Diets for Weight Loss  


Very-low calorie (400-800 calories per day) result in rapid weight loss. Low calorie diets have problems.  Loss of muscle tissue is common and can be combated by adding a strength-training program. Gallstones, electrolyte imbalance and dehydration are risks. Because of these medical risks these diets are medically supervised.  A drug called ursodiol, can be used in those at high risk to prevent gallstones. Other risks with this diet include hair loss, hypothermia and skin thinning.

 

Initial weight loss is often high because of water and muscle mass loss. This will stabilize after a short period of time. Men tend to lose more weight partly because they have more muscle mass.

Many questions are unanswered - especially in respect to long-term safety and efficacy. Low-carbohydrate diets incorporate foods that are high in saturated fat; this theoretically increases the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer. Excessive protein intake increases the risk of osteoporosis as well as kidney and liver disorders.

Research has shown sucess in the short-term with low-carbohydrate diets, there is limited long-term data available on these diets. Caution must be exercised in those who are affected by multiple disease processes. 

Some data points to the low-carbohydrate diet as slightly better in their ability to result in weight loss, at least in the first 6-12 months. When data from major research is combined, low carbohydrate diets are equal to standard diets at producing weight loss.

Sub-sets of patients may do better on a low-carbohydrate diet. Certain characteristics, such as those who spike higher insulin levels after a glucose load, may predict who does better on a low-carbohydrate diet. At the present time there is not enough data to accurately predict who will do well on a specific type of diet.

The key to lasting weight loss is long-term lifestyle modification. This means changes that last a lifetime not just changes that result in a ten-pound weight loss in the first couple weeks (which is mostly just water). Changing eating and exercise habits by reducing bad foods, adding healthy choices and adding daily or almost daily exercise is the only way to have long-term weight loss.