Low calorie diet

To lose weight and trim up, a low calorie diet could be a good option for you to try. By watching your daily intake of calories, you can ensure you eat slightly less than your body needs - therefore the body will start to use fat to generate energy!

A low calorie diet is one typically around a consumption value of 800 - 900 per day. That is about the lowest number you should really be aiming for - coupled with medical advice.

It is, however essential to consult medical advice prior to embarking upon any type of diet, especially a low calorie diet. The recommended duration of such eating habits should not really exceed three to six months as the consequences may prove to be harmful to your health as opposed to beneficial.

Short term weight loss results are good but in the long term, dieting alone may not produce the results you're after.

Low calorie diets should only be used by people who are overweight or obese and although they can be extremely useful in the quest to lose weight, they can also be dangerous as energy levels may be too low or inadequate for your daily requirements. By losing significant amounts of weight, you can effectively reduce various risks to your health. These risks include heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. Dieting alone though cannot help you to achieve long term or sustainable weight loss results.

A sensible eating plan in combination with taking regular exercise is the key to ensuring you have the ability to lose weight effectively and efficiently over a prolonged period of time.

Side effects of such diets include deficiency diseases which may arise through insufficient nutrients in the diet and such conditions as diarrhoea, fatigue, weakness, constipation and sometimes nausea. Although they are usually only short term side effects, they can pose health problems if this type of restricted calorie consumption continues for longer than about six months.

The problem with any diet plan is that it will not help you to achieve long term, sustainable results unless it is combined with regular physical activity. However, with a dramatic reduction in calorie consumption, exercise can be dangerous as energy levels are so depleted. Children, pregnant women or those suffering from illnesses should avoid such diets and before embarking upon this or any restricted calorie diet plan, a doctor or medical professional should be consulted to ensure you're eating sensibly and safely. .

Our opinion:

A very cautious approval for this route. You will lose weight, but this is only to be undertaken with medical guidance due to ease of deficiency diseases and very low energy levels.

Examples of diet plans :

» Weightwatchers diet
» Cabbage soup diet
» Grapefruit diet
» Scarsdale diet