I recently just had a slimming program in which I was just allowed to eat 500 calories a day. When I first heard of the small quantity of food that I had to take, I thought at once that aside from it will make me slimmer, it will be a very good way of saving up, too! I thought that since it will be just in small proportions, I would buy lesser foods. Turned out that it did not. The food listed in my "allowed to eat foods" were the ones that cost more than the average in the supermarket. Like, chicken breast is part of the list and that is more expensive than the other parts of the chicken. Also, I was only allowed to eat white fish, and again, has higher cost compared to other fishes. The bread must be from a specialty health store, and another expensive commodity. The slimming program is no doubt effective. BUt looking back, I had too much to spend. Now I am doing my best to keep in shape so as not to go back to that kind of program again.
There are always substitutes that can also give good results. You can ask your program adviser for foods that are more readily available. Local vegetables and fruits are good options. You can also eat foods not on your list but in moderation. 500 calories a day is a bit too restrictive in my opinion and may cause you too feel lethargic. Do consult your doctor for advice as well as a dietitian or nutritionist.
Hi, trishgl, thanks for the reply. The diet I had is called hCG diet. And yes, this diet is very strict. I must follow the diet carefully and that means no substitutes or replacements. Even if it was only 500 cals a day, I did not feel tired or hungry. The hCG drops is really effective. However, as mentioned, it sort of a drain to the wallet. But looking at the results in the mirror, I have no regrets. But I do not want to go back to that diet anymore because it is a bit costly.
Which 'slimming programme' is this? 500 calories per day is a starvation diet and not healthy in the long term. What matters is the type of food you eat, not how many calories you consume. Eat natural food, low-carb, animals and natural fats and you will not need to starve yourself.
Agree with Bolt.. a program like that is just ridiculous. I'm glad you're happy with your results, but most people will lose weight if they barely eat. 500 calories a day is just dangerous. The people who created that program should be ashamed of themselves. Just learn to eat, I promise you'll love the results and they'll be forever.
My slimming program is just to eat less of the same type of food, so it costs me less, since I'm pretty much still doing and eating the same stuff but now even less of it. Also, cutting down on the fast food trips and soda binges, in turn replacing them with water and healthy snacks like peanuts, definitely costs a lot less. Not to mention the amount of money you will be able to save on hospital bills in the long run.
