Should you do decide to follow a 1000 calorie diet plan? I
will show you tips on how to find out and how to be
smart about it if you do.

Calories fascinate me – but what fascinates me more are peoples feelings about calories.  In fact, one of my favorite books is “Why Calories Count – From Science to Politics.” It’s a very science-y type of read – if you like that sort of thing.

But for years and years, diet creators have fought each other on whether calories matter or not.  You know, you have seen it….diets that claim you can eat whatever you want as long as you eat ONLY these specific foods.  And I am sure you have seen the other side who says to measure and weight absolutely everything that goes in your mouth.

•  I have seen people absolutely revolt against counting any calories.
•  I have had people completely obsessed about measuring even a cracker in their food journal.
•  I have seen people count calories in the morning and afternoon while abstaining from tracking after 4pm.
• Best yet are those who log only the “good” foods or they log Monday- Thursday and refrain from tracking Friday through Sunday.

Calories, unfortunately do count.

Is Eating Whole or Clean Foods the Answer?

There are many schools of thought that say that if you are eating “whole” foods or “eating clean” – that there is no need to count calories. Well, yes and no.

Meet Christine

Christine came in to seek my assistance in losing about 15 pounds – not too difficult, right? She switched to whole foods, whole grains, more fruit and vegetables and removed all processed foods – but she was still not losing weight. I asked if she knew her calorie intake and she repeated that she was eating whole foods, whole grains and eating clean. Well….that does not mean that if one eats clean that it is automatically a great reduction in calorie intake – it’s STILL CALORIES!!

She finally gave in and started charting her food intake using My Fitness Pal (which, by the way, is a TERRIFIC free calorie counting tool).To much of this woman’s surprise – she was taking in about 400-500 MORE calories than her body required to MAINTAIN her CURRENT weight. This is an all too common problem. I likened it to wanting to take a road trip – what does one need to have a successful road trip? Transportation, directions, a map and money. Would the trip be successful without one of these items? Maybe….but it will be A LOT harder and much more frustrating, never mind a LONG TRIP. Many components are needed to have a successful road trip – just as many components are necessary for successful weigh loss. Knowing how many calories you consume on a daily basis is an important piece of the puzzle!!!

A 1000 Calorie Diet Plan and all that Calorie Restriction for NOTHING?

So how do you know if the “1000 calorie diet plan” is something you should do?  Are you a candidate for a 100 calorie diet plan?

This is an IMPORTANT QUESTION. 

You are a candidate IF for a 1000 calorie diet plan IF….

• You have NOT been calorie restricting for a long period of time already.  If you have been cutting calories and now feel like you need to cut them again….you may be heading into a zone that can slow down your metabolism DRAMATICALLY.
• You take mulit-vitamins and eating in a balanced way by including all necessary proteins, complex carbs and healthy fats.
• You are NOT doing tremendous amounts of cardio.  Burning too many calories and taking in too few calories is a RECIPE FOR DISASTER.
• You are NOT pregnant.
• You SHOULD also check with your doctor to see if a 1000 calorie diet plan is for you.

First let me say that personally I do not think of “diet” the same way most people think of a “diet”. A “diet” can suggest “short term changes hoping for a long term result”. If that is how you think of a diet – it may be time to re-think going on a “diet”. Short term changes for long term results rarely happen. If you already eat whole foods that are not processed or refined foods and decide to reduce your total caloric intake down to fit a 1000 calorie diet plan while keeping your macro-nutrients balanced – then it should only be applied short term. But if the foods you consume are not balanced (meaning a healthy ratio of carbs, fats and proteins) then not only will you starve your body for certain nutrients which can wreak havoc on your hormones and deplete lean muscle mass – but you may not even lose weight!!

All that calorie restriction for NOTHING.  Sometimes the difficulty of sticking with a 1000 calorie diet plan is just not worth it!!

Meet Lauren

Lauren came to me frustrated because she had been working out 1-2 hours per day and restricting her intake to about 1200 calories per day. She could not believe after eating barely nothing and killing herself in the gym that she was not losing weight. I asked her to chart everything she ate for one week. When I looked at her weeks worth of what she ate I noticed that she consumed mostly carbohydrates and sugars and alcohol.

Although she was in her caloric range of 1000-1200 calories per day and was sticking to the 1000 calorie diet plan – she had little protein intake and an even less intake of healthy fats. Since her workouts consisted of mostly cardio and weight training – her “diet” did not support what her body was demanding. The result was NO weight loss.  She was stuck.  She also had dry skin, brittle nails, lackluster skin and fatigue. There were other symptoms as well – but these were the most obvious. After about 2 weeks of balancing her caloric intake with the ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS – the results were amazing!! She was able to lose a healthy 1-2 pounds per week, her hair and nail texture greatly improved, her skin now retains a bright complexion and she has more energy throughout her day. 

So my point is – NOT ALL CALORIES ARE CREATED EQUAL. IF you do decide to reduce your calorie intake to accommodate a 1000 calorie diet plan – then be smart about it. Losing weight does not always mean you will be healthy – but…..if you EAT HEALTHY you will LOSE WEIGHT.

After my ranting – if you do decide to go on a 1000 calorie restricted plan – I have supplied a sample menu that provides all the essential macro-nutrients that your body requires. If you do exercise while on this diet – be aware of your TOTAL CALORIE INTAKE after exercise to be certain that your net calorie intake is not too low.