Would you take a risk when it comes to you losing weight? Are you looking for a weight loss diet that will give you quicker results? This article is putting the spotlight on the 500 calorie diet. This diet is extreme, and you will understand why in a moment, and it is also quite popular. What is the 500 calorie diet about exactly?
Any diet is considered low calorie if it involves the participant to consume less than 1200 calories a day. The main aim of a low calorie diet is to lose weight quickly. The average woman needs about 1800 calories a day to function optimally, so for someone to consume only 500 calories a day is a big step down to what is considered optimal. Anyone who may consider participating in this diet must do so with a professional nutritionist or dietician, as it can be dangerous for one’s health. The question is, is the 500 calorie diet something that you want to participate in?
It is a well known fact that in order to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume, and this is mostly done through exercise and healthy eating. With the 500 calorie diet, your body would probably go into starvation mode because it is used to getting over 1600 calories every day. This would actually slow down your metabolism because your body is trying to hang on to whatever food it is getting, therefore, your body would refrain from burning any calories.
The other thing that will happen is that your body will start to convert your muscles into energy. Your body needs energy (calories) to function optimally, but because there are not enough calories in the body that can be used for energy, it starts to eat at your muscle mass. Muscles burn more calories than fat, so if your body is eating away at your muscle mass, your body then loses the ability to burn the fat. If this were to happen, it definitely is something that affects your body negatively.
Not everyone who participates in the 500 calorie diet will be affected the same. Some people may participate in the 500 calorie diet without putting their bodies seriously at risk. This would depend on their gender, their height, their activity level, their body type, their well being and their overall health.
For people who are overweight in particular, who are used to consuming over 2500 calories a day, participating in the 500 calorie diet would really be like starving themselves. With this diet, the body adjusts to these low calories. I have to ask though, is this sustainable? Have you thought about what happens when you go back to your normal eating habits? Of course, all that weight will come back, and you will be back where you were, overweight and unhappy.
The only realistic way to determine your ideal daily calorie intake is by using a bmr/amr calculator. From this, you can determine how much calories you need to stay healthy. Men and women have different ideal calorie intake, and then of course the calories that your body needs to function optimally depends on a particular individual.
To conclude, this diet can be dangerous. It is therefore important to consult with your physician before embarking on this diet. Do a physical to determine how fit you are and do include a dietician or a nutritionist before you embark on this diet.