardio exercise might be extended depending on the need to shed more pounds. Dumbbells and a bench may likewise be required for these exercises.

Unlike celebrities who can afford to have a fitness trainer with them, ordinary people who are simply following what is written on his book might not reach the same level of effectiveness achieved by these celebrities. For instance, students who are busy with their school works might find it hard to find time to eat every three to four hours, and exercise as frequent as this diet plan requires. Persons who have problems with emotional eating might likewise fail to achieve weight loss with this plan. For these persons, a drop in their insulin level might not discourage them from eating a lot. In short, effectiveness of this diet plan varies from person to person.

Although Pasternak presents a 5-week plan diet, it doesn't necessarily mean that this weight loss program should end in five weeks. You may need to stick with this diet plan longer if you wish to lose more than ten pounds. Unlike other diet plans, the 5 Factor Diet does not promise rapid results. Average loss of one to two pounds a week after the first week can be expected. Since this diet does not result to drastic weight loss, this diet is considered safe and effective.