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Necessity is the mother of invention, or so they say. If you thought this old adage only holds water in the machine world then you should think again. The phrase has found meaning virtually in all areas of human interests and diet is just one of them. Where would you say the 500 calorie diet came from? It must have been someone who had tested 500 calories a day diet achieved desirable results hence ushered it into the world. That’s invention. We will be exploring this invention and among what we will cover include what to eat on a 500 calorie diet, 500 calorie diet plan, 500 calorie diet menu as well as 500 calorie diet results.
Understanding 500 calories a day diet
The 500 calories diet falls in the group popularly known as extremely low-carb diets. As its name suggests you should only take 500 calorie a day diet. On the upper end you can take as much as 800 calories but not more than that. According to healthy eating opinions, the calorie quota is way too below the daily recommended calorie at 2,500 and 2,000 for a male and female.
If you are wondering what to eat on a 500 calorie diet then you should know that you will be replacing at least 2 of your main meals with other lighter alternatives. The alternatives include food bars, drinks and shakes. The 500 calorie diet plan is not just for anyone but those who are overly overweight. They should have tried other less strict diets (especially on the calorie intake) before deciding that it is time they acutely reduce their daily calories to a bare minimal.
Due to its critically low calorie intake, the 500 calorie diet will require some professional supervision to ensure that you are not posing any dangers to your health. It is not the kind of diet plan you will wake up and decide to get into. You will need to consult your doctor and he/she should keep track on your daily performance.
Looking at the basics of the 500 calorie diet
Honestly, you cannot get all the nutrients your body needs if you are taking 500 calories in a day diet. This is one of the limitations that come with eating very low calorie diets, which only allows you not more than 800 calorie in a day. In these kinds of diets you will be taking more of fluid meals than the solid ones you are accustomed to. The fluids contain nutritional supplements for proteins, vitamins and minerals. In most of the cases, the 500 calorie diet is a reserve of the obese people who are in real need to lose weight and will require constant monitoring of a doctor. Due to the severity of the low intake of calorie, the diet should not be a long term program to help you lose weight. From health corridors you can only follow this diet for up to 12 weeks and then get back to your normal eating. For those who do not wish to lose much of their weight, one week would be adequate.
How does the 500 calorie diet work?
In the event that you are taking very minimal calories, your body goes into a starvation status. As a result the production and activity of the thyroid hormones is brought down to a very low level. This in turn slows down the rate of calorie burning. The body now turns to fat as the source of body fuel. As you progress with the diet, fats are depleted. The body now turns to your muscles and burns them as an alternative for energy. For as long as you stay on the diet the muscle burning continues to the level you may desire. That is how the 500 calorie diet is able to fight obesity and overweight.
What to eat on a 500 calorie diet
Every diet with a health objective is governed by what to eat and what you should not eat. The same goes for the 500 calories diet. Here is what to eat on a 500 calorie diet;
· For starters, you have no limitations on what to eat. You can eat all that there is to choose from for as long as by the end of the day you have attained your imperative 500 calories a day.
· Proteins form a very crucial part of your eating choices. You will need them to stay satiated for long and fight any desire for junk foods. However, you have to watch on the amount you have at each meal. For the entire day you can have as much as 160 calories spread across the three main daily meals. Good sources of protein include lean beef, fish, chicken, white eggs and turkey.
· Veggies and fruits are also welcome to what you should eat. But you should watch on your choices and the quantities you take down in each meal and day. All the vegetables and fruits with low-calorie content are welcome to your table. A few picks are carrots, bananas, berries, celery, and bok choy, among others.
· Fat is not a big favorite in the 500 calorie diet but it has to be there though in very minimal quantities. Natural fat sources like nuts are the best you can go for. Fats in processed foods are not good for you since they contain more calories than what is written on their ingredient tables.
· Carbohydrates are also part of this diet but it is highly recommended that you go for the low-calorie types. Ready-to-eat wholegrain cereals are good sources of beneficial carbs and you should have them in your cooking armory.
· You will have to drink plenty of tea, coffee and herbal tea is a very good addition. Milk is also a good choice but remember you will have to account for the calories that come with it. Besides, low-calorie drinks (soft types) and fizzy water are good choices to stay hydrated.
5-day 500 calorie diet plan
Without a 500 calorie diet plan, your chances of achieving your target goals are all in vain. To give you something to begin with, here is a simple 500 calorie a day diet plan that is easy to follow but effective;
Day 1
For the main meals go for Snow peas, and quinoa salad with scallops. This will give you a total of 326 calories. To top on the remaining calories add on 5 ounces of white wine (116 calories) and cucumber salad especially the Japanese kind (46 calories). In total you will have take 488 calories and just 2 calories shy of your daily target
Day 2
Breakfast: 1 cup of steamed broccoli. It is better to have it spiced with lemon pepper. That one will give you approximately 46 calories
Lunch: turkey burger dressed with a marinara sauce. You can have it served with a toast of focaccia. You will have taken down 300 calorie for your lunch.
Supper: potato salad (123 calories)
In total you have 467 calories.
Day 3
Breakfast: banana pudding pops (82 calories)
Lunch: quinoa in the company of freshly chopped tarragon. You only need half a cup and get your 111 calories.
Supper: chops of pork with a generous serving of fennel salad and a small size orange. You will draw 257 calories from this mix. Your total calorie intake for the day will be 450.
Day 4
Breakfast: half cup of frozen vanilla yoghurt (95 calories)
Lunch: a bowl of scallion rice with a chicken piece (258 calories)
Supper: spinach salad with ginger dressing (135 calories)
Total of 488 calories for the day
Day 5
Breakfast: vegetable soup with butter (60 calories)
Lunch: scrambled tofu (202 calories)
Supper: snap peas dressed with creamy tarragon. Add on corn tortillas (should be warm). A total of 201 calories. For the day you will have taken 463 calories.
For your other day you can pick your choices from what you should eat on 500 calorie diet as well as from the 500 calorie diet menu.
500 calorie diet menu
· In every meal you should include a portion of protein. This is especially good for you to stay satiated for long and fight any cravings for foods not in your list. Spread across 160 calories of proteins in your 3 main meals. You have a better chance of not cheating on your diet if you use this simple plan.
· For breakfast: in your 500 calorie diet, breakfast forms a crucial part. You need to start your day well and that comes down to what you eat the first thing in the morning. For your 500 calorie a day diet you can choose from a number of options. A cup of fat-free milk with a bowl of ready to eat non-sugar wholegrain cereal. The calorie count in this option is way too low but will keep you full for till it is time to have your lunch. Another good choice would be fat-free half cup of cottage cheese in the company of a small banana or a piece of a big one. The third option on your table of choice would be a dry toast of whole-wheat (just a single slice) and a hardboiled egg.
· For lunch: here you have an array of choices and you can select according to your preferences. Grilled chicken (not more than 3 ounces) with a lot of greens is a number one option. Ensure that the greens are from the low-calorie zone so as to keep faith with the theme of 500 calories a day diet. Adding red wine vinegar is a thoughtful move to have the right flavor. Another of your lunch choice for a perfect 500 calorie diet is 2 ounces of deli turkey with fatless crackers on the double and to it up with lettuce leaves covered with a layer of mustard. The final choices you can go for is the fat-free Greek yoghurt (6 ounces) and take it alongside a cup of fresh picked blueberries. All the 3 options are from low-calorie groups and they are in synch with all the requirements of what to eat on a 500 calorie diet.
· For supper: this is probably your last meal of the day and should top up on the remaining daily calories. You should ensure that you are not taking more than is required by the 500 calorie diet. To help you stay on 500 calorie diet menu, here are options you can pick for your supper. 4-egg omelet (the white kind) with spinach and mushroom (half cup for each of them). You can as well top up your dinner with cheddar cheese from the low-fat option. Another choice that would be good for your 500 calorie a day diet is boiled shrimps (15 of them the large size). You can have the shrimps in a single-tablespoon sauce. Adding a cup of steamed broccoli would be enough to keep you holding tight till you are ready for breakfast the following morning. If at this time you are usually full from the previous meals you had during the day then you can go for vegetable soup. You can take 3 cups of soup from these kinds of vegetables: carrots, celery, bok choy or bean sprouts.
Now your day is complete and you just took 500 calories in a single day. For the following day you can experiment with new ingredients as long as you know the amount of calories they contain. To keep your 500 calorie diet plan exciting you have to bring on as many choices as possible. The only rule you have to abide by is never to take more calories that what the diet requires of you.
500 calorie diet results
No one would adhere to the strict low calorie intake professed by the 500 calorie diet if it were not for specific results. If you are on this diet, below are 500 calorie diet results;
· Weight loss: actually this is the objective that many have once they enroll in the 500 calorie a day diet. Due to the low intake of calories, the body system will turn to burn fat for energy. Once all the fat is all gone your body muscles will be next in line. These two actions will lead to considerable weight loss. The number of pounds you can lose will depend on how long you remain on the diet.
· Depreciation of lean body muscles: as your metabolism turns on your muscles as a source of energy, your lean muscles will be diminished by the day.
· No cravings: as long as you stay on course and have the right quantities of each kind of food you are supposed to eat you will crave for nothing.
Verdict
Very low-calories diets are not good for your health. They are particularly meant for those who are obese and overweight. If you fall in this category and would want to try the 500 calorie diet then you have to do this under the supervision of a doctor.
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