Liquid Diet Plan For 30 Days — Liquid diet is defined as a diet in which food is mainly liquid. It has much less calories than solid food due to its liquid status. Liquid foods also make digestion much simpler compared to when you consume solid foods. The simplest of liquid diets can be achieved by drinking just water sometime.
A liquid diet is mostly seen as an extreme weight loss technique. It’s a cleanse that doesn’t require you to stay hungry, and it usually consists of drinking water and juices.
How Much Weight Can You Lose in One Month on a Liquid Diet?
Young woman holding a cup of orange juice.
The amount of weight you can lose on a month-long liquid diet depends on several factors. The most important is the number of calories your body burns and the number of calories you consume. You can easily keep track of this using a calorie counter. If you go on a prolonged liquid diet, you run the risk of getting insufficient nutrition and calories, which can affect your health. This can have consequences ranging from muscle loss to malnutrition. Consult with your doctor or a nutritionist before attempting a liquid diet, especially for such an extended time.
Rate of Loss
A liquid diet is similar to any other diet, in that if you consume fewer calories than you expend, you will lose weight. As a rule of thumb, to lose 1 lb. of fat per week, you must consume 3,500 fewer calories than the number you need to maintain your weight. Your maintenance level is dependent partially on your height, weight, age and body composition. You can use the calculator in the resources section of this article to determine the average number of calories an average person of your height, weight, activity level and age can eat to maintain her weight. From there, subtract 500 calories per day to lose 1 lb. a week and 1,000 to lose 2 lbs. You shouldn’t try to lose more than 2 lbs. per week. Total the number of calories in the liquid diet you plan to follow, and you will be able to predict how much weight you can lose.
Liquid-Diet Calories
There is no typical number of calories on a liquid diet, because the plans vary so widely. For example, some fad liquid diets call for drinking only a homemade lemonade and have extremely low calorie counts. Other liquid diets are dairy-based and composed of protein shakes. These have significantly more calories. Depending on what kind of liquid diet you plan to follow and how much of the liquid you drink, your calorie count could be as lower than 1,000 daily or closer to 2,000.
Your Rate of Loss
Don’t count on losing just fat on a liquid diet. You will lose a large amount of water weight, especially if you have a tendency to retain water. Water flushes fluids out of your system and combats dehydration, which causes your body to hold onto the water. Some of those fluids will be the water you’ve been retaining, which could be a significant amount. Your body is 60 percent water, and it can account for wide variations in your weight. Part of your weight loss may also be in the form of muscle. If you are not getting enough calories, your body will start burning muscle instead of fat. When you undertake any extremely limited diet, your body goes into starvation mode, turning to muscle instead of fat for energy and undermining your metabolism. This can actually sabotage your long-term weight loss goals
Types Of Liquid Diets For Weight Loss
For beginners, following a liquid diet can be tough. Also, if you are not comfortable going on a complete liquid diet, you have an alternative. Here, we have discussed the different types of liquid diets. Remember to talk to your doctor/dietitian before trying any of these.
1. Detox/Cleansing Liquid Diet
Detox or cleansing liquid diets have gained popularity in the recent past. They may help to detoxify your body, and you may see some results when you go on a detox liquid diet once a week for a month.
In this diet, you will only drink vegetable/fruit juices with herbs for a day. It will not only be a new experience but also can feel refreshing. A few examples of detox/cleansing liquid diets are water fasting and the Master Cleanse.
However, research on detox diets is very limited. We suggest you speak to your doctor about the safety of such diets.
2. Meal Replacement Liquid Diet
Meal replacement liquid foods or shakes are low in calories and could be effective in weight loss.
Certain liquid meal replacement products are high in protein and fiber and low in fat. These could be more effective in regulating appetite and curbing hunger pangs. Some research suggests that liquid meal replacement diets could be as satiating as solid meal replacement diets.
The shakes or juices that you take in the place of a full breakfast or lunch are usually low in calories. They can also contain all the macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) and most micronutrients (vitamins and minerals)
These products are specifically designed to replace solid foods (which may have a higher total calorie count per serving).
3. Medical Liquid Diet
This diet is not for weight loss. You need special attention and supervision by a doctor. This liquid diet is prescribed by a doctor to prep a patient for surgery in the near future or help them recover from an injury. This diet could also be prescribed to ease digestion issues.
Medically prescribed liquid diets require the patients to be on a clear liquid diet. They can only drink water, broth, apple juice, popsicle, syrup, and teas.
Takeaway Point: If you are comfortable, you can go on a detox diet for a day. But for weight loss, it is recommended to go on a meal replacement diet. This will ensure that you get the benefits of solid food as well as liquid juices/broths. If weight loss is your goal, you may want to skip the medically prescribed liquid diet.
A Full Liquid Diet Menu
You’ll have your choice of beverages on a full liquid diet. With the right tools, you can also make many solid foods diet-friendly. Melting, thinning, straining, or puréeing fruits, vegetables, cheese, and even meat can help you consume a variety of foods.
The following compliant foods are allowed on a full liquid diet. Non-compliant foods are not allowed because they are solid or their textures are too thick and lumpy.
Remember: When setting your menu for the day, you’ll need to take care to choose items that are both allowed on a full liquid diet and that offer you adequate nutrition.
Compliant Foods
- Fruit and vegetable juice (no pulp)
- Broth
- Soft drinks
- Sports drinks, electrolyte-replacement drinks
- Coffee, tea
- Milk or dairy-free milk alternatives (soy, almond)
- Milkshakes, malts, smoothies
- Clear or creamed soups (thinned, strained, no solids)
- Honey, syrup, sugar
- Gelatin, pudding, custard
- Ice pops, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet (no nuts, candy, solid toppings/coatings)
- Yogurt (regular or Greek; no granola, seeds, fruit chunks)
- Melted cheese
- Powdered protein, dry milk, other nutritional supplements
- Liquid dietary supplements (Ensure, Glucerna, Boost)
Non-Compliant Foods
- Meat (unless puréed, thinned, and strained)
- Tofu, meat substitutes
- Nuts and seeds
- Raw fruits and vegetables
- Solid cheese
- Soft or mashed food (e.g., potatoes)
- Soups or stews with noodles, meat, or vegetables
- Bread
- Whole pasta or rice
- Cereals, granola, oats
- Applesauce
- Potato chips, crackers, pretzels, popcorn
- Muffins, cakes, cookies, pastries
- Hard or chewy candy
- All other solid foods unless specifically approved by your healthcare provider
Juices: Fruit and vegetable juice is allowed on a full liquid diet as long as it has been strained to remove any solids, like pulp. You may need to avoid any high-fiber juice such as prune juice altogether. Making your own juice with a high-speed blender or juicer allows you to control the thickness. Or, pour the juice through a mesh sieve or tea strainer to remove residue.
Vegetables: Mashed potatoes and other types of vegetable mash are generally not approved but can be if they are sufficiently thinned. You can blend them with butter, gravy, or sauces, season to taste, and thin with water or broth. They should be no thicker than a smoothie when you’re done.
Grains: Cooked cereals can be thinned with water or milk, then strained. Farina and rice cereal are also easy to thin this way. If you’re trying to add nutrition, prepare your cereal with whole milk or creamer instead of water or skim milk.
Milk: Milk or lactose-free alternatives are approved. Drink your favorite by the glass and/or add it to smoothies and shakes for extra nutrition. Powdered milk can be added to cereals, soups, and eggs to boost protein.
Yogurt and cottage cheese: Regular yogurt works well as a base for sweeter-tasting liquid meals, and Greek yogurt can be a good base for more savory recipes. Cottage cheese is easy to blend into a liquid meal and most shredded cheese will melt easily with a little heat.
Butter: While you’re limited to a full liquid diet, use butter or margarine as often as you can to add calories and fat to your meals.
Protein: Meat is approved as long as it’s the consistency of baby food. Mix meat with potato flakes and milk before or after cooking to give it the right consistency for a liquid diet.
Nut butter: Nut butter is a good source of healthy fats and protein that can be easily added to shakes or smoothies.
Eggs: Eggs, egg whites, or egg substitutes can be prepared soft and blended into a liquid meal.
Dessert: Ice cream, frozen yogurt, and ice pops that melt at room temperature are approved on a liquid diet as long as they do not contain nuts, candy, or other hard pieces. Gelatin cups are allowed as-is. Puddings and custards can be thinned to a liquid consistency with milk. If you need to add calories, try topping ice cream, pudding, malts, or milkshakes with fruit that is thoroughly blended with whipped cream.
Beverages: Any clear broths, pulp-free juices, or other drinks are approved on a full liquid diet. You can use milk, half-and-half, and non-dairy creamer to add calories to coffee or tea. Other hot beverages like cider, chai, and milk-based espresso drinks are also approved as long as they do not contain solid pieces such as chocolate flakes or mulling spices.
Cooking Tips
The easiest way to thin soft food to make it suitable for a full liquid diet is to add water. If food doesn’t become a liquid at room or body temperature, as ice pops would, apply a little extra heat.
Dairy products like shredded cheese can be melted in the microwave and added to soups or purées. Chocolate can be melted in a saucepan on the stovetop.
Kitchen tools like food processors can be a big help if you’ll be making liquid meals for yourself at home. A blender is useful as you purée fruits and veggies. You can also use it on a lower setting to easily “pulse” thicker foods like oatmeal into a safe consistency.
Pasta, rice, and potatoes can be cooked until they are very soft, then thinned with water, butter, or gravy. You can also use water or milk and heat to soften crackers, which can then be added to soup or broth.
Full Liquid Diet Indications
A liquid diet can have benefits in a variety of situations. Your healthcare provider may prescribe a liquid diet if:
- You are having trouble swallowing or chewing solid food
- You are at risk of aspirating, or choking or inhaling food particles into your airways, when you eat
- You have missing teeth, open wounds, or stitches in your mouth and need to use this diet until your mouth has healed to help prevent food bits from getting stuck and causing an infection
- You just had a recent dental surgery and are in a lot of pain when chewing, or you have a jaw injury
- Your digestive system is slow or damaged from illness, disease, or surgery, and being on this diet may help with pain and prevent complications, like a bowel obstruction, or blockage in your intestines
- You’re preparing to have a test or imaging procedure to see inside your stomach and intestines and need to ensure that no undigested food is left in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which could affect the results
How Much Weight Can You Lose With The 30-Day Liquid Diet Plan?
We understand that losing weight is challenging and that more often, most of us are always looking for shortcuts. That said, whenever some of us hear of diets that promise that we can lose ten to twenty pounds in a week, we jump in headfirst without researching the aftermath.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests you aim at losing one to two pounds in a week as this is the healthy weight loss range. So, if you were to lose more than two pounds weekly following this diet plan, it would mean it is a fad diet as it promotes rapid weight loss.
In this case, you are advised to ditch the program and look for a healthier one. This is because this diet promotes rapid weight loss, which causes more serious effects such as hair loss, muscle loss, and nutritional deficiencies.
Is The Clear Liquid Diet Safe For Weight Loss?
A clear liquid diet is not suitable for weight loss, especially when you are ill or undertaking a medical procedure. However, Medical News Today suggests it is safe to follow for three to five days and under strict medical supervision for medical reasons, not for weight loss.
It is not safe for weight loss because of its limited nutritional value that can cause nutritional deficiency. Even so, these diets are not recommended for individuals with:
- Diabetes
- A low body mass index (BMI)
- An eating disorder
- Several endocrine disorders
- Nutritional or electrolyte imbalances
It is also not safe because if followed long-term, it leads to far more serious health complications. In this case, you will experience numerous signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiencies, mainly including:
- Muscle pain
- Headaches
- Weakness
- Mood changes
- Infertility
- Heart problems
- Bone damage
The other reason it is not safe for weight loss is due to its short-term nature. It cannot work long-term because once you start eating normally, you will most likely indulge in a calorie surplus that often leads to unnecessary weight gain.
Can Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women Follow This Diet Plan?
Man or female, breastfeeding or not, the best approach to settling on a diet plan is seeking professional advice. Your doctor will assess if you are in the right shape, health, and mindset of losing weight using such a restrictive program. Most healthcare providers do not encourage lactating women to follow such restrictive weight loss diet plans, and pregnant women generally should not be attempting to lose weight at all.
Can You Use A Liquid Diet For Detox?
Detox diets have become pretty common due to the increased demand for dieters to detoxify for weight loss. However, even though dieters believe that detox diets help cleanse the body of toxins to promote weight loss, experts acknowledge that is not the case.
Instead, they argue that detox diets are unnecessary because the body itself is in control of the detoxification process. They go further to state that the body continually removes harmful substances without being triggered by any diet. The process is regulated by multiple body organs, including the kidneys, skin, and liver. This means that the 30-day liquid weight loss diet plan may not be essential to trigger detoxification.
What Can You Take On a Full Liquid Diet?
Milk Alternatives
Liquid Diet Food List – Milk Alternatives
If you’re lactose intolerant or vegan, you can still get the energy-promoting benefits of liquid dairy products by taking milk alternatives instead.
In addition, some of these liquids can be significant sources of additional nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D.
Milk alternatives include:
- Almond milk
- Cashew milk
- Coconut milk
- Hemp milk
- Oat milk
- Rice milk
- Soy milk
Nutrition Supplement Drinks
Add nutrients to your liquid diet, especially proteins, by consuming nutrition supplement beverages. Some of the nutrition supplement beverages you can take include
- Boost
- Ensure
- Resource
Oils
Liquid Diet Food List – Oils
Add useful calories, fat, and flavor to all your meals with the help of oils. According to some health professionals, a liquid diet allows nutritious oils such as:
- Avocado oil
- Canola oil
- Cashew oil
- Corn oil
- Olive oil
- Soybean oil
- Sunflower oil
Soft Dairy Products
Liquid Diet Food List – Soft Dairy Products
Get your fill of valuable fats and proteins by consuming dairy products. Fats and proteins give you energy and maintain your body’s functionality. Even better, they can make you full even when you’re only taking liquid foods.
Soft dairy products include:
- Butter
- Ice Cream
- Milk
- Milkshakes
- Sour cream
- Yogurt
Soft Grains
Liquid Diet Food List – Soft Grains
In specific instances, your physician may allow you to eat mushy grain foods when you’re on a liquid diet. Some of these delicacies include:
- Cooked and refined cereals such as cream of rice, grits, or oatmeal.
- Pureed foods such as potatoes.
- Strained meats.
Ensure that your healthcare provider grants you the go-ahead before you start taking these foods. The reason is that not all liquid diets permit these foods.
Soups
Liquid Diet Food List – Soups
Soup is another yummy constituent of a liquid diet because it packs a range of nutrients and flavors in a single serving. Some of the sip soups recommended include:
- Beef, bone, chicken, or vegetable soups.
- Cream soups.
- Pureed vegetable soups.
What Can You Take On a Clear Liquid Diet?
Broth
Liquid Diet Food List – Broth
Drink clear and fat-free broth or bullion for calories and taste. However, it would be best if you forewent any broths that seem cloudy or creamy because they could leave unwanted refuse in your system.
Coffee or Tea
Liquid Diet Food List – Coffee or Tea
Get your caffeine fix when you’re on a clear liquid diet by taking black coffee or tea.
However, you need to keep off caffeinated beverages if you usually experience heartburn or stomach upsets because caffeinated drinks can aggravate these issues.
Pulp-Free Fruit Juice
Liquid Diet Food List – Pulp-Free Fruit Juice
While you’re on a clear liquid diet, take pulp-free fruit juices to get vital nutrients such as vitamins. Some of the pulp-free juices available include:
- Apple juice
- Lemonade
- White cranberry juice
- White grape juice
Sports Drinks
It’s possible to be dehydrated before a colonoscopy because you can drop lots of fluids and electrolytes as you undergo the pre-colonoscopy laxative preparation.
However, when you take sports drinks, you can rehydrate and replenish any electrolytes that were lost.
Foods to Avoid on both Full and Clear Liquid Diets
You should stay away from solid foods while on a clear or full-liquid diet. This means staying away from canned, cooked, or raw fruits or vegetables with seeds or skin.
Other foods you should avoid while on both these diets include:
- Bread
- Carbonated beverages such as soda and sparkling water.
- Hard and soft cheeses.
- Ice cream with solids inside.
- Mashed fruits and vegetables such as avocado or mangoes
- Meat and meat substitutes.
- Nuts and seeds.
- Soups with noodles, rice, or other kinds of chunks.
- Whole grains and other cereals.
Persons who have undergone stomach surgery should also avoid taking orange and any other acidic fruit or vegetable juices.
Such juices can cause burning, so consult your physician about liquid vitamin C supplements if you’re concerned about your vitamin C intake.