What Exactly Are Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD)?

There are actually hundreds of weight loss and different diet plans out there, and while most may show some signs of weight loss, that doesn't mean it's all a good plan. Many diet plans are not based on good science, but on baseless ideas that sometimes also break down metabolism and lose weight but nothing else. Therefore, it is important for people to understand how good diets work and why temporary eating plans that are almost always considered fad should be avoided. In fact, a very low calorie diet (VLCD) is one of the most common fad diets that you regularly go through and this is almost always a bad idea.

The technical definition of a very low calorie diet can vary depending on the source you are looking at. I've seen three different numbers released, which is 800 calories, 1000 calories, and 1200 calories. The most common level seems to be at 1000 calories where the line is drawn but others have it at one of the other levels. Basically, despite the debate over where the "hunger line" is about daily minimum calories, the VLCD is a diet and weight loss plan that falls below that figure.

The problem with this is that your body starts to lose fat and lose weight or burn muscle. This hurts healthy weight loss in the long run and even makes it harder in the short term to lose excess weight. In addition, marketers of this type of plan will be very hungry and therefore are almost guaranteed to either fall from the car or they will develop eating disorders. Both are great for overall health and healthy weight loss.

Looking at "low calorie diets" on your diet plan can help you know in the beginning that it's probably not a good diet plan and you should look at other options. This can be a clear omission and it is always a good idea to know where you stand before trying such a plan. If you can avoid all VLCD diet plans for a more reasonable and sustainable diet and weight plan then that would be a good idea.

Losing five pounds doesn't do you any good in the long run, so choosing a long, sustainable plan is a good bet.

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