Being overweight can be a problem for most people. Many people do various things to lose weight, from diet, to strict exercise, to taking drugs or herbs. But is it effective in losing weight? Is the diet you are living on now a healthy diet and has no negative impact on health? One of the recommended diets for overweight or obese people is a low calorie diet.
Low-calorie diet, a type of healthy diet for weight loss
Low calorie diet is a diet whose energy content is lower than normal requirements, but with plenty of vitamins and minerals, and contains a lot of fiber that plays an important role in the weight loss process. Everyone’s caloric needs are different, depending on their age, physical activity level, health status, sex and mental state – whether they are suffering from stress or not. But in general, the calories needed for adults are an average of 2000 calories.
Because everyone has their own needs, their needs can be less than or more than 2000 calories. But for people who are overweight, whether fat or obese, their normal calorie needs must be reduced in order for their weight to return to normal and ideal numbers. Calorie reduction is not only done without calculation, the body still needs energy to perform all the functions of the body and this is obtained from meeting the caloric needs.
What is the purpose of a low calorie diet?
Low calorie diets are focused on losing weight and getting normal weight, but not only that, here are the goals of other low calorie diets:
- Achieve and maintain nutritional status according to age, sex and physical needs. Although in this diet, the caloric needs are reduced, but the reduction is not extreme and does not cause negative effects on the body.
- Get an ideal body mass index of 18, 5-25 kg / m2
- Reduce energy consumption so that weight loss can be achieved and the weight is estimated to drop by about 1 to ½ kg in a week. Not only that, but also make sure that what is reduced in the body is fat cells that store fats in the body, especially in the waist and abdomen.
How to go on a low calorie diet?
If you really want to try a low calorie diet to lose your weight, then the conditions that must be asked are:
1. low energy
As mentioned earlier, energy must be reduced gradually. This stage is also adjusted to the eating habits, quality and quantity of food eaten. To lose weight of ½ to 1 kg in a week, the energy that must be reduced is about 500 to 1000 kg / m2.
2. Slightly more protein
That is, about 1-1, 5 gr / kg / day or equivalent to 15-20% of total needs. If you eat a 1500 calorie low calorie diet, eat 56 to 75 grams of protein a day. This slightly higher portion of protein is meant to keep you from starving, because protein can make hunger seem a little longer.
The recommended sources of protein are lean meat, skinless chicken, eggs, bacon, milk and cheese, which are low in fat, tempeh, tofu, soy and several other nuts served without cooking oil. As for the types of proteins that should be avoided are all foods high in fat, such as chicken skin, goats, offal and thick coconut milk.
3. Adequate or moderate fat
With a fat portion of 20 to 25% of the total calorie requirements per day. So, if your low calorie diet is 1500 calories, then the fat you need to consume in one day is around 33 to 41 grams of fat in one day.
However, be sure to look at the source of the fat you eat. The most important thing here is the selection of the right fat, try to take a fat source that contains foods with high levels of polyunsaturated fat. Examples of fat sources that should be avoided are coconut oil, coconut and coconut milk.
4. complex carbohydrates
Which is set lower than the normal portion of the day, which is as much as 55-65% carbohydrate. Also choose the type of complex carbohydrates that cause your blood sugar levels to rise immediately. Recommended carbohydrate sources are complex carbohydrates, such as rice, sweet potatoes, cassava, yams, potatoes and cereals. While the food that is not recommended is to consume simple carbohydrates consisting of sugar.
In addition, low calorie diets are also recommended for:
- Eat heavy 3 times and 2-3 times is a snack
- Vitamins and minerals are sufficient to meet your needs.
- The liquid that should be consumed every night is 8 to 10 glasses / day.
- Other types of food that should be avoided, namely for fruits, avoid durian, candied fruit or canned fruit. While all types of vegetables can actually be eaten, but avoid vegetables cooked with thick coconut milk.
