The Velocity Diet: Will It Stand In The Way Of Sustainable Weight Loss

The Velocity Diet: Is It Worth Your While?

The best way to lose weight is a combination of healthy nutrition and a regular physical activity. Proper diet by itself can reinvigorate your metabolism and kick the fat burning process in overdrive but nothing can beat the results of these two weight loss methods combined (1). That is why some diets include obligatory workouts  in the plan. Velocity diet is a prime example of such an approach to transforming your body. In this article you will find out what this diet is about, its benefits and drawbacks. Read on about the velocity diet and its main principles. 

The Concept Of The Velocity Diet

The velocity diet is a 28-day meal plan, based on mainly liquid intake. You are allowed to have only one solid meal a week, which must be simple, high in fiber and protein and low in calories, and the rest of the time you are to consume protein shakes and supplements. The solid meal may include fish or chicken, steamed vegetables, brown rice, or oatmeal with berries. Besides food restrictions, the velocity diet requires regular exercising in the form of three weightlift trainings and one bodyweight session each week.

Protein And Weight Loss

The velocity diet is very low in calories, and high in protein, which makes it effective when it comes to weight loss. Some researches show that consumption of this macronutrient adds to slimming down and helps fight against obesity, as it preserves the feeling of satiation for longer (3, 2). Another benefit of protein for weight loss is that it promotes fat burning, while preserving the muscle mass (5).

Read More: Different Types Of Diets: The Lowdown On The Most Talked-About Weight Loss Strategies

Benefits Of The Velocity Diet

• Significant Results

There are a lot of diets that are easy to follow, with few restrictions, and take not that much time to put in place. However, the results they bring may not be up to your expectations. Especially, if you don’t exercise when improving your eating habits. The velocity diet promises a considerable result – some people claim to have lost about 20 pounds (approximately 9 kilos) in one month. 

• Preserved Muscle Mass

Numerous diets are highly effective at weight loss, but also reduce your muscle mass. As your main food intake are protein shakes, the velocity diet claims to help you lose weight while maintaining muscle mass. 

• Minimum Of Meal Planning And Fast Preparation

As was mentioned before, the main food that you consume on this diet are protein shakes. There is no need in planning what to eat in advance and spending hours on tedious grocery shopping and preparation. The shakes are easy and fast to make and can be consumed even on the go. So, you can grab one before heading out to work, minimizing the time spent on the meal.

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Side Effects And Drawbacks Of The Velocity Diet

• Promotes Rapid Weight Loss

Rapid weight loss bears potential risks (7). Protein-rich diet is less harmful when it comes to rapid weight loss, however, if you have kidney or liver disease, it can cause certain complications (4), that is why before starting any diet it is paramount that you consult with your doctor or a dietitian.

• It Is Very Limiting

This meal plan is very restrictive. As was previously stated, it consists of mostly liquid foods in a form of protein shakes. The fact that this diet lasts almost a month makes it even more difficult to comply. Such drastic limitations may make you fall off the wagon or push you back to your previous eating habits.

• Causes Yo-Yo Effect

A study confirmed that extreme low-carb, -fat diets that promote rapid weight loss don’t provide long-lasting results and eventually cause weight regain (6). As the velocity diet is highly restrictive, it is likely to result in not only fast fat burning, but also in a yo-yo effect, which could ruin all the spent effort.

• Expensive

The proteins and supplements required for this nutritional plan are far from being cheap. So, if you are strapped for cash at the moment, you may not be able to afford following this plan.

Velocity Diet Plan

It was already mentioned multiple times before, that this meal plan consists mostly of protein shakes, and lasts 4 weeks, so here is a sample of what you should consume during the day:

• Breakfast: cold water, protein shake, fatty acid supplement.
• Lunch: cold water, protein shake, fatty acid supplement.
• Snack: cold water, protein shake, fatty acid supplement.
• Workout: after the training you consume a workout recovery drink.
• Dinner: usually for dinner you drink cold water, protein shake, and fatty acid supplement. Once a week you can have a healthy solid meal.
• Bedtime: cold water and a protein shake.

Velocity Diet-Approved Meal Variants With Recipes

As you already know, you are allowed to eat one solid meal once a week. But it doesn’t mean that you can eat anything that you would like. That meal is expected to be light in calories – 300-600 calories for women and 400-700 for men, among which a minimized amount comes from saturated fats and carbs. Here are some dishes that you can eat once a week, without breaking the rules of the velocity diet: 

Asian Pulled Chicken Salad

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• One pound (approximately 500 gram) of roasted chicken breast
• 1/4 cored and sliced red cabbage
• Two shredded carrots
• Three finely sliced on the diagonal spring onions
• One thinly sliced red chili pepper
• A small bunch of roughly chopped coriander
• One tablespoon of roughly crushed roasted peanuts

For the dressing:

• Two spoons of hoisin sauce
• Half of a tablespoon of sesame oil

Instructions:

• Chop the chicken breast and put it into a large bowl. 
• Add the carrots, cabbage, chili, spring onions, and half of the prepared coriander.
• Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
• Add the dressing to the ingredients of the salad and toss.
• Put the salad on the serving plate and sprinkle with peanuts and the remaining coriander.

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Greek-Style Roasted Fish

Ingredients for 1 serving:

• Two scrubbed and cut into wedges potatoes
• Half of a sliced onion
• One chopped garlic clove
• ¼ teaspoon of oregano
• One tablespoon of olive oil
• ¼ of cut into wedges lemon
• One large cut into wedges tomato
• One fresh skinless pollock fillet
• A small handful of chopped parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Mix the potatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, and olive oil in a bowl. 
3. Add seasoning and stir, until it is evenly spread. 
4. Put it all into a roasting tin and roast for 15 minutes.
5. Turn everything over and put in the oven for another 15 minutes.
6. Add in lemon and tomato and roast for 10 minutes.
7. Put the fish fillet on top and bake for 10 more minutes.
8. Take it out and sprinkle with parsley. The dish is ready to be served.

Honey-Ginger Salmon On Cedar Plank

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• Two lemons
• One teaspoon or grated peeled fresh ginger
• A medium piece of wild Alaskan salmon
• Two tablespoons of lower-sodium soy sauce
• One tablespoon of honey
• One teaspoon of sriracha sauce
• Half of a clove of minced garlic
• Half of a teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

For the salad:

• Two cups of arugula
• Two miniature thinly sliced cucumbers
• Half of a cup of cooked corn kernels
• A handful of cilantro leaves

Instructions:

1. Prepare a large cedar grilling plank, by soaking it in water for two hours, then heat grill on medium.
2. Make a few slices of lemon and set them aside for the garnishing. Grate zest from lemon and squeeze the juice into a cup. 
3. Combine the zest with ginger and pepper and rub it all over the fresh side of salmon.
4. Put the salmon on the plank, skin side down, and sprinkle with salt to taste. 
5. Grill the covered salmon 20-25 minutes, until done.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk soy sauce, honey, and Sriracha and split in halves.
7. Add garlic, lemon juice, and salt to a half of the sauce mix, and toss with arugula, cucumbers, corn, and cilantro.
8. The other half of the sauce use to brush the salmon.
9. Garnish the salmon with arugula and lemon slices and serve with the salad.

Read More: Brown Rice Diet: Why You Should Double Down On This Underappreciated Grain

Brown Rice Stir-Fry With Vegetables

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• Half of a cup of cooked brown rice
• One cup of chopped red cabbage
• Half of a head of chopped broccoli
• One half of a chopped red bell pepper
• Half of a chopped zucchini
• Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Four cloves of minced garlic
• One handful of fresh finely chopped parsley
• Two tablespoons of soy sauce
• Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions:

1. Boil a bit of water in a wok or a frying pan, add the vegetables, so that they are covered with the water, cook for two minutes over high heat, and then drain them. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in the wok and add garlic and parsley. Cook for a minute over high heat, stirring from time to time.
3. Add in the vegetables, rice, and soy sauce and cook for about two minutes.
4. Before serving, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Conclusion

Losing weight always was and is an uphill battle. Any dietary plan has its own rules, restrictions, and requirements. The velocity diet is not an exception. In order to lose a significant amount of weight in 28 days, you should stick to all the rules of this nutritional plan, which include consumption of protein shakes for almost every meal, except for once a week, and regular exercising to maintain muscle mass. As it is highly restrictive, it may be difficult to comply for the entire month. Even if this diet promises quick results that you might believe to be your answer to weight loss, however, remember, that it has its risks. Before diving into your new nutritional and exercising routine, please check with a dietitian.

DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!

SOURCES:

1. 10 tips for successful weight loss (2019, medicalnewstoday.com)
2. Dietary protein – its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health. (2012, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
3. Dietary protein, weight loss, and weight maintenance. (2009, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
4. How does a high-protein diet for weight loss work? (2018, webmd.com)
5. Preserving Healthy Muscle during Weight Loss. (2017, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
6. Pros & cons of some popular extreme weight-loss diets. (2018, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
7. Why do doctors recommend a slow rate of weight loss? What’s wrong with fast weight loss? (2020, mayoclinic.org)