Caloric Intake Diets

It's easy to understand why calorie counting is one diet that hasn't come and gone. When you reduce your food intake based on limiting your calories, no food is off limits. You can eat basically anything you want, as long as it fits into your calorie budget and you are not sacrificing nutrition. There are several different ways of dieting based on your consumption of calories. They may all work, but you should choose which one is best for you. Before you start any diet, always check with your doctor first.

Very Low Calorie Diet

A very low calorie diet is generally a diet option for the extremely obese population. This kind of diet restricts your calories so severely that you must conduct the diet under the supervision of your doctor. This diet is mainly used to kick-start weight loss in the morbidly obese; it is not realistic for the long-term. It restricts your caloric intake to between 800 and 1,000 calories per day. This is usually done using a meal replacement bar or drink so that nutrition is not compromised. A very low calorie diet can result in an average weight loss of 44 pounds over 12 weeks, states the Weight Control Information Network. But beware: There are side effects, including nausea, fatigue, constipation and diarrhea.

Metabolic Rate Diet

Eating according to your metabolic rate means eating only the amount of calories that your body needs to maintain homeostatic functions. If you eat only as many calories as your body needs to live, then any activity you do throughout your day, such as showering or walking to your car, results in calories burned. Your metabolic rate is dependent on your body size and gender. You can estimate your body's needs with a simple equation.
For women, metabolic rate = 655.0955 + (9.5634 x weight in kg) + (1.8496 x height) - (4.6756 x age).

For men, metabolic rate = 66.473 + (13.7516 x weight in kg) + (5.0033 x height) - (6.755 x age).

To determine your weight in kilograms, simply divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.

Moderate Deficit Diet

The moderate deficit caloric diet is a general recommendation for men and women for weight loss. A woman participating in this diet should eat between 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day. Men on this diet must consume between 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day. Your intake should vary based on your level of physical activity and can also fluctuate. However, you should aim for an average somewhere between these two ranges. While on this diet, you should also be concerned with your nutrition. Try to eat a well-balanced diet that provides all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

Considerations

Another aspect of any good calorie-controlled diet is exercise. Physical activity uses calories, so these calories can count against your caloric deficit. When you exercise along with dieting, you also encourage your body to hold onto more lean body mass and burn more fat. In fact, the American Council on Exercise reports that if you diet without exercising, 25 percent of every pound you lose comes from lean body mass. Holding onto lean body mass keeps you healthy and also increases your metabolic rate.