Best Liquid Diet

In present times, more and more people are opting to alternate their unhealthy lifestyles of eating fried and calorie-filled foods. One of the new fads of quickly losing weight, without the need of exercising, is being on the best liquid diet plan that suits you. It promises to help you lose weight and detoxifies your body as well. Due to its convenience, it has become one of the most popular ways to shed pounds off your body.

So, what is the diet plan and what does it consist of? What are the liquid diet foods that work? Normally, the diet plan introduces a nutritional and balanced shake (sometimes snack bars as well) which is made of sugar, skim milk powder, vitamins, minerals, sweetener, and fiber. Along with the shakes and snack bars, these plans can also consist of solid foods. Basically these protein shakes are designed to replace your solid foods in order to help you lose weight. Other than these shakes, liquid diets also consist of clear liquids (with nothing solid in it) like soups, fruit and vegetable juices, and Jell-O. Certain types of liquid diets are introduced for obese people and those that are advised to lose weight for various health reasons. For the purposes of this article, let's just concentrate on the protein shakes which are more popular among other diet plans.

Liquid Diet to Lose Weight

What these fad diets do is replace either one or both your meals during the day. Instead of eating solid foods, you'll be under a low calorie liquid diet. There are two main categories of liquid diets or meal replacement plans. Let's go over them one by one and find out if this is the best weight loss diet for you.

Low Calorie Liquid Diet
In the first meal replacement plan, a person will be under medical supervision while on the diet. Providing about 500 - 800 total calories each day, a person follows the liquid diet for a while. Later on, as the program progresses, solid foods are included in the diet as well. Typically, this type of liquid diet is ideal for obese people and helps to lose weight quickly. If you feel that you wish to get on this high protein, low calorie diet plan, you need to talk to your doctor before you begin. The reason is; this diet should always be monitored or supervised to keep an eye on your progress and nutritional intakes.

For an entire day's calorie intake structure, you will be given 5 protein shakes which are 100 calories each. So, the total calorie intake in one day would be 500 calories (the number of calories may vary depending on which liquid diet plan you're on). In addition, a real meal is also consumed which is about 200 calories. Combining all the calories together your day's total calorie intake comes to around 700 calories. Basically the point of having only high protein, low calorie shakes is to keep you from eating more. One pound is equal to 3500 calories. For an average American, a total of 1800 calories is required for a full day's worth of nutrients. So, when you reduce that 1800 calories to mere 700 - 800 calories, it definitely helps in losing weight. But there are drawbacks to the low calorie diet.

• Diet offers too little fiber.
• Lack of essential antioxidants which are found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• These diets can lower resistance to certain diseases.
• Diet unsafe if medical supervision or prescription is not followed.
• Within 3 years, at least 75% of weight loss can be regained.

Commercial Liquid Diet
The second meal replacement plan is the most popular diet plan. A person replaces his/her meals (either one or both) by consuming low fat and low calorie snacks and foods. These are commercially available diet plans. The meals are pre-packaged and all you have to do is just make the purchase. You must have seen advertisements on television, magazines, and radio channels, boasting about the benefits of the diet to lose weight fast.

Some commercial plans, like Medifast and Slimfast, give 3 shakes per day which are 200 calories each. Replacing your solid foods or meals with these shakes will give you about 600 calorie intake, each day (the number of calories may vary depending on which diet you're on). Besides, a real meal (usually in the evening) is also consumed which is about 600 calories. Combine all the calories and your day's total calorie intake comes to around 1200 calories. But there are drawbacks to the commercial liquid diets.

• Substitution of solid foods with shakes have more calories.
• Risk of diabetes increases due to fluctuation in blood sugar levels as there is no medical supervision.
• People with high blood pressure and cardiac problems should stay clear from the plan.
• Loss of excess lean body mass increases the chances of developing cardiac problems.

Besides these main diets, there are other fad diets that attract people with their quick weight loss promises. Such diets mainly consist of either drinking unsweetened or light fruit juices and cabbage soup diet. The most important fact is the issue of eating habits, despite finding the right diet that works for you in a positive way. The sole reason behind gaining weight is unhealthy eating habits. Although the short term plan of liquid diets may be successful, but later on when you get back to your regular lifestyle, the pounds which you lost may return. The truth remains that even a healthy diet can only help you lose fluid, not the fat. This quick weight loss program will give you rapid results, but at what price?

Improper ingredients and lack of essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs, etc. in the diet can only ruin your chances of losing weight the right way. That is why, before you consider going on a diet (any diet), getting all information regarding what works best according to your weight loss goals and how you can better the results, is a smart choice. Without proper diet and sufficient exercises, any long term weight loss goal is simply not possible.