What do you think about a liquid protein diet?

satyrical

Hi,

I was thinking of following a liquid diet to jump start my weight loss. Eating 1 high protein meal (breakfast) and then have 2 protein shakes for lunch and dinner. I am just wondering if something like that can do damage in the long term, 60 days. I also walk between 7-10 miles a day and I will be starting 20 min weight training next week and I am wondering if that type of diet will be able to sustain me or not. Has anyone else done a liquid diet for that long? If so do you have any tips? Was it a success, if so how much did you lose?

Thanks for the help, tips and advice.

bajoyba

Honestly, I think that sounds horrible.

You can't jumpstart your weight loss. If you suddenly lower your carb/calorie intake, you will probably see a sudden drop on the scale, but that drop is water, not fat. To lose fat, all you have to do is eat at a calorie deficit and be patient. You can do that eating real food.

As far as the long-term consequences of a liquid protein diet, it really depends on the nutritional content of the shakes and how many calories you're consuming throughout the day. Many protein shakes are meant to be consumed as protein supplements, not as meal replacements, because they often contain plenty of protein but lack other macros and the vitamins/minerals that you would get from eating a normal diet. If you're set on a liquid diet, you need to make sure that you buy a product intended as a meal replacement so that you're not cutting vital nutrition out of your diet.

But my opinion is that if you want to achieve long-term, sustainable success, you have to find a way of eating and exercising that you can stick to forever. Losing the weight is only half the battle - you also have to learn how to keep it off. The best way to do that is to put in the time and energy it takes to learn how to meet your body's energy needs with the foods you want to eat for the rest of your life.

WBB55

Hi,

I was thinking of following a liquid diet to jump start my weight loss. Eating 1 high protein meal (breakfast) and then have 2 protein shakes for lunch and dinner. I am just wondering if something like that can do damage in the long term, 60 days. I also walk between 7-10 miles a day and I will be starting 20 min weight training next week and I am wondering if that type of diet will be able to sustain me or not. Has anyone else done a liquid diet for that long? If so do you have any tips? Was it a success, if so how much did you lose?

Thanks for the help, tips and advice.

How many calories is this? Have you talked to a doctor? What's your current weight and height?

In general, I don't like the sound of it. But I'd need more details.

Anderson519

I do Herbalife protein/healthy meal shakes for 2 meals a day with 2 snacks and one healthy meal and I love it!! They have all the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs. Good Luck!

satyrical

Right now i am at 198 and I am 5'9. I have been using MFP and I have lost 12 lbs so far. I have a tendency to go strong for a few weeks and then sort of fall off the wagon...but surprisingly I don't gain the weight back. I was thinking if I had a more restrictive diet it would be easier to maintain, even eating the same number of calories. Right now i just feel like I have too many choices and that makes me feel a little out of control and want to have everything. I was hoping if I could limit my self more in the beginning and slowly reintroduce foods I would gain more control over my eating habits and I picked 60 days because that is how long I heard it would take to break a bad habit.

KM0692

I would think that as soon as you start eating solid food again, the weight would come right back. It also sounds miserable. Liquids don't fill me. If I had just shakes for lunch and dinner, I would be one irritable you know what. :-O

Gel_W91

But I don't understand, why wouldn't just eat the food? What changes when it becomes blended? It goes quicker..or..??

It makes no sense.

I don't understand why people blend there food like that. You know these things are like, sides and snacks? Protein shake after a work out, usually on top of your meals .. and say, juicing some fruit up, as a drink, not for a whole meal?

Crazy. Makes no sense. It's not gonna help you lose weight any more than just eating it would.

kellyskitties

For some, for a few days I would support it. For you, it sounds like your stick-to-it is broken or the diet you are attempting is already too strict. I think wanting stricter may point to the fact that you aren't looking for balance.

Try not to seek perfection - it's never going to happen. My weight loss speeds and slows - and I've come to accept that. My days vary in how good my choices are - and I've come to accept that too. Seek, instead, progress.

If you need routine to limit your choices - that's easy. Work up some standard meal planning and try prelogging it.

Currently my routine is this: breakfast coffee and some sort of treat (I sleep until 11ish so lunch comes soon after; lunch - salad with whatever strikes me; snacks: yogurt & fruit (nuts maybe), banana (before I workout), postworkout coffee shake, some salty snack (popcorn, chips (I weight out my 1 DAMN ounce and eat them in nibbles), pretzels); then supper = some sort of home cooked meal ala my cooking OR dinner out (fairly rare). Whatever I eat in this - pretty much follows my pattern, but I work in what I want if I really really want it. There is a pattern to it, but it's still got some options. I also eat a turkey sandwich a lot of days - I keep that on the list for a "I'm just hungry" moment.

Work out a meal routine - the shopping is easier, the choices are easier.

I wonder if you aren't obsessing? I have a tendency to do this - full throttle, all out perfection or quit. I'm learning to let that go and having more success than ever.

WalkingAlong

... Right now i just feel like I have too many choices and that makes me feel a little out of control and want to have everything. I was hoping if I could limit my self more in the beginning and slowly reintroduce foods I would gain more control over my eating habits and I picked 60 days because that is how long I heard it would take to break a bad habit.

My fear would be that after a liquid diet, I would REALLY want to eat everything. And 'slowly reintroduce' would be like- "Hello, food, I missed you! All get in my belly now!"

There's not really any set time to break bad habits and I think practicing the new behavior is the only way to get it set in place, not taking the old behavior out of the picture for X days.

And what kellyskitties said.

hearthwood

That idea gets filed in trash can number 13.