Liquid Diets and Juice Fasting
Liquid Diets (or Juice Fasting) are used for a number of reasons – including detox and weight loss.
A liquid diet consists of juices, shakes, soups, or any other non-solid food replacing every meal.
Nutritionally these diets are usually lacking essential macronutrients and are low in calories. However, vegetable and fruit based liquid diets will be rich in vitamins and minerals and cancer-fighting phytochemicals.
Liquid diets can also be used by people who can’t chew solid food because of medical reasons.
Liquid Diet for Weight Loss?
Liquid diets can promote weight loss because they are usually very low in calories. However, usually the weight is regained after the diet because dieters return to their old eating habits.
A Juice Fast is used more for detoxifying purposes and should not be used as a weight loss technique because your body could actually be breaking down muscle tissue because of the lack of protein in juices.
It is better to eat the fruit and vegetables whole and therefore gain the fiber, which lowers fruit’s glycemic index and is more beneficial to the body.
Medically Supervised Liquid Diets
There are medically supervised diet plans that have a large liquid component and rely on Meal Replacement Products (or MRP’s).
This is a general term describing products that have a full range of nutrients in them. Most of these are in powder form and when mixed with water or milk provide a liquid-based meal.
- Medifast: A couple meals a day are replaced with nutritionally formulated shakes.
- Optifast: 12 weeks on their all liquid diet and then they gradually transition dieters to solid foods.
Generally these (expensive) programs will cause quick weight loss – but they are not sustainable as a lifestyle and are designed for people with more than 50 pounds to lose.
Juice Fasting Benefits
It may be beneficial to include vegetable and fruit juices in your diet – but not as a complete replacement of solid food for extended periods of time.
However, a short juice fast is reported to have some health benefits:
- Removes toxins from the body.
- Can improve complexion and skin health.
- Can jumpstart weight loss.
- Juices are high in vitamins and antioxidants.
The Jump Start Juicer System is a popular juice fast diet used by many.
A number of people use a tonic or juice supplement in their diet to provide essential vitamins and minerals, but there isn’t scientific evidence that these products are worth the money.
You should not go beyond a one day juice fast without first consulting your doctor.
Smoothies are Better
Using a high powered blender to make smoothies is a better option for liquid diets than just using fruit juices. Smoothies are made using the whole fruit or vegetable, therefore, all of the fiber and micronutrients in the fruit and vegetables are retained.
There are countless fruit and vegetable combinations that can be experimented with and it can be fun developing a smoothie recipe that you like the best.
Nutritious Smoothie Recipes
Not Healthy For the Long Term
Periodic juice fasting and liquid diets can be beneficial for use during short periods of time or for those that can’t chew solid food. However, because they can be both nutritionally and calorie deficient, care should be used when starting one.
A better approach would be to remove processed foods from the diet and consume one fruit and vegetable smoothie a day, in addition to portion controlled meals that are mainly vegetable based.
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Hi Everyone,
Good luck on you juice diet. I am starting my fasting tomorrow but not for weight loss but for lent. Wish me luck. I need to stay the course.
Am starting my liquid diet from tomorrow. Am adding protein shakes to my diet to substitute the absence of proteins in fruits and vegetables.
Stomachs do not shrink. They just don’t. Surgery is the only way to alter the size of a stomach. And, the size of your stomach has nothing to do with effective weight loss, unless it is surgically altered, thusly making it impossible to consume enough food to gain weight without regurgitation. And, even then there are ways aound this, if you really dedicate time to eating…Juicing as opposed to eating whole fruits won’t “shrink your stomach” instead of “stretching it”…
A juice fast is not the way to lose weight! From reading the comments above I have realised how gullible people have bece when they turn to weight loss. Here are some pointers:
. Fruit is high is calories, sugar and carbohydrates, consuming large quantities a day will therefore stop you from losing weight
. The weight you lose will not be fat, it will be Water and muscle mass.
. Your body will go into starvation mode and you will rapidly store any food as fat in the body
. Because of this once you stop the fast your body will be in shock and continue to store fat in the body
. Even if you consume enough calories to stop your body going into starvation mode you will gain the weight you loss plus more once you go back to your normal eating habits
. Your metabolism will be dEstroyed
. You will not be consuming enough protein and therefore iron so you will lose muscle mass (not fat) and feel tired and miserable 24/7
My advice is don’t be lazy! There is no easy way out of weight loss you need to reduce portion size, eat right and exercise.
Do yourselves a favor and don’t be naive Enough to fall into these fad diets . You will destroy your body and make it impossible to maintain or lose weight for the future.
Hello,
Well I’m trying to do the Juice diet for 7 days, if not longer. Had a baby in February, and still trying to lose the weight :/. Anyone want to do the Juice Diet together for more motivation?
pls pls!! i will surely do it with u
I do I’m doing the juice diet for 7 days also
How did your jucie fast go? If you havent already started yet, I can start with you, I need the motivation lol
I’m starting to any one want to join
What are some of the veggies/fruits you guys used that were effective.. I just had my baby and from 150lbs now i am 185.. Im a curvy girl thick legs/big booty/big boobs but it would b nice to shrink my stomache & inches from my other body parts.. Please i would appreciate it! Thanks!! =)
I use all berries in my smoothies with rushes ice and Almond milk for my protein. Sometimes ill use a banana its fills me up and its great before a wrk out.
seems like a good plan.
You mention Medifast in your article as a liquid diet, it’s not at all. I have lost 45 pounds in 3.months and the program consists of 5 PCMR’s (portion controlled meal replacements) and one additionsl meal that is lean protein and veggies. Medifast is definitely not what you mentioned; there are shakes AND so many other things like a crunch cereal, brownies, soft bake cookie, bars, chili, soups… In other words, it’s nothing like Optifast and is an easy program that averages 2-5 pounds loss per week AND a free personal health coach. I’ve been successful because it’s a great program and mycoach is only a phone call away!
@jart0679 Wow that does not sound like much fun, sorry to hear that Any chance the fruit and veegis were off? I think the more you can have in your juice the better, but maybe start slow and build up? e.g. Try replacing 1 meal per day with a juice, then 2, and if all ok after a few days go for it? Thanks so much for your kind words I really do appreciate them.
I like your comment i have started juicing / liquid diet but i also include 2 cups of green tea and plenty of water and i after 6 pm its only water or a green tea.
I am going to start it from tomorrow.. May it go good
This article says that liquid fasts do not provide protein or fat. When I am doing a liquid fast, I include soymilk which is high in protein and provides some of the healthy fat your body needs. If you incorporate blended beans to any liquid mixture, you’ll be fine as far as those nutrients are concerned. Almond milk is another source of good fats.
Great advice Sharon I use Almond milk a lot cause i ant have diary .
Hi I would like some recipes so I can loose 10 kilos
Hi everybody
I have just had a gall bladder operation and Im 23, I used to gym and was very active and fit, but since one month (post op) I feel the need to regulate my weight till I can get back to gymming that is in another month or two. Till that time i was planning to get to a semi liquid diet (lunch and dinner as liquids) with a bit of walking in a day..can it be done? just for a month?
I had my Gall bladder removed 1 year ago. I found juicing really helped me i use all kinds of fruits in my juicing , green tea and plenty of water
I been looking for a good diet help me lose weight but I love food!!! Idk how to get on it and stick to it!?
Hello everyone! I have been looking into starting another juice fast. The first time I did it for about 2 weeks (with some cheating in between) I lost about 5-7 lbs. I’m wanting to start it again so I can start my diet right and cleaned out
my hubby and I have bought a juicer and it was crap. It spit out all the good stuff that you need from the fruits/veggies. So we end up buying a Vitamix. It’s a little expesive but we put the whole fruits/veggies in it and blends it like nothing. We drink it for bfast and still get all the good stuff from the fruits/veggies. So if anyone out there is looking for a good machine to help with the juicing part, I HIGHLY recommend the Vitamix. We bought it on QVC while they had it on sale. Good luck to everyone out there on their new adventures.
what is the benefit of juicing the fruit….why not just eat it?
Well, Thats why its a liquid diet, and thats why you put it in the blender and make it into juice. Your wanting to shrink the stomach not stretch it! This is an effective way to loose weight. Ppl have to do this if they are going to get a lap band……
Well, you font just easy the fruit. Thats why its a liquid diet, and thats why you put it in the blender and make it into juice. Your wanting to shrink the stomach not stretch it! This is an effective way to loose weight. Ppl have to do this if they are going to get a lap band……
I have been Rebooting on a week off a week for a month now and have lost 12 pounds. While juicing I am neither hungry or craving. So I am sold on it. I am using kale, cabbage,broccoli,cukes,carrots,tomatoes,kiwi,bananas(hard to go through the juicer),oranges,apples,celery,spinach and any fruit or veggie that is cheap to juice but I do make sure the greens are there in abundance. I can not juice several times a day so I make it all in the morning for my husband and myself so I make about 5 quarts a day—have lots of energy also but after about a week I find that I need to add other foods for a few days so then I go on a different plan—ie slimfast last time and I am looking at the cabbage soup for the next time I need something else—anyway that is what is working for us.
Nancy from Post Falls
I’ve heard a lot about the juicing reboot and have done a lot of research on this. However, There isn’t anywhere I’ve seen that helps with starting. I have a great juicer but I’ve never been very good at grocery shopping…especially making a list. Any help would be grateful. I don’t care about taste. I want results. I’ve been miserable for the last three years in my apprenticeship, so what’s another month?
ok Samuel, lyncusoon, and crod; lets do it together. I am starting this diet again. Please come daily and post your comments to motivate each other.
Thanks,
bhatti
ok lyncusoon lets do it together. I have been drinking apple and orange juice and once a day in the morning I drink milk tea 2 %. What have you been doing?
I’m looking to try a juice diet, and am hoping for some advice. Is anyone who is on the diet taking any diet pills, exercising, or doing anything other than drinking juice? I am 148 right now and hoping to get back to being 115 again.
Hey im willing to pair up with someone on this Liquid Diet. Let me know if your Interested. Thanks and Good Luck to all. 26/m/nj
I just started a 30 day juice fast and am hoping to find some advice and support
Ok Shay lets do it together. What is your weight?
I wanted to go for 30 days juice diet to see what are the results. Lets do it together…
Checked my weight today, I was down to 176 lbs. I have been cheating, also. I need somebody, so that we can start together. That way I will be motivated and there will no cheating. Anyone out there…?
I have been drinking apple, kiwi, pear, and orange juice. I have a whole jug in my refrigerator, I have been drinking it. So far, I have lost 2 lbs.
hi.. @bhatti i would like help with the juice diet
What kind of fruits would suggest I do I’m only gonna do fruit juice
ok, so I started juice fast from today. My starting weight was 180 lbs. So far, I have 2 glasses of juice. I will update you guys tomorrow.
Hi Jass, yes you drink juice five times a day. You replace breakfast, lunch, dinner , and two snacks with juice.
Hi guys I want to start this diet tomorrow but I’m scared what advise can you give me coz I really need to lose weight I’m not comfortable I’m my own skin I’m overweight and its not a good feeling I don’t even go out anymore
I tried juice fast for 2 weeks a few months ago, and I list 18-20 lbs.
I am starting this diet again tomorrow 01/15/2012. Anyone who wants to join me, let me know, we can do it together. This time I am going for 30 days.
i want to start this to reduce my weight and fats, can any one suggest how to start ,
do i have to replace juice foe breakfast, lunch , evening snacks and dinner or what
please suggest
Yeah, your fine. Go ahead and drink. The drug is not really a drug, it’s a food suplepment. It just has some stimulants to boost your metabolism. They won’t interact. You ever drink Red Bull with alcohol? It would be close to the same thing.