There are plenty of people who have found that using a liquid protein diet has worked for them. Basically, a dieter on a liquid protein diet eats little or no solid foods, but they are getting all of the nutrients that they need from liquid protein or protein shots. Some of these diets are liquid only, whereas others let you eat one or two meals, and the third meal is replaced with a protein shake or something similar.
Many people who need to lose weight are seeking help in all the wrong places. They try fad diets with no luck.
Exercise is boring, so a lot of people don’t bother sticking to any kind of a routine for very long. So, besides going the drastic route of gastric bypass surgery, what can a person do to lose weight without completely changing his or her lifestyle?
Liquid protein supplements are easily and quickly digested and aid in long-term muscle growth. Also, people who are vegetarians can benefit from taking protein supplements, so that they are still getting all of the nutrients that they need without having to eat meat.
Will I Gain Back All of the Weight I Lost When I Go Back to My Normal Diet?
Just about everyone who has gone on a diet, especially fad diets, has reported that once they were off of the diet, they gained back the weight that they initially lost. Many people say that they even gained extra weight and were worse off than they were before they started dieting in the first place.
No matter what type of diet you are on, if you go right back to your old eating habits, you are bound to gain weight back. This is also true with liquid protein diets. But, that having been said, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try one of these diets.
You just need to be sensible about it. If you are eating healthily while you are dieting, why wouldn’t you want to keep on this track after you have lost the weight? If you want to maintain your new weight, you need to be willing to work for it.
Liquid diets are usually low in calories, and this is something that you need to remember when the diet is over. Because you were eating a low calorie diet which included liquid protein, you should try to eat a similar amount of calories.
Most diets have plenty of delicious foods anyway, so there is little chance of never being full. If you are on a healthy diet, why not just stay on it!
This way, if you want to splurge on a junky treat once in a while, you can, without having to worry about working it off the next day. You might gain a few ounces, but your new healthy lifestyle will make sure that it doesn’t stick around for long.
Are Liquid Protein Diets Safe?
There are a lot of fad diets out there that are truly unhealthy, and no one should be on them. There are also a lot of terrific diet plans out there. Any diet plan, including a liquid protein diet, can be unsafe if you are not doing it properly.
For example, if you are having protein liquids for breakfast, and a liquid protein lunch, your diet may call for a dinner that consists of solid food. What you need to do is decide which meal is best for you to eat solid food and if it fits within the confines of your diet.
Just because you had your protein shakes for breakfast and lunch doesn’t mean that you can go ahead and have a greasy hamburger and fries for dinner. In a nutshell, what you really need to do is eat sensibly in combination with the liquid protein.
If you are on an extremely low calorie diet, then no diet, liquid or otherwise, is safe or healthy. The body needs a certain amount of nutrients every day to remain strong and healthy, and many low calorie diets do not provide what each person needs.
If you do plan to go on a very low calorie diet (under 1,000 calories daily), speak with your physician first to make sure that it is safe. He or she may be able to provide you with other options. Actually, you really should consult your physician before starting any diet.
A Sample Liquid Protein Diet
There are a number of ways that you can incorporate liquid protein into your diet plan, from using it as added nutrients to meal replacements. Here is a daily menu for women which combines liquid protein with healthy eating. This particular diet replaces breakfast with a protein shake.
You will see that along with the protein shakes, there is plenty of other delicious food to keep you going all day long without feeling hungry, and shows that you can eat sensibly and still enjoy good food.
Breakfast/Mid-Morning Snack/Lunch Protein smoothie: ½ C orange juice, protein powder, ½ C mixed berries, ice. Mix in blender. Water green or herbal Tea, unsweetened Protein Shot or Protein Bar
Choice of: water, green or herbal tea (sweetened with ½ tsp honey) Garden salad: 1oz chicken or tuna, 1C lettuce (any kind), 5 grape tomatoes, 1 stalk celery, 1 radish, 1 small carrot, 1oz cubed or shredded cheddar cheese. Dressing: Lemon juice. Protein Bar
Mid-Afternoon Snack/Dinner/Evening Snack Protein Shake: 1/2C skim milk, 1 banana, liquid protein, ice. Mix in blender.
Small serving of lean red meat, fish or poultry, grilled or baked (not fried) 1C mixed vegetables, fresh or frozen 1 small baked potato with 1 tsp. margarine 2C unsalted, unbuttered popcorn
Choice of: diet soda, water, green or herbal tea (unsweetened)
As you can see, this is not only a healthy meal plan, it is also one that allows you to eat a lot of tasty foods all day long, which is actually better for you than eating three large meals per day and then snacking in between. This way, you are getting foods that taste good, and are healthy and filling. (Source: http://www.webmd.com/diet/liquid-diets )
More Diet Tips
If you want your diet that includes liquid protein to be a success and to maintain that level of success in the future, here are a few more great dieting tips:
Be creative – You don’t necessarily have to limit yourself to the exact foods that are on a diet’s daily menu. Enjoy your liquid protein shakes and smoothies as usual, but there are other things that you can change around. You can substitute many of the items on the menu.
Plan ahead (to a degree) – At the beginning of each week, make a daily meal plan, and try to stick to it. This doesn’t mean that you can’t make substitutions.
After all, just because you planned on Sunday to eat something later on in the week, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you want it when it comes time.
Shop when you’re full – Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. There are way too many tempting items at the grocery store. Also, make a grocery list before you go and stick to it.
Get moving – Get out there and get some exercise. Even if you just make one small change, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work, you will be amazed at how much better you feel.
