Non-surgical weight loss options for fast weight loss

If you are one of the over 70% of adult Americans who are either overweight or obese, and are looking for ways to lose weight fast and safe without bariatric or weight loss surgery, this blog is for you. Before we look in to the various options for losing weight, let us look at the statistics of obesity and overweight status from the Centers for Disease Control that can give us an idea of the problem.

Overweight and obesity data from the CDC

• More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese. [Read abstract Journal of American Medicine (JAMA)]
• Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death. [Read guidelines]
• The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S. dollars; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight. [Read summary]

• Non-Hispanic blacks have the highest age-adjusted rates of obesity (47.8%) followed by Hispanics (42.5%), non-Hispanic whites (32.6%), and non-Hispanic Asians (10.8%)
• Obesity is higher among middle age adults, 40-59 years old (39.5%) than among younger adults, age 20-39 (30.3%) or adults over 60 or above (35.4%) adults.

• Among non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American men, those with higher incomes are more likely to have obesity than those with low income.
• Higher income women are less likely to have obesity than low-income women.
• There is no significant relationship between obesity and education among men. Among women, however, there is a trend—those with college degrees are less likely to have obesity compared with less educated women.
  

Now, let us look at the various options to treat obesity.

Treatment options for Obesity

Obesity and overweight status is treated using one or more of the following options:

• a diet low in calories either VLCD or LCD, see below
• increased physical activity in combination with low calorie diet
• behavior therapy for changing eating habits
• prescription weight loss medications or diet pills
• weight-loss surgery (bariatric surgery)

The first and most important aspect in treating obesity obviously involves a diet low in calories. In practice, it is not just eating healthy that is going to help lose weight but burning fat that is most important in the weight loss phase. It is important to remember that eating healthy is more for weight maintenance rather than weight loss.

Types of low calorie diets

Depending on the calorie level, low calorie diets are classified as Very Low Calorie Diets also called VLCD and low calorie diets also called LCD.

Very Low Calorie Diet for Weight Loss

A  VLCD is a reduced calorie diet that provides up to 800 calories per day under medical supervision. 

Most VLCDs use commercial formulas such as the W8MD low calorie protein meal replacement supplements in the form of weight loss protein shakes, protein bars, weight loss soups, or snack items, dinner items, which replace all or some of your regular meals. If it replaces all the meals, it is called complete meal replacements or VLCD in the strict sense. If it only replaces some of the meals and you prepare one or more of the meals with similar contents, then it is called modified VLCD or modified LCD diet. 

How are the weight loss protein meal replacements different from the ones in grocery stores?

These formulas are not the same as the meal replacements you can find at grocery stores or pharmacies, which are meant to replace one or two meals a day and the ones in the stores are not designed to be very low calorie diet as VLCD diet requires careful medical supervision.

How do I get my nutrition while on VLCD and LCD diets?

VLCD formulas are designed to provide all of the nutrients your body needs while helping you lose weight quickly.

Can I be on low calorie diet and be on VLCD without meal replacements?

A very low-calorie diet (VLCD) is not just any diet that is low in calories but a special type of diet designed to provide the nutrients without too many empty calories for losing weight under medical supervision.

Also read about the weight loss medications 

• Contrave (Buprion and Naltrexone) - Brand new weight loss medication
• Phentermine and Topiramate (Qsymia) - New weight loss medication (Most popular and most effective)
• Lorcaserin (Belviq) - New weight loss medication
• Phentermine (Adipex)
• Topiramate (Topamax)
• Phendimetrazine (Bontril)
• Diethylpropion (Tenuate)
• Xenical and others