When you're trying to lose weight, it often helps with your motivation to get your diet off to a rapid start. That's where the liquid "Kickstart" diet comes in, according to the program's website. On the Kickstart diet, you'll consume very few calories over the course of a three-day kickstart period as you're beginning your diet.
Significance
Many dieters use liquid diets, which can involve juice or even a water fast, to lose weight quickly, according to Vanderbilt University. The Kickstart diet program, which bills itself as a cleanse in addition to a diet, allows you to have some solid food in the form of two meals per day along with the required juices.
Types
The Kickstart liquid diet menus include a variety of shakes, soups and some solid foods such as a brownie. For example, on day one you'd drink a berry chia smoothie for breakfast, eat kale soup for lunch, drink another smoothie for a snack, consume a lemon citrus cleanse in late afternoon, have a bean burrito for dinner and a brownie for dessert. Total calories for the day equal about 1,200.
Function
Kickstart claims that the "special cooking techniques and added minerals in the food" allow the program to function as a cleanse, even though it allows you to eat solid food. However, there's no scientific evidence for this. The Kickstart liquid diet program features all-vegan cuisine, raw drinks and slightly cooked food.
Effects
Kickstart warns that you may feel some unpleasant side effects while doing the three-day cleanse diet. For example, symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, headaches and bad breath usually kick in around the second day of the program, according to Kickstart. These effects are similar to those that would be seen on a liquid fast, according to Vanderbilt University. In addition, the Kickstart website warns that some people feel briefly depressed as a result of the cleanse.
Considerations
The program is not cheap: a three-day cleanse package that includes everything you need costs $225.00, according to the Kickstart liquid diet website. Although you'll likely lose a pound or two by following the program for the recommended three days, there's no medical evidence for the cleanse effects claimed by Kickstart. In addition, you should check with your doctor before starting any diet, since you may have medical conditions that preclude this particular program.
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