High Protein Modified Fast Diet

A high-protein modified fast, or protein sparing modified fast as it is commonly known, is an extreme weight loss measure for individuals who are morbidly obese. The crux of the diet is adherence to a high protein, low carb, low calorie style of eating, allowing the body to shed excess pounds as quickly as possible while minimizing the possibility of muscle loss. The low-calorie version of this diet should only be performed with the advance consent and supervision of your attending physician.

High Protein Modified Fast

Consume a diet consisting of only protein and low-glycemic, fibrous green vegetables while following a high protein modified fast diet, according to information from the Cleveland Clinic. Aim to eat five or six small meals each day, with each meal containing a protein source from lean meat, seafood or poultry along with a serving of vegetables. Sample vegetables which are appropriate on this plan include lettuce, cucumber, spinach, celery and cabbage--green veggies that will provide your body with some vitamins and nutrients while providing enough fiber to keep you regular while on the diet. Aim to consume a cup or more of green veggies per meal, but keep your total daily carb count low (from 20 to 30 grams). Likewise, if you are following this diet on the advice of your physician, you will also be keeping your calories fairly low--the actual recommended number of calories will depend based on your situation, but a typical caloric level for this type of diet is around 1,000 to 1,200 per day. If you are planning on using this approach without the help of a physician, you can do so--after all, this is nothing more than a typical low-carb diet. However, you should keep calories slightly higher to avoid subjecting yourself to potential malnutrition while away from a doctor's care--stick to at least 1,600 to 2,000 calories per day if you are planning on performing a high protein modified fast on your own.

Considerations

Remember that this is a low-carb diet, so you can expect to feel some adverse symptoms as your body makes the transition from burning carbs for energy to burning fat. These symptoms can include fatigue, lethargy and brain fog (difficulty thinking)--while troublesome, they will typically only last for two to three days. At the most, you will be feeling back to normal within a week.

Consume a daily multivitamin while following this diet, as it can be difficult to obtain all needed vitamins and nutrients while keeping your carb count so low. If you are using the doctor-free version of this diet, plan on aiming for a weight loss goal of about two to three pounds per week. You will likely lose more than that the first few weeks as your body sheds its excess water weight, but your weight loss should remain relatively consistent from that point on.