Time to STOP dieting? Expert says consuming just 1200 calories a day is an ineffective way to lose weight... and could impact fertility
- Dietitian Kara Landau says eating 1200 calories a day is a bad way to lose weight
- She said it usually leads to losing nutrients to help save on calories
- By eating more nutritious food, you will stay full for longer and have more energy
- A lack of healthy fats, often lost in calorie controlled diets, can effect fertility
For eons, women have believed the golden number for weight loss was 1200. By consuming only 1200 calories a day, dropping those extra kilograms was guaranteed.
But Travelling Dietitian Kara Landau told Daily Mail Australia that information is completely wrong - and will actually do more harm than good.
The Melbourne based health guru says restricting calories so intensely can often have a negative effect on your health, and any weight actually lost would soon return.
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Count nutrients, not calories: Travelling Dietitian Kara Landau says cutting your calorie intake can have a negative impact on your health
Landau says as many diet products are low in calories but equally as low in nutrients, it's difficult to stay full, which can result in overeating.
'Only 1200 calories doesn’t leave you with a great volume of food in terms of dietary variety and feeling full,' she explained.
'But it’s about what you fill them with. You’ll see a lot of diet products which are calorie controlled but devoid of nutrients.
Unsatisfying: Many calorie controlled meals will be unsatisfying and could lead to overeating later in the day. A lot of diet products are also low in nutrients
Better: According to Lundau, it is better to enjoy nutrient rich foods, which keep you fuller for longer and will also give you energy to exercise and move around more
'There is no protein, probiotics, fibre, vitamins or minerals in these foods.
'Those nutrients will help with energy levels, concentration and help ward off hunger and craving which helps you stick to your diet.'
Even more beneficially, following a diet rich in nutrients and throwing the calorie counting app out the window generally gives you more energy, which helps with maintaining an exercise regime - further encouraging weight loss.
Landau says because nutritious food keeps you fuller for longer as a rule, the risk of overeating is significantly lessened.
It's more than your waistline that will thank you for putting a bit more on your plate.
More than just the waistline: Missing out on nutrients for the sake of lowering your calorie intake could affect things like circulation and the lower your chance of falling pregnant
According to the dietitian, a lack of energy and nutrients can effect your circulation and even your chances of having a baby.
'If your calories are being restricted so much, you’re likely not to get a lot of the nutrients you need, which can put you at risk of reduced fertility,' she explained.
'Healthy fats are required for hormone production, and they're often cut out in the bid to stay under 1200 calories.
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