At the moment, the liquid diet is gaining popularity as not only a weight loss tool, but as a desired regimen for both pre-op and post-op procedures, especially following bariatric surgeries. With its promise of losing up to 10 kg in a month, drinking your way to a slimmer figure has been so alluring.
What it is
“A liquid diet is exactly what it sounds like: a diet that is only based on fluids. It is only meant to be done for a few days at a time because your body cannot carry on itself over the long term on liquids alone,” said freelance nutritionist Lana AbdulMajeed.
A liquid diet incorporates either partial meal replacement or all fluid consumption, which may be in the form of teas and juices. There are two different types of liquid diets: The clear liquid diet and the full liquid diet.
The clear liquid diet consists of transparent liquids, such as meat or vegetable broth and clear fruit juices. The full liquid diet, on the other hand, consists of both clear and opaque liquids with a smooth consistency. It includes milk, wheat, oatmeal, porridge, soups, fruit juices, etc.
However, not all liquids are allowed on the diet, as the drinks should be sugar free and fat free — meaning no cream or soda.
“The liquid diet plan mainly aims to replace two meals and a snack with carefully planned milkshake meals. However, the mixture of skimmed milk and powdered drink should contain less than 200 calories per drink,” explained AbdulMajeed.
Pros & Cons
Apart from rapid weight loss, liquid diets cleanse the body by removing impurities that may have built in the liver. Moreover, since only nonfat liquids are allowed, the amount of saturated fat intake is greatly reduced, thus lowering cholesterol levels and other health problems.
However, one must keep in mind that liquid diets are not suitable for long-term or excessive weight loss. That is because when partaking in this diet, one can miss out on important vitamins and minerals as well as protein and fiber.
“This diet can be an acceptable way to lose weight, and the elimination of processed foods is always beneficial. However, the concern lies when someone takes part in the liquid diet and ignores the needed vitamins, fiber, proteins and other required sources for optimal health,” explained AbdulMajeed.
In most cases, the replacement of food with fluids, even if medically supervised, simply will not be realistic in the long run for those who need to only lose a small amount of weight.
Another negative aspect of this diet is the likelihood of gaining all the weight lost. Because you lose weight in a short amount of time, you can gain it back in a short amount of time as well, especially when you go back to eating regular food without adapting a lifestyle change.
Sharing her experience, 25-year-old Sahar Tariq tried the liquid diet: “I went on a six-week liquid diet and suffered from hunger, but I managed to control it by drinking a lot of water. I learned about the diet from the Internet where I followed a daily meal plan which varied with different kinds of soups and juices,” she said. “What I hated the most is that I lost almost 15 kg in six weeks, but ended up gaining them back in a year. Right now, I’m back on the diet, and this time I’ll try to keep off the weight.”
The solution? Liquid diet should be done for a few days at a time, alternating with days of regular solid food. Or, even better, one can replace a meal or two with liquids, but still eating a healthy meal of solid foods each day.
“This diet can be an acceptable way to reduce weight, but should be used with controlled regular meals because without portion control, these diets may fail as well,” she added.
How to do it
AbdulMajeed recommends people who go on the liquid diet to make their own soups and drinks at home to ensure healthiness. “You should make your own soups by mixing vegetables and avoiding salt and fat because what’s the use of starving yourself if you’re adding fattening items? You should also make your own shakes and smoothies by using fresh fruit and skimmed milk without any sugar.”
“I highly recommend someone to drink at least one smoothie a day and two types of soups (preferably vegetable soup) and lots and lots of water. Try as much as you can to replace coffee with herbal tea,” she added.
Things to keep in mind
“When doing the liquid diet, try as much as you can to avoid cream, sugar and soda. I always recommend people to substitute whole milk with skimmed and to stay away from soft drinks since they are harmful,” said AbdulMajeed. “I also want the person on the diet to drink as much water as he or she can, especially if they are drinking protein shakes, as they can harm the kidneys.”
According to AbdulMajeed, exercise is a must for any kind of diet to avoid sagginess and to help with weight loss. “Playing sports is always good for the heath; it complements your body inside and out,” she said. “Any doctor or trainer would recommend people on a diet to hit the gym everyday even if for 20 minutes of basic cardio.”
