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800 Calorie Diet?

October 19th, 2009

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So, you want to lose weight fast? Is an 800 calorie diet the best answer? Maybe …

When you consider that, for women, about 1800-2000 calories is required per day to maintain a healthy weight, going for an 800 calorie diet is a pretty radical step. Men generally need to consume 2200-2500 calories per day to the same purpose. Even if you have a great deal of weight to lose before you’ll be happy, the 800 calorie diet is seldom recommended.

Why? Well, for one thing, a single tablespoon of butter contains about 100 calories, not leaving you much wiggle room in the rest of your menus. You must also consider that your body requires a certain amount of daily fat, protein, produce, grains and dairy products, if you hope to be nutritionally sound. While it would be relatively easy to construct menus that don’t exceed 800 calories per day, you might not like the results. When your body is undernourished, it lives off your fat and then goes after your muscles! (You’ll end up with skin sagging off your bones -very unattractive.) This can happen far more quickly than you might imagine. Even a young person might end up with a heart attack, using this strategy.

An Alternative

If you’re desperate to lose weight as quickly as possible, do yourself a favor and have a serious talk with your family physician – before embarking on a radical and potentially dangerous, 800 calorie diet. Your doc may refer you to a nutritionist, who can help you put together a plan that suits your objectives, while meeting your nutritional needs and accommodating your health conditions.

Depending on your health, age and weight, the nutritionist may recommend a 1 day juice fast each week, with judicious portions of lean meats, whole grains and a great deal of produce worked into your menus. As for dairy products, you’ll be steered towards the most healthful choices for you. The goal of the nutritionist is to provide you with menus that supply adequate nutrients, while paring the calories down to a safe minimum. You may also be prescribed supplements to ensure adequate nutrients.

An Alternative

Some people just go off on their own, determining that an 800 calorie diet will get them where they want to go. Yes, you’ll lose weight quickly, but you probably will not like the way you look or feel once you’ve attained that magic number on the scales. It’s important to note that, statistically, people who lose a lot of weight quickly, almost always gain it all back within a similarly short period of time!

Remember, too, that if you engage in regular exercise, your muscles become attractively toned, you burn more calories and realize the cardiovascular benefits of exercise.

If you’ve got your mind set on an 800 calorie diet, this may not be the fastest way to your objective. Always consult your doctor! To a more beautiful you! Enough said.