The Skinny On Low Calorie Diets

Its a telling mark of our post-struggle society that people are working harder than ever to lose weight, not gain it. Back in the days of our ancestors, food was a precious commodity, and obesity simply didnt exist because there was no overwhelming surplus of this valuable resource. But if youre working to lose a few pounds, you may be investigating a low calorie diet. This article will hopefully help you make the decision on whether this method is right for you.

The essential scientific basis of a low calorie diet is fairly simple by moderating the amount of fuel that you put into your body, you can force your system to burn your stored fat resources instead. After all, your body doesnt pack on the pudge just for fun its a remnant of prior days, where a layer of adipose tissue insulated us from inclement weather. But with the advent of clothes, fat is now an evolutionary dead end.

A typical low calorie diet represents a minor decrease in calories consumed for an average man, 1800 calories is a healthy target. For an average woman, 1500 calories a day will work. This is still enough food to keep your bodys essential systems functioning (provided you consume a healthy balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) while spurring your metabolism to start consuming stored fat. Some dieters, however, are now investigating very low calorie diets, or VLCDs, where they consume under 800 calories a day. These diets should never be undertaken without the supervision of a physician, and the jury is still out on their effectiveness.

Of course, simply eating less will not solve the health problems that go hand in hand with obesity. It is necessary for the body to exercise to strengthen muscles and burn fat. Even a low calorie diet cant solve every metabolic problem, but it can give the body the impetus it needs to shift out of a sedentary lifestyle into a more active one. Its the oldest axiom in the diet book, but the only real way to weight loss success is to eat less and exercise but how much less you eat, and how much more you exercise, can contain innumerable variations. Picking the right combination is essential for healthy weight loss.

As with any diet, low calorie diets do have their share of side effects. Cutting your caloric intake can lead to a number of symptoms, including dizziness, nausea, constipation, and other bowel disorders. To counteract these, dieters should make sure to remain adequately hydrated and drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day. Many commercial low calorie diets like the South Beach Diet recommend consuming beverages with electrolytes (or salts) to keep hydrated during the difficult weight loss process.

Whatever you choose for your diet, make sure you know the facts going in. Theres no miracle in losing weight, just hard work and willpower. But if youve read this far, Im sure youre willing to do what it takes. Good luck!