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What Is the Definition of a Very Low Kilocalorie Diet?

Diet plans come in a variety of flavors, but one often misunderstood plan is the "very low calorie diet" (VLCD). A very low calorie diet is designed to promote rapid weight loss in individuals who have reached levels of obesity to the extent that normal dieting will either be ineffective or unfeasible. As a VLCD can have adverse effects on your health, it is always best to utilize this type of plan under the close supervision of your health-care specialist.

  1. VLCD Caloric Levels

    • Very low calorie diets are diets consisting of a daily caloric intake of 1,000 calories or less. While a "normal" diet plan might allow you to consume anywhere from 1,500 to 2,200 calories depending on your size and target rate of weight loss, the VLCD is an extreme solution designed for extreme situations. To give you an example of how low the daily food intake of someone on a VLCD is, 1,000 calories is nothing more than 8 tbsp. of olive oil.

    VLCD Methods

    • In addition to being extremely low in calories, most VLCDs are doctor-supervised affairs, utilizing pre-prepared meal replacement shakes and energy bars to reach the daily calorie limit. Dieting by using these methods is advantageous for difficult cases because it removes the element of choice from the diet. In other words, it is far easier to cheat on a conventional diet than a diet consisting of entirely pre-packaged foods.

    VLCD Subjects

    • The chronically obese are the traditional class of individuals for whom a VLCD is designed. Generally speaking, a VLCD should only be used by someone with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. In certain circumstances, however, individuals with a BMI of 27 to 30 can use a VLCD if their particular medical situation makes rapid weight loss absolutely necessary (such as an individual on the verge of cardiac arrest).

    Benefits

    • Unlike traditional dieting methods, where you should be aiming for weight loss of 1 to 2 lb. per week, a VLCD encourages its users to aim for weight loss ranging from 3 to 5 lb. per week. The rapid drop in weight can also positively affect chronic medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes or cholesterol levels.

    Side Effects

    • Note that diets that are too low in calories leave the user at risk of losing muscle as well as fat. However, in a situation where weight gain has escalated to the point where a VLCD is necessary, losing weight by any means necessary tends to outweigh the benefits of retaining muscle mass while dieting. Additional side effects of a VLCD can include digestive issues like diarrhea or constipation.

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