Reduced Calorie Diets

Before you decide to undergo a reduced calorie diet, you should be aware that not all diets are safe or healthy for your body, and some can even cause permanent damage. In order to avoid these complications, you should know exactly what your diet of choice should consist of.

Daily Calories

• Each person, regardless of weight, age, or height, needs at least 1,200 calories a day. Any less than that deprives your body of essential vitamins and nutrients that it needs to function. Typically, you need between 1,400 and 1,500 calories, but 1,200 is the absolute lowest you should go without physician approval and supervision.

Step One

• The first step in any diet is figuring out which foods are appropriate. In a reduced calorie diet, you should determine which foods you eat regularly and know the calories in each. Most foods and beverages have the calorie amount per serving on the packaging.

  To make keeping track of your calories easier, you should keep a journal dedicated solely to your diet. Record each food that you eat regularly and the calories in each. You can calculate the calorie intake you need daily by visiting a physician. Typically, you should subtract 500 calories from what you need each day to maintain your current weight in order to lose pounds, though it is best if you ask your physician what a healthy level of calorie intake would be for you.

Step Two

• After you record the foods that you eat regularly and the amount of calories they contain, you should figure out which foods have too many calories. You should take into account that you need three full meals a day for your body to function properly. In your journal, make sure you have foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner . Organize your journal so that you have a set meal for each day with an assortment of foods.

  For breakfast, you should have at least one wheat, dairy, and fruit product to give your body the energy it needs to wake up and function until lunch time. An example of a healthy, low calorie breakfast would be oatmeal sweetened with artificial sweetener, dry wheat toast, and fruit.

  Lunch should consist of a well-balanced meal including a starch, fruit, vegetables, and meat. Lunch should be your largest meal, as you will have time to digest it before dinner, and it will allow you to eat less before you go to sleep. By looking at the foods that you eat regularly, you can determine which would be appropriate for your lunch meal.

  Dinner is typically the same, though you should eat less during this meal. By eating a large meal during lunch, you can eat less during dinner and give your body sufficient time to burn fat and calories before going to bed.

  After each meal, be sure to record the foods that you consumed and the amount of calories in each. At the end of the day, calculate your calories to see if you met your goal. If you did not, don't get discouraged. Look at each individual food and see which ones contain the most calories, and see if you can eliminate them or find a healthy substitute. By doing this, you will have your calorie intake cut down to a level that will allow you to drop weight with ease.

Warning

• As stated above, your body needs at least 1,200 calories a day to function, so do not drop below this unless you are otherwise directed by a licensed physician. Serious harm can come to your body if you do not supply it with the proper nutrients that it needs daily. Some of the effects of this include bone loss, a weakened immune system, infertility, gum infections, poor concentration, anemia, and decreased thyroid function.