The Kaiser Liquid Diet

The Kaiser Permanente Weight Management program provides moderately to severely obese patients with medical weight loss assistance 12. This program is designed to offer medical evaluation and structured support for people who have had repeated difficulties losing weight with other programs. While programs are individually adjusted to meet patient needs, many participants in the program complete an initial liquid diet phase.

Meal Replacement Phase

The Kaiser Weight Management Program uses Optifast protein shakes to replace regular meals during the liquid diet phase of the program 12. The liquid diet phase allows patients to follow a simple, structured plan that restricts them from any unhealthy food choices. This phase typically lasts 12 weeks, and can result in a weight loss of four to five pounds per week.

Nutrition Facts

Liquid Diets and Protein Shakes

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Optifast protein shakes provide all of the recommended daily allowances of vitamins, minerals, and calories that patients require to maintain healthy functioning, while still losing weight at a rapid rate. Patients consume an average of approximately 900 calories a day, with a total of 46 g to 56 g of protein.

Counseling Services

The liquid diet phase is combined with counseling services that support weight loss and weight management by providing stress management and cognitive behavioral skills. Many unhealthy eating habits are connected to emotions such as anxiety, anger or sadness, and counseling services help patients learn more about how these emotions affect their food behaviors. Patients also receive in-depth nutritional counseling intended to help them develop healthy eating habits as they end the liquid diet phase and return to solid foods.

Long Term Success

Meal Plans for Recovering Bulimics

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While a liquid diet phase can result in noticeable weight loss, it is not intended for long term use, and participants must transition back to a solid food diet. The key to long term success is to adopt healthy weight management habits, such as:

• effective portion control
  
• balanced meal planning
  
• restriction of unhealthy foods,
  
• a regular exercise plan

Participants on the Kaiser program are given support throughout their weight loss plan, and can access a variety of counseling and medical support services to ensure that they continue toward their weight loss goals.