The Pros And Cons Of Very Low Calorie Diets

By James Steele


You may be wondering whether very low calorie diets are the solution when it comes to losing weight. You probably already know that there are lots of various theories and ideas regarding diets and losing weight, and the experts don't even agree on what is best. For the kinds of diets that cut your calorie intake drastically, normally only those who are very obese are recommended to go on them, not those who want to just shed some weight. You may find the information in this article useful if you are considering going on a very low calorie diet.

Before embarking on a very low calorie diet you should consult your doctor. This can be a dangerous diet for some groups of people, including those with certain medical conditions, children, the elderly and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

OPTIFAST is a popular very low calorie diet that is used by many hospitals around the world. A person over 30 on the BMI scale or overweight by 50 pounds is who the diet was developed for. In other words, if you're only a few pounds overweight, you shouldn't be considering this diet. The advantage of the OPTIFAST program is that it operates within a medical setting, so your progress is being monitored by trained professionals at all times. Because the program has been around since 1974 loads of people have done it, giving it a solid track record for both effectiveness and safety. On the other hand, if you are considering this program, you have to be committed to it, and be willing to make serious changes to your diet and lifestyle.

You can make your own raw food versions of foods, like bread by using a dehydrator, however a raw food diet will normally consist of fruits, sprouts, nuts and vegetables. Lots of people find it rather difficult to stay on track with this kind of diet because eating most everyday foods is forbidden, however this is considered to be healthy. Adding some more raw foods into your very low calorie diet might be something that you want to do, even if you're not so keen on having a 100% raw diet.

From the point of view of overall fitness, very low calorie diets have serious drawbacks. You will lose muscle as well as fat because you are restricting calories which can be unhealthy for a few reasons. As there will be a lack of calcium and dairy with this diet, osteoporosis is a risk for woman on the diet. The lack of energy is a problem with this diet which means that you might not have enough to work out and keep your muscle mass up. Anemia can be a risk in some cases. From this you can see that if you are an average person the diet is not for you, but if you are obese then it is good to be on a very low calorie diet.

In closing, extremely low calorie food programs are not the answer for all dieters, but if your physician gives you a heads up and you wish to choose the intensity, it may be helpful for you. This editorial has gone over some of the preferences. There is a myriad of choices out there, all open for consideration; just remember to check out your options and take heed to testimonials and related stories.




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