Diet Plans for Extreme Weight Loss

Diet Plans for Extreme Weight Loss
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Extreme weight loss plans usually involve liquid-only diets or a combination of liquid diet products and solid food. However, the best diet plans for extreme weight loss involve medical supervision because losing too much weight too quickly can imperil your health.

Liquid Diet Basics

If you follow an all-liquid diet as part of a weight-loss program, you'll generally consume between 500 and 1,000 calories each day in prescription diet shakes, according to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. You'll drink your shakes to replace all your meals. You'll also participate in weight management and counseling programs that will encourage you to make the lifestyle changes necessary to maintain your weight loss after the program ends.

Combination Diet Basics

Some medical centers offer a slightly less extreme version of the liquid diet for weight loss in which you can consume some solid foods. For example, the University of California at Irvine Weight Management Program offers a program for patients who need to lose fewer than 30 lb. that combines prescription diet shakes with fruit, vegetables and small entrees. This program does not include ongoing medical supervision, but does include educational materials to teach you how to keep the weight off.

Results

If you follow the most extreme diet plan for weight loss, the all-liquid diet, you can expect to lose 2 to 5 lb. a week as long as you stay on the diet, according to the University of California at Irvine Weight Management Program. If you're eating small amounts of food in addition to the liquid diet shakes in the less extreme version of the diet plan, you'll lose 1 to 2 lb. every week.

Considerations

You shouldn't attempt to devise a diet plan for extreme weight loss on your own, because cutting back to fewer than 1,000 calories a day poses health risks, according to Penn State-Hershey. Extreme diets likely won't contain enough essential vitamins, minerals and protein to keep your body running at its best. You also run the risk of rebounding into obesity through binge eating once you've finished your diet. Check with your doctor before trying any diet plan for extreme weight loss.

References

Article reviewed by Kirk Ericson Last updated on: Jan 31, 2011

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