GOLO Diet For Weight Loss: Pros, Cons, Reviews, & Meal Plan

The GOLO diet was one of the most searched weight loss diet plans on Google in 2016. Its popularity has blown up even more since then.
The GOLO diet supplement took over nine years to formulate by a specialized team of doctors, pharmacists, scientists, and formulators.
The scientists who developed the GOLO diet programs of 30, 60, and 90 days claim that these programs can aid 10-60 lbs of weight loss over a period of time. They can help slim down your waistline, control your blood sugar level, and prevent heart diseases (1).
But before you purchase a GOLO diet plan, read the reviews of the GOLO diet for weight loss. Scroll down to know more!
In This Article
What Is The GOLO Diet?
The GOLO diet basically focuses on reducing insulin resistance to lose weight.
According to GOLO’s official website, this specific supplement helps revamp your metabolism to reduce insulin resistance and aid weight loss (1).
A study conducted at the University of Cape Town (South Africa) has found that insulin sensitivity is one of the key factors in successful, long-term weight loss (2).
Unlike conventional dieting, the GOLO diet allows you to eat more and claims to regulate your glucose levels and improve your metabolism (3). There is no counting of calories – just eating healthily, exercising regularly, and taking the GOLO Release dietary supplement to lose weight.
How Does It Work?
The GOLO Supplement is a blend of 7 plant extracts and 3 minerals that help in losing weight (1).
The main principle of the GOLO diet does not rely on reducing calories but focussing on eating a healthy diet that covers all the food groups and revamps your hormonal action to boost metabolism.
The GOLO supplement contains magnesium, zinc, and chromium – the major minerals associated with insulin sensitivity (4), (5), (6).
The official GOLO website also states that this dietary supplement helps reduce sugar cravings and balances the hormones to control hunger and satiety and increase energy and stamina (1).
Can The GOLO Diet Help You Lose Weight?
The GOLO diet mainly encourages you to focus on healthy eating habits with exercising regularly. These two practices have been proven repeatedly to aid weight loss (7).
There are few studies published on the GOLO website that prove that supplementing with GOLO Release helps reduce weight over a period of time with an exercise regime.
These studies are not published in peer-reviewed journals and may prove to be biased. The results are also not conclusive that simply consuming the GOLO Release supplement aids weight loss. It can be a combined effect of a balanced diet, a healthy lifestyle, and regular exercise.
So, the GOLO diet may help people shed pounds, but scientific research is still required to support these claims.
If you want to reduce some pounds by following the GOLO diet program, check out the sample meal plan given below. Read on!
The GOLO Diet Plan: 1-Week Sample Meal Plan
Day 1 (Monday)
Meals | What To Eat |
---|---|
Breakfast | Egg white omelet with stuffed mushroom and sauteed broccoli + apple slices |
Lunch | Grilled chicken with herbs seasoning + 1 bowl of raw green salad with olive oil dressing + ½ cup of quinoa |
Dinner | Salmon with sauteed baby carrots, French beans, cherry tomatoes, and asparagus |
Day 2 (Tuesday)
Meals | What To Eat |
---|---|
Breakfast | Scrambled egg with sauteed spinach + 1 bowl of fruit + roasted almonds, walnuts, pistachios |
Lunch | Turkey breast with cranberry brown rice + blanched, seasoned kale + GOLO Release supplement (1 capsule) |
Dinner | Tuna lettuce wrap + mushroom Soup |
Day 3 (Wednesday)
Meals | What To Eat |
---|---|
Breakfast | 1 hard-boiled egg + toasted whole-wheat multigrain bread (2 slices) + freshly prepared fruit juice with pulp + roasted nuts and seeds mixture (1 tablespoon) |
Lunch | Parmesan-topped broiled flounder + ½ cup of parsley-seasoned buckwheat + 1 bowl of fresh raw salad |
Dinner | 2 cottage cheese-stuffed roasted bell peppers + cream of tomato soup with 3 roasted almonds |
Day 4 (Thursday)
Meals | What To Eat |
---|---|
Breakfast | Overnight soaked oatmeal with soaked chia seeds, roasted nuts, and seeds mixture + 1 bowl of strawberries + 1 hard-boiled egg |
Lunch | Whole-wheat pasta with pumpkin seeds and spinach pesto + 1 herbs-seasoned grilled chicken steak + GOLO Release supplement (1 capsule) |
Dinner | Atlantic salmon steak + lemon butter asparagus with baby carrots, French beans, and broccoli florets |
Day 5 (Friday)
Meals | What To Eat |
---|---|
Breakfast | Mushroom hash with a poached egg + 2 tablespoons of roasted nuts and seeds mixture + green apple slices with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. |
Lunch | Pan-seared salmon with kale and apple salad + 2 slices of garlic bread + blueberry yogurt |
Dinner | Pork chops with blanched and butter-sauteed spinach + 4 roasted almonds |
Day 6 (Saturday)
Meals | What To Eat |
---|---|
Breakfast | Curried broccoli and hard-boiled egg on toast + freshly prepared mixed fruit juice with 1 tablespoon soaked chia seeds. |
Lunch | Ground turkey with brown rice, cherry tomatoes, and 4 roasted almonds + GOLO Release supplement (1 capsule) |
Dinner | Lentil vegetable soup + 2 garlic cheese breadsticks |
Day 7 (Sunday)
Meals | What To Eat |
---|---|
Breakfast | Poached eggs with broccoli, tomatoes, and wholemeal flatbread (2 slices) + 1 bowl of fresh fruits |
Lunch | 2 pork tacos + fresh leafy vegetable salad with coconut oil/olive oil dressing and crushed nuts |
Dinner | Pan-fried salmon with sprouts and vegetables sautéed in olive oil |
Now that you have a fair idea of the GOLO diet meal plan, let’s check out some dishes you can add to it.
The GOLO Diet Recipes
1. Turkey Breast With Cranberry Brown Rice
Preparation Time: 20 minutes, Cooking Time: 20 minutes, Total Time: 40 Minutes, Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cranberry juice
- 2 tablespoons celery, chopped
- 2 tablespoons red onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon orange zest, grated
- Garlic powder, salt, and pepper as per taste
- 1 boneless, skinless turkey breast
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1⅓ cup long-grain brown rice
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
- ⅔ cup roasted almonds, sliced
How To Prepare
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix all the fresh ingredients except the turkey breast and rice.
- Rub salt and pepper onto the turkey breast and place it in a greased pan.
- Spread the mixture of fresh ingredients on the turkey breast.
- Roast the turkey breast until the thermometer reads 165°F. This should take 45-55 minutes. Drizzle the orange juice into the pan halfway through the roasting time.
- In a saucepan, mix the rice and dried cranberries and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let it simmer for 40-45 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Remove the turkey breast from the oven. Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing it. Serve with rice.
2. Tuna Lettuce Wrap
Preparation Time: 10 minutes, Cooking Time: 10 minutes, Total Time: 20 Minutes, Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 can of tuna
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- ½ medium-sized tomato
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- Herbs seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
How To Prepare
- Chop all the vegetables in cubes.
- Mix the tuna, mayonnaise, mustard, herbs seasoning, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Add the bell pepper, onion, and cilantro and mix well. You can squeeze a bit of lemon juice to enhance the flavor.
- Rinse the lettuce and pull out 5-6 leaves.
- Fill the leaves with the stuffing, wrap it, and eat it!
Scroll down for a helpful guide on what you can and cannot eat on the GOLO diet!
What To Eat?
If you still want to reduce some pounds by following the GOLO diet, here are a few lists of food items that you can take or avoid. Read on!
Foods To Eat
Cereals: Brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa, steel-cut oats, whole grain pasta, bulgur wheat, and barley.
Proteins: Lean cuts of beef, pork, chicken, and fish.
Vegetables: Any fresh seasonal vegetables.
Fruits: Any fresh seasonal fruits.
Dairy products: Cheese, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice-cream.
Foods To Avoid
Processed Foods: Chips, crackers, baked goods, and confectionery.
Red Meat: Fatty cuts of beef, pork, and lamb.
Sugar-sweetened Beverages: Soda, sweetened drinks, sports drinks, vitamin water, and processed fruit juices.
Check out the cost of the GOLO Diet packages below!
How Much Does The GOLO Diet Cost?
The cost of GOLO packages varies based on your weight-loss goal and the time you want to dedicate to it.
A 30-day package costs $49.95. It lasts for about 30-60 days and offers 10-20 lbs of weight loss.
A 60-day package costs $79.90. It lasts for about 60-90 days and offers 21-40 lbs of weight loss.
A 90-day package costs $99.90. It lasts for about 90-150 days and offers 41-60 lbs of weight loss.
You can choose your package as per your requirement from the online GOLO shop.
Now, let’s answer the important questions – what are the pros and cons of the GOLO diet?
Benefits Of The GOLO Diet (Pros)
- Increasing exercise, eliminating processed foods, and eating healthy whole foods is the main principle of following the GOLO diet.
- Eating balanced meals and practicing healthy habits is key to the GOLO diet.
- This diet focuses on eating foods from all the basic food groups.
- It encourages eating lots of green and colorful vegetables, healthy fats, and lean protein that are not only loaded with vitamins and minerals but also improve satiety, i.e., make you feel fuller for longer.
- The GOLO diet focuses on eating 1-2 servings of whole grains in controlled portions to curb your hunger.
The Downside Of The GOLO Diet (Cons)
- There is no scientific evidence that the GOLO dietary supplement itself aids weight loss directly.
- Unbiased research is still lacking. Though a few studies have shown some positive results, they are not conclusive.
- It is quite expensive to follow.
The GOLO diet focuses on controlling hormone levels to improve insulin sensitivity by combining supplements with a healthy diet and exercise. This diet does not endorse cutting food intake. Though it can be costly to follow, it is worth a shot if you want quick results. However, there is no scientific evidence to prove that the GOLO dietary supplement aids weight loss directly. Follow the diet plans mentioned above and see results by yourself. However, speak with your doctor or a trained dietitian before beginning this regimen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does GOLO have caffeine?
The GOLO supplement does not have any caffeine. It is also free from soy, gluten, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, and wheat.
Where can you buy the GOLO diet supplements?
The GOLO supplements are available on their official website as well as on Amazon.
7 sources
- “GOLO Weight Loss Program: GOLO For Life Recipes.” GOLO.
www.golo.com/ - Clamp, L. D., et al. “Enhanced insulin sensitivity in successful, long-term weight loss maintainers compared with matched controls with no weight loss history.”Nutrition & diabetes 7.6 (2017): e282-e282.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5519190/ - “GOLO Diet Plan Menu: GOLO Diet Program: GOLO Food Plan.” GOLO.
www.golo.com/pages/golo-diet - Morais, Jennifer Beatriz Silva, et al. “Effect of magnesium supplementation on insulin resistance in humans: A systematic review.”Nutrition 38 (2017): 54-60.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28526383/ - Faure, Patrice, et al. “Zinc and insulin sensitivity.”Biological trace element research 32.1-3 (1992): 305-310.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1375070/ - Havel, Peter J. “A scientific review: the role of chromium in insulin resistance.” Diabetes Educator 30.3 SUPPL. (2004): 1-14.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15208835/ - Rössner, S., et al. “Long‐term weight loss and weight‐loss maintenance strategies.”Obesity reviews 9.6 (2008): 624-630.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK221839/
Key Takeaways
- GOLO diet focuses on decreasing insulin resistance, enhancing metabolism, and stimulating weight loss.
- You have to take a GOLO supplement made from nourishing nutrients, along with eating healthily and exercising.
- The GOLO diet plan consists of three well-balanced meals with greens, eggs, meat, fruits, and vegetables.