When it comes to weight loss, there are two categories of liquid diets. The first is a medically supervised very low calorie liquid diet that is often used prior to gastric bypass surgery or in cases of extreme obesity to help with a serious medical condition. The second, and more common option is a commercially available liquid meal replacement that is used in conjunction with eating. The meal replacements are only used once or twice daily to help lower overall calorie count.
Calories and Weight Loss
Losing weight is a mathematical equation -- consume fewer calories than your body uses and you will lose weight as your body converts stored fat to energy. It takes a 3,500 calorie deficit to lose 1 lb. If you can cut between 500 and 1,000 calories from your daily diet through a combination of eating less and exercising more, you should expect to lose between 1 and 2 lbs. weekly. However, it's important to cut calories judiciously. You need to ensure adequate nutrition and keep your metabolism high. If your calorie count drops below 1,200 calories daily, you could slow your metabolism and stall weight loss.
Liquid Meal Replacements
Replacing one or two meals with a high-protein liquid meal replacement is a convenient way to help you avoid overeating, keep your total calorie count in check and help you to stop skipping meals. Skipping meals will also slow your metabolism and hinder weight loss. Look for a meal replacement that contains between 200 and 300 calories; any less and you may be hungry sooner, any more and you may consume too many total calories. It's important that your meal replacement contain the same amount of nutrients, especially protein, that you would get from eating real food. Keeping protein intake up helps your body use stored fat, rather than lean muscle mass, for energy.
Meals and Meal Replacements
If you're drinking between 500 and 600 calories, you'll need to eat between 600 and 700 calories each day to meet your minimum metabolic requirements. Complement your liquid diet with healthy foods such as non-starchy vegetables, high-fiber legumes and whole grains, fruits that are low in natural sugars and lean proteins such as poultry, seafood or fish. Eating a 400-calorie meal and having one or two 100 calorie snacks during the day or before bedtime can help keep glucose levels stable. Eat every 4 hours if possible; which should help you avoid hypoglycemia and prevent hunger, headache and fatigue -- all symptoms of low blood sugar.
Healthy Weight Loss
Eating a low-calorie balanced diet that includes a variety of foods and regular physical activity -- at least 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week, should result in weight loss., according to the National Institutes of Health. One of the problems using liquid meal replacements is that you don't necessarily learn healthier eating habits. Eventually you'll have to transition off of the meal replacement and eat only food. According to Monica Zangwill, M.D., if you return to your previous unhealthy eating habits, it's very likely that you will regain some of the weight you have lost.
References
- Vanderbilt University: Liquid Diets -- Safe and Effective?; Elizabeth Hemphill
- "People"; Liquid Diets Make You Thinner but May Pose Big Fat Health Risks; Andrea Fine; April 1990
- MSNBC.com; A Detox Diet that Isn't Crazy; Camille Noe Pagan; June 2010
- Medline Plus: Tips For Losing Weight; David Zieve, MD; October 2009
- Health Library; Diet Shakes and Meal Replacements: Can They Really Help You Lose Weight?; Monica Zangwill, MD, MPH; November 2010
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