The O2 Diet: How It Works continued...

The final two-week phase is essentially the same as Phase Two with an extra starch or fruit each day and a weekly indulgence such as a glass of wine or small piece of chocolate.

Here are sample meal plans for the various phases of the plan:

4-Day Cleanse: (You eat the same foods all four days)

• Breakfast: One egg plus three egg whites with basil; green tea; water with lemon
• Snack: Granny Smith apple with cinnamon
• Lunch: Spinach with vinegar; 3-4 ounces fish with spices; 8 pecan halves; water with lemon
• Snack: Steamed artichoke; green tea
• Dinner: Romaine and veggie salad with 1 teaspoon olive oil; steamed asparagus; 3-4 ounces lean protein with spices; blueberries; water with lemon

Phase 2 Sample Meal Plan

• Breakfast: 1 peach, 6 ounces fat-free yogurt, 8 pecans, and cinnamon
• Snack: Celery w/ 2 tsp. almond butter and cinnamon
• Lunch: Quick Cobb Salad (recipe provided)
• Snack: 6 oz. fat-free yogurt, 2 oz. pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup blueberries
• Dinner: Salmon with raspberry balsamic glaze (recipe provided)

Phase 3 Meal Plan

Same as Phase 2, with the addition of:

• One starch or fruit serving daily
• One "conscious indulgence" per week

Glassman estimates you can lose 2-5 pounds in the first four days of the antioxidant-rich diet (about half from water weight), and 1-2 pounds weekly during the remainder of the diet.

She says you won’t feel like you are on a diet once you add the little indulgences. "In the last phase, the plan feels closer to real life and is more sustainable and adaptable to traveling or eating out," she says.

Ultimately, you're encouraged to follow The O2 Diet for life to help you maintain the weight loss you achieved on the 32-day diet.

The O2 Diet: What the Experts Say

It certainly won't hurt you to eat lots of nutrient-dense, less-processed foods, but do you really need 30,000 or more ORAC points a day?

It's not clear whether antioxidant activity can be used as a measure for weight loss success, says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Lona Sandon, Med, RD.

"There is not enough evidence to use the ORAC scale as a tool for weight loss, because even if a food has a high ORAC value, it may not increase the antioxidant levels or be used by the body to fight free radicals," says Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Sandon views The O2 Diet as a gimmicky way to package a nutrient-dense, low-calorie diet that is built mainly on sound nutritional concepts. Still, she does see some dietary shortcomings.

"The plan is super-nutritious and will meet the [government's] Dietary Guidelines for fruits and vegetables, but it comes up short on dairy, calcium, whole grains, protein, and calories unless you are a sedentary woman," she says.

Her advice: Add a serving of low-fat dairy and whole grain (about 250 calories' worth) to boost protein and calcium and satisfy hunger.

Even if you don’t follow the plan long term, Sandon suggests paying attention to the nutritious foods highlighted on The O2 Diet, which should be included in any healthy diet.