Myth Busting Rapid Weight Loss

Rapid weight loss attracts more myths than most subjects in nutrition. Here are the five we hear most often, and what the evidence actually says about each.

We have cited the trials rather than asserting, and where we cannot support something we say so.

Myth 1: "Weight lost fast comes back fast"

This is the most persistent one, and the research does not support it.

Purcell and colleagues ran a randomised controlled trial comparing rapid and gradual weight loss, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in 2014 [1]. Rate of initial loss did not determine how much came back. Nackers and colleagues [3] asked the same question — does slow and steady win the race? — and found faster initial losers did at least as well, and in their data better, over the longer term.

What matters is what happens next. Whichever way the weight comes off, you need a maintenance plan afterwards, and the components that work are unglamorous: nutritional education, exercise, and behavioural support. A reset without a plan for month two is how weight returns — not the speed it left at.

Myth 2: "Rapid weight loss is inherently dangerous"

Some rapid weight loss methods genuinely are a bad idea, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Living on lemon water for a month produces a calorie deficit and starves you of vital nutrients at the same time. The deficit is not the problem; the absence of everything else is.

The distinction is whether the approach is nutritionally complete and clinically supervised. Rolland and colleagues followed patients for three years after a very low calorie diet and reported on long-term maintenance [2], and Steven and colleagues studied a VLCD with six months of weight stability in type 2 diabetes [4].

We were founded by a dietitian and exercise physiologist together with a weight loss surgeon, and our meals are developed by a team of dietitians. That is who designs what we sell. It is not, by itself, evidence — which is why the trials above are cited and this sentence is not offered as one.

Myth 3: "Very low calorie diets are nutritionally inadequate"

This was a fair criticism of the category historically — the Cabbage Soup Diet and the Grapefruit Diet earned it, and so did meal replacement approaches built on synthetic shakes and bars.

Our programs are whole food. Each meal contains between 4 and 12 different vegetables, is a good source of fibre, and takes its protein from skinless chicken breast, eggs, lean beef or tofu, alongside seasonal vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. The programs include foods from all five food groups.

On nutrient completeness, we publish that the programs reach 100% of recommended daily intakes for essential vitamins and minerals, with two exceptions: zinc at 80% and calcium at 90%. We should be clear that this is our own product specification, not an independently published analysis. Our Allowed Extras Guide exists partly to close those two gaps and partly to teach what a balanced plate looks like.

Myth 4: "You have no energy on a rapid program"

Expect the first three to four days to be the hardest, while your body adjusts. After that most people report energy improving once they are in mild nutritional ketosis. Better sleep is the other thing customers mention most.

That is what people tell us rather than a measured outcome, and it is not universal. If you feel persistently unwell rather than merely adjusting, that is a reason to stop and speak to a dietitian or your GP, not to push through.

Myth 5: "Wanting to lose weight conflicts with body positivity"

We do not think these are opposites. Deciding to change something about your health is not a statement that you were unacceptable before it, and nobody needs to dislike their body to want it to work better.

Equally, nobody is obliged to lose weight to be treated decently. Both of those can be true at once.

How long should a program run?

This is worth stating precisely, because we have seen it confused:

If you have read elsewhere that Be Rapid runs for 2 to 8 weeks, that is a conflation of the two programs. Use the durations above.

What we are not claiming

Our approach draws on the science behind the CSIRO Low Carb Diet. That names a body of research rather than a single trial of our product, and we have not run our own published trial on cholesterol outcomes — so we make no claim that eating our meals improves blood cholesterol.

Metabolic health, low carbohydrate nutrition and diabetes nutrition are the areas we work in. Cholesterol management is not one of them, and you should take advice on it from your doctor.

Before you start

A very low calorie diet is not right for everyone. If you take prescribed medication, manage a health condition, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to your GP or one of our Accredited Practising Dietitians first. The consultation is free, 15 minutes, by video or phone, and valued at $49.

References

  1. Purcell K, Sumithran P, Prendergast LA, Bouniu CJ, Delbridge E, Proietto J. The effect of rate of weight loss on long-term weight management: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology 2014 Dec;2(12):954–62. PMID 25459211.
  2. Rolland C, Johnston KL, Lula S, Macdonald I, Broom J. Long-term weight loss maintenance and management following a VLCD: a 3-year outcome. International Journal of Clinical Practice 2014 Mar;68(3):379–87. PMID 24372837.
  3. Nackers LM, Ross KM, Perri MG. The association between rate of initial weight loss and long-term success in obesity treatment: does slow and steady win the race? International Journal of Behavioral Medicine 2010 Sep;17(3):161–7. PMID 20443094.
  4. Steven S, Hollingsworth KG, Al-Mrabeh A, Avery L, Aribisala B, Caslake M, et al. Very low-calorie diet and 6 months of weight stability in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 39(5):808–15.

Important health information

This article carries no health disclaimer of its own despite making claims about diabetes, blood glucose, cholesterol and the safety of very low calorie dieting. The standard advice therefore applies with particular force: readers should seek medical advice and have a check-up before changing how they eat, particularly if they have an existing health condition or take medications. This content is general information only and is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice. The article itself notes that dietitian support matters most for people with health conditions, taking medications, or with dietary requirements.

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Questions and answers

What do we explain about Myth Busting Rapid Weight Loss?

On our Myth Busting Rapid Weight Loss page, we explain that rapid weight loss attracts more myths than most subjects in nutrition. Here are the five we hear most often, and what the evidence actually says about each. We have cited the trials rather than asserting, and where we cannot support something we say so.

What should I know about myth 1: "weight lost fast comes back fast" on this page?

On our Myth Busting Rapid Weight Loss page, we explain that this is the most persistent one, and the research does not support it. Purcell and colleagues ran a randomised controlled trial comparing rapid and gradual weight loss, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in 2014 [1]. Rate of initial loss did not determine how much came back. Nackers and colleagues [3] asked the same question — does slow and steady win the race? — and found faster initial losers did at least as well, and in their data better, over the longer term. What matters is what happens next. Whichever way the weight comes off, you need a maintenance plan afterwards, and the components.

What should I know about myth 2: "rapid weight loss is inherently dangerous" on this page?

On our Myth Busting Rapid Weight Loss page, we explain that some rapid weight loss methods genuinely are a bad idea, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Living on lemon water for a month produces a calorie deficit and starves you of vital nutrients at the same time. The deficit is not the problem; the absence of everything else is. The distinction is whether the approach is nutritionally complete and clinically supervised. Rolland and colleagues followed patients for three years after a very low calorie diet and reported on long-term maintenance [2], and Steven and colleagues studied a VLCD with six months of weight stability in type 2 diabetes [4]. We were founded by.

What nutrition information should I know about Myth Busting Rapid Weight Loss?

On our Myth Busting Rapid Weight Loss page, we explain that this was a fair criticism of the category historically — the Cabbage Soup Diet and the Grapefruit Diet earned it, and so did meal replacement approaches built on synthetic shakes and bars. Our programs are whole food. Each meal contains between 4 and 12 different vegetables, is a good source of fibre, and takes its protein from skinless chicken breast, eggs, lean beef or tofu, alongside seasonal vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. The programs include foods from all five food groups. On nutrient completeness, we publish that the programs reach 100% of recommended daily intakes for essential vitamins and minerals, with two exceptions: zinc at.

What should I know about myth 4: "you have no energy on a rapid program" on this page?

On our Myth Busting Rapid Weight Loss page, we explain that expect the first three to four days to be the hardest, while your body adjusts. After that most people report energy improving once they are in mild nutritional ketosis. Better sleep is the other thing customers mention most. That is what people tell us rather than a measured outcome, and it is not universal. If you feel persistently unwell rather than merely adjusting, that is a reason to stop and speak to a dietitian or your GP, not to push through.

What should I know about myth 5: "wanting to lose weight conflicts with body positivity" on this page?

On our Myth Busting Rapid Weight Loss page, we explain that we do not think these are opposites. Deciding to change something about your health is not a statement that you were unacceptable before it, and nobody needs to dislike their body to want it to work better. Equally, nobody is obliged to lose weight to be treated decently. Both of those can be true at once.

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