How Much Weight Can You Lose on a Liquid Diet? The weight-loss trend of the moment sounds too good to be true: drink nothing but liquids for many days, and your pounds will just melt away. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
The truth is that while certain liquid diets can promote weight loss, they are no magic bullet. You need to be committed to a healthy diet and exercise routine to see results. There are potential dangers associated with liquid diets that you need to be aware of.
What is a Liquid Diet?
A liquid diet involves drinking only water, broth, low-calorie drinks and unsweetened tea or coffee – no milk, juice or other foods.
Some liquid diets also include consuming certain food items like broth-based soups, Jell-O or sugar-free pudding.
Who Needs to Follow a Liquid Diet?
Liquid diets are typically used for weight loss by obese or severely overweight people or as part of medical treatment for digestive disorders that involve long-term use of a feeding tube, such as diabetes and Crohn’s disease.
They are typically not recommended for those who have eating disorders or want to try liquid diets as an easy way to lose weight quickly.
Does a Liquid Diet Work?
A liquid diet makes it easier to take in fewer calories than you would if you were on a solid food diet, and it can help you lose weight quickly initially. However, you will not get the essential nutrients your body needs on such a restrictive diet.
If you must follow a liquid menu for medical reasons, make sure to consult with your doctor or registered dietitian about what specific nutrient supplements you should take.
How Much Weight Can You Lose on a Liquid Diet?
Although the amount of weight you can expect to lose on a liquid diet varies, it is typically between 1 and 3 pounds per week.
The good news is that you often lose this weight quickly, which can motivate people trying to achieve rapid weight loss. On the other hand, since liquid diets tend to be low in calories, it is easy to regain weight once you stop the diet.
People who follow a liquid diet over the long term often find that they can’t maintain their weight loss. Because they haven’t developed healthy eating habits or learned how to incorporate low-calorie foods into their regular diets.
Potential Dangers of Liquid Diets
The biggest problem with low-calorie diets is that you are at risk of nutrient deficiencies. People who follow liquid diets typically don’t get enough protein, calcium, iron and other essential nutrients.
If you’re on a strict liquid diet for medical reasons, talk to your doctor or registered dietitian about how to maintain proper nutrition while still losing weight.
Liquid diets may also lead to fatigue, irritability and dehydration as your body becomes depleted of essential nutrients and electrolytes.
7 Best Liquid Diet Foods For Weight Loss
A smart liquid diet menu is typically full of foods high in protein and fibre, both of which promote feelings of fullness. In addition, these foods contain few calories but lots of nutrients.
Here are 7 best weight loss-friendly liquids to drink on a liquid diet:
1. Broth or Bouillon
It’s recommended to drink broth or bouillon without added salt. But if you must add some sodium, only use a small amount of low-sodium bouillon or salt-free seasoning.
If you don’t like the taste of plain broth or a reduced-sodium version of vegetable soup, consider drinking unsweetened tea instead.
2. Sugar-free Drink Mix
Sugar-free drink mixes are another great choice for water replacement on a liquid diet. Look for low-calorie or sugar-free iced tea, lemonade or fruit punch mixes that do not contain high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. Make sure to check the ingredient label carefully to find the lowest calorie option.
3. Sugar-free, Low-calorie Jello or Pudding
You can make a simple sugar-free jello pudding using boiling water and a package of sugar-free gelatin mix. Make sure to prepare this in a mug or other container that can be easily microwaved if you need to prepare it in a hurry.
4. Unsweetened Coffee or Tea
Unsweetened coffee and tea can be easily prepared in your microwave, too. Check the ingredient label carefully to make sure you are buying an unsweetened version. There are even sugar-free instant coffee crystals available for this purpose.
5. Sugar-free, Fat-free Popsicles
Sugar-free and fat-free popsicles can be another low-calorie treat that you can enjoy while on a liquid diet. Just make sure to check the ingredient label carefully, so you know exactly what’s in your popsicle.
Some sugar-free or fat-free popsicle products are only 50 calories per pop. Which may help you satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining your diet.
6. Sugar-free, Fat-free Smoothies
You can make a nutritious and filling smoothie by blending fresh or frozen fruit with low-fat milk or yogurt and adding a sugar-free drink mix.
Just check the ingredient label carefully to ensure that the smoothie mix you choose contains only natural ingredients and no added sugars.
7. Low-Calorie, Sugar-free Popsicles
Finally, you can also enjoy refreshing low-calorie popsicles. While on a liquid diet using fresh or frozen fruit and your favourite sugar-free drink mix.
Just remember to check the ingredient label carefully to know what’s in your popsicles and can stay within your liquid diet calorie limits.
The Bottom Line
One of the most common questions our team gets asked is how much weight can you lose on a liquid diet. There are so many different types of liquid diets, it’s hard to give an exact number.
That being said, in general, people typically lose 5-10 pounds in the first day or two. And 1 pound per day. After that, for up to 3 weeks before regaining some weight back. Due to muscle loss when transitioning off their diet plan.
The best way to know if your particular low-calorie meal replacement program will work is by using this calculator. Which considers factors like metabolism rate, daily activity level, and current food intake habits.
If you have any other questions about what makes one type of liquid diet better than another, feel free to leave them in the comments.
Dr. Aditya Gupta is a highly accomplished Indian doctor with extensive experience in the field of neurology. Born and raised in New Delhi, India, Dr. Gupta completed his medical degree from the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), followed by his postgraduate studies in neurology from the same institution.
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