Low Calorie Diets

Low Calorie Diets

A low calorie diet is probably one of the most common ways to lose weight today. Many people today keep track of their caloric intake with many different systems. I've seen many weight losing companies promoting this tactic although it doesn't really take a company to show you how to do this. You can learn how to track your calories all your own. Today since everything is going digital many of this calorie counters are electronic based.

A buddy of mine even uses one on his iPhone. So what's a good ball park do you say? Well a low calorie diet should range from around 1200 to 1500 calories a day. That really isn't a lot of calories, but doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't a lot of food. See you can have larger portions of lighter food versus smaller portions of heavy or fatty foods.

If you want to get really crazy you could even go for a super low calorie diet. How low? Aiming somewhere less than 1000 calories a day like around 800 or 900. If you can manage to swing that, you're basically in the clear and will be losing weight in no time flat.

Now no one said that's an easy target to hit but some do. Basically eating scraps is all you'd be doing if you want to get realistic for a second. When it comes to meals you really wouldn't have meals, just poor excuses for meals. There are ways to trick the stomach though. Eating something like a rice cake is a notable hunger trickster. A rice cake is basically all air but the stomach sees it as a big chunk of goodness. The problem is your stomach only sees it being something substantial for so long. Once it realizes it's been tricked it goes right back to growling and howling at you.

So if you're going to do a super low calorie diet, only try to sustain it for so long. Studies have shown that most who keep this type of drastic diet going, only keep it going for so long and at the very least climb back up to a standard low calorie diet having back up to around 1400 calories in a day. Losing weight will come fast with an extremely low calorie count, which is great! But let's be realistic.

You're not going to keep up this pace forever. Making permanent changes to your behaviors and habits with food shouldn't be ignored. In fact, that is the basis of all weight loss principles. Keeping up with everything and incorporating these diet plans into your lifestyle is the key. Just because it's someone's birthday or wedding doesn't mean you have to have a piece of cake right? Boom, there's a lifestyle change.

Give it a shot and see what you think. It's a monthly process and doesn't come automatically overnight. Now here's one final important piece of advice before I wrap here. If you're going to try this type of diet out don't think for a second you can just go out and eat whatever you want just as long you stay within your calorie margin. Usually with highly processed foods with preservatives and lots of fats will run up your calorie count very quick even if it was a very small portion.

These foods tend to leave you with hunger and of course very poor nutritional value. Without proper nutrients and a balanced diet, many negative effects may occur including low energy, increased hunger, headache, drowsiness, stress or mood swings, and of course self esteem. You'll be much happier with yourself when eating high nutrient and fiber foods with low calories. It is even possible to lose weight by eating more food than you were originally. All in all, low calorie diets work but don't forget when eating the difference between the good, the bad, and the just plain ugly.

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Why Don't Crash Diets Work?

Why Don't Crash Diets Work?

The attraction of a crash diet is normally because people know of somebody who has lost weight in this way before or there can be some new celebrity diet on the market that appears to work.

Why Don't Crash Diets Work?

The major problem with crash diets is that the weight loss is almost always short-term. If you suddenly switch to a limited diet, your body will respond by holding onto to less water. You will lose weight and be less bloated, or in other words thinner, but you won't really lose any fat. When you finish the diet, the weight will probably go straight back on.

Dependent on the type of diet and how long you keep going with it, you may lose some fat. Having said that, your body usually goes into a starvation mode during crash diets. Your body is under the impression that it will not be fed and it will lower your metabolism and hold onto as much fat as possible. Then, when you return to your normal your food intake, even if it is a healthy eating plan, your body can remain in the starvation mode and you'll start to put on some or all of the weight that you lost.

The Emotional Consequences

There is also the emotional consequences to think about when you break-off from what you think is the best diet that you've ever tried. Whether or not this happens when the diet finishes or in the middle of the diet because of frustration, there is a tendency to start overeating. So unfortunately, many people who try crash diets realize that a month or so later, they are actually more heavy than they were before the diet.

Also, there are actually some important health issues to consider. First, diets that concentrate on losing weight fast are normally very limited in the kinds of foods that you can eat. In some cases whole food groups will be removed from the diet. This is not something you could do in the long run without having problems with deficiencies. It's not good for the body in the short-term either.

A Temporary Solution

On many crash diets you will not be getting the nutrients that the body requires. Obviously you can take supplements, but many supplements depend on ingredients found in whole foods to make them work most successfully. Nutrient deficiencies cause cravings, making it harder to keep to the diet and more possible that you will give in to binge eating. Simultaneously, you may be getting too many nutrients than is healthy and balanced.

In summary, crash diets can only ever be a temporary solution. This could be for a scenario where you need to lose a little weight for a particular event, and you do not mind if you gain it back - and more - afterwards.

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