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11/09/2015

Does an Extreme Low Calorie Diet Work?

Losing weight is not easy for most of us. Many lose a few pounds and then gain it back. Sometimes we even gain our weight back plus extra pounds. Why is this? Why does it seem virtually impossible for some of us to lose weight?

First of all, before you start any weight loss program, my suggestion is to see your physician. A doctor will tell you if your body is up for the dieting and exercise that you are about to begin. Also, in certain cases you may have a thyroid problem or other issues which could prevent or hinder your weight loss. You also want to make sure that you are healthy enough to start a daily exercise routine.

One way to lose weight is to try an extreme low calorie diet. Depending on your sex and your weight, you could cut your calories to 1600 or less a day. The average maintenance calorie intake for a thirty year old 200 pound male of average height is approximately 2600 a day. The average maintenance calorie intake for a thirty year old 150 pound female of average height is approximately 1900 a day. For extreme fat loss a male could cut his calories to around 1600 calories a day and a women could cut her calories to around 1200 calories a day. Whether you are male or female, an extreme low calorie diet may help to take the pounds off.

A good exercise routine is key to losing the pounds. If you are not used to moving much at all, my advice would be to start out slowly. Start by taking a short ten minute walk outside or on the treadmill. Then gradually each day add five minutes or so until finally you feel comfortable jogging or even running each day. Once you are at this point the pounds will just melt off.

Diet programs such as Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers can also be a great way to begin. The food is OK and they help to get you moving. The best part of these programs are that you have a counselor and/or you can chat with others trying to lose weight which helps hold you accountable and gives you a sense of belonging with others in the same situation. These programs, although can be very beneficial, can be very expensive.

There are ups and downs to each of the above. For one, when starting an extreme low calorie diet, you may cause your metabolism to slow down drastically. This only hurts you because when you begin gradually eating more and more your metabolism is still in slow mode which in turn can cause you to gain more weight in the long run. Exercise is always key to losing weight, just be careful not to overdue it in the beginning. If you overdue your muscles and joints right off the bat, you may find it hard to keep up with the exercise on a daily basis. Also, diet programs may be very helpful in many cases, however, the food may not be the best and they can be very pricey.
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