With so many extreme and fad diets out there, it seems impossible to find something that truly works without putting your health at risk. If you’re looking to lose weight the healthy way, you need to look into doctor-approved methods. While some were specifically created for obese people who have a significant amount of weight to lose, others can be used by everybody at any time.
Prescription Drugs
According to the Weight Control Information Network, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, five drugs have been approved by the FDA for weight loss purposes, of which four are appetite suppressants and one is a lipase inhibitor, which means it prevents the absorption of fat by the body. These drugs come with side effects that range from headaches and gastrointestinal issues to increased blood pressure, insomnia and rapid heartbeat. Orlistat and Sibutramine are the only two that are approved for long-term use.
Four other drugs not currently approved by the FDA are often prescribed off labels by doctors to help with weight loss. This includes the antidepressive bupropion, two drugs used to treat seizures and the drug metformin, used to treat diabetes.
Liquid Diets
Liquid diets have a very low calorie content. According to Vanderbilt University, prescription liquid diets provide a total of between 400 and 800 total calories a day. This is known as “the fasting period” and lasts an average of three months, during which the patient only drinks the shakes provided by the doctor. Examples of liquid diets include HMR, Optifast and Medifast. After the three months are over, or after the patient has lost a significant amount of weight, sensible meals are reintroduced. The last stage, the maintenance period, is only started once all the excess weight has been lost.
Patients must be under constant supervision when on a liquid diet to ensure they stay healthy and strong on such low caloric intake. Exercise is required as part of the diet and most plans also insist on support groups or group therapy to increase the likeness of success.
Mayo Clinic Diet
Over the years, a number of diets in the market have claimed to be the Mayo Clinic Diet, but according to an interview with Mayo Clinics experts, the only real Mayo Clinic Diet came out as a book in January 2010 and nothing mentioned or published before that date is real. In an interview published in US Health News, representatives from the Mayo Clinic talked about the diet’s expected weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs. a week, which is the average recommended weight loss for any diet plan. Those who follow the Mayo Clinic diet can expect to lose a larger amount during the first week, mostly due to water loss, but the diet’s main objective is long-term weight management, rather than a quick fix.
The Mayo Clinic diet is based on a modified version of the FDA’s Food Pyramid. Aside from changes in the way you eat and exercise, the plan teaches you how to change habits that are damaging, whether that means emotional eating or indulging in over-processed food. The diet’s is centered on the 15-Habit Program, which asks you to give up five bad diet habits, learn five new ones and then choose from a list of five optional ones that include things like keeping a food diary. Eating out is discouraged and heavily processed foods need to be eliminated, but in general this is common-sense diet with no extremes.
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