This content has been Fact-Checked by a Certified Nutritionist in our Publishing Team. Learn more here. Always consult a medical professional before commencing any diet.
The Cruise Control Diet is an effective way to lose weight and improve your health. This is a lifestyle change that promises long-term results and improvement in terms of weight loss and overall well-being.
The best of all? You don’t need to count calories or restrict your diet.
Created by James Ward, Cruise Control focuses on whole foods and eliminates processed and packaged foods.
This approach helps your body burn fat more effectively without restrictions.
This results in a healthier lifestyle, which is ideal for maintaining perfect weight and improving your well-being.
The Cruise Control is a perfect dietary plan for those who struggle with the yo-yo effect and want more permanent results.
It is also a great choice for those who don’t want to restrict their foods and who actually want to enjoy their meals!
What is the Cruise Control Diet?
What exactly is the Cruise Control diet? It is best described as a lifestyle change and not a traditional diet.
In the Cruise Control diet, you are not restricting your food intake: It also doesn’t cut away numerous food types: most foods are allowed with Cruise Control.
So, what’s the catch?
Cruise Control Diet follows four basic principles:
1. Eat Natural
This dietary regime encourages you to eat whole, natural foods. Such foods will keep you full and will help you burn those persistent pounds.
2. Don’t eat processed packaged food
The key to Cruise Control is to avoid all processed and packaged foods. These foods contain unhealthy ingredients that make you hungry and encourage your body to store fat.
These ingredients and additives prevent your body from eliminating toxins. As a result, you feel hungry often, you eat a lot and store unwanted calories and fat.
Check out how processed foods are harming people. And the relationship between processed foods and obesity.
3. Treat yourself from time to time
Cruise Control Diet eliminates restrictions and cravings. You can eat cookies, chocolate and candies from time to time.
As long as you do it in moderate quantities, there is nothing you should worry about. Treating yourself in moderation is better than restricting yourself and then overeating once a craving hits.
4. Don’t count calories
Cruise Control discourages calorie counting, food journal, points, even portion control!
That’s all!
As you can see, the Cruise Control Diet is not restrictive.
On the contrary: it wants to encourage you to make a lifestyle change towards healthy living and a balanced diet.
All you need to do is eliminate processed and packaged foods. An approach like this might seem strange compared to typical diets.
Dieting, in many people’s minds, includes restrictions, control, and calorie counting.
The thing is, such diets are often difficult to maintain and offer short-term results at best. Not to mention that they often prove to be unhealthy or even dangerous.
Cruise Control focuses on intuitive eating.
No more calculating portion sizes, no more counting calories.
More than restricting your food choice, it gives you a wide selection of nutritious, healthy and tasty foods. By focusing on intuitive eating, you are making a lifestyle choice rather than a simple diet.
How Does it Work?
By applying the cruise control diet, you will get into two phases:
1. Boosting zone: you choose 8 hours of the day and you will eat your meals during this period. Your meals have to consist of 50% fat, 30% carbohydrates, and 20% protein.
2. Burning zone: here you will fast for 16 hours, meaning that you will stop eating any meals but you can enjoy treats and beverages made of 100% healthy fats then you will sleep.
Cruise Control Diet Pros and Cons
Cruise Control diet offers numerous health and lifestyle benefits:
PROS
1. It helps you lose weight
By consuming natural, non-processed foods, your body uses calories more efficiently, which results in weight loss. All without the need to make your portions smaller or your food choices restrictive.
2. It improves health
Cruise Control is a healthy approach that will improve your health. Even if you don’t need to lose weight, switching to Cruise Control is a healthy lifestyle change.
You will feel stronger and more energized. It will help you eliminate toxins and it will boost your metabolism.
3. It is enjoyable
Let’s face it: diets can be many things, but they are rarely enjoyable. They typically force you to abandon many foods you enjoy eating.
Diets make you waste too much time and energy on calorie counting, portion measuring and food journaling.
With such an approach, all you can do is think about food!
Cruise Control eliminates all of that: you can eat many different foods, you don’t have to worry about portion sizes, and you can even treat yourself with sweets from time to time.
4. It is a real lifestyle change
Don’t think of Cruise Control as a diet. It is a lifestyle change. This is a step towards healthy living that can benefit you in many different ways.
As you can see, there are numerous health benefits of Cruise Control that are not limited to weight loss.
That being said, this is definitely a way to lose weight – it gives effective, long-term results without yo-yo consequences.
On the other hand, it is important to use this dietary regime as an informed choice.
It is important to know of potential negative sides of Cruise Control Diet:
CONS
1. It does require a certain effort
You need to eliminate all processed foods from your diet, and it often means shopping at different stores or reading labels more carefully.
2. Weight loss might not be fast
In the Cruise Control Diet, you are making a choice towards a healthy diet, which should bring long-term weight loss results.
Many people notice changes within days, but some people need to stick to this dietary regime for a while before noticing results. This is not a quick weight loss scheme.
3. Potential investment of money and time
Cruise Control Diet is not expensive: many foods and ingredients are affordable and easy to find.
However, it might require certain changes. Also, many recipes require you to prepare them, which asks for some time investment.
The good news is that many of the recipes are easy and quick to prepare, and no, they don’t cost a lot! However, if you are used at eating packaged snacks instead of a lunch, be prepared for some changes.
4. Elimination of certain foods
Cruise Control Diet is not restrictive, but certain types of foods are forbidden.
If your present diet relies too much on these foods, be prepared to go through a period of adjusting.
For example, Cruise Control doesn’t allow potato chips and similar snacks. Those who consume such foods on a regular basis will feel restrictions.
Cruise Control Diet Food List
There are many foods you can eat with the Cruise Control Diet. This is one of the best things about this dietary regime. There is basically only one rule: it has to be natural (not processed).
Here are some of the foods you can eat on the Cruise Control Diet:
- Vegetables: asparagus, avocado, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, green peas, kale, leeks, mustard greens, okra, onions, pumpkins, potatoes, radishes, Romaine lettuce, spinach, squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes, zucchini.
- Fruits: apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, cranberries, dates, gooseberries, grapes, figs, kiwi, lemons, limes, oranges, peaches, papaya, pears, pineapple, plums, pomegranate, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, watermelon.
- Meat: lean cuts (pork, grass-fed beef), chicken, turkey, wild-caught fish (cod, halibut, salmon, sardines, tuna), prawns, shrimp.
- Dairy and eggs: grass-fed animal milk, butter, cheese, ghee; eggs.
- Grains: barley, buckwheat, rice (brown rice, wild rice), spelt, rye, quinoa.
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, cashew nuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, pistachio, pumpkin seeds, walnuts.
- Spices and herbs: basil, cardamom, cilantro, cinnamon, chili (dried, flakes), clove, coriander, curry leaves, dill, garlic, ginger, mace, mint, oregano, peppermint, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, saffron, thyme.
- Beverages: water, freshly pressed fruit juice, freshly pressed vegetable juice, coconut water.
- Oils: olive oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil.
- Other: peanut butter, almond butter.
Foods to Avoid
What can you not eat on Cruise Control Diet? Generally speaking, you should avoid any processed foods. Main things to avoid include:
- Deep-fried and fried foods
- Frozen foods
- Potato chips and other similar snacks
- Sodas
- Packaged fruit juice
- Energy drinks
- Low-fat yogurt (it is typically full of artificial flavors and stabilizers)
- Deli meat full of additives (salami, sausage)
- Whole wheat bread
- Raisins
- Artificial sweeteners
- Any product with artificial flavors and colors
- Any products with added nitrates or other additives
As you can see, the rules are simple: avoid anything that is processed and full of additives. Yes, it means spending more time reading labels, but it’s worth it!
Cruise Control Diet Plan
One great thing about Cruise Control is that you can create your own diet plan. You know what you like to eat, and this program doesn’t want to force you into consuming something you dislike.
Also, it doesn’t force you to make serious changes: if you are a vegetarian, you stay a vegetarian.
Meal plan example:
Breakfast: Toast with a boiled egg is one choice. Or you may opt for homemade egg muffins or a spinach frittata.
Snack: This snack should prepare you for lunch. Ideally, you should eat one large fruit or a cup of smaller fruits.
Lunch: It is best to combine vegetables with a side protein. A salad with pieces of grilled chicken is one choice. Soups are also a good lunch option. On the other hand, if you want a hefty meal, you can get a steak.
Afternoon snack: If you need a snack between lunch and dinner, you can eat another cup of fruit or nuts.
Dinner: Your dinner should contain a type protein with side vegetables. Grilled chicken or salmon is a good choice. If you are feeling hungry, a steak or a wider selection of side dishes is a good way to go.
Bedtime snack: A cup of milk and a cookie can make a good bedtime snack.
The program encourages healthy night rest and plenty of sleep. It is best to go to bed by 10-10:30pm. You should not take your bedtime snack later than this.
Cheat meals: Cruise Control incorporates “cheat meals” two times per week. You can eat pasta, your favorite snacks, pizzas, desserts and other things that are typically not allowed on traditional diets.
Cruise Control Diet Recipes
Here are a few easy recipes you can prepare for your Cruise Control diet regime:
Breakfast
Eggs with Vegetables
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1-2 cups sweet potatoes (diced)
- 1 cup zucchini (diced)
- 1 bell pepper (chopped)
- ½ cup onion (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt, pepper (to taste)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pour olive oil in a pan and cook diced potatoes until the bottoms turn golden and cubes start to soften.
- Add zucchini, onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper and onion. Cook until the vegetables start to soften.
- Remove from heat and divide into two. Break one egg into each pile.
- Place in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes. Serve.
Snack
Blueberry Almonds
Ingredients:
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup almonds
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions:
- In a cup, mix almonds and blueberries.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and sesame seeds. Serve.
Lunch or dinner
Chicken tomato salad
Ingredients:
- 2x chicken breast, grilled and cut into small pieces
- 4-5 tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- salt and pepper
- optional: other chopped vegetables (cucumber, bell peppers, onion)
Instructions:
- Grill chicken and chop it into small pieces.
- Cut vegetables and mix them in a salad bowl. Add chicken.
- Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss carefully.
Avocado Tuna Steak
- 1 garlic clove (grated)
- 2 Ahi tuna steaks
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 ripe avocado (halved, peeled, pitted, and sliced)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ginger and garlic. Stir until the ingredients are well-mixed.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan. Season tuna steaks with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.
Pour half of the mixture to coat the fish. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. - Prepare a serving plate. Place the tuna and add sliced avocados. Pour the remaining sauce over the whole plate and add sesame seeds.
Does Cruise Control Diet Work?
All this sounds great, but does it work? If you want to lose weight, you want to see results, and that’s understandable.
A great thing about the Cruise Control diet is that it works, and it works long-term. Say goodbye to yo-yo dieting and shot-term results.
This dietary regime is made for real results and a true lifestyle change. In fact, it is a recommended step if you are looking for a healthier and wholesome diet.
Of course, there are certain things you can do to improve your results.
Doing light exercises 2-3 times per week is always helpful. However, you don’t have to engage in strenuous exercise in order to notice results.
Regular walks are extremely helpful for your well-being, and they don’t require difficult exercises. The goal is to move towards a healthier lifestyle, and Cruise Control diet can help you get there.
One thing you need to remember about Cruise Control: it is made for long-term results.
It means that you might not notice significant weight loss straight away.
Unlike fad diets, Cruise Control doesn’t mask water loss as weight loss, and it doesn’t starve your body for short results.
Just keep going and you will notice that you lose weight naturally – no more tiny portions or food cravings. Think of it as a lifestyle change and not a weight loss scheme.
The best of all?
It will help you lose weight, and it will prevent the dreaded yo-yo effect.
Atkins vs Cruise Control Diet
The Atkins diet is one of the most well-known diets in the world, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is harmless.
Atkins is a low-carb diet, specially designed to promote quick weight loss and not a lifestyle change.
The idea behind the Atkins diet is that weight loss is achieved through a diet that is high on protein and even fat, but extremely low in carbs.
While there are people who can achieve results with the Atkins diet, it is easy to slip into unhealthy dietary regime with this one.
Atkins can work short-term, and if you are careful enough not to cut too many essential foods.
Cruise Control is not so restrictive. In fact, it encourages a balanced diet with all the major food groups present.
This balance helps you stay healthy and gradually make you adopt a better dietary regime. Unlike the Atkins diet, Cruise Control is not limiting.
It is a long-term solution that promotes health and a better lifestyle choice.
If you like a diet high on protein, no need to go for Atkins: Cruise Control allows you to consume proteins on a daily basis.
The key is balance and natural ingredients.
Verdict: Cruise Control wins.
Are There Any Warnings for the Cruise Control Diet?
Cruise Control diet is safe and effective. Unlike so many other diets, it doesn’t cut away any important food groups.
It’s all about balance and natural ingredients, not starving yourself or counting calories. As such, it doesn’t come with any specific warnings.
Consult your doctor before starting Cruise Control or any other dietary regime. Your doctor can advise you on how to make your diet balanced and will tell you of any potential warnings that apply to you.
While Cruise Control Diet is safe, its individual effects depend on the individual’s overall health, age, BMI, medical history, and other parameters.
This content has been Fact-Checked by a Certified Nutritionist in our Publishing Team. Learn more here.