I'm not sure if anyone mentioned it but the low calorie and high protein causes the body to go into a state of ketosis... One benefit/side effect is that the person doesn't feel hunger.
I understand the thinking that '500' calories daily is dangerous but the doctors that have signed off on these diets (optifast is one I've done, personally) consider the pros and cons of a person remaining at a certain weight vs. the low-risk factors associated with a short-term, low-calorie 'fast' and the benefits outweigh the risks for a person who is morbidly obese. (Not all are morbidly obese, I know Kaiser (HMO) will allow you to 'fast' if you have even just 40 lbs to lose.)
The (only) downside is keeping off weight shed so quickly--Which is real, real hard.
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Originally Posted by Novelafemme
I'll admit that I was TOTALLY freaked out when my best friend started it. In fact, I got really upset until I did some research on my own. The thing you have to remember is this is NOT a diet for someone who wants to shed a couple of unwanted pounds. The target audience is the morbidly obese. My BF can spend two hours + on the elliptical a day, jog 5 miles, and eat healthy and not lose a single pound. He is just a big guy. But, he also has an enlarged heart so it is detrimental to his health that he lose 30-50lbs. And now he is actually making progress AND he isn't starving. The key is all the protein you are consuming. No dairy, No sugar, and very few carbs. Once you wean off the carbs your body starts to consume all the extra fat you have stored.
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