This low calorie, high protein diet is a game changer for physique, but is it worth it?
We all look towards our nutrition and dietary routine when looking to make those changes to our physique. While working out and lifting big does enhance our muscle growth, what happens in the kitchen is first and foremost when looking towards our bodybuilding goals. We know what to eat, we know how to eat it, and we know great supplements to pair with our workouts to enhance not only gains, but other aspects of our health and performance as well. With so many diets and “lifestyles” to adopt, it can hard to choose one. Each claims to be the best and it leaves us wondering just what it is we need to do to get that shredded aesthetic we desperately seek.
The velocity diet is one of those diets that seems like the missing link, the key we’ve all been looking for. Also known as the V-diet, this is a rapid transformation for those gains to shine and our physique to really pop. Before starting any diet, it is important to know the drawbacks that something like this can cause. While we all know the pros, the cons are equally as important before embarking on some grueling diet. And the velocity diet certainly is by no means easy.
Let’s take a look at the velocity diet and see what this can do for your bodybuilding goals. It claims to be the silver bullet we all seek, but whether or not its worth it for your bodybuilding goals is something worth exploring. After all, we do want the best for our bodies when it comes to the overall package.
What Is The Velocity Diet?
The velocity diet is a way to get a shredded, lean body in only a number of days. It is a rapid transformation of your body composition and is for those willing to commit to 28 days of a low calorie, high protein diet. With the discipline and strict mindset required, it should be said that this diet can help control your habits as you lose fat and start to see that lean muscle grow. Being high in protein, the diet consists of a lot of shakes, taken from high-quality protein supplements. Since these supplements have carbs, fats, and other essentials ingredients included, you are not totally sacrificing everything, but this diet is by no means for those who cave easily (1).
What’s Included In The Diet
If you choose to embark on the velocity diet, be aware that you will only have one solid meal a week. It will be protein based with your meat of choice and may contain some good carbs, fruits, and vegetables. Other than that, you are drinking protein shakes. Lots of them. While losing roughly 1-2 pounds per week is the healthy amount to lose, a diet that exceeds more than 2 pounds can have serious effects on your body for not getting enough of these essentials can really start to hurt your gains, especially for those of us bodybuilders (2).
Advantages To The Velocity Diet
Fast Results
With this diet, if you hold to it strictly, you will find those results you want will come very fast. The key with this would be to keep it as best you can. Since you do exercise on this diet as well, that also contributes to the speed at which these results occur.
Potentially Preserve Muscle Mass
This is a potential because while you are consuming high amounts of protein and lifting, you also miss out on other essentials that can help with preserving muscle mass. Protein does serve as the building block for all muscle, but with such a restrictive diet, it can be hard to tell just how much muscle is actually preserved.
Fast Meals & Convenience
Since most of, if not all, your meals are shakes, the prep time is minimal. This allows for a fast on the go option to bring with you wherever and requires no prep or clean-up for a very convenient option.
Disadvantages To The V-Diet
Losing Out On Essential Nutrients
With such a restrictive diet, this low calorie, high protein option may limit the amount of essentials that your body gets. While taking a multivitamin and other supplements is a good idea when on this diet, it isn’t the same as getting those nutrients from whole foods.
Extremely Limiting
Based off everything said already, this diet is extremely limiting and your chances to eat whole foods is virtually not an option. A good home-cooked meal should not be underestimated and while you may see fast results, you would have to weigh out just how worth it this diet is.
Does Not Provide Long-Lasting Results
This diet is difficult to keep up and the sustainability is just not there. You will have to be strict and very disciplined with yourself when it comes to this diet and that can be challenging for anyone. As you continue to lift, your body will need those essential nutrients and aside from the external physical benefits of a lean body, the daily functions your body needs to thrive will start to suffer (3).
Wrap Up
When it comes to the velocity diet, your bodybuilding goals may be achieved, albeit for a short while. This diet does have the ability to lean you out so you see a great physique, but you’ll find this to be very limiting and not sustainable. For bodybuilders looking for career longevity and for those serious about competing, getting a body fast may not cut it against the best in the world. For that, you need a solid nutritional plan, strict workout schedule, and clean supplements. A get lean fast diet will work to get that beach body ready quickly, but keeping that weight off will prove to be challenging. You are better off finding a safer, more long-lasting way to keep this weight off, one where you can still see that shredded physique and be confident in it.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
- Barrows, K.; Snook, J. T. (1987). “Effect of a high-protein, very-low-calorie diet on body composition and anthropometric parameter of obese middle-aged women”. (source)
- Howell, Scott; Kones, Richard (2017). “‘Calories in, calories out’ and macronutrient intake: the hope, hype, and science of calories”. (source)
- Weigle, David S.; Breen, Patricia A.; Matthys, Colleen C.; Callahan, Holly S.; et al. (2005). “A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight despite compensatory changes in diurinal plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations”. (source)
