Diets don’t have to be traditional to be effective – but when a weight loss diet involves 800 calories a day, no eating, no food and having a tube hanging out of your nose, you better be careful.

The K-E (feeding tube) diet is becoming an increasingly popular weight loss program. Individuals on this “diet” have a feeding tube inserted into their nose, which runs into their stomach. The enteral feeding consists of protein, fat and water. It contains no carbohydrates and only 800 calories a day.

The biggest problem with this is that the body needs a minimum of 150 grams of carbohydrates a day for efficient healthy functioning. Below that, normal metabolic activity is disrupted. You can lose weight on the feeding tube diet; however the weight loss is a result of the low calorie or starvation-like diet, which does not equate to being good for you.

When calories consumed are so low or close to starvation level, your body not only burns fat, but also muscle mass. The last thing any dieter needs is to lose muscle mass, because that’s what keeps your metabolism going strong. Not only will you lose fat and muscle, odds are the weight loss will return and when it does, it usually returns as all fat.

The bottom line: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you’re looking for healthy ways to shed some excess weight, I’d love to chat with you.  I can create a tailored plan just for you that fit your lifestyle and weight loss needs. Dangerous fad dieting is not worth the risks!

Give me a call at 626.893.7244 to book a consultation.