Are liquid diets a good way to lose weight?
They’re probably not the best answer for most people, since slurping down a high-protein, low-fat, minimal calorie, blenderized concoction doesn’t do much to teach you the new, healthier eating habits that you’ll need to maintain your weight loss. These diets can also be expensive–an average of $2,000-3,000 US for a medically-supervised six month plan–especially in light of the fact that the “food” you’re paying for isn’t much more than dried egg whites (an excellent source of protein) and flavoring. Although nearly all liquid diet programs include classes to help participants ease back into eating regular food and to maintain their weight loss, the ratio of clients who actually maintain their new weight for long periods is low. On the other hand, some obese people have found that the fast, steady weight loss and ease of such diets (there’s no need to plan menus) can help them lose significant amounts of weight for the first time in their lives. Liquid diets can succeed, but only if
