What constitutes a low-calorie diet for one person may not be that for another, because recommended number of calories varies based on body type and size. Regardless of your body type, a low-calorie diet can benefit you if you are trying to lose weight. Many successful diets operate on the premise of taking in fewer calories than you use. However, eating a low-calorie diet may also cause certain health risks.
Definition
A low-calorie diet is what most people refer to as simply a "diet," as it involves a relatively moderate reduction of around 25 percent of calorie intake. Depending on your body type, a low-calorie diet typically involves a daily intake of between 1500 and 1800 calories per day. Certain medically supervised diets known as very low-calorie diets, or VLCDs, average about 800 calories per day. A VLCD is usually used only over a period of a few weeks or months as a way to rapidly reduce weight in obese patients.
Benefits
The primary benefit of a low-calorie diet is weight loss. In the case of a VLCD, weight loss can be extreme, with dieters losing 3 to 5 lbs. per week. Particularly for extremely overweight individuals, weight loss can both improve overall health and prepare them for upcoming medical procedures. The weight loss resulting from a low-calorie diet can improve medical conditions typically caused by obesity, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. "The New York Times" cites studies suggesting a link between a low-calorie diet and longer life in addition to improved overall health.
Slowed Metabolism and Health Risks
Most low-calorie diets are unsustainable for the long term. After losing weight on a low-calorie diet, you may be at risk of gaining even more pounds than what you weighed when you started, due to the changes in your body's metabolism caused by the low-calorie diet. When you take in fewer calories, your body actually slows your metabolism so as not to starve. Your body also begins to consume lean muscle mass, which is counterproductive to the weight loss you are trying to achieve. Not only does your metabolism slow further, but when you come off the diet, your body will tend to store more fat in preparation for a future period of low-calorie intake.
By eating fewer calories, you may also be taking in fewer vitamins and minerals essential for proper body function. Additional side effects may include gallstones, fatigue, constipation and, in more severe cases, anemia and osteoporosis.
Recommendations
For some low-calorie diets, you can simply eat smaller portions of the same foods you currently eat to reduce your caloric intake. Other foods you can eat that are filling but low in calories include lean proteins -- such as salmon and chicken without skin -- and fruits and vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli. Whole grains and legumes -- such as brown rice and kidney beans, respectively -- can also help fill you up on fewer calories. To achieve proper nutrition while still maintaining a low-calorie diet, you may be restricted to liquid shakes and nutrition bars, along with small portions of fish and chicken.
References
- "The New York Times" Health; Low-Calorie Diet May Lead to Longer Life; Denise Grady; April 2006
- The Diet Channel: Low-Calorie Diet
- Weight-control Information Network; Very Low-calorie Diets; August 2008
- All Info About Diets and Nutrition; The Dangers of Very Low Calorie Diets; Carol Fisher; 2005
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Healthy Weight -- It's Not a Diet, It's a Lifestyle!; February 2011
Member Comments