The GM diet — originally rumoured to have been designed at General Motors, though that origin is disputed — is a seven-day plan that cycles through a fruit day, vegetable days, a banana-milk day, and finally a rice-and-vegetable day. The Indian vegetarian adaptation below keeps the structure intact while using foods most Indian households actually cook. Expect a 3–5 kg drop, most of it water and glycogen initially, with a genuine deficit layered on top.

Who it's for, who it isn't

This plan is short, restrictive, and not sustainable beyond a week. It works well as a reset before building a long-term routine. It's not appropriate for anyone pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, managing a kidney condition, or with a history of eating disorders. Check with your doctor if you're unsure.

General rules

• Drink at least three litres of water a day.
• Black coffee, green tea, and lemon water are allowed any day.
• Avoid sugar, fried food, and alcohol for the full week.
• If you exercise, keep it to walking — no heavy training this week.

Day 1 — All fruits (except bananas)

Eat as much as you want of any fruit except bananas. Aim for variety: apples, oranges, papaya, watermelon, pomegranate, pears, guava, berries. Watermelon and papaya are ideal. Avoid mango and grapes if you're strict.

• Breakfast: One bowl papaya + one apple.
• Mid-morning: Watermelon cubes.
• Lunch: Mixed fruit bowl with pomegranate, pear, orange.
• Snack: Guava with a pinch of black salt.
• Dinner: Bowl of watermelon or papaya.

Day 2 — All vegetables

Raw or cooked, unlimited, no oil or minimal oil. Start the day with a boiled potato for energy — it's the only starch allowed today.

• Breakfast: One boiled potato with black pepper.
• Lunch: Steamed mixed vegetables (lauki, beans, carrot, cabbage) with lemon and jeera.
• Snack: Cucumber and carrot sticks.
• Dinner: Large raw salad — tomato, cucumber, onion, sprouts, lemon, pepper.

Day 3 — Fruits and vegetables (no potato, no banana)

Combine the first two days. Energy is often lower today — keep fluids high.

• Breakfast: Papaya and apple bowl.
• Lunch: Vegetable salad with sprouts.
• Snack: Orange or guava.
• Dinner: Steamed vegetables and a small fruit bowl.

Day 4 — Bananas and milk

Up to 6 bananas and 3 glasses of skim or toned milk across the day. One bowl of light vegetable soup is allowed at dinner.

• Breakfast: 2 bananas + 1 glass milk.
• Lunch: 2 bananas + 1 glass milk.
• Snack: 1 banana.
• Dinner: 1 banana + 1 glass milk + light vegetable soup (tomato-carrot-beetroot, no oil).

Day 5 — Rice and tomatoes

Originally rice and beef. In the vegetarian adaptation: one cup of cooked brown or basmati rice plus six large tomatoes, split across the day. Drink extra water today — acid load is higher.

• Breakfast: Small bowl poha made with tomato, no oil.
• Lunch: Rice with tomato rasam (no tempering oil) or tomato curry made with ghee pinch.
• Snack: Sliced tomato with salt and pepper.
• Dinner: Rice with tomato-vegetable preparation.

Day 6 — Rice and vegetables

Similar to Day 5 but replace tomatoes with a mix of vegetables. Energy typically recovers today.

• Breakfast: Vegetable upma (minimal oil).
• Lunch: Rice with steamed mixed vegetables and lemon.
• Snack: Cucumber sticks with hummus.
• Dinner: Rice with a bowl of clear vegetable soup.

Day 7 — Rice, fruit juice, and vegetables

Finishing day. One cup rice, unlimited vegetables, and fresh fruit juice (unsweetened, no packaged juice).

• Breakfast: Fresh fruit juice + a small bowl of poha.
• Lunch: Rice with mixed vegetable sabzi (no oil or very little).
• Snack: Fresh juice.
• Dinner: Vegetable soup with a small portion of rice.

Day 8 and beyond — don't undo the week

Re-feed slowly. Add protein and healthy fats back first, then gradually return to a balanced, maintenance-calorie diet. The weight that stays off after a GM week is the weight you didn't re-eat in the following fortnight. Build a sustainable routine — protein-forward meals, two strength sessions a week, eight thousand steps a day — and use GM-style resets sparingly, no more than once a quarter.