Editorial note. The Dubrow Diet uses time restricted eating, which is not appropriate for everyone.
Do not follow a 16:8 or longer fast if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, have a history of eating disorders, take insulin or sulfonylureas for diabetes, are prone to hypoglycemia, or have adrenal, thyroid, or blood pressure conditions without clearing it with your clinician first.
The specific health claims made in the Dubrows’ book are not backed by peer reviewed clinical trials on this exact protocol.
Who This Plan Is For
This plan is for adults who already tolerate skipping breakfast and want a rules based framework layered on top of intermittent fasting. It is less rigid than keto or Whole30, but it does ask you to choose lower glycemic carbs and lean protein most of the time. The three phase structure gives you a short strict start, a longer weight loss middle, and a maintenance phase you can live with once you hit your goal.
- You have tried 16:8 fasting on your own and want more food structure
- You want a plan with a clear finish line for the strict phase (2 to 5 days)
- You prefer eating two larger meals and a snack over grazing all day
- You are not currently pregnant, breastfeeding, or on blood sugar medication
- You want to maintain results with a lighter version rather than restart cycles
Dubrow Diet Plan – Overview
Diet plans are designed to make you healthier. If you are keen on a healthy life, you must know about the latest diet plan called the Dubrow Diet Plan. But what does it actually mean? What is a Dubrwo Diet? Everything you need to know about the Dubrow Diet Plan is given in this blog.
Who are the Dubrows?
Unlike other diet plans, the Dubrow Diet Plan is named after its inventors i.e. the Dubrows. Heather Dubrow, a renowned reality TV star, accompanied her husband to bring a new diet plan to improve the lifestyle of the people.
Last year, Heather Dubrow and her plastic surgeon husband came up with a book i.e. Dubrow Diet Plan. Eventually, the book received good attention has become one of the best-selling in its category. Let’s talk more about the Dubrow Diet Plan in detail.
What is the Dubrow Diet Plan?
The Dubrow Diet Plan is nothing but a type of intermittent diet. In this diet plan, a person has to follow a strict interval between daily meals. An intermittent diet comes with many health benefits.
Being a surgeon, Dr. Dubrow knew about the benefits of an intermittent diet. After studying deeper about the intermittent diet, the couple came up with their own diet plan named the Dubrow Diet Plan.
The Dubrow Diet plan helps you lose weight and reduce inflammation. The same diet enables you to become more productive as your brain will become more active through fasting. Another benefit of the Dubrow Diet Plan is reducing the risk of heart-related diseases. It saves you from type 2 diabetes and also fights to age.
Intermittent fasting shows several health benefits, inspiring the Dubrow couple to bring a new diet plan for a healthy society.
The Dubrow couple has conducted several studies where they have found many health benefits of the intermittent diet. As per their study, an obese person eats between 10 A.M. and 6 P.M. at fewer calories than those who eat irregularly. Here, the fasting hours are of 16 hours which means your body burns up maximum calories. As a result, you will start losing weight.
Moreover, the same study showed that the person following this diet had maintained blood pressure. Obese people have to deal with high blood pressure and this diet helps them reduce their blood pressure. It also improves the number of white blood cells that eventually helps fight age.
What to follow during the Dubrow Diet?
If you are wondering when to eat, what to eat, and how much you eat, then this part will help you overcome your confusion. The Dubrow Diet is divided into three phases. Each phase is crucial to follow if you want to see results in less time. Let’s talk more about the Dubrow Diet Phases.
3 Different Phases of Dubrow Diet
Dubrow Diet Phase One: Red Carpet Ready
The First Phase of the Dubrow Diet Plan is crucial for those who want to lose weight faster. In this diet, you will be asked to follow fasting of 16 hours for 3 to 5 days. It depends on how much weight you want to lose.
As noted above, you must follow a strict fasting of 16 hours. And for the remaining 8 hours, you will be given a healthy diet plan to follow to make the fat-burning process faster.
What should you eat in Phase One?
- One serving of fruit
- One serving of dairy products
- 1 to 2 servings of fat
- One serving of carbohydrates
- Three servings of protein
- 2-3 servings of vegetables
The above servings are from the approved list where you have to evaluate your body’s condition. You can prepare the list of the phase one diet as per your body condition i.e. the approved list of diets.
Dubrow Diet Phase Two: Summer Is Coming
The second phase of the Dubrow Diet decides how faster you will lose your stubborn body fat. It is recommended to stay in this phase until you achieve your fat loss goal. The phase is not that hard, and anyone can follow it, which means anyone can lose weight and achieve their goal.
The second phase is not equal for everyone. Here, a person decides the number of hours for fasting. If a person can fast for 16 hours, then he can stay with it. The second phase requires you to fast for at least 12 hours. You can extend the fasting hours from 12 hours to 14 hours or even 16 hours. The more fasting you do, the faster you lose weight.
The second phase involves the same dietary guidelines as phase one, where you can have protein, carbs, dairy products, veggies, and other products as per the approved list.
Dubrow Diet Phase Three: Look Hot While Living Like a Human
The dieters are requested to follow phase three regularly to maintain their weight. If they stop following their diet plan, they will start gaining weight again. No diet will help you lose weight if you are not strict with your diet. All of us must keep an eye on what we eat. That’s the key to living a healthy and fit life.
During the third phase, the Dubrow Diet asks you to follow 12 hours of fasting for 5 days a week and 16 hours of fasting two days a week. It looks easy, as there are no specific food recommendations mentioned in the book.
You can have your favorite items during this phase as you are already in shape after strictly following the first two phases. Now, you just need to maintain your body weight by simply following the 12 hours and 16 hours fasting schedule for the whole week.
Is Dubrow Diet Plan Worthy?
A Dubrow diet has no science behind it. It is a simple method of keeping your body fasting for 16 hours. It is an advanced type of intermittent fasting with some proven techniques described by the Dubrow couple in their book.
The Dubrow Diet is definitely worthy for those who can stick to the diet phases mentioned in the Dubrow Diet. If you cannot keep your body in the fasting phase for 16 long hours, then this diet is not good for you.
If you have a fat-burning goal and want to achieve that classy look in less time, then the Dubrow Diet is what you should follow! It helps you lose weight and also offers uncountable health benefits. If you are worried about your health, start your research on the Dubrow Diet and follow their diet plan ASAP.
7-Day Meal Plan at a Glance
Sample week for Phase 2 (Summer Is Coming) with a 16:8 eating window from noon to 8 p.m. Each day includes two meals and one snack, with a protein source at every eating occasion.
| Day | Breakfast (Break Fast, 12 pm) | Lunch | Dinner (by 8 pm) | Snack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Fast until noon; water, black coffee, or tea only | Grilled chicken salad with olive oil, avocado, cherry tomato, cucumber | Baked salmon, roasted broccoli, quinoa (1/2 cup) | Apple slices with 1 tbsp almond butter (mid afternoon) |
| Tue | Fasted window | Turkey and hummus lettuce wraps, side of berries | Sirloin, sauteed spinach, roasted sweet potato | Greek yogurt with walnuts |
| Wed | Fasted window | Tuna Nicoise style salad with olives, egg, green beans | Shrimp stir fry with mixed peppers, brown rice (1/2 cup) | Cottage cheese with cucumber slices |
| Thu | Fasted window | Chicken and vegetable soup, side salad | Turkey chili with black beans, avocado on top | Hard boiled egg and cherry tomatoes |
| Fri | Fasted window | Cobb salad with grilled chicken, blue cheese, egg, oil and vinegar | Baked cod, roasted brussels sprouts, wild rice (1/2 cup) | Handful of almonds and a pear |
| Sat | Fasted window | Salmon poke bowl with cucumber, edamame, small portion rice | Grilled steak, grilled zucchini and asparagus, small sweet potato | Berries with plain Greek yogurt |
| Sun | Fasted window | Frittata with spinach, mushrooms, feta; side salad | Roast chicken thighs, cauliflower mash, green beans | Celery with almond butter |
7-Day Shopping List
Produce
- Mixed salad greens (2 bags)
- Baby spinach (1 large bag)
- Broccoli (2 heads)
- Brussels sprouts (1 lb)
- Asparagus (1 bunch)
- Green beans (1 lb)
- Cauliflower (1 head)
- Bell peppers (4)
- Zucchini (3)
- Cucumbers (3), cherry tomatoes (2 pints)
- Sweet potatoes (2)
- Avocados (3)
- Berries (2 pints), apple (1), pear (1), lemon (3)
- Onions, garlic, celery, mushrooms
Proteins
- Chicken breast (1.5 lb)
- Chicken thighs (1 lb)
- Sirloin steak (8 oz)
- Ground turkey (1 lb)
- Salmon fillets (8 oz)
- Cod fillets (8 oz)
- Shrimp (8 oz)
- Canned tuna (2 cans)
- Eggs (12)
- Deli turkey, low sodium (8 oz)
Grains and Legumes
- Quinoa (12 oz)
- Brown rice (12 oz)
- Wild rice (8 oz)
- Canned black beans (1 can)
- Edamame, frozen shelled (1 bag)
- Old fashioned oats (small bag, optional)
Dairy and Alternatives
- Plain Greek yogurt, 2 percent (32 oz)
- Low fat cottage cheese (16 oz)
- Feta cheese (4 oz)
- Crumbled blue cheese (small container)
- Unsweetened almond or oat milk (half gallon)
Pantry and Seasonings
- Extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil
- Red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar
- Raw almonds, walnuts
- Almond butter, hummus
- Kalamata olives
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Dijon mustard, tamari or coconut aminos
- Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper
- Black coffee and unsweetened tea for the fasting window
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Dubrow Diet different from OMAD (one meal a day)?
OMAD compresses all your food into a single meal, usually with a 23 hour fast. The Dubrow Diet uses a longer eating window, typically 8 hours in Phase 2 and up to 12 in Phase 3, and asks you to spread food across two meals plus a snack. It is less extreme than OMAD, easier to sustain, and gives you more room to hit protein and micronutrient targets across the day.
For more on this topic, check out our guide on can intermittent fasting prevent cancer.
Can I have coffee or tea during the fasting window?
Yes. Plain black coffee, plain tea, and water are all fine during the fast and will not meaningfully break it. What can break it is adding milk, cream, sweeteners, or bulletproof style butter and MCT. If you cannot drink coffee black, a small splash of unsweetened almond milk is a common compromise, but the strictest reading of the plan keeps the fasting window calorie free.
Is the 16 hour fast safe every day?
For most healthy adults, yes, 16:8 fasting is generally well tolerated. It is not safe if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, taking insulin or sulfonylureas, prone to hypoglycemia, have a history of disordered eating, or are underweight. Some people also do better on a shorter 12 to 14 hour fast long term. Watch for dizziness, mood swings, poor sleep, or missed periods and adjust with a clinician if they appear.
How much weight can I expect to lose?
The Dubrows suggest 5 pounds in Phase 1 and steady loss in Phase 2, but actual results vary widely with body size, activity, sleep, and starting point. A safer general expectation is 0.5 to 1.5 pounds of fat loss per week once past the initial water weight drop. If the scale is not moving after 3 to 4 weeks, the issue is usually total calorie intake, not fasting length.
Do I have to buy the Dubrow supplements?
No. The branded supplements are optional and not required for the diet to work. If your food is varied and includes enough protein, produce, and healthy fat, most people meet needs from meals alone. A basic multivitamin and vitamin D can be reasonable during a calorie deficit, but talk to your clinician about your specific labs before adding anything, particularly if you already take medication.
