There are several very well-known liquid diet plans out there. Do they work? Yes. Do I think they’re a good idea? Not entirely.

Actually, liquid diets have been around for a lot longer than the companies that now sell the ready-made shakes in easy-to-open cans. Our grandmothers and great grandmothers went on fruit juice and black coffee liquid weight loss diets more than a century ago. Did those diets work? Yes — temporarily.

Sometimes, doctors will recommend that their very, very obese patients go on an extremely low-calorie liquid weight loss diet for a short period of time to jump-start their weight loss program and to decrease the immediate health risks of extreme obesity.

A friend of my grandmother’s, Louise, went on such an extremely low-calorie liquid weight loss diet. Her doctor recommended it, but he wanted her to stay on it for only about one month. But Louise was delighted. The weight was falling off! She looked better — a LOT better! She was so happy, she just ignored her doctor’s warnings and stayed on that liquid diet for almost five months.

The same day the scales showed her that she had achieved her weight loss goal, she ditched the liquid diet and went back to eating regular food. It took almost a year, but Louise gained back every unhealthy pound she had lost. Why? Because she had learned nothing about healthy eating; she had learned nothing at all about caloric content or portion control.

Liquid weight loss products can help jump start a weight loss program, but they should only be used temporarily. Dieting and finally reaching a desired weight should providean education that will prevent regaining the weight. Understanding caloric content, knowing healthy foods when you see them, and portion control are the secrets to successful weight control.