The 800 Calorie Diet is a well-known dieting plan in the health and wellness community that may be followed by those who are obese or severely overweight. It greatly restricts the amount of calories you consume in a day and thus encourages rapid weight loss with the right amount of daily activity sustained. Many doctors choose to prescribe this plan when other dieting options fail to work or their patient needs a detailed plan to follow for success. It takes the right amount of planning and research to implement this plan successfully in your life and see the drastic results firsthand. There are lots of 800 Calorie Diet Cookbooks and other resources to help you plan.

Before starting this extreme dieting plan, there are several important factors to consider.

You Should Consult Your Doctor Beforehand

A diet such as this, which drastically lowers your calorie intake per day is commonly known as a VLCD, or Very Low-Calorie Diet in the medical field. VLCD’s are not beneficial for every individual and can actually be harmful if not approved by your doctor or physician. Usually, a doctor will only encourage a patient to try a VLCD such as the 800 Calorie Diet if they have an excessive amount of weight to lose. This means that if you are only looking to lose less than ten pounds to slim up, following this diet is not ideal for your goals as it could cause more harm than good.

Figure Out Why You Want To Lose Weight First

If you’re looking to lose weight, the first thing you should do is figure out why you want to lose weight in the first place. Is it to reduce your risk of chronic disease? Are you looking to have weight loss after breast augmentation? Is it because you are trying to improve your appearance? If it’s the latter, then you should take care not to become too obsessed with your weight and body shape. The more you stress about your weight and body shape, the more likely you are to end up giving in to unhealthy food cravings and undo all the hard work you have done so far. And it can be damaging to your mental health. In other words, don’t become too rigid or set in your ways when it comes to dieting. 

Losing half a pound a week might not seem like much at first, but over time, your body can really take a beating. The long-term effects of weight loss may not be worth the short-term benefits. If you’re thinking about losing weight for medical reasons, or if your goal is to live longer or healthier, then it makes sense to be realistic about the likely outcomes. You’ll probably see some improvement in your health and strength levels, but it’s very unlikely that you’ll see dramatic changes in appearance overnight.

Weekly Weight Loss Can Be Impressive

If your doctor has approved or suggested that you follow the 800 calorie diet, he will likely provide you with a specific meal plan to follow. Getting the right amount of nutritious foods in very important when consuming such a small amount of calories per day, so it is essential to follow an 800 calorie diet meal plan that includes the needed vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to keep your body healthy and feeling well. If you have a large amount of weight to lose and follow your meal plan to the T, you can see up to three to five pounds of lost weight per week. That means that per month you could lose up to twelve to twenty pounds per month.

This Plan May Actually Put Your Body into Ketosis

Most 800 Calorie Diet plans will focus on providing you with the best nutritious foods with the least amount of calories. Usually, this means you will eat a large amount of green vegetables as well as lean proteins. What you won’t be consuming is a large amount of calorie-dense carbohydrates like bread and pasta. When your body doesn’t ingest a diet of primarily carbohydrates and relies more so on fats and protein, you may end up putting your body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is when your body breaks down fat into molecules called ketones, and your body derives energy from that source rather than glucose that has been broken down from carbohydrates. Following a ketogenic diet after successfully completing an 800 Calorie meal plan may actually provide the most benefits health-wise for those looking to lose even more weight. And as your body may already be in a state of ketosis, it will transition well into a keto diet with little to no impact on your metabolic level.

A Potential for Side Effects

Side effects may be possible from following the 800 Calorie Diet, especially within the first few days or week of starting the plan. You may experience increased fatigue, nausea, or digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea. However small the issue, it is important to provide your doctor with a clear picture of the impact this diet is having on your body. Your doctor will record and monitor all aspects of the diet and may make adjustments to better suit your body and health. Once your body begins to be impacted by the results of eating such a restricted calorie diet, it is possible to see a rise in blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels. These two areas will need to be closely monitored by your health professional to maintain an appropriate level of safety with this diet and your overall health. You may want to consider taking supplements to make sure you are getting the correct nutrition, and you can also look into weight loss supplements for women.

It is Not a Realistic Long-Term Solution

Following a VLCD such as the 800 Calorie Diet is intended to be used for a short period of time such as a few months or several depending on the amount of weight to lose. Once you have reached a healthy weight, it is not beneficial to continue on with such a restricted diet. Although one safe option is to take a female fat burner to speed up your metabolism.  Your health can be greatly impacted by not consuming the necessary amount of calories per day or a variety of nutritious foods. Without the excess stored weight to rely on, your body will suffer in finding enough energy to function on. In this, it is important to follow your doctor’s exact plan on when eating an 800 calorie diet is no longer needed in reaching a healthy weight. Many doctors will suggest an increased amount of physical activity or better eating habits including plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean protein sources.

Your Food Choices Will Be Very Limited

When planning an 800 Calorie plan, many doctors expect their patient to rely on protein shakes and bars or other packaged processed and low-calorie foods. Since these foods provide an exact amount of nutrition per serving, it is easier to monitor and chart your calorie intake, along with necessary nutrient levels. This may seem ideal at first, as you can grab and go your meals without much thought or preparation, however, after several days or even a week you may become burnt out on eating the same food day after day. Many times, your dinner option will consist of freshly prepared food, such as a lean protein source like chicken or fish, and a side of green or leafy vegetables. This will help to break up the monotony of eating processed food throughout the day. It may be a struggle for some and will require willpower and a strong focus on the end result of better health and a higher level of fitness.

Finding a Support System Will Provide Extra Motivation

When undertaking any new diet or fitness regimen, it is highly beneficial to find at least one other person that is also undertaking the same new health plan. Having an “accountability partner” will not only keep you motivated to succeed, they will provide additional support through the times when carrying on with the diet may seem difficult or unproductive. There are many support groups you can find online that bring together people from all over the world that are working toward the same goals as yourself. Social media sites offer not only groups with similar experiences, but can provide research and knowledge to help you succeed by increasing your willpower and resolve.

It Should Not Be Used for Yo-Yo Dieting

Just as this diet is not long-term dieting plan, it also should not be used for those who practice yo-yo dieting. It is important to understand that following this diet is not appropriate or beneficial for your overall health unless you have a large amount of weight to lose. If you followed the plan in the past but then regressed after reaching your weight goals, redoing this diet plan may not be the best route to take in improving your health. Any type of diet affects your body’s metabolic rate, and repeatedly using such an extreme VLCD such as this can cause more than just the ordinary side effects. If the 800 Calorie Diet worked the first time but you were not successful in keeping the weight off afterward, it may be beneficial to speak with your doctor about other weight-loss options that include other aspects of leading a healthy lifestyle.

There Can Be Consequences of Overdoing It

Once you start the 800 Calorie meal plan and begin to see positive results in your weight loss and general frame of mind, you may think that restricting your calories, even more, will bring faster results in a shorter amount of time. Some people focus only on the results they see each day or week and forget about their body’s overall health. To do too much at once can lead to harmful side effects and negative consequences. For this reason, it is important to follow the meal plan that your doctor prescribed, making sure to eat and drink every item on the plan each day. You may think that cutting out an extra 100-200 calories will speed up the weight loss process, but you risk your overall health when restricting your body of the energy sources it needs to complete daily functions.

Believe in Yourself

No personal goal can be accomplished if you don’t believe in yourself. You need the drive and willpower to see yourself at the end of the journey with the incredible results you deserve from hard work and sacrifice. No weight loss plan can be successful if you do not keep the end result in mind and constantly work to achieve it. Daily affirmations and goal setting can help to keep you motivated. Connecting to other individuals going through the same experience can keep you trucking through on even the worst of days. It may also be beneficial to read books on the subject, that provide helpful information to keep your spirits lifted and your need to succeed alive. Adding exercise into your daily schedule can also help to erase negativity and give your body a boost in endorphins. You can work out the stress you may experience from the restrictions of the 800 Calorie Diet and while also improving your overall fitness level which may lead to even faster results. Tackling any weight loss issue from different directions can help to get you the results you desire in less time, leading you to achieve your goals successfully.

All in All

The benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle are endless. Choosing to make a change for the better in your weight loss goals will not only lead you to a better frame of mind and more self-confidence, but will allow you to pursue adventures and dreams you didn’t think possible beforehand. While you’ll find a few quick and easy diet fads on the internet, there are many genuine success stories from those who were once obese but chose to make a change and lead a healthier lifestyle. They pushed themselves through the challenges and difficulties with willpower and determination, just as anyone with the dream of losing a large amount of weight must do. In the end, they not only could do more physically, but their mentality also became more positive and uplifted. Lowering or completely eliminating health issues or risks is another added benefit of leading a healthy lifestyle. In the end, it can be said that a more enjoyable and fuller life can be led by making a change in your eating habits.