A very low-calorie diet (VLCD) is not simply a low-calorie food. It is a diet prepared with a special type of formula that changes your diet completely, often low-calorie diet contains liquid shakes.
A VLCD can be used for a short time for obese people, which helps in rapid weight loss. When taking a low-calorie diet, it is important to seek the help of a dietitian to tell you what to eat and what physical activity you have to do with it.
The below given is about the advantages and dangers of VLCD. Do not go to a VLCD on your own. If you want to lose weight, then take advice from diet experts about what and how you should do it.
How is obesity treated?
Obesity should be treated according to the given strategy:
- A low-calorie diet
- Increased physical activity
- Behavioral therapy
- Prescription drugs
- Weight loss surgery
What is a very low-calorie diet?
VLCD is a special type of diet that provides up to 800 calories per day. VLCDs are typically made food items, usually liquid shakes, soups, or diet bars, that use all of their regular food space. These formula food replacements are available at grocery stores or pharmacy shops, which replace one or two meals a day.
How many calories a healthy adult needs daily depends on a lot of factors such as how much energy they need daily. A standard amount is about 2,000 calories. VLCDs contain fewer calories than people need to maintain a healthy weight. This type of diet is meant to weigh people fast.
VLCD formulas are made so that you get all the nutrients you need and help you lose weight fast. However, this type of diet is only used for short periods of time, typically VLCD should be used for 12 weeks.
Low-Calorie Diet (LCD) Low calory diet
An LCD has fewer calories, but not as little as a VLCD. Can provide an LCD
- 1,000-1,200 calories / day for a woman
- 1,200-1,600 calories / day for a man
The number of calories can be adjusted based on your age, weight, and how active you are living. An LCD usually includes regular foods, but it can also replace normal food. So you can use LCD diet for a longer duration than VLCD, a low-calorie diet is effective in reducing the same weight as VLCDs.
Can I use VLCD to lose weight?
Most people who need to lose weight should not use a VLCD. For many of them, a low-calorie diet (LCD) may function better.
VLCDs can be used for rapid weight loss in adults. But it should be done under the supervision of a doctor or expert because they can recognize all the advantages and dangers.
In general, VLCDs are not suitable for children. In some cases, they can be used to treat some adolescent obesity.
More VLCDs are used to promote weight loss among older adults. Some people over the age of 50 are not given this diet due to illness.
What are the health benefits of VLCD?
With a VLCD you can lose about 1.3 to 2.25 KG per week. This can reduce the average total weight by 20kg in 12 weeks. In this way, you can improve the diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol by losing weight fast.
Rapid weight loss through VLCD is very motivating for most people. Using VLCD patients can lose 15-25% weight in 3-6 months. If patients adopt a healthy diet and physical activity habits then they can maintain a 5 percent weight loss after 4 years.
What are the health risks of VLCD?
Patients who are losing weight much faster than a VLCD diet. They should keep checking with the doctor every 2 weeks so that the doctor can identify which health hazard, if not done then VLCD can have very bad side effects.
Many patients on VLCD report minor side effects in the form of fatigue, constipation, vomiting, diarrhea. Usually, these side effects are cured within a few weeks.
The most common serious side effect is gallstones. Gallstones, often occurring in obese people, are especially high in women, and are more likely to cause gallstones during rapid weight loss. Gall stone formation can be prevented during rapid weight loss by some drugs. Your doctor can tell if these medicines are suitable for you.
Can I gain weight again?
However, re-weighting is very common in the long-term results of VLCDs. To prevent weight gain again, VLCD should always be done with other methods to reduce weight.
Most people who are obese need to take care not to gain weight throughout life. You have to take care of regular changes in healthy eating, regular physical activity.