How Much Weight Can You Lose On A Liquid Diet?

Wanna get slim and trim? Well, you’ve got a lot of ways to do that. Diet plans, physical activity, gym training, surgical procedures, and whatnot. But the new trend is to follow a liquid diet plan to do so. Yes, a liquid-only diet, in which you are not allowed to take any solids, but the liquids. Some liquid diets offer one-time meal replacement with liquids, while others suggest a complete cut back on solid foods. So, does a liquid diet really help in weight loss? And if so, then how much weight can be lost by following a strict liquid diet? Anyone can get confused about these queries. Here’s your answer to that.

What is a liquid diet?

Its name is the introduction itself. A diet that only contains liquids in different flavors and nutritional content according to one’s fitness goals and desires. Some suggest following a liquid diet throughout the day while some suggest replacing one meal with liquid-only foods. As it is considered one of the most restrictive diets, it is suggested not to follow it for more than 14 days. One can see results or no results in this time span, and if it’s not working then you should think of something else for your weight loss journey.

Major types of liquid diets

A liquid diet can be categorized based on the type of liquid you consume and how often.

1. Water fasting

Requires you to fast with only water intake for 3-5 days. You can consume herbal teas without sugar, but it is a really hard one and not everyone can follow this diet.

2. Alternate-day fasting

This is an easy one to follow. One day liquid only and the other day you can consume your balanced solid meals.

3. Meal replacement liquid diet

In this diet, you replace your meals with protein shakes to cover the nutritional loss while cutting on solid foods.

4. Clear liquid diet

The toughest one to follow. You are not allowed to drink any shakes or smoothies, but only clear liquids including juices, teas, broths, and water.

Any benefits?

There are a few benefits of liquid-only diet:

• Its quick proven results can motivate people to lose weight
• Works best for the people who transition to healthy eating habits
• It’s a simple diet to follow
• It helps in weight loss
• It helps in the detoxification of the body

How does it help in weight loss?

A liquid diet means intake of fewer calories. Liquid foods contain very less amount of calories, roughly around 400-500 calories. So, the fewer the intake, the more our body burns the calories to function. But it is important to keep in mind that a liquid you are consuming should have fewer calories than the number of calories your body burns. Being high in sugar content, Some shakes and juices contain way more calories. This can add up the number of calories and one can end up consuming 800-1200 calories a day.

How much can a person lose weight with a liquid diet?

According to some claims, one can lose upto 8-10 pounds in a 2-week span, if one follows a liquid diet strictly. But the weight loss varies from body to body. So, if it works for you, you can easily lose a number of pounds claimed; but if it’s not for you, you might not see a significant difference. You can also combine your liquid diet with physical activities to speed up the weight loss process. But intense workouts need a lot of energy, which your body cannot provide during liquid diets. So, this diet requires you to stick to basic physical activity on a daily basis.

Drawbacks of liquid diet

Though our body’s composition includes 70 percent water, it does not like to stay too long on liquid only. Our body needs complete nutrition but a liquid diet unfortunately cannot provide that. Staying too long on a liquid diet can activate our body’s starvation mode, in which our body’s metabolism gets very slow, and eventually, it starts relying on the remaining calories and you crave more for the solid food. That’s why it cannot be taken as a sustainable diet.

Other than that, following a typical liquid diet on a daily basis can get boring. It also lacks essential macro and micronutrients and the fiber necessary for the proper functioning of our body. Studies also revealed that following a liquid-only diet for so long can cause eating disorders like bulimia, anorexia, and binge-eating disorder.

Conclusion

Cutting back on calorie intake will definitely help in weight loss, that’s what a liquid diet does. While it can surely help you lose weight, it’s not a long-term solution. If you need to lose weight for any reason, try eating balanced and healthy meals with regular physical activity. But if you are convinced that a liquid diet can be your savior, then try following this diet once a day- replacing a one-time meal with liquid only that way, it’ll work out in your favor.