The Difference between Low Calorie Foods and a Low Calorie Diet

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Some people believe that as long as they eat low calorie foods, they will be able to lose weight. This is a reason for many of the diets that fail each and every day. There is an important difference between low calorie foods and a low calorie diet, and it is vital to understand this in order to create an effective and successful weight loss program.
A low calorie food is any food that does not have a lot of calories. There is no specific number for this, however one can get an idea when they compare foods to others. For instance, vegetables are generally low calorie foods. Most servings of vegetables like broccoli, spinach and carrots come in at under 100 calories, some far less. Fruits are also generally low calorie. A banana or apple may only cost you 100 calories, for instance. There are foods that are typically higher calorie such as muffins, donuts, pizza and hamburgers. Many meals in fast food restaurants are over 1000 calories!
Sometimes a food is considered low calorie because it is lower than other foods that are similar to it. For instance, a veggie burger may not be a low calorie food on its own, but it is much lower than a regular burger.
In a low calorie diet, your total amount of calories for the day is lower than the general recommended amount in order to promote weight loss. For instance, many men are recommended to get 2000 calories a day. If a man instead chooses to have 1700 calories a day, then this would be a low calorie diet. This might not sound like a lot, but a pound is generally considered 3500 calories so with everything else being equal they may lose more than a pound every two weeks. Because your general recommended caloric intake depends on a multitude of factors like your height and gender, there is no one number for a low calorie diet.
The problem occurs when people think that they can lose weight by eating low calorie foods. What will often happen is that people will just eat more of the food to make up for the fact that it is low calorie. They may become hungry quicker because they have not eaten as many calories. When you add up all of the low calorie foods that they ate, it may still add up to a lot of calories.
If you want to lose weight, a low calorie diet can be effective. Of course be careful how low you go because you can throw your body into starvation mode and have more difficulty losing weight. According to Web MD, you may gain the weight right back if you have not had learned how to adopt a healthy eating lifestyle.
Low calorie foods can be a great part of your low calorie diet. Make sure you keep track of what you eat to get the weight loss you desire.
Resource:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/low-calorie-diets