Before you start your low calorie diets, I would recommend you to stop and read this article. I hate seeing folks start a low calorie diet plan to lose weight fast, just to come to a conclusion that it does not work.
I cannot tell you how many folks used to follow popular low calorie diet plans for a few weeks only to find out that they didn't lose much weight. As a result, they felt that weight loss is impossible and quit the diet program altogether!
The prime reason low calorie diet plans are unsuccessful: your body becomes malnourished which makes you feel ill and tired. I myself tried a low calorie diet and found it difficult to accomplish my daily activities, let alone going to the gym.
All these happen because your metabolic rate is low. If you want to lose weight successfully, keep these two things in mind:
1. Many people believe calories are the problem. That's not true. Calories are our friends, they supply our body with the necessary nutrition and energy. Enough nutrition helps increase our metabolism which leads to weight loss.
However junk foods, such as cookies, fried foods, or donuts are bad calories. While at your next cookout, I would recommend not to consume that entire double chocolate fudge cake, that will surely get you fat. Instead try the Jello or fresh fruit.
You have to stay away from empty calories foods (i.e. junk food) and stick to negative calories, like fruits and vegetables.
"Negative calories" doesn't indicate that there is no calories in those foods; it only indicates that in order to absorb themselves, they will require your body to burn more calories than what they provide. This caloric shortage will allow you to lose weight.
2. We must increase our muscle mass. With exercising we will be able to build more muscle. And more muscle means easier weight loss because muscle needs calories to maintain.
To build lean muscle, you should consume protein-rich foods along with regular exercise routine. Another advantage of consuming protein-rich foods: your stomach will not be talking to you as often, in return you will not be overeating.
When you eat low-calorie foods, you're not able to build muscles; instead you LOSE them. When your body doesn't have enough lean muscles, it can't burn fat since your metabolic rate remains at an abnormally low level. So that's one more reason why low calorie diets don't work.
Most of these low calorie diets will only help you lose water and muscles. While you may believe that you have actually lost several dozens of pounds, you have not lost the single most important thing that is keeping you from becoming slim: FAT. Unless you lose fat, you can't be fit!