Are all diets good for you?

No, of course.

Which side is the low – calorie diet on?

Read on to find out.

There is no question, everyone likes the idea of ​​a better body.

And there are, thankfully, a number of different ways to achieve this. Some, invariably, are better than others.

If you are looking to achieve the perfect physique or just lose a few sizes of jeans, you can consider one of the most practical means of doing it: drastic cutting of calories.

Depending on how many calories you cut out of your day, you may be simply reducing the size of your regular dinner or perhaps skipping meals altogether.

But, when you are heading for the more extreme side of low calorie diets, it is when you start experiencing the negative health effects instead of the benefits you might have anticipated.

Before we get into the specifics of the negative effects of a low calorie diet let’s discuss: why do low calorie diets work?

DOWNLOAD HYPO CALORIE DIET IN PDF

[dkpdf-button]

What is the purpose of a low calorie diet?

When someone wants a guaranteed means of losing weight, they might turn to a diet that allows them to create a negative energy balance .

This energy “deficit” leads to weight loss, because the body burns more energy than you eat.

Generally speaking, cutting calories in general is a surefire way of promoting weight loss and better overall health, especially if you are prone to overdoing it on a daily basis.

However, some diets may have a much fewer calorie structure than is normally recommended by health professionals.

I have already discussed diets that have taken a turn for a lot of people on low calorie diets, such as the intermittent fasting diet. However, due to the method of alternating between days of very few calories and days of eating huge amounts of food, the cycle is a bit different. At the end of a week you eat more or less the same number of calories, only the days when you eat little or a lot change.

A pure low calorie diet means that you will be consuming far fewer calories over the course of a week, a month, or long anyway.

And people need to realize the risks they run if they put themselves on a low calorie diet, without the help of a supervising physician.

When little is too little?

The recommended estimate for a normal man’s calorie needs falls between 2000 and 2800 calories per day, depending on the level of activity. For a woman, that estimate is between 1600 and 2400.

The ideal amount for a man on a low calorie diet is 1800 calories. The ideal amount for a woman is 1200 calories.

Some low calorie diets cut those levels down by about a thousand calories, between 1200 and 1500 calories per day. At this level, the metabolism begins to slow down as a survival mechanism for fighting hunger.

If your diet limits calorie intake to 800 calories per day or less, you are on a very low calorie diet ( VLCD ). Sometimes, in order to acquire the nutrients you need, you may need to take special energy bars, smoothies, or soups as a meal replacement.

And, as we’ll see, there are more than a few unwanted side effects to this calorie cut.

1. Loss of nutrients

These low calorie diets not only limit the amount of calories the body needs to function at a normal level but also deprive us of essential nutrients.

The National Institutes of Health created Recommended Dietary Allowances ( RDAs ) which prescribe everything the average person should consume from all the nutrients found in staple foods.

When you are on a low calorie diet or on a very low calorie diet, the only way you will get the right substances is through supplements.

2. Gallstones

Gallstones are the most common serious side effect in low calorie diets.

When you lose weight too quickly, the liver secretes extra cholesterol , leading to too much cholesterol in the bile, which can lead to these gallstones.

Gallstones can lead to:

• pain in the upper abdomen and back
• nausea
• He retched
• bloating , indigestion, heartburn and gas.

3. Nausea

When you are not getting enough nutrients, and very little in the way of carbohydrates and sodium, you are likely to experience symptoms of anxiety, a nauseous discomfort.

After some time it can even get to the point of having visual disturbances as a result of your weakened state. In this case, a doctor should be called immediately.

4. Fatigue

If you go long stretches without eating, on these extreme calorie-reducing diets, your blood sugar drops. As a result, your energy decreases.

Why does this happen? Because the body gets energy through its supply of glucose , a type of sugar found in the bloodstream. Glucose creates adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which the brain, muscles, and nearly every other cell in the body need.

If your goal is to feel better, think carefully about eating right so as not to find yourself fatigued with so little blood sugar.

5. Headache

When dealing with unsafe rapid weight loss it is possible to have frequent headaches. As with fatigue, headaches are caused by low blood sugar due to a lack of glucose.

If headaches occur, drink plenty of water before and after exercise and before meals.

READ ALSO: Very high lymphocytes: causes and definitive remedies

6. Constipation

One, of course, doesn’t like being constipated. I know but someone had to say it.

Constipation is simply the state of having fewer than three bowel movements a week. And if that’s the case, even if you’re not eating as much food, you’re probably not happy

Because low calorie diets involve eating so little food overall, especially fewer carbohydrates, that there isn’t enough fiber to have regular bowel activity.

So, if you’re suffering from constipation while on one of these diets, look for a fiber supplement or substitute a fruit or vegetable for a lower fiber food.

7. Menstrual problems

Losing a lot of weight can force the female body into a starvation mode that involves shutting down all nonessential survival functions. The menstrual cycle is one of the first to go away.

While some women may like the idea of ​​having lighter or sometimes absent menstrual cycles, sadly this cycle is not healthy overall. The hormone levels are too low, there is nothing to add.

This can lead to much worse long-term health problems, including weakened bones and hypothalamic amenorrhea – when the hypothalamus and pituitary fail to deliver messages to the ovaries, resulting in dangerously reduced production of estrogen and progesterone.

8. Loss of muscle mass

A study reported by WebMD showed that, in two groups, one on a low calorie diet and the other on a very low calorie diet, muscle loss was greater in those consuming fewer calories.

Because? Because the body began looking for new means of acquiring energy, and began harvesting muscle tissue instead of its normal food source, blood glucose.

9. Cardiac complications

A prolonged low calorie diet can lead to some far more serious dangers, including heart arrhythmias, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage.

The heart does best when blood pressure is well controlled, when we are active and exercise regularly, we get good sleep and our weight is appropriate for our structure.

However, if you are already at serious risk for heart problems, some low-calorie diets have shown short-term benefits for heart health.

What are the benefits of a low calorie diet?

If you are suffering from obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, this type of diet could help you significantly in your fight against your ailments.

Newcastle University conducted  a study in an effort to find a more effective means of treating type 2 diabetes. The researchers placed eleven people on a low calorie diet consisting of meal replacement juice and starchy vegetables over the course of eight. weeks.

At the end of the study, seven of the participants were free of diabetes. Promising results, yes?

However, criticism has been leveled against the study’s findings. Diabetes treatment resulting in “cure” can be achieved by a much slower rate of weight loss with a more moderate and prolonged diet.

And this is one of the biggest pitfalls of these types of diets.

A meta-analysis of American studies of low calorie diets and their maintaining weight loss found that while these diets were effective in causing initial weight loss, their long-term results were “not very satisfying. “.

So, if you are looking for immediate regimen change for the aforementioned health problems, perhaps you might find some benefit in a low calorie diet or very low calorie diet. But, if you do, be absolutely certain that you will continue to follow a long-term healthy diet regimen.

Should You Try a Low Calorie Diet?

According to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association , the risks of a low calorie diet are too great for the average person. Only people who are not pregnant and free of cancer, kidney disease, liver disease, severe psychological problems, or active heart dysfunction with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 32 can be considered good candidates.

If your goal is just to lose weight, there are better options out there than a low calorie diet. In fact, I’ve argued in the past that counting calories isn’t the best way to go about losing weight.

Due to the uncertainties about nutrition labels, the different ways the body manages the calories it takes there are better ways of creating that negative energy balance needed to lose weight:

Build muscle with weights (5 hours a week)
Do more cardio exercise
Become more physically active (not just through exercise)
Eat unrefined foods
Eat regularly throughout the day
Eat more omega-3 fats
Sleep well

For example, a balanced and well-designed diet provided by a health professional along with exercise is one of the safest ways to lose weight.

So let’s stay on the idea of ​​moderation and being careful about what we eat, without thinking that not eating makes everything easier.

And have you ever tried a low or very low calorie diet? Tell me in the comments!