Glycemic Load Diet

glycemic-load-dietThe Glycemic Load Diet, by Rob Thompson, MD is a refinement of earlier low-carbohydrate diets.

It aims to reduce the glycemic load in the diet – the impact on blood glucose levels of a serving of a given food, as identified in the Glycemic Index.

The increased consumption of starchy carbohydrates, particularly wheat, is held to blame for the obesity problem. Also, the claim is made that insulin resistance (said to be present in 22% of the population) would be less evident if starchy carbs like rice, potatoes and bread were reduced.

Insulin regulates glucose consumption in the body, mainly the muscles. If these become insensitive to insulin (called insulin resistance) then weight-gain results. Refined carbs are the major source of glucose in the diet. For example, it is suggested that no more than a quarter-serving of these foods be consumed at one sitting, alongside cutting out drinks and juices with added sugar.

The Glycemic Load Diet also requires 30-40 minutes of walking every other day, with the objective of activating ‘slow-twitch muscle’ to improve the insulin resistant condition.

Glycemic index/Glycemic load

The glycemic index measures the effect on blood glucose of a given amount of carbohydrate from a particular food source, in comparison to the same amount of carbohydrate in white bread as the standard (set at 100).

The glycemic load corrects that figure for serving size or amount consumed, and it this glycemic load which forms the basis of the Glycemic Load Diet. The advice given is that the total glycemic load in foods consumed each day should be under 500.

Glycemic load of baked goods, breads and cereals

This list is quoted in the book The Glycemic Load Diet.

As such it uses a different formula than other measures of Glycemic Load such as the University of Sydney.

Food Item Description Glycemic
Index
Typical
American
Serving
Glycemic Load
White bread 30 grams-1/2″ slice 100 1-1/16oz 100
Baked Goods:
Oatmeal cookie 1 medium 77 1oz 102
Apple muffin-sugarless 2-1/2″ diameter 69 2-1/2oz 107
Cookie: average all types 1 medium size 84 1oz 114
Croissant 1 Medium size 96 1-1/2oz 127
Crumpet 1 Medium size 69 2oz 148
Bran muffin 2-1/2″ diameter 85 2oz 149
Pastry Average serving 84 2oz 149
Chocolate cake 1 slice (4″X4″X1″)
54
3oz
154
Vanilla Wafers 4 wafers 110 1oz 159
Graham cracker 1 rectangle 106 1oz 159
Blueberry muffin 2-1/2″ diameter 84 2oz 169
Pita bread 1 medium size> 82 2oz 189
Carrot cake
1 square (3″X3″X1-1/2″)
88
2oz
199
Carrot muffin
2-1/2″ diameter
88
2oz
199
Waffle
7″ diameter
109
2-1/2oz
203
Doughnut
1 Medium size
108
2oz
205
Cup Cake
2-1/2″ diameter
104
1-1/2oz
213
Angel food cake
1 slice (4’X4″X1″)
95
2oz
216
English Muffin
1 medium size
109
2oz
224
Pound Cake
1 slice (4″X4″X1″)
77
3oz
241
Corn muffin
2-1/2″ diameter
146
2oz
299
Pancake
5″ diameter
96
2-1/2oz
346
Breads and Rolls:
Tortilla (wheat)
1 medium size
43
1-3/8oz
64
Pizza crust
1 slice
43
3.5oz
70
Tortilla (corn)
1 medium size
74
1-1/4oz
87
White Bread
1 slice-1/2″ thick
100
1oz
107
Whole meal rye bread
3/8″ slice
97
2oz
114
Sourdough bread
3/8″ slice
77
1-1/2oz
114
Oat bran bread
3/8″ slice
68
1-1/2oz
128
Whole Wheat Bread
1 slice-1/2″ thick
101
1-1/2oz
129
Light rye bread
3/8″ slice
97
1-1/2oz
142
Banana Bread-sugarless
1 slice (4″X4″X1″)
79
3oz
170
80% whole-kernel oat bread
3/8″ slice
93
1-1/2oz
170
Pita bread
8″ diameter
82
2oz
189
Hamburger Bun
Top & bottom-5″diameter
87
2-1/2oz
213
80% whole-kernel wheat bread
3/8″ slice
74
2.25oz
213
French Bread
1 slice-1/2″ thick
136
2oz
284
Bagel
1 Medium size
103
3-1/3oz
340
Breakfast Cereals:
All Bran
1/2 cup
54
1oz
85
@Muesli@
1 cup
69
1oz
95
Special K
1cup
98
1oz
133
Cheerios
1 cup
106
1oz
142
Shredded Wheat
1 cup
107
1oz
142
Grapenuts
1 cup
102
1oz
142
Puffed Wheat
1 cup
105
1oz
151
Instant Oatmeal (cooked)
1 cup
94
8oz
154
Cream of Wheat-cooked
1 cup
94
8oz
154
Total
1 cup
109
1oz
161
Corn Flakes
1 cup
116
1oz
199
Rice Crispies
1 cup
117
1oz
208
Rice Chex
1 cup
127
1oz
218
Raisin Bran
1 cup
87
2oz
227

Costs and Expenses

The book The Glycemic Load Diet retails for $16.95 contains about 80 pages of recipes. There are no meal plans as such.

Available from Amazon →

 By Mizpah Matus B.Hlth.Sc(Hons)
  • Ebbeling, C. B., Leidig, M. M., Feldman, H. A., Lovesky, M. M., & Ludwig, D. S. (2007). Effects of a low–glycemic load vs low-fat diet in obese young adults: a randomized trial. Jama, 297(19), 2092-2102. abstract
  • McMillan-Price, J., Petocz, P., Atkinson, F., O’Neill, K., Samman, S., Steinbeck, K., … & Brand-Miller, J. (2006). Comparison of 4 diets of varying glycemic load on weight loss and cardiovascular risk reduction in overweight and obese young adults: a randomized controlled trial. Archives of internal medicine, 166(14), 1466-1475. abstract

5 Comments or Reviews

Comments now closed
  1. Ronnie

    After a lot of failed attempts at diets, following the Glycemic Load diet is the only diet I’ve followed that’s resulted in significant weight loss for me. After following the program for 3 months (particularly, religiously following the “no solid startches” and “no sugary drinks” rules), I lost 25 pounds. However, to be objective, I’ve not been able to budge much past that 25lb milestone. It could be the diet, or it could be me, as I found the variety of the diet very tiring, and would sneak in servings of startches spread through the week just to get some variety.

    In the short-term, my appetite has decreased, and when adhering strictly to the diet as I did in the first 3 months, the urge to snack decreased as well (something a serving of grapes and cheese always tended to fix). Long-term, I can’t attest to, but I love how simple the core rules are: they’ve made adherence (on the whole) much easier.

  2. Debra

    I have been following the diet outlined in the book, more than faithfully for 5 weeks now. Not only have I not moved the scale at all, I have actually put on a couple of pounds. I don’t understand and don’t know what to do now.

  3. Karen Leidal

    I would like more information on the Glycemic load diet and a list of foods with Glycemic load values

  4. Wanda Hiebert

    I find this very interesting and would like to know more.

  5. Dr. Mulenga Kasoma

    I would like more information on the Glycemic load diet and a list of foods with Glycemic load values