Plenty of nutrition plans claims to achieve the desired health goal in a desirable method. If you aim for a healthy weight loss with the future maintenance of the target weight, you may try following the Mediterranean diet. If you wish to have a fast slim body, then some experts suggest sticking with a 500-calorie diet. But it is essential to know that no matter what is the result, you should always give first preference to health and wellness.
A healthy weight loss has a well-balanced nutritional plan and a regular workout schedule. Your diet should have important nutrients such as complex carbs, proteins, essential vitamins, unsaturated fat, and minerals.
You need to burn extra calories than you consume to reduce pounds. Nutritionists suggest that an average adult male should eat around 2500 calories and a woman should consume 2000 calories. Thus consuming 1500 calories can lead to weight loss. You can count your own everyday caloric needs with calories you burned.
Therefore, if you consume fewer calories than you burn is the base of slimming.
The 500-calorie diet is a diet plan with extremely low calories. It changes the normal food routine with a fluid supplement, meals with shakes, and bars for some specific time. It restricts your calorie consumption to help the body to use the fat storage, which will lead to reducing pounds.
It is a type of 5:2 intermittent fasting plan that has energy restriction for 2 non-consecutive days of a week and eating 2000 calories on the other 5 days. This type of modified diet can complete 20-25% of energy requirements on fasting days.
Studies indicate that hypocaloric intermittent fasting could benefit overweight and obese individuals to reduce weight. However, these studies do not have a conclusion, and more research is required to confirm these findings.
The Concept of a 500-Calorie Diet
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The 500-calorie diet is related to a group of very-low-calorie diets that VLCD because it restricts the daily caloric consumption to only 500 calories. The very low-calorie diet is sometimes suggested by doctors to help people with obesity, particularly before surgeries, as lowering body fat may lower the operative time, complication risk, and blood loss.
Apart from that, some people try to use it as a tool for rapid weight loss, which may not healthy choice for a longer time. Remember, this restricted-calorie diet needs medical supervision.
A 500-Calorie: Sample Diet Plan for Weight Loss
Breakfast: Options
Image SourceDrink 8 ounces of skimmed milk or decaffeinated tea or black coffee with no sugar.
OR
Have 1 medium bowl of ricotta cheese with One Small banana.
OR
Eat one Wheat bread toast with one Hard-boiled egg.
Drink 1 cup skimmed milk or decaffeinated tea, or black coffee without sugar and one date.
Tip:
If you get hungry before lunch, you can have one cup of sugarless green tea.
Lunch: LUNCH OPTIONS
Image SourceEat one medium bowl of salad with a light dressing.
Or
Have one cup of Greek yogurt and blueberries.
Or
Have one cup vegetable soup prepared with spinach, cabbage, broccoli, or other leafy vegetables.
Or
Have 3 oz fish or grilled chicken or ¼ cup carrot and grilled broccoli.
Or
Eat one lettuce wraps with mushroom or fish or tofu or chicken.
Dinner
Image SourceEat one medium bowl of mushroom or chicken soup(clear).
Or
Eat one medium bowl with turkey or tofu tossed in garlic chili oil.
Or
Eat 2 eggs, 6 mushrooms, and a half cup of spinach.
Benefits
The 500-calorie diet is beneficial for rapid weight loss. Following a VLCD can help to renew your metabolism. It stimulates fat oxidation and helps to lower weight. It is best for those who need weight loss to avoid health risks.
Weight Loss
Image SourceThe 500-calorie diet is a type of intermittent fasting, which gained popularity because of weight loss benefits.
For 5 days in a week, you commonly eat within your everyday needed calorie consumption and then have the 2 remaining days of the week for a 500-calorie diet.
You can alternate from a typical everyday meal plan to a restrictive diet the next day.
However, you should skip high-calorie foods if you do not wish your body fat to reduce effort again.
Research has triggered that it was easy for some people to follow this diet technique rather than everyday restrictive eating. The pattern itself benefits you eat lesser calories than you commonly do, which makes you reduce body fat.
You will also have extra room and energy to benefit from power from workout sessions in your program.
Of course, there is still a grey part to cover here. Just because it says you only have 2 fasting days does not mean you can eat more calories than you commonly perform on non-fasting days. You need to compensate for lost calories and to breach the progress.
Reduce Heart Risk
Image SourceAccording to a review of 2021 more than 1,100 health people and determined that 500 calorie diet and intermittent fasting was more effective than other calorie restriction at lowering heart disease risk. However, the researchers saw that further research is still required to determine the safety of intermittent fasting for some groups like diabetics or those people with eating disorders, additionally to know any long-term relationships for complete health and longevity.
Keep You Stay Healthy
Image SourceMany people choose diets because of weight loss purposes. A low-calorie diet can benefit to get this goal by helping you lose weight, thus increasing health. Additionally, when done right, a low-calorie diet often involves consuming a balanced diet daily which is an essential part of healthy living. Low-calorie diets commonly consist of quality fiber, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and vegetables to assure you get enough nutrients to meet body requirements even during calorie reduction.
Boosts wellbeing and mood
Image SourceA balanced diet with low calories often provides essential minerals and nutrients, which are necessary to make sure the body does every function normally. These minerals also help to get enough sleep during the night and use energy for everyday activities. During a 500-calorie diet, you cannot do heavy activities but light things can be done to keep yourself active.
Improve Blood Sugar Levels
Image SourceWhen dieting many people are advised to avoid high sugar and high carb because these foods eventually converted in calories and limit diet effects. Avoiding high sugar food helps to regulate blood sugar. Having high blood sugar can increase the risk of heart problems and diabetes.
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Type 2 Diabetes
Image SourceAccording to a study of intermittent fasting with diabetes people, a short-term study concluded that the fasting program may benefit with results including fasting glucose and body weight. But they also see that their findings were investigative, and a longer and larger study is important.
Workout Is Not Necessary For 500 Calorie Diet
Weight loss consists of the right diet and an exercise routine. With this type of diet, it is right to burn extra calories by doing exercise?
It is not good for health. There is no way for you to get enough energy reserves to do sets over the same day as your diet completely, especially if you are looking into doing this every day. It is possible, but you will be completely exhausted, and it will most likely negatively affect your health.
Think you seriously wish to do exercise, though. In that case, there is another solution for you to perform regularly without negatively influence your health, and that is intermittent fasting. Studies showed that it could help obese and overweight individuals to reduce weight.
Health Risks
Nutritional Deficiencies
Image SourceFollowing a 500-calorie diet for more time can cause nutritional deficiencies. A study issued in the Nutrition Journal indicated that a very low-calorie diet formula could lead to deficiencies in micronutrients.
There was a significant decrease in the serum concentration of vitamin C, D, and zinc among obese people on a low-calorie diet for 12 weeks.
Low-calorie diets can lead to fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, menstrual irregularities, cold intolerance, and hair loss. Lack of fiber in the diet also leads to constipation. It reduces the immune system efficiency and makes your body more prone to multiple ailments.
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Muscle Loss
Image SourceWould you like to get slimmer? At that point, lose fat, not muscle. On the off chance that you are on a very low-calorie diet for a prolonged period, you will begin losing bulk rather than fat mass.
An extremely low-calorie, low-carb, low-protein diet can cause skeletal muscle discomfort. This can give you a “slim” look and make your skin free and saggy.
Metabolic Changes
Diet with very low calories for the long-term causes to slow down metabolism. It ultimately causes weight gain when you go back to the original eating pattern. According to study issued in Nutrition & Metabolism indicated a sudden decrease in body weight because of low-calorie diet plan lowered the RMR-resting metabolic rate, but it was not as expected.Â
How will the 500 diets affect metabolism?
The 500-calorie diet may also create a health risk for metabolic rate. Prolonged restrictions in your calories can significantly lower metabolism, making your body burn fewer calories. It can be a problem factor since the long-term impact would be that once you end your 500-calorie diet, you will have to stay in a low deficit to manage the weight you attained.
Lower in Bone Mass
Image SourceWeight reduction because of following a calorie-confined eating routine for quite a while diminishes bone mineral thickness and debilitates bone strength.
An examination showed that low-calorie diet-actuated weight reduction is joined by a deficiency of bone mass. Another investigation on 48 adults revealed that calorie restriction (CR) decreased bone mineral density and bone mass.
Gallstones Formation
Image SourceA low-calorie diet like 500 calories can raise your risk of forming gallstones. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity indicated that following a very low-calorie diet for one year leads to cholelithiasis which is a stone formation in the gall bladder. Different people had to undergo gall bladder depending on the specific condition.
Deficiency of Healthy Fat
Image SourceA low-calorie diet is lacking healthy fats to restrict unnecessary calorie consumption. Eating healthy fats in a limited portion offer satiety and benefit to stay healthy. Following a very low-calorie diet with limited restricted healthy fat consumption lower the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamin, and causes deficiency. You may be thinking about who can follow this diet and who should skip it. Find below.
The 500-Calorie Diet: Who Can Follow?
People with a BMI of an extra 30 that is from obesity grade 1 to grade 3rd should follow a very restricted calorie diet under the proper supervision of a physician or a nutritionist.
Who Should Avoid?
Image SourceCommonly, physicians do not allow people with medical situations to follow a very low-calorie diet. It is advised not to follow any restricted-calorie diet under the following medical conditions:
Heart disease
Kidney diseases
Diabetes
Gallstones
Gout
Some foods are moderate in calories or marked as zero-calorie drinks or foods but harm your body. Hence, you should have a clear opinion of what food to eat and what food to withdraw if you are following a 500-calorie diet.
500 Calories: How To Follow A Day Diet
The idea is to choose foods. You would like to count every food so here is are the guideline for food choices required to meet:
Low calorie
Have some volume to them
Packed with mineral and vitamins
Get some volume to them
Let the food digest
Following these rules make sure you are getting nutrients and also save some suffering from cravings and hunger.
When your body has what it requires, it turns off the cravings and hangers. The presence of minerals and vitamins in the digestive tract tells your brain when to eat and when to stop from obsessively repeating.
Slow digesting and high-volume food keep the stomach busy to keep it happy and does not feel the required to call the brain to say more food is needed.
Foods to Eat
Foods to Eat on the 500-Calorie Diet
Image SourceStarch-free vegetables like carrot, broccoli, beetroot, cabbage, scallion, lettuce, and parsnip.
These are low in calories and have more nutrition. They will lead to losing weight without keeping your health in danger.
Sauteed, stir-fried salad and balanced food. These reduce the essential enzyme disruption and phytonutrients.
Yogurt and full-fat milk are nutritious and will help to prevent hunger.
Fresh pressed fruit juices. Ensure you do not eat high GI foods like pineapple, mangoes, and grapes.
Low-calorie dressing for a salad like lime juice, olive oil, pepper, and salt.
Pre-cooked shrimps and chicken.
Pre-washed veggies.
Soup, salad, and stir fry are easy meals that work well on a 500-calorie diet. You will require to skip high-calorie salad dressing, oils, and crackers. Additionally, you could also consume fewer berries, oatmeal, beans, walnuts, and plain popcorn.
Here are some foods to avoid during a 500-calorie diet.
The 500-Calorie Diet: Foods to Avoid
Image SourceProcessed foods like salami and sausages
Fruits, and canned veggies
Dried fruits
Energy drinks like bottled fruit juice and soda.
Sugary foods like pastry, cake, candies, and pancakes.
Drink Enough water
Image SourceDrinking enough water is important for every diet. It helps to keep you hydrated and prevent thirst. Water is the best non-calorie drink to replace with diet soda, coffee, and other drinks.
Avoid Snacks and Eat 2 Meals Instead Of 3 Meals Every Day.
Image SourceThis eating style is not standard. Eating 2 meals instead of 3 meals even without snacks helps to reduce stomach suffering and calories. It also stimulates the appetite.
Keep Everything in Place from Day One
Diet is something you need to plan properly about what you eat when you eat, how much you eat. Therefore, need you to do shopping before starting a diet plan. Because in the mid of diet you cannot skip excusing you are running out of something. That can be unhealthy and not suitable for diet, and it also does not give you any result.
Keep Your Environment Clean
Image SourceTry to keep away the snacks and cookies away during your dieting plan. Because seeing your favorite food make you eat it somehow and your diet will get impacted.
Also, keep the junk foods away from your kitchen and work table.
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Have Stoppers in Place
A stopper is any type of activity, drink, or food that prevents your desire to eat. Cleaning your teeth or flossing makes you avoid overeating anything because you don’t want to dirty your mouth again after the wash.
Have a Hobby
Image SourceMental distraction helps to prevent overeating, especially during the diet.
Jigsaw puzzles kept in the living room can help to store your mind and hand busy.
Whatever you want, try to make it something distinct from your normal cycle and require hands and brain such as video sports, sewing, painting, and reading.
Reduce Exercise
Image SourceWhile following 500 calories diet, try to avoid heavy exercises because doing intense calorie consuming exercise the body demand heavy food. Doing strenuous workout cause to stimulate hunger. Instead, you can do stretching and walking.
Important Point of 500 calorie diet
Vitamins
Image SourceThis 500-calorie diet is only 5 days, so you do not need any extra vitamin supplementation. You can take vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 helps in vitamin absorption.
Meal Replacements On 500 Calorie Diet
Image SourceSome fluid diets include meal replacement shakes, which are taken instead of solid foods. Different companies market these shakes for weight loss goals. Meal replacement shakes have low calories than typical meals.
They can change one or different meals every day. They are created to have every nutrient in the body required to function, including macronutrients like carbs, protein, and fat, minerals, and vitamins.
Detox Cleanses
Image SourceOther fluids include cleansing water or detox water, which need to consume with certain drinks or juices to remove the toxins from the body.
Examples of detox include master cleanse, different juicing programs, and long-term water fasting.
Unlike meal replacement shakes, these programs generally depend on some natural ingredients like juices from certain vegetables and fruits and different botanical ingredients.
These fluids may not consist of all nutrients amounts to reach the daily requirement. Therefore, you need to make sure it fulfils your nutrient need.
Medically Advised Liquid Diets
Image SourceFull and clear liquid diets are examples of 500 diets that are medically advised for particular health reasons. As the name tells, clear liquid diets only permit the consumption of clear fluid like apple juice, water, tea, broths, and sports drinks.
These dies may be suggested before or after some surgeries or if you have a problem with digestion.
Complete liquid diets are suggested for the same reasons, but they are not much restrictive than clear fluid diets. They allow most drinks and foods that become liquid at room temperatures like popsicles, syrups, shakes, and Jell O, and pudding.
How Much Weight You Will Lose Every Day with A 500-Calorie Diet?
Image SourceIf you have an average basal metabolic rate in the 1500-1800 calories range, you consume 500 calories every day and you are less active, your everyday deficit will be 1300-1600 range. Over 5 days, you can expect to reduce around 1.5-2.5 pounds.
What you notice on the scale will look higher, because you will possibly lose some fluid and you will have emptied your digestive tract.
That could make it look like you have lost 5-10 pounds, but it will not be real weight loss. You will gain this weight again in 1-2 days after eating normally. You can reduce some more than that 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, and maybe get it up to as much as 3-pounds if you work out on each of those 3 days. or 3.5 pounds if you work out strenuously sufficient to burn an extra 1200 calories every day, but by the end of the 2-3 day you will not have complete energy for that.
Final Words
The 500 calories diet is a very restrictive diet plan. It is only suitable for healthy people and certain health conditions observed under a physician. Make sure to follow all the above details to get effective results. Also, not everyone gets similar results because it will depend on a different type of health.