If you're considering a liquid diet for weight loss, you may feel put off by the idea of drinking nothing but liquid shakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, it's possible to modify the typical liquid shake diet so that you use the shakes only for breakfast, and then eat low-calorie meals for lunch and dinner. If you choose this method, you probably won't lose weight as quickly, but you may feel more satisfied.
Significance
Liquid diets result in rapid weight loss simply because they restrict calories severely, according to Vanderbilt University. The liquid protein shakes used in most liquid diets include about 200 to 240 calories each, so drinking three of these, one each for breakfast, lunch and dinner, would result in your consuming only about 600 to 720 calories -- enough to lose two to three pounds a week.
Effects
However, simply using a liquid weight loss shake to replace your breakfast foods likely won't result in a huge reduction in your daily calories. For example, if your normal breakfast consists of cereal with skim milk, toast with margarine and juice, you probably take in about 500 calories for breakfast each day. By drinking a shake for breakfast, you'll reduce your caloric intake by about 300 calories, or 2,100 calories per week, and lose a little more than a pound every other week.
Types
Of course, you don't need to limit yourself to a liquid protein shake for breakfast. You could consider drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juice for breakfast, as people do who follow juice fasts, according to Vanderbilt University. This type of liquid breakfast diet would include far fewer calories than a liquid protein shake -- potentially less than 100 calories in total -- but still might include plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Warning
Your liquid breakfast diet won't work, however, if you wind up making up for deprivation at breakfast by scarfing down a bigger-than-normal lunch. Liquid diet programs that allow you to consume one or two meals every day recommend preparing low-fat, high fiber foods, with only the occasional dessert, according to Vanderbilt University.
Considerations
In general, a liquid breakfast diet probably won't present the health risks that a full liquid diet can present, which include irregular heart beats and even a risk of sudden death, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. However, you still should discuss your diet plans with your doctor to make sure you don't have any health problems that would preclude a liquid breakfast diet.
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