Low Calorie Liquid Diets

Liquid diets involve eating only liquid high protein drinks for a 12-week period. This type of diet is recommended for those who are obese, and is inappropriate and even dangerous to undergo without the supervision of a doctor. It is estimated that you can lose approximately three to four pounds during each week of this diet. The high dose of protein helps to keep you feeling full and energetic during this period.

The diet

• The low-calorie liquid diet should always be undertaken with supervision from your doctor. It has been known to cause side effects such as headaches, dizziness, muscle cramps and heart palpitations, so it is important to have the support of your doctor. The low-calorie liquid diet is only suitable for those who are obese.

  This diet has three stages. The first 12 weeks involve high-protein low-calorie drinks. These include brands such as Optifast and Slim Fast. These high-protein drinks are designed to be safely used as meal replacements, and they contain vitamins and carbohydrates as well as protein.

  Protein is digested more slowly than other foods and therefore helps you feel full longer. It also balances blood sugar levels and helps you feel energized and strong. Protein assists in muscle recovery and, when taken within half an hour after working out, it will help the muscles to repair and develop faster so that more intensive workouts can be done more often due to less recovery time. All of these benefits of a high-protein intake help to assure that a person on the liquid diet has the sustenance he needs.

  The diet consists of consuming between 400 and 800 calories a day. For every 3,500 calories lost, a pound is shed. It is estimated that you could lose up to four pounds a week from this diet, when followed correctly.

Reintegrating food after the fast

• After completing 12 weeks of the liquid diet with the supervision of a doctor, the next steps are about reintroducing healthy food slowly over the course of a couple of weeks. Then, once a new diet has been set in place, maintenance is the final step. The entire process is designed to drastically change both body weight and lifestyle patterns, and exercise and healthy eating are essential parts of success once regular food is reintegrated back into the diet.

  Once the 12-week liquid diet period is over, you can begin to reintegrate fruits and vegetables into your diet, followed by beans, nuts and grains and then whole-wheat products. Dairy, eggs and meat are a little more complicated to digest and should be reintegrated once the stomach is digesting comfortably. Taking a probiotic supplement is recommended.