Dr Michael Mosley is the man behind the Fast 800, the 5:2 diet and Way of Life plan. Over the years, he has helped thousands lose weight and keep it off. Recently, he appeared on ITV’s This Morning to discuss liquid diets and how they can be harmful. The conversation then turned to the types of diets people should be considering if they’re looking for safe rapid weight loss, and how there is one type of food that needs to be eaten in quite high amounts for fat loss.
Speaking about liquid diets, Dr Michael said: “There was a crazy diet back in the 70s which was called the last chance diet and it proved to be that way for a number of people.
“It was very popular, it was about 400 calories a day, a liquid diet [which was] a powder that you added water to.”
He went onto explain how a number of people who already had heart disease concerns, died from the diet.
“So that’s obviously put a big dampener on liquid diets,” Dr Michael added.
“But what I would say is that particular diet was unbelievably low calorie and it was also poor quality – the ingredients.
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He also suggested an alternative to liquid diets for anyone looking to lose a considerable amount of weight.
“The thing I want to say it doesn’t just have to be a liquid diet; a few years a go with Professor Roy Taylor’s blessing I created something call the Fast 800, a rapid weight loss diet,” Dr Michael revealed.
“This is based on real food but you can also use meal replacement shakes.
“We got similar results, 50,000 people have done it, the only side effects we’re aware of is constipation and headaches.
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“That’s the thing, if you’re on rapid weight loss diet, you need to drinks lots and lots of water, otherwise, you might get constipated.
“These diets have gone from being seen as dangerous to being mainstream. But you need to be consuming 800-1,000 calories a day, and anything that you are consuming has a decent amount of protein and nutrients in it.”
In terms of nutrition, there is one food group Dr Michael says you need to be eating high quantities of in order to lose fat.
He explained: “I don’t think exercise alone is going to help you lose weight but it improves your mood if nothing else.
“The data suggests if you combine it [diet] with exercise that’s a great way [to lose weight].
“And one of the things you want to do, and this is the importance of protein – you need at least 50g of good quality protein a day – that preserves your muscle.
“The things you want to do when you lose weight is lose fat and not lose muscle and that was the danger of going on a really low calorie, low protein diet – tea, juicing – is that your body needs protein and if it’s not getting it from your diet, it’s getting it from your muscles.
“So you need decent protein and exercise and that really means doing press ups and squats,” the expert said.
Lean proteins are lower in fat and calories, so they are great for someone looking to lose weight and preserve muscle mass.
There are many lean protein foods to consider; white-fleshed fish, frozen prawns, skinless white meat poultry, lean beef, pork loin, egg whites, low fat milk, plain Greek yoghurt, low fat cottage cheese, tofu, beans, peas and lentlis.
Source: Daily Express | Diet
