Calories for Slimming

Creating a negative calorie balance
In order to lose weight you must create a negative calorie balance (i.e. you must burn off more calories than you consume).

You can achieve a negative calorie balance in two ways:
· Reduce your intake of calories in order to eat less than you burn off or
· Become more active in order to burn more calories than you eat.
It is generally agreed by dieticians and health experts that the most effective way to lose weight in a healthy and permant manner is to use a mixture of both tactics.
· You can't lose fat unless you are on a negative calorie balance diet
· You can't gain muscle tissue unless you are on a positive calorie balance diet (and we know that muscle helps your body burn fat!)
· You can't lose fat and gain muscle unless you alternate periods of negative calorie balance with periods of positive calorie balance
It does not matter if you are trying to lose total body weight, stay at the same total body weight or gain total body weight. The zigzag rule applies to everyone. All the time.

Very Low-Calorie Diets
Traditional weight loss methods include low-calorie diets that allow between 800 to 1,500 calories a day and encourage regular exercise. However, an alternative method that moderately to severely obese people may consider for significant, short-term weight loss is the very low-calorie diet (VLCD).
Many VLCDs are commercially prepared formulas of 800 calories or less that replace all usual food intake. Others, such as the well-known grapefruit diet (also called the Hollywood Diet), rely on eating a lot of the same low-calorie food or foods. VLCDs are not the same as over-the-counter meal replacements, which are substituted for one or two meals a day.

How Effective Are VLCDs?
A VLCD may allow a severely to moderately obese person to lose about 3 to 5 pounds per week, for an average total weight loss of 44 pounds over 12 weeks. Such a weight loss can improve obesity-related medical conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

However, VLCDs are no more effective than more modest dietary restrictions in the long-term maintenance of reduced weight. Combining a VLCD with behavioral therapy and exercise may increase weight loss and help keep it off for the long-term. Behavioral therapy helps you to recognize what causes you to overeat so that you can consciously change those behaviors.

Are VLCDs Safe?
VLCDs are generally safe when used under proper medical supervision in people with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. Use of VLCDs in people with a BMI of 27 to 30 should be reserved for those who have medical complications resulting from their obesity.
VLCDs are not suitable for everyone. Doctors generally recommend them on a case-by-case basis and your doctor will decide whether or not such a diet is appropriate for you. VLCDs are not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, and are not appropriate for children or adolescents except in specialized treatment programs. Due to the need for other medications for preexisting conditions, as well as the possibility of side effects, these types of diets may not be suitable for people over 50, either.


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What Are the Side Effects to VLCDs?
Many people on a VLCD for 4-16 weeks report minor side effects such as fatigue, constipation, nausea and diarrhea, but these conditions usually improve within a few weeks and rarely prevent people from completing the program.
The most common serious side effect seen with VLCDs is gallstone formation. Gallstones, which frequently develop in obese people (especially women), are even more common during rapid weight loss. The reason for this may be that rapid weight loss appears to decrease the gallbladder's ability to contract bile. But, it is unclear whether VLCDs directly cause gallstones or whether the amount of weight loss is responsible for the formation of gallstones.

What Are the Other Drawbacks?
To be healthy, we need a balance of foods from different food groups. It's quite difficult to get good nutrition in as few as 800 calories (a dietitian would have trouble doing this), especially if one eats the same foods day after day.
Also, once you go off the diet, you will likely regain your weight unless you change your lifestyle and commit to healthy eating, regular physical activity and an improved outlook about food. By sticking to a long-term commitment, you can prevent your weight from drifting back up the scale.

Calorie Level
Low-calorie Diets. Most weight-loss diets provide 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day. However, the number of calories that is right for you depends on your weight and activity level. At these calorie levels, diets are referred to as low-calorie diets. Self-help diet books and clinical and non-clinical weight-loss programs often include low-calorie diet plans.
The calorie level of your diet should allow for a weight loss of no more than 1 pound per week (after the first week or two when weight loss may be more rapid because of initial water loss). If you can estimate how many calories you eat in a day, you can design a diet plan that will help you lose no more than 1 pound per week. You may need to work with a trained health professional, such as a registered dietitian. Or, you can use a standardized low-calorie diet plan with a fixed calorie level.
The selected calorie level, however, may not produce the recommended rate of weight loss, and you may need to eat more or less.
· No more than 30 percent of calories, on average, from fat per day, with less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat (such as fat from meat, butter, and eggs). Limiting fat to these levels reduces your risk for heart disease and may help you lose weight. In addition, you should limit the amount of cholesterol in your diet. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in animal products such as meat and eggs. Your diet should include no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day (one egg contains about 215 milligrams of cholesterol, and 3.5 ounces of cooked hamburger contain 100 milligrams of cholesterol).

The Secret Power of 100 Calories
Would you give up 100 calories to lose 10 pounds? That's all it takes, if you're patient. Just cut back 100 calories a day ... and keep everything else the same. In a year you'll shed approximately 10 pounds (100 cal. per day X 365 days divided by 3,500 cal. per pound).
But eat just 100 calories over your energy needs every day? You'll expand by 10 pounds a year. Suppose you weigh 150 pounds. With a steady 100 extra calories, theoretically you could double your weight in 15 years! How much smarter to put the brakes on as soon as you detect the first tug in your waistband. Below, see how easy it is.

12 Ways to Save 100 Calories:
· Instead of 1 cup low-fat granola with raisins ... have 1 cup raisin bran.
· Instead of a large café latte with whole milk ... have a large café latte with skim milk.
· Instead of a whole 4 oz. bagel ... have half a 4 oz. bagel plus an orange.
· Instead of a turkey sandwich with 1 1/4 tbsp. mayo ... have a turkey sandwich with 1 tbsp.
· Instead of 2 slices cheese pizza ... have 2 slices veggie pizza (no cheese).
· Instead of tossed salad with 2 tbsp. ranch dressing ... have a tossed salad with 3 tbsp. fat-free ranch dressing.
· Instead of a hamburger ... have a Boca Burger or a Gardenburger.
· Instead of Chinese vegetables plus 1 cup fried rice ... have Chinese vegetables plus 1 cup steamed rice.
· Instead of a baked potato with 2 tbsp. butter ... have a baked potato with 1 tbsp.
· Instead of 1 cup macaroni & cheese plus 1/2 cup broccoli ... have 1/2 cup macaroni & cheese plus 1 1/2 cups broccoli.
· Instead of a slice of chocolate fudge cake with icing ... have 4 Hershey's kisses or a half slice of cake.
· Instead of 6 cups of microwave popcorn, movie-theater-style ... have 6 cups microwave popcorn, low-fat, butter flavor.