subject: The Good And Bad Things About Very Low Calorie Diets [print this page] A diet in which just 800 calories or less are consumed daily is called a very low calorie diet (VLCD). While people's nutritional needs vary, most people find it quite challenging to restrict calories to this extent, which is why most diet programs of this sort give you prepared formulas to eat. Before you go on a very low calorie diet, you should consider some of the following points.
Some people believe that the key to living a long life is a very low calorie diet, but some experts will disagree and say that very low calorie diets are not healthy. One theory, that's got research based primarily on animals, says that by drastically cutting your intake of calories you can help disease prevention and make the process of aging slower. People that subscribe to this view might decide to go on a very low calorie diet even if their weight is fine because they think that it'll assist them in living for longer. An organization that is fully dedicated to this practice even exists and it's called the Calorie Restriction Society. No conclusive research has been done thus far on human beings to either disprove or prove the theory, however it's definitely worthy or studying further. A diet plan called Medifast has been shown to help a lot of folks in losing weight, and it's quite well known. In order to assist the users in keeping within the calorie restrictions set by the program they're sent meal replacement products. Although you're supplied with set meals by Medifast on this diet, there's still variety in the meals as they can include things like eggs, lean meats, veggies and there are even desserts, such as puddings. Medifast is very close to being a very low calorie diet, but it isn't one technically due to it allowing a calorie intake of 800 to 1000 calories, which is slightly over the usual 800 calories of a very low calorie diet. One advantage Medifast has over doing things yourself is that you will not be deficient in any crucial vitamins, minerals and nutrients as they're all calculated beforehand.
When you approach the use of an exceedingly low cal food regimen you will need to pick from two options. One option would be to buy and use some sort of pre-measured diet substance, with the calories already counted; or you can count them yourself. The second choice will offer you less restrictions; however you will need to be ever vigilant about the foods you eat. Foods with elevated calorie levels will need to be eaten with great rarity. You can always replace those foods with healthier, low fat options like rice cakes, fruits and vegetables and such. You would be wise to stay away from carbohydrates; it would be a better choice to eat breads made with sprouted wheat flour in place of enhanced flour. Refined sugars are not healthy and should be avoided, along with high fructose corn syrup. It can be hard to choose the best diet plan, and very low calorie diets may seem tempting because they promise rapid weight loss. However, they should be approached with caution unless a doctor is supervising your diet. Without the proper guidance, very low calorie diets can be dangerous.
