It can be difficult to go to the gym, pick out what to eat, and have a strict fitness regimen. As a result, many different fitness experts and even food and beverage manufacturers have come up with new foods that supposedly help people lose weight in a short amount of time. One such diet regimen is the liquid protein diet, which has been around for a long time and is often backed by celebrities. But what exactly happens during
the liquid protein diet, and is it effective?
Overview
The terms liquid protein diet can be applied to any product that has protein in liquid form, and which allows a consumer to drink the protein in lieu of getting protein from the diet. Products such as OptiFast, Shakeology, and Slim-Fast use this approach, and sell powders that have all the day’s required nutrition. All that people need to do is purchase the powder and dissolve it in liquid.
Theory
A protein shake will generally have dietary requirements for a day, or just a meal. In some cases, a protein shake can be used to substitute for an entire meal, as it will have a controlled amount of nutrients and calories. The shake therefore controls food intake, and, if it has the right amount of nutrients, will make someone feel full. The shake can therefore control food portions, as well as nutrients that the body will get. This way, the person drinking the shake has all the nutrients that they need and they will not have the urge to overeat. Some protein shakes will even give the body more energy, encouraging exercise and additional weight loss.
Application
There are many different protein shakes and diets out there, but they all have the same principle. A consumer has to buy the shake, whether in ready-made form or powder. If the shake is in powder form, then it can be mixed with low fat milk, yogurt, or other high nutrition liquids. The shake can then be consumed as a substitute for a meal, or as a supplement for body building exercises if the shake is especially high in proteins. In some cases, the shake has to be consumed with a pre-determined meal plan, which might include products from the protein shake manufacturer. In the case of OptiFast, a person has to constantly consult with doctors, as the meal plan and shake are available from a clinic.
Products
The products available with a liquid protein diet will differ across manufacturers. Some will recommend only the protein shake, and then require a person to eat no solid foods for several months. Other liquid protein diets will require substitution of only one meal a day for the protein shake, but will also require heavy exercise. And still, others will require you to count your calories and eat only the protein shakes PLUS diet food available from the manufacturer.
There are many different manufacturers of liquid protein diet shakes. OptiFast is a standalone company which was first created in the 1970’s, and which caters to those who need to lose at least 50 lbs and are obese. Shakeology is especially for weight lifters, body builders, and fitness enthusiasts, and was only recently created. Slim-Fast is for those who want to lose weight and keep it off, and, like the makers of OptiFast, began in the 1970’s.
The optifast.com domain was first created in 1997 and is set to expire in mid-2013. It is owned by the Nestle Corporation of Switzerland, and is managed by Nestle, USA. The shakeology.com domain is owned and managed by BeachBody, LLC or Santa Monica, California. It was first created in 2007 and will expire in 2020.
Social Media
There are many different liquid protein diet manufacturers on social media and online. Many social media pages, such as those on Twitter and Facebook, also tout and sell the liquid protein diet. OptiFast has over 4000 likes on its Facebook page; and over 300 followers on its Twitter page. Shakeology has over 89,000 likes on its Facebook page and over 23,000 followers on its Twitter page. Slim-Fast has over 130,000 likes on its Facebook page and over 4,000 followers on its Twitter page.
Oprah Winfrey
Popular TV show host Oprah struggled for years with her weight, until she stumbled upon OptiFast. Under the program, she consumed only 400 calories a day and ate no solid food for four months. Oprah was working with doctors, and used protein shakes that they provided, not those that people could buy over the counter. In fact, Oprah frequently visited a clinic, where she was supervised by dietitians and therapists. In the end, Oprah lost over 60 lbs.
