A low-calorie diet is helpful to treat certain medical conditions. However, it is crucial to consult a physician before consuming a low-calorie diet.
Consumption of low-calories helps in keeping you in shape and reduces your aging process. For weight loss, burning more than you consume is appropriate.
Consult your dietician or physician before consuming a low-calorie diet if you have any medical conditions. The parameters of your weight include measuring waist circumference and body mass index. Before starting on a diet plan, check your health conditions and parameters such as cholesterol, high blood pressure, and disordered eating patterns.
Foods to consume for a low-calorie nutrient-rich diet:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Eggs
- Lentils
- Spices
- Fruits and vegetables rich in fiber
Avoid eating carbohydrates, processed foods, sugar, and fruit juices high in sugar, oily and junk foods. While losing weight may help, maintaining a healthy weight for good health is necessary not to ruin weight loss progress. This requires some effort in sticking to a healthy diet plan and exercise regime.
Very low-calorie diets are not suitable for susceptible individuals such as elderly people, immune-deficient people, and people with other health problems.
Techniques
Mindful eating helps in consuming less food rather than consuming more food for the taste, leading to weight gain.
Incorporating healthy fats such as coconut oil, dry fruits such as almonds, apricots, walnuts, etc., are important for hormonal balance. If you are on a low-calorie diet, you can consume non-fat milk or low-fat milk.
Adverse effects of a low-calorie diet are fatigue, nausea, and digestive issues. If you eat a very low-calorie diet, you may carve for fatty foods or experience weakness due to a lack of energy.
Hence, a balanced nutritious diet is essential for the body to function optimally.
Benefits of a low-calorie diet
Here are some of the immediate benefits of a low-calorie diet:
- Rapid weight loss
- Healthy lifestyle
- Mood enhancer
- Free of diseases that occur from obesity
- Improvement in blood sugar levels
A very low-calorie diet may be helpful to you if you are extremely obese and need to lose weight in a shorter span of time. However, even in such cases, you are advised to follow a diet under the guidance of a physician or dietician. You can consume foods rich in minerals and nutrients such as soups and salads to obtain nutrition so that you have sufficient energy to function during the day.
Paleo, keto, and different kinds of diet are recommended accordingly by a dietician and need consultation. Intermittent fasting is also effective in weight management, in which there’s a prolonged gap or fasting period between meals. This provides sufficient time for your stomach to digest the food. This has been a proven method for weight loss and management.
Lifestyle changes are also equally necessary. Currently, many diseases manifest because of a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet. Hence, following a low-calorie diet till you regain your healthy weight to tackle health problems is important.
