For individuals grappling with weight issues, especially those facing obesity or related health complications, the allure of quick solutions is strong. While independent efforts to cut portions and increase exercise are commendable, they may not suffice for everyone. A very low calorie diet plan, administered under medical supervision, can offer a structured and effective path to significant weight loss.
Understanding Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCDs)
A very low calorie diet (VLCD) is a weight loss approach that involves consuming a significantly reduced number of calories, typically less than 800 calories per day. This drastic reduction necessitates careful medical supervision to ensure safety and nutritional adequacy. VLCDs are most often chosen by people with obesity who want to lose weight quickly. These diets are less commonly recommended by health care providers. People on these diets should be followed closely by a provider. Rapid weight loss may not be safe for some people to do on their own.
How VLCDs Work
The cornerstone of any weight loss strategy is creating an energy deficit, where the body burns more calories than it consumes. VLCDs achieve this by drastically restricting caloric intake. Most VLCDs use meal replacements, such as formulas, soups, shakes, and bars instead of regular meals. This helps ensure that you get all of the nutrients you need each day.
The Importance of Medical Supervision
Attempting a VLCD independently can be dangerous. Without proper guidance, individuals may miss essential nutrients, leading to health problems that outweigh the benefits of weight loss. Medical supervision is crucial for monitoring nutrient intake, adjusting the plan as needed, and managing potential side effects.
The Center for Weight Management's Approach
The Center for Weight Management offers a medically supervised VLCD plan tailored to individual needs. Their approach involves:
Read also: Foods and Fibroids
- Individualized Plans: Recognizing that successful diet plans are not one-size-fits-all, the center devises detailed diet plans that will not only produce results but keep you safe and committed to the weight-loss process.
- Physician and Dietitian Collaboration: A physician and registered dietitian work together to tightly monitor your caloric intake, ensuring that you are receiving essential nutrients while safely losing weight.
- Nutrient Monitoring: Thanks to dietitian-controlled plans, you will be eating from a menu that will ensure weight loss, you will never be in danger of missing out on key nutrients.
- Adaptability: Very low calorie diet program can also be adapted for pre- and post-bariatric surgery patients, as well as individuals with Type-2 diabetes. Whatever your needs, we will piece together a plan that will get results.
- Long-Term Success: Following the program will also put you on the path for long-term success as you learn healthy habits that you can carry with you for the rest of your life. That includes a healthy exercise regimen that will act as a compliment to what you’re eating.
Who is a VLCD for?
Longstreet Clinic’s very low calorie diet plan works best for individuals who have at least 40 pounds to lose and a BMI greater than 30.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of your weight derived from tissue mass (muscle, fat and bone) and height. Your BMI is calculated by your weight (in kilograms) divided by your height (in meters). The National Institute (NIH) determined that a BMI of 30 or higher is categorized as obese, while that of a person between 25-30 is overweight. A normal BMI is categorized as that between 18.5-20.
What to Expect in a VLCD Program
A comprehensive VLCD program typically includes:
- Orientation: An overview of the program and what to expect.
- Medical Evaluation: Including EKG & lab work.
- Individual Nutrition Counseling: With a registered dietitian.
- Weekly Group Educational Sessions: Providing support and education.
- Additional Visits with a Physician: For ongoing monitoring.
- Structured Meal Plan: Four meals a day for the duration of the program.
Expected Results of a VLCD
A very low-calorie diet can help patients to lose around 3 to 5 pounds per week. That would make for an average total weight loss of 44 pounds over 12 weeks and 18-30 pounds over a 6-week period.
Weight loss of that type will not only help you to look and feel better, it could also have massive effects on your overall health, including helping you to gain control over your blood sugar and aiding those patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Read also: Diet Plan for Picky Eaters
The very low calorie diet will teach patients to maintain an ongoing healthy lifestyle by eating necessary nutrients, changing behavior and exercising regularly. The very low calorie program incorporates grocery foods with meal replacements and protein supplements.
Potential Health Benefits
Weight loss achieved through a VLCD can yield significant health benefits, including:
- Improved blood sugar control
- Reduced risk of organ damage (liver, lung, heart)
- Reduced risk of cancers associated with obesity
Health Concerns and Risks
You should only follow one of these diets with the help of your provider. Losing more than 1 or 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kg) a week is not safe for most people. It can cause you to lose muscle, water, and bone density. Rapid weight loss can also cause some side effects including:
- Gallstones
- Gout
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
People who lose weight quickly are also more likely to gain back the weight quickly. This can lead to other health problems.
In general, a rapid weight loss diet is not safe for children. It may also not be safe for teens, pregnant women or older adults unless a provider recommends it.
Read also: Vegan Diet for Diabetes Management
Alternatives to VLCDs
While VLCDs can be effective, they are not the only option for weight loss. Other approaches include:
- Low-Calorie Diets (LCDs): These diets typically allow about 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day for women and 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day for men.
- Time-Restricted Eating: This involves limiting the number of hours per day that you can eat. A popular strategy is the 16:8. For this diet, you have to eat all of your meals during an 8 hour period, for example, 10 am to 6 pm. The rest of the time you cannot eat anything.
- Intermittent Fasting: This involves regular periods with no or very limited calorie intake. Intermittent fasting focuses on the time window of eating instead of calorie calculations or macronutrient composition, helping people to restrict food intake without having to count calories and to avoid late-night snacking.
Dietary Strategies for Weight Management
Weight management depends upon complex factors such as amount of food eaten, type of food eaten, and timing of meals. In this review, we identified evidence-based dietary strategies for weight management based on these three components.
Calorie Restriction
An energy deficit is the most important factor in weight loss. A low-calorie diet with a low fat or carbohydrate content has been recommended; however, in some cases, a very-low-calorie diet is required for a short period.
Macronutrient Composition
Some macronutrient composition-based diets, such as the ketogenic diet or high-protein diet, could be considered in some cases, although the potential risks and long-term effectiveness remain unknown.
Meal Timing
Meal timing is also an important factor in weight management, and higher-calorie breakfasts in combination with overnight fasting may help to prevent obesity.
Popular Diets for Weight Loss
Optimal diets for weight management have been a topic of debate not only among researchers, nutrition experts, and healthcare professionals, but also among the general public.
Low-Carbohydrate Diets
Low-carbohydrate (low-carb) diets have been widely used not only for weight reduction, but also to manage T2DM; many randomized controlled trials have been conducted.
High-Protein Diets
High-protein diet has been popularized as a promising tool for weight loss because it improves satiety and decreases fat mass.
The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet involves high intake of fruits and vegetables, poultry, and fish and dairy products, and little to no consumption of red meat.
The Paleolithic (Paleo) Diet
The Paleolithic (Paleo) diet is also known as the hunter-gatherer diet, caveman diet, primal diet, or Stone Age diet; all these diets suggest that our bodies have not evolved to handle highly processed foods.
The New Nordic Diet
The new Nordic diet is based on unprocessed whole grains, high-fiber vegetables, fish, low-fat dairy foods, lean meat of all types (beef, pork, lamb), beans and lentils, fruit, dense breads, tofu, and skinless poultry.
Vegetarian Diets
There are many reasons to adopt a vegetarian diet for health. These diets can lower the risk of ischemic heart disease, T2DM, and cancer.
The DASH Diet
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet was originally developed to lower blood pressure without medication, but it is now considered one of the healthiest eating patterns.
The Portfolio Diet
The Portfolio diet is a vegan plan that emphasizes a “portfolio” of foods or food components that lower cholesterol.
Meal Replacements
Meal replacements include not only products marketed as soups, shakes, and bars, but also portion-controlled, ready-made meals. Meal replacements are used instead of “normal” food for one or more meals to reduce the daily calorie intake.
Tips for Weight Loss
To lose weight safely and successfully, people should:
- Aim to lose 1-2 pounds of weight per week for a period of 6 months.
- Do this by reducing their calories by 500-1,000 per day.
- Include 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days.
- After 6 months, assess their weight loss and consider their next steps.
- Drink water or other calorie-free beverages before you reach for food.
- Go for a walk.
- Space meals and snacks evenly throughout the day.
- Use healthier cooking methods, like baking, roasting, broiling, stewing, or grilling instead of frying.
- Track what you are eating throughout the day to help stick to your eating plan.
1,500-Calorie Diet Plan
A balanced 1,500-calorie diet rich in nutritious foods fits the needs of many people who want to lose fat and improve health. But this may not be enough nutrition for some.
How to calculate your TDEE
To calculate your overall calories needs, it’s necessary to calculate the total number of calories you typically burn in a day, which is known as your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) (2).
The easiest way to determine your TDEE is by using an online calculator or the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation, a formula in which you plug in your height, weight and age.
Here is the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation for both men and women:
Males: Calories per day = 10x(weight in kg) + 6.25x(height in cm) - 5x(age) + 5
Females: Calories per day = 10x(weight in kg) + 6.25x(height in cm) - 5x(age) - 161
To calculate your TDEE, the answer from the Mifflin. St. Jeor equation is then multiplied by a number corresponding to your level of activity, known as an activity factor (3).
There are five different levels of activity:
- Sedentary: x 1.2 (sedentary individuals who perform little to no exercise)
- Lightly active: x 1.375 (light exercise fewer than 3 days per week)
- Moderately active: x 1.55 (moderate exercise most days of the week)
- Very active: x 1.725 (hard exercise every day)
- Extra active: x 1.9 (strenuous exercise 2 or more times per day)
Foods to Eat
- Non-starchy vegetables: kale, arugula, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, etc.
- Fruits: berries, apples, pears, citrus fruits, melon, grapes, bananas, etc.
- Starchy vegetables: potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, plantains, butternut squash, etc.
- Fish and shellfish: sea bass, salmon, cod, clams, shrimp, sardines, trout, oysters, etc.
- Eggs: whole eggs are more nutrient dense than egg whites
- Poultry and meat: chicken, turkey, beef, bison, lamb, etc.
- Plant-based protein sources: tofu, tempeh, plant-based protein powders
- Whole grains: oats, brown rice, farro, quinoa, bulgur, barley, millet, etc.
- Legumes: chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, black beans and more
- Healthy fats: avocados, olive oil, unsweetened coconut, avocado oil, etc.
- Dairy products: plain yogurt, kefit, and cheese
- Seeds, nuts and nut butters: almonds, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, natural peanut butter, almond butter and tahini
- Unsweetened plant-based milks: coconut, almond, cashew and hemp milk
- Seasonings: turmeric, garlic, oregano, rosemary, chili pepper, black pepper, salt, etc.
- Condiments: Apple cider vinegar, salsa, lemon juice, garlic powder, etc.
- Non-calorie beverages: Water, sparkling water, coffee, green tea, etc.
Foods to Avoid
- Fast food: chicken nuggets, fries, pizza, hot dogs etc.
- Refined carbs: white bread, sugary cereals, white pasta, bagels, crackers, corn chips, etc.
- Added sugars: sugary snack bars, candy, baked goods, candy, table sugar, agave, etc.
- Fried foods: potato chips, deep-fried foods, doughnuts, mozzarella sticks, etc.
- Diet and low-fat foods: diet bars, low-fat ice cream, low-fat chips, diet frozen meals, low-calorie candies, etc.
- Sweetened beverages: soda, fruit juice, energy drinks, flavored milks, sweetened coffee drinks, etc.
Sample 1,500-Calorie Menu
- Monday
- Breakfast - Egg and avocado toast: 2 eggs with 1 tablespoon (14 grams) cooking oil, 1 slice of Ezekiel toast, 1/2 avocado
- Lunch - Salad with grilled chicken: 2 cups (60 grams) of spinach, 4 ounces (112 grams) of grilled chicken, 1/2 cup (80 grams) of chickpeas, 1/2 cup (55 grams) of shredded carrots, 1 ounce (28 grams) of goat cheese, 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinaigrette
- Dinner - Cod with quinoa and broccoli: 5 ounces (140 grams) of baked cod, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil, 3/4 cup (128 grams) of quinoa, 1 cups (160 grams) of roasted broccoli
- Tuesday
- Breakfast - Healthy yogurt bowl: 1 cup (245 grams) of full-fat plain yogurt, 1 cup (150 grams) of raspberries, 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of sliced almonds, 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of chia seeds
- Lunch - Mozzarella wrap: 2 ounces (46 grams) of fresh mozzarella, 1 cup (140 grams) of sweet red peppers, 2 slices of tomato, 2 tablespoons (15 grams) of pesto, 1 small, whole-grain wrap
- Dinner - Salmon with veggies: 1 medium sweet potato (114 grams), 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of butter, 4 ounces (112 grams) of wild-caught salmon, 2 cup (176 grams) of roasted Brussels sprouts
- Wednesday
- Breakfast - Oatmeal: 1/2 cup (40 grams) of raw oats cooked in 1 cup (240 ml) of unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup (125 grams) of sliced apple, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons (32 grams) of natural peanut butter
- Lunch - Veggie and hummus wrap: 1 small whole-grain wrap, 2 tablespoons (32 grams) of hummus, 1/2 avocado, 2 slices of tomato, 1 cup (20 grams) of fresh arugula, 1 ounce (28 grams) of muenster cheese
- Dinner - Chili: 3 ounces (84 grams) of ground turkey, 1/2 cup (120 grams) of black beans, 1/2 cup (120 grams) of kidney beans, 1 cup (224 grams) of crushed tomatoes
- Thursday
- Breakfast - Peanut butter and banana toast with eggs: 2 fried eggs, 1 slice of Ezekiel toast, 2 tablespoons (32 grams) of natural peanut butter, 1/2 sliced banana
- Lunch - On-the-go sushi: 1 cucumber and avocado sushi roll made with brown rice, 1 vegetable roll with brown rice, 2 pieces of salmon sashimi and a green salad
- Dinner - Black bean burger: 1 cup (240 grams) of black beans, 1 egg, Chopped onion, Chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of breadcrumbs, 2 cups (40 grams) of mixed greens, 1 ounce (28 grams) of feta cheese
- Friday
- Breakfast - Breakfast smoothie: 1 scoop of pea protein powder, 1 cup (151 grams) of frozen blackberries, 1 cup (240 ml) of refrigerated coconut milk, 1/2 banana, 1 tablespoon (16 grams) of cashew butter, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of hemp seeds
- Lunch - Kale salad with grilled chicken: 2 cups (40 grams) of kale, 4 ounces (112 grams) of grilled chicken, 1/2 cup (100 grams) of lentils, 1/2 cup (55 grams) of shredded carrots, 1 cup (139 grams) of cherry tomatoes, 1 ounce (28 grams) of goat cheese, Balsamic vinaigrette
- Dinner - Shrimp fajitas: 4 ounces (112 grams) of grilled shrimp, 2 cups (278 grams) of onions and peppers sauteed in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of olive oil, 2 small corn tortillas, 1 tablespoon of full-fat sour cream, 1 ounce (28 grams) of shredded cheese
- Saturday
- Breakfast - Oatmeal: 1/2 cup (40 grams) of raw oats cooked in 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup (123 grams) of blueberries, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons (32 grams) of natural almond butter
- Lunch - Tuna salad: 5 ounces (140 grams) of canned tuna, 1 tablespoon (16 grams) of mayo, 1/2 cup (60 grams) chopped celery, 2 cups (40 grams) of mixed greens, 1/2 sliced avocado, 1/2 cup (31 grams) of sliced green apple
- Dinner - Chicken with veggies: 5 ounces (140 grams) of baked chicken, 1 cup (205 grams) of roasted butternut squash cooked in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil, 1 cups (160 grams) roasted broccoli
- Sunday
- Breakfast - Omelet: 2 eggs, 1 ounce (28 grams) of cheddar cheese, 1 cup (20 grams) of spinach cooked in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of avocado oil, 1/2 cup (100 grams) of sautéed sweet potatoes
- Lunch - On-the-go Chipotle: 1 Chipotle burrito bowl made with romaine lettuce, chicken, brown rice, 1/2 serving of guacamole and fresh salsa
- Dinner - Pasta with pesto and beans: 1 cup (140 grams) of brown-rice pasta or whole-wheat pasta, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of pesto, 1/2 cup (120 grams) of cannellini beans, 1 cup (20 grams) of spinach, 1 cup (139 grams) of cherry tomatoes, 1 tablespoon (5 grams) of grated parmesan cheese