Question and Answer on Weight Loss

Two protein shakes plus a regular meal for weight loss?

Question:Doug, today I saw a friend that is older than me and I was impressed how much weight she's lost. She told me that she is having a protein shake for breakfast, eating everything she wants at lunch time, and having a protein shake at night (both protein shakes with fat free milk). I asked her about vitamins and exercise, and she told me no exercise (but she is conscious she needs to do it), and she is taking a bunch of vitamins. Now, my question is...would it be good to do this diet for a long period of time?...what do you think about it??-Roxana

Answer:Roxana, thanks for the email. I definitely don't want you going on a diet like the one your friend is on. It will likely lead to short term weight loss, but you will eventually gain the weight back, plus some. This diet will quickly decrease her metabolism as her body tries to avoid starvation. Her body, within a few months, will adjust its metabolism down to the level of calories she is eating. At this point, most people try to cut calories further. But when you are only eating one meal per day, plus two shakes, how much more can you cut back? In this situation, people either start getting into eating disorders, or they begin eating normally again (in which case 95% of the time, they will end up heavier than before). Another big mistake is that she's not lifting weights. Resistance training is the only way to maintain muscle mass on a reduced caloried diet, and ultimately, it's our muscle mass that controls our metabolism. The more muscle we have, the more calories we burn. Lastly, the diet she is on is not providing enough fiber. Lack of fiber is a major problem in the American diet. One of the keys to successful weight loss plans is a high fiber diet. An exercise and diet program that I developed Fitness Now and Forever which is guaranteed to get people fit for life. And people with kids should also check out Family Fit Plan