When a diet is restricted to just 800 calories per day or less then it’s classed as a very low calorie diet (VLCD). Even though everyone has different needs when it comes to nutrition it’s safe to say that the majority of people will find it a very difficult challenge to consume such little calories, which is the main reason diet programs give specifically calculated formulas for you to eat. Before starting a very low calorie diet you should think about some of the points in this article.
The very low calorie diet has a big advantage for patients suffering from their weight due to them being obese because it can help them to shed their weight very quickly. They can lose up to 20 lbs per month as it’s possible to lose 5 lbs each week on this kind of diet. This can be very beneficial, sometimes even life saving for people who may have hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol. It’s best to get help from a doctor if going down this route of weight loss if you’re being treated for a health condition already, and it’s still important even if you’re not. In order to maintain your weight loss for the future you should establish a plan with your doctor.
All over the world the diet OPTIFAST is used by hospitals as a very low calorie diet. This diet started out for people that are about 50 pounds overweight or over 30 on the BMI scale. Therefore this diet is not for people who are only just overweight by a few pounds. 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. This program began in around 1974 and it has a very solid record for being safe and effective, considering over one million people have done it. Making serious changes to your life and diet are things you will have to do if you want to be serious about this diet.
When you approach the use of an exceedingly low cal food regimen you will need to pick from two options. You can go for a food regimen with a premixed formula, or you can curb your calorie intake by yourself. The latter option allows you more liberty; but you will need to be very conscious of what you consume. All of those tasty morsels you nibble on will be forbidden if they are full of calories. There are substitutions you can eat with more benefits, like fruits and vegetables, low fat yogurt and the list is lengthy. As a substitute for refined flour, you would be better off to eat breads baked with sprouted wheat; if you think you need to eat carbohydrates at all. You should also stay away from refined sugar, including high fructose corn syrup. There can be some benefits to very low calorie diets, especially for anyone who is extremely overweight and has medical problems because of this. At the same time, it isn’t normally wise to go on such a diet without professional medical supervision, as there can be side effects and risks involved, like malnutrition and dehydration.