Dangers Of Diets - Low Calorie Diet

Dangers Of Diets - Low Calorie Diet

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It is natural to want to lose weight quickly. You have already come to the not-so-easy decision to do something about your weight and you want to see results. In fact, you need to see results to encourage you to keep going. You may be tempted to go on a crash diet and cut right down your calorie intake. But doing too much too quickly may not be a good idea. While very low calorie diets can work, they do carry some serious risks.

Depending on the degree and the time frame, starving your body with a low calorie diet can have the following effects:

* Muscle loss

* Malnutrition

* Gallstones

* Anaemia

* Dehydration

* Osteoporosis

* Poor concentration

* Depression

While all these things are not going to happen to you immediately, there is a danger you will keep up the low calorie regime for too long and cause some of these effects. In addition to that, when you go off the very low calorie diet, you will put on weight quickly and can soon be back to where you started.

The body needs calories The body needs a minimum number of calories to function properly. Just for the body to work - breathing, thinking, staying alive - it needs 1000 to 1400 calories. Once we start doing anything our body needs more calories. For men it is somewhere between 2600 and 3000 and for women around 2000 to 2200. It does vary according to age, as we generally need fewer calories as we get older because we expend less energy. The more energy we use the more calories we need.

Low calorie intake, say 1000 a day, can break down fat and help to get weight off quickly but it is dangerous without proper medical supervision. Do not be guided by TV shows like The Greatest Loser because the participants are monitored constantly. It is not something you should do by yourself. If your body does not get enough calories, it will go into survival mode and start drawing on reserves to keep functioning.

The much safer way to lose weight and avoid the dangers of diets is to do it gradually by changing your eating habits and starting regular physical exercise. This way you can make sure your body is getting the calories it needs with a balance of carbohydrates and protein. Eating the right food will help you control your calorie intake and exercising regularly will help you burn off excess calories.

About the Author:
You can make sure you are eating the right foods and getting the right balance of protein and carbohydrates in your diet by visiting http://www.squidoo.com/how-can-i-lose-weight-now William Burnell has studied and followed a healthy lifestyle for many years and knows how rewarding it can be.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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