Diets: Facts and Falacies (I). Why NOT to do a VLCD.

Weight loss or body fat reduction is a problem that hangs around like a bad smell. Many people are constantly worrying about or battling this issue. For some, it is the major battle in their lives.

There is a huge amount of information available on this subject, much of it conflicting. No wonder most people are confused about the correct way to go about reducing their body fat. Hopefully these series of posts will set you on the right track.
 
As the world has evolved into a place of convenience and abundance, our waistlines have expanded accordingly. Over the past 100 years the human lifestyle has changed dramatically. Thanks to technology our daily physical activity has decreased resulting in a far smaller energy output. This, coupled with an increase in our intake of processed and pre-prepared foods that are very high in calories and often low in nutrition, has caused an increase in the numbers of overweight people. The consequence has been a skyrocketing amount of body fat in the western world!

Reducing body fat comes down to two major components, exercise and diet. Many you may also have tried several types of diets or eating plans. Some may have been a complete failure, some may have affected your health, and some may have worked in the short-term. Many diets are confusing, hard to follow, and virtually impossible to maintain in the long-term. In these series of posts I want to touch on a few common diets and give my opinion of them. Today:

Why NOT to do a VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet)

The VLCD is one of the most common diets attempted by the average person. Followers consume only a very small number of calories in a given day. The calories consumed are much lower than the amount used by the body. This causes the body to source the extra calories it needs from fat and muscle tissues.
 
1. This diet may be effective in the short term but is very hard to maintain over a long period. As soon as the person begins to eat normally again the weight goes back on much faster than it came off.
 
2. The VLCD has some negative effects on your health. Energy levels suffer and the body’s metabolism slows down. The body begins to burn muscle as fuel which slows the metabolism even more.
  

I personally do not recommend this type of diet to anyone!