Lower Calorie Diets

The goal of a low-calorie diet is to create an energy deficit by providing fewer calories than your body needs so that the body has to draw upon the energy stored in body fat. Theoretically, a person can lose weight if they are following a low-calorie diet, simply because they are eating less. When planning a lower calorie diet, make sure that you are aware of how many calories you burn in a day. There are calculators online to help you do this. Your diet must have fewer calories than the calories you burn daily to effect any weight loss. Here are more tips about how to lose weight on a low-calorie diet.

One pound of body fat stores about 3,500 calories, so to lose one pound, you need to consume 3,500 fewer calories. Experts recommend that you eat 500 to 1,000 fewer calories each day depending on your current weight and how many pounds you want to lose. At this pace, you can lose one to two pounds of body fat per week (500 fewer calories per day x 7 days per week = 3,500 calories = 1 pound per week). Exercise, which burns calories, also helps achieve weight loss.

What Is A Lower Calorie Diet?
A lower calorie diet can be recognized by the types of foods recommended and the way they are prepared. Fresh fruits and vegetables; whole-grain cereals and breads; nonfat milk, yoghurt, and other dairy products; and lean meats, poultry, fish, and beans make up the bulk of the menu. Fried foods, salty snacks, rich sauces, and sugary, fatty desserts are limited.
Foods are prepared using low-calorie cooking methods. For example, meats, poultry, and fish are roasted, baked, or grilled, but not fried. Vegetables are steamed, boiled, or microwaved without using butter. Oils are used sparingly, and margarine, when used, is the reduced-fat type.
Very importantly, portion control is stressed.

Lower calorie diets can help you achieve your short-term goals and should be alternated with intervals of slightly greater calorific intakes to attain long-term goals. You must include foods from all the meals groups, ensuring you take in at least a portion from the recommended daily consumption of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. A healthy weight loss programme includes enough calories to give you energy.