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Classic low-calorie diet
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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A low-calorie diet in its classic version is a diet with calorie counting, which should be less than in a regular menu. The main goal of such a diet is to speed up metabolism and reduce fat deposits. And soon to get rid of them altogether.
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The essence of a low-calorie diet
Before starting a low-calorie diet, you need to see a nutritionist to examine you and determine how many kilocalories per day are recommended for you. The doctor will take into account your age, physical activity, intensity at work, weight and, of course, concomitant diseases.
Depending on how many kilocalories you need per day, you create a diet. You need to subtract an average of 25% Kcal from the recommended amount of calories.
For example, if you are recommended 1500 Kcal per day, then you need to subtract 350 Kcal from this amount and get 1150 Kcal. This is your daily norm, which you can calculate using the table of calorie content of products.
Protein in a low calorie diet
There should be enough protein in a low-calorie diet. Namely, according to the norm or slightly below. Protein products (meat, eggs, grain) create a feeling of satiety and allow you to lose weight effectively, but comfortably.
Keep in mind that omelettes with protein (without yolk) are digested better than meat, but you spend more energy from the calories you receive than from meat dishes or cottage cheese products.
Carbohydrates in a low calorie diet
Carbohydrates give a person energy - that's clear. But in a low-calorie diet, you significantly limit carbohydrate food. And above all, you stop overeating sugar and dishes with them.
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Low-calorie diet carbohydrate limits per day
- Sugar - no
- Bread – up to 150 g (not white, ideally with bran)
- Replace sugar with sorbitol or xylitol (up to 30 g)
- Fats in a low calorie diet
It is allowed to eat up to 80 grams of fat per day. Why are fats not excluded from the menu? Because they are not digested immediately, lingering on the walls of the stomach, and help not to feel hunger so acutely.
This is because fats have a gentle effect on the stomach tissues and reduce their irritability. And vegetable fats help other fats in the body to break down faster, stimulating special enzymes that are responsible for this.
What foods are excluded from the diet?
- Salt – maximum restriction due to the property of salt to retain fluid in the body and, as a result, to gain kilograms
- Alcohol – due to high calories and weakening of appetite control centers
- Dishes with hot spices - because of their ability to increase appetite
How many times a day should you eat on a low calorie diet?
Eating up to 6 times
We will tell you even more about the low-calorie diet in our next publication, providing menu options, as well as the most detailed description of permitted products. Lose weight easily and with pleasure.