I know what you mean, it really bugs me that people opt for these programs…what is wrong with just eating healthy and exercising?? I suppose it appears TOO difficult in the fast paced lives many people live in.

Very frustrating, but we will just have to press on, waving the banner in favour of “healthy lifestyles!!”

While it would be nice to just take a pill (like some of the sci-fi films) and be satisfied for a meal, in reality the pills and diet meal replacement drinks have all of the effects you have mentioned.

The part that worries me is if a person thinks they need to do something drastic – fasting or shakes always come up.

The heart doctors are no better with their medifast type of liquid diets (I guess the rational is it is better to have the patient rapidly lose the weight than die from a heart attack).

If you drastically reduce your caloric intake below you body’s ability to burn fat – muscle is then burned too (to my understanding). This will lead to a slowing metabolism that eventually tends to lose weight even slower as you stated.

So I hate to even hear of low-calorie liquid diets and I really do not see how they are helpful.

Great post!

John W. Zimmer’s last blog post..Jumping Rope for Fitness and Weight Loss!

Thanks for pointing that out anyway!

However, pointing out that weight regain is a problem with these very low-cal diets is a little unfair without noting that major regain is a problem with nearly ALL diets.

But many of your readers know that anyway.

Regain is a huge problem.

-Steve

Steve Parker, M.D.’s last blog post..May is “Mediterranean Month”