When you hear the word "diet," the first foods that might come to your mind are celery and carrot sticks -- and with good reason. Neither of these vegetables provides many calories, but they do lend a satisfying crunch to your dining experience. Eating only celery and carrots to lose weight, however, is a bad idea, even though you're certain to lose weight. Your body needs many more nutrients and calories to function at a healthy level than these two foods can offer.
Caloric Intake
One of the difficulties you will experience if you attempt to eat a diet consisting solely of carrots and celery is that your caloric intake will be insufficient to support everyday activities. Yes, you will lose weight, but at a cost to your health that you are most likely not willing to pay. You could eat five large celery sticks along with five large carrots at each meal and still only consume a paltry 540 calories a day. Eating more than this amount would likely be impossible due to the bulk that these vegetables provide. Diets under 1,200 calories per day are not recommended, and can even slow your metabolism.
Weight Loss
The amount of weight you would lose on such a diet depends on the number of calories your body requires to function each day. If you normally need 2,000 calories to maintain your weight, and eat a carrot and celery diet that provides only 540 calories a day, you could lose approximately 3 lb. per week. The weight you will lose will not be only fat, however. Whenever a person eats a diet that is extremely low in calories, the body will begin to burn muscle for fuel. You can expect to lose a significant amount of muscle along with fat and water weight.
Nutrients
Celery and carrots consist almost entirely of carbohydrates. Even though they're healthy carbohydrates, your body needs protein and fat as well. In the Dietary Reference Intake tables, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that people eat a minimum of 20 g of fat and 46 g of protein each day in addition to 130 g of carbohydrates. While a diet of carrots and celery might meet the recommended daily intake for carbohydrates, it would fall woefully short of fat and protein.
While a diet of celery and carrots provides plenty of vitamin A, keep in mind that you must eat a wide variety of foods to get all of the vitamins, minerals and amino acids that you need.
A Healthy Alternative
Since carrots and celery can add so much bulk to your diet without adding many calories, you should certainly include them in a weight loss diet. Eat protein, dairy, a variety of vegetables and whole grains along with celery and carrots, which make ideal snacks for hunger cravings that pop up between meals. Try dipping carrot sticks in a yogurt-based dip or spreading nut butter on celery sticks. Celery sticks can also be stuffed with cottage cheese for a snack that will give you a boost of protein and calcium. Enjoy your balanced low-calorie diet, and you will lose weight the healthy way.
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