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Diet Calorie Tips

If you are obese or have a hard time dropping your favorite unhealthy foods, a low-calorie diet can be the perfect kind of weight loss plan for you. As long as you stay within your calorie limit for the day, you can eat whatever you want. Always consult with your doctor before starting any extreme diet or weight loss plan to make sure that it is safe for you.

  1. Know Your Calorie Number

    • While eating less calories can be an effective way to lose weight, you don't want to eat too little because you need calories to function properly and provide your body with energy. Know how many calories you should be eating to maintain proper function and don't go below that number. The minimal number of calories you should have in a day depends on whether you are a man or woman and how much you weigh. Freedieting.com provides a calorie calculator that can help you figure out your specific needs.

    Eat Low-Calorie Foods

    • While one benefit of a diet like this is that you can essentially eat whatever you want as long as you don't surpass your calorie number, you should still stick to mostly low-calorie foods. A big piece of cheesecake might take as much as one third of your calorie allotment for the day, so that doesn't leave you with much else to eat, and you will probably go to sleep hungry. By eating mostly low-calorie foods such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and healthy snacks, you can enjoy large meals and constant snacks while staying within your allotment.

    Use Calorie Calculators

    • If you are eating mostly packaged foods, the nutrition label on the side should tell you exactly how many calories you consumed. However, if you are eating a homemade bean soup and vegetable wrap for lunch, you might not know how many calories are in each one. Rather than estimating and coming up with the wrong numbers, use an online tool that can give you an accurate assessment. Fitwatch.com provides a tool like this or you can simply type in your food to your search engine and it will usually provide you with an answer.

    Know Your Benefits

    • An obese person can lose an average of three to five pounds a week by cutting calories, but someone starting out with just a few pounds to lose will not see the same results. Ask your doctor or a nutritional consultant whether a low-calorie diet is a smart option for you.

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