Weight is something people are facing difficulty in maintaining. It is necessary to maintain a healthy weight for good health. A person’s weight should be according to his/ her height and age.
Now, you may be wondering, how to maintain a healthy weight. Here are lots of answers to this question you can browse the internet and you will find an endless number of solutions to this question, also you can get advice from people.
Everyone will give you different advice. But advice from a person or an expert who is relevant to this field is really very helpful and important.
There is so much research done on various diets, some of them have good results, and some have failed also. But still, researches continue with changes in diet plans and changes observed in an individual.
Everyone wishes to eat their favourite food, snacks or drinks without gaining extra weight. Is it possible to eat so many calories without burning extra ones?
The answer is simply no until you have a good metabolism or you are indulged in some kind of physical exercise or you are a fitness freak and you watch your food, In, other words, if you are the one who makes wise choices while eating or drinking.
So, if you don’t have good metabolism or you are some sort of a lazy person in terms of exercise, then you can definitely gain weight easily.
Gaining weight is easy for some people whereas, there are people who find difficulty in gaining weight. Why so? The answer is, that our body weight depends on several factors which definitely play a major role in our body structure or weight.
Factors Influencing Your Body Weight
1. Genetically
Being overweight or underweight depends on our genes from our paternal or maternal families. There are certain people who can easily gain weight and faces difficulty in losing it, on the other hand, there are people who find difficult to gain weight and loses it easily. So, this depends on our genes from our families.
2. Age
Some people are obese or overweight since childhood. But there are people, who tend to gain weight as they age.
3. Gender
Women usually gain weight on their hips, arms and thighs. Whereas, men tend to gain more weight on their stomachs or belly.
4. Eating habits
People who consume more calories (more than their body requirement), do late-night snacking, do stress eating or binge eating, etc, tend to gain more weight than others.
5. Physical exercises
People involved in any sports or any kind of physical exercise to reduce their extra fat are fit as compared to people who are not involved in any physical exercises.
6. Work
Sitting job people tend to gain extra kilos more easily, than people with fieldwork jobs.
7. Sleep
People who are suffering from any kind of sleep disorder gain weight easily. Also, if you don’t get enough sleep on regular basis, you tend to gain weight.
So, obviously, the above-mentioned factors play a major role in our body weight. But that doesn’t mean we can’t maintain our weight.
We can definitely control our weight, by keeping ourselves healthy and fit by making changes in our lifestyle, considering: eating patterns or timings, meals, the portion size of meals, and making healthy choices of food combined with physical exercises.
There are so many diets available to lose weight. But if you want to lose weight fast then there is one such diet that will help you to lose your extra kilos fast, that is the “800 kcal diet” or you can say “Low-calorie diet”.
Introduction of Low-Calorie Diet
Low-calorie diet or 800kcal diet was founded by Dr Michael Mosley. About his diet plan, he says “Eating well doesn’t just help you lose weight.
Good food can boost your immune system, give you energy and even impact your mood”. He claims if the person follows an 800kcal diet properly, he/she can lose up to 11 lbs or 4.99kgs in two weeks.
Isn’t it attractive to lose approx 5 kgs in just two weeks? Of course, yes, it is attractive.
But again, how much you are following it, are you following it under expert guidance, and are you considering your health issues before following this diet, these are some important factors to consider while following this diet.
As it is called 800kcal or a very low-calorie diet. It is understandable that one has to limit his/ her calorie intake, in order to lose weight.
But limiting calorie intake is not the only point to consider, there are several things to keep in mind for this diet, though calories are reduced in this diet one has to choose food wisely and keep healthy options for meals and most importantly your health issues.
All diets have their own limitations or pros and cons. Likewise, a low-calorie diet also has its limitations. Some people can follow it while others are not allowed or you can say they are not fit for this diet.
So, let’s understand the concept and pattern of this low-calorie diet in detail. But before jumping onto a low-calorie diet, firstly, let’s understand the concept of calories in brief.
1. Calories
The human body needs calories to survive. But calories should be appropriate according to one’s age, height, weight, gender, physical activities and health conditions.
Too low or too high consumption of calories will eventually lead to serious health problems. The number of calories in food tells us the estimated amount of energy going into the body through that particular food.
Only calories are not important but food from which calories are going in the body is also very important. If, the food we are eating is high in calories, but it is processed food, then, we are not consuming calories in a healthy way, which can lead to obesity and other health conditions.
Whereas, if we are consuming calories with healthy food such as legumes, pulses, fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates and good fats, this will not lead to obesity, but, only if, the food consumed is in the required quantity of an individual’s body need.
ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) has already given a standardized RDA (recommended dietary allowance) chart for the calorie intake of an individual along with several macronutrients and micronutrients.
This chart shows the calorie intake of an individual based on age, gender and activity level.
Now, let’s move on to the concept and pattern of low- a calorie diet or 800kcal diet.
Who can follow a Low-Calorie diet?
Adults who come under the category of obese or severely obese can follow a low-calorie diet. It means people who have BMI (Body Mass Index) above 30 are fit for this diet. Apart from this people who are diabetic along with obesity should follow this diet.
Who can’t follow a Low-Calorie diet?
Also, there are people who are not allowed to follow this diet. The list is given below:
1. People who are under the age of 18 years are not fit to follow a low-calorie diet.
2. Pregnant women are also not allowed to follow this diet. As they need extra calories in their diet because whatever they eat, the foetus will get nourishment from that food, as a baby in the womb is growing and its body organs are forming. So, the calorie restriction can affect the foetus’s health and growth.
3. Breastfeeding mothers are also not allowed to follow a low-calorie diet. As they are feeding the baby and baby is getting nourishment only through breast milk. So, the calorie restriction can reduce milk production and will hinder in baby’s growth.
The pattern of 800 kcal Diet Plan
800kcal diet can be followed in two different patterns:
- In the first stage, cut your calorie intake to 800 a day for the first couple of weeks.
- Then in the second stage, follow the 5:2 ratio, in this, you are allowed to eat 800kcal two days a week, and a balanced diet on the other five days.
You can follow the 800kcal diet for continuous weeks if you are looking for very fast weight loss. But the best pattern or you can say a healthy pattern to follow the 800kcal diet is to follow this diet twice a week.
That means in the 5:2 ratio. This will help in rapid weight loss without affecting one’s health. As one will be consuming proper calories for 5 days in a week and only for 2 days one will be consuming fewer calories.
You can follow both patterns together or else you can follow only the 5:2 ratio pattern.
800-Calorie Indian Diet Plan For Weight Loss
Day 1
| Days/Timings | Diet |
| Early morning | Zeera water (soak jeera overnight in 1 glass of water, and have it in the morning) |
| Breakfast | 1 besan cheela stuffed with lots of veggies with green chutney + Buttermilk |
| Mid meal | 1 seasonal fruit |
| Lunch | 1 missi atta chapatti + 1 bowl vegetable (seasonal vegetable) + 1 plate salad + 1 bowl curd |
| Evening | Half fist of almonds |
| Dinner | 1 bowl of soup (fresh soup, not packaged) + Grilled low-fat paneer with lots of veggies |
Day 2
| Days/Timings | Diet |
| Early morning | Saunf water (soak saunf overnight in 1 glass of water, have it in the morning) |
| Breakfast | 1 bowl of Muesli milk (without sugar, use skimmed milk) |
| Mid meal | 1 glass of Tender coconut water |
| Lunch | 1 glass Buttermilk + Tofu salad with lots of veggies) |
| Evening | 1 fist roasted makahana |
| Dinner | 1 multigrain atta chapatti + 1 bowl vegetable (seasonal vegetable) + 1 plate salad |
Day 3
| Days/Timings | Diet |
| Early morning | Methi seeds water (soak methi seeds overnight in 1 glass of water, have it in the morning) |
| Breakfast | Sprouts chaat with lots of veggies + Buttermilk |
| Mid meal | Half fist of nuts |
| Lunch | 1 Plate Brown rice + 1 bowl curry vegetable (seasonal vegetable) + 1 plate salad + 1 bowl curd |
| Evening | 1 seasonal fruit |
| Dinner | 1 bowl veg soup (fresh soup, not packaged) + Grilled Tofu with lots of veggies |
Day 4
| Days/Timings | Diet |
| Early morning | Ajwain water (soak ajwain overnight in 1 glass of water, and have it in the morning) |
| Breakfast | Hung curd sandwich + Buttermilk |
| Mid meal | 2 dates |
| Lunch | Kabuli channa salad with lots of veggies + Buttermilk |
| Evening | 1 small bowl Murmurra bhel |
| Dinner | 1 big bowl mix veg soup (fresh, not packaged) |
Day 5
| Days/Timings | Diet |
| Early morning | Zeera water (soak jeera overnight in 1 glass of water, and have it in the morning) |
| Breakfast | 1 quarter plate poha with lots of veggies + 1 cup green tea |
| Mid meal | 1 glass of vegetable juice (fresh, not packaged) |
| Lunch | Buttermilk + Quinoa salad with lots of veggies |
| Evening | 1 fist roasted makhana |
| Dinner | Stir fry veggies + Grilled chicken with lots of veggies |
Day 6
| Days/Timings | Diet |
| Early morning | Methi seeds water (soak methi seeds overnight in 1 glass of water, have it in the morning) |
| Breakfast | 1 quarter plate of oats with lots of veggies + 1 cup of lemon tea |
| Mid meal | 1 Tender coconut water |
| Lunch | 1 multigrain atta chapatti + 1 bowl vegetable (seasonal vegetable) + 1 plate salad + 1 bowl curd |
| Evening | 1 seasonal fruit |
| Dinner | 1 bowl ghia soup + Stir fry low fat paneer with lots of veggies |
Day 7
| Days/Timings | Diet |
| Early morning | Saunf water (soak saunf overnight in 1 glass of water, have it in the morning) |
| Breakfast | Egg omelette stuffed with lots of veggies + Buttermilk (after half an hour of breakfast) |
| Mid meal | 1 seasonal fruit |
| Lunch | 1 missi atta chapatti + 1 bowl vegetable (seasonal vegetable) + 1 plate salad + 1 bowl curd |
| Evening | 1 fist of roasted peanuts |
| Dinner | Thai raw papaya salad + 1 bowl of veg soup (fresh, not packaged) |
Advantages of Low- calorie Diet
- Low- calorie diet helps in rapid weight loss.
- It helps people who are obese along with diabetes.
- In some cases, before surgeries preliminary weight loss is required, so, a low-calorie diet is very helpful as it gives fast weight loss results.
Limitations of Low- calorie Diet
- It is a short terms solution for weight loss.
- This diet should be followed under medical supervision.
- As calories are less, there are certain side effects observed, like, nausea and vomiting, low blood pressure, headaches, weakness, dehydration, low blood sugar, diarrhoea, dizziness, etc.
- Nutritional deficiencies are also observed. As calorie restriction is there.
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Conclusion:
In the end, I would conclude that a low-calorie diet or 800kcal diet is really helpful in rapid weight loss, but, it is not a long-term diet. One can not follow it for whole life. This diet has lots of limitations.
But, if you are looking for fast weight loss and you have tried all the diets and no diet worked for you, this is the best option.
But follow this diet by keeping your health conditions a priority, follow it for the short term and most importantly under expert supervision, so that it won’t affect your health.
