Some researchers are suggesting that low-calorie diets, diets that restrict calories, may help shed the pounds faster. In a study that followed a group of nearly 40 people who lost or kept off the most pounds, the dieters used a low-calorie diet for more than 9 months and had a mean average weight loss of 12 (2.3kg) pounds.
Many of the people were using a diet called Ketogenic, which is an unconventional dietary approach that allows people to eat small amounts of low calories so long as the goal is to lose weight.
In a survey, over 75% of the participants reported eating less than their estimated daily average caloric intake in any given day.
Some of these people ate only 500-1,000 calories per day.
Another study by researchers at the University of Maryland, published in the journal Obesity in 2008, found that after following a low calorie diet over 4 months, the people lost a total of 17% of their bodyweight. They also had a drop in their blood triglyceride levels significantly.
The dieters also had a slight drop in their cholesterol levels.
What are the key takeaways about low calorie diets?
The key takeaways about low-calorie diets are:
If you want to lose weight quickly, you need to follow a low-calorie diet.
It might be better as a way of coping with intense dieting than as an actual weight loss program.
If you start off on a low calorie diet, you’ll probably want to give it a few tries before switching to a low fat diet. This will make sure you’re getting the most from the diet.
You’re unlikely to lose much weight on a diet that only cuts calories. Eating less overall at any stage in your weight loss can actually slow you down.
If you’ve got strong symptoms of being hungry, your body is unlikely to be making any energy from your dietary intake.
What happens if you try a low-calorie diet?
A study published in the journal PLoS One examined the outcomes of a low calorie diet versus a low fat diet over 4 months.
Researchers found that while the low fat diet was good for weight loss, overall weight gain was not a benefit of this eating plan.
Overall, the researchers found that on the low calorie diet, participants lost a total of 7 percent of their bodyweight and gained weight with moderate to high amounts of calorie restriction
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