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Is It Dangerous to Reduce Calories to 500 Per Day?

Aug 21, 2011 | By Lisa Sefcik
Is It Dangerous to Reduce Calories to 500 Per Day?
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The extra pounds that register on the scale tell you that you're consuming more food than you need. Cutting the number of calories you consume each day is a vital part of any weight-loss plan. However, it's dangerous to reduce calories to 500 per day. Extreme calorie restriction and rapid weight loss can cause health problems and may even be fatal.

Calories

A calorie is a unit of measurement used to assess the amount of energy you get from the food you eat. One calorie provides enough energy to increase the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 degree Celsius. You burn a certain number of calories when your body carries out basic functions, such as growing and repairing cells and circulating blood --- you even need calories to breathe. According to MayoClinic.com, the number of calories you need for these functions is also known as your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, which some people refer to as their metabolism. Your age, gender and other factors determine your BMR. For example, a 35-year-old, 5-foot, 6-inch-tall woman who weighs 140 lbs. has a BMR of around 1,410. You also burn a small number of calories when your body processes food. However, the biggest factor that influences how many calories you need is your level of physical activity. Some crash diets advocate cutting calories to dangerously low levels so you'll lose weight quickly.

Crash Diets

Crash and fad diets can be tempting, especially when they rely on anecdotal evidence and personal testimonials. These low-calorie, strict diets promise you rapid results and often encourage you to eat a special food or food combinations. Some imply that by eating a specific food you can alter the way your body burns calories. MayoClinic.com reports that fad diets such as the HCG diet promote reducing calories to as low as 500 a day --- which is the reason that dieters achieve temporary success on the diet. But crash diets also deprive you of the essential vitamins and minerals you need for good health and nutrition.

Side Effects

One of the more notable side effects of drastically cutting calories is gallstone formation, particularly in women. The Weight-control Information Network states that diets lower than 800 calories can cause an irregular heartbeat, which may even be fatal. Other symptoms of crash dieting can include weakness, lethargy, headaches, nausea, dehydration and constipation. You may not be getting the permanent weight-loss results you want, either; Mayo Clinic preventive medicine specialist Donald Hensrud states that you may be losing lean muscle or water weight. And rarely are the results of crash diets successful in the long run; rigid, low-calorie diets are difficult to maintain for a prolonged period of time, and most people go back to their regular eating habits.

Healthy Dieting

Cutting calories is essential for weight loss, but you don't have to go to extremes. Every pound of excess fat represents 3,500 calories you consumed that your body had no use for. Medical experts recommend that you lose no more than 1 to 2 lbs. of weight per week. Cutting 500 calories from your daily meals leads to 1 lb. of weight loss every week. Couple a reduced-calorie diet with regular exercise for even better results. Harvard Health Publications states that women need at least 1,200 calories a day. Men need a minimum of 1,500 calories. Don't restrict your calories below these numbers unless your doctor advises you to do so.

References

Article reviewed by S.C. Ville Last updated on: Aug 21, 2011

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