Quick Weight Loss with 4 Day Diet Plans and Calorie Restriction

By Marian Henderson Dramatic weight loss of 10 to 20 pounds in a week is possible, but is this type of crash dieting safe? Rapid weight loss of more than 2 pounds in a week is usually temporary, but many 4 day diet plans promise weight loss of up to a pound or more per day. Because one pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 Calories, achieving a daily Caloric deficit of 3500 (one pound of fat per day) is difficult. Accordingly, losing bodyfat is usually a gradual process. Weight loss programs that lead to rapid losses of 5,10 or 20 pounds in a week are largely based on loss of water, fluids, muscle, and some fat. However, rapid weight loss strategies based on extreme Calorie deficits are successful for a short time. Physical transformations of celebrities such as Curtis Jackson (Fifty Cent), Beyonce Knowles, Oprah Winfrey and Christian Bale are graphic examples of the phenomenon. Losing Weight with Liquid Diets Popular Among Celebrities Singer/actress Beyonce Knowles used the lemonade diet (liquid diet of cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and maple syrup) to achieve a 20 pound weight loss for a movie role, while Oprah Winfrey used the Optifast liquid diet to lose 67 pounds. Serena Kappes reported in People magazine article “5 Things You Gotta Know About Christian Bale” that actor Christian Bale subsisted on a diet of one apple and a combination of coffee and cigarettes to achieve a 63 pound weight loss, and rapper 50 Cent also lost more than 50 pounds on a strict liquid diet. Crash Diets Work - Temporarily The Huffington Post article “50 Cent Loses a Lot of Weight, Looks Emaciated” adds that rapper/actor 50 Cent “dropped from 214 pounds to 160 over the course of just nine weeks with a liquid diet and working out three hours a day.” The ordeal of the aforementioned celebrities indicates that drastic diets can lead to drastic weight loss. However, each of the celebrities mentioned, with the exception of 50 Cent who is still in the process, has regained all of weight that he/she lost. Nonetheless, their examples prove that rapid weight loss is possible. In the reality show, The Biggest Loser, contestants regularly lose large amounts of weight in a short time period. Lose 20 Pounds in a Week Web MD has published an article by Kathleen Zelman entitled “Lose Weight Fast: How to Do It Safely,” and Zelman quotes Michael Dansinger, the medical doctor for NBC reality program The Biggest Loser. Says Dansinger, "In theory, one could drop as much as 20 pounds in a week following a very ambitious eating and exercise plan, devoting more than seven hours per week to rigorous exercise, and under a physician's care like we do on the television program." Zelman adds that Dansinger believes “nothing is wrong with losing weight rapidly - as long you do it the right way.” So according to Dansinger, a weight loss of 20 pounds in a week can be safely achieved. Can one safely embark on a 4 day diet of strictly limited Caloric intake? 4 Day Extreme Dieting According to Web MD article entitled "Rapid Weight Loss," risks of losing a large amount of weight in a short amount of time include: * Gallstones. * Dehydration. * Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time. * Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening. To embark on safely on a drastic diet, one must: * Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration * Ensure an intake of electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium which are crucial to function of the heart. * Ensure an intake of at least 10 grams of oil/fat for function of the gall bladder. * Ensure adequate intake of 70 to 100 grams of protein per day. Many liquid diets prescribe a protein shake to meet this requirement. * Limit the time on a very low calorie diet to 4 days. Web MD warns that "Starving yourself is certainly not a good idea. But if you're otherwise healthy, a brief period of extreme calorie restriction isn't likely to hurt you." How brief? According to a published study, "Leucine, Glucose, and Energy Metabolism after 3 Days of Fasting in Healthy Human Subjects," a 36 hour period of fasting reduces the metabolism by 8 percent, so the dieter who embarks on a three day diet will not slow metabolism to a standstill and risk gaining additional weight when the diet ends. Additionally, the dieter will not suffer debilitating nutritional deficits. Monitoring A Strict Diet A 4 day diet, even the most restrictive that incorporates three days of fasting, will not result in an appreciable loss of metabolism or damage to health. But the dramatic weight loss of crash diets is due to a loss of water, fluids, lean body tissue and some fat. A loss of one pound of fat requires a 3,500 Calorie deficit that cannot be realistically achieved on a daily basis. The dieter should use caution and avoid drastic diets in seeking long-term weight loss. Such diets can be safely implemented, but only for a limited time - 4 days. Plan a 4 day diet menu that incorporates necessary nutrients. Drink plenty of fluids, use supplements, and ensure an adequate intake of protein and fat. A rapid weight loss of 20 pounds in a week is unlikely to be permanent, but the dieter can at least ensure that it is not unhealthful. Further Reading: Advice for Dieters: Crash Diets and Weight Loss "Effect of an Acute Fast on Energy Compensation and Feeding Behavior on Lean Men and Women." Johnstone AM, Faber P, Gibney ER, Elia M, Horgan G, Golden BE, Stubbs RJ. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 2002. Nair K., Woolf P., Welle S., Matthews D. "Leucine, Glucose, and Energy Metabolism after 3 Days of Fasting in Healthy Human Subjects." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1987.

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