Can you lose weight if you eat under calories?

And if you eat fewer calories and burn more calories through physical activity, you lose weight. In general, if you cut 500 to 1,000 calories a day from your typical diet, you’ll lose about 1 pound (0.5 kilogram) a week. It sounds simple.

Can I eat 1500 calories a day?

Some people may choose to restrict their daily intake to 1,500 calories. While factors such as age, gender, and activity level can cause caloric needs to vary, a 1,500-calorie intake is typically less than the average person requires. As a result, this diet may help some people lose weight.

Can you gain weight eating less?

There’s no way around it. Once your body’s energy needs are met, extra calories are stored for future use — some in your muscles as glycogen, but most as fat. Thus, eating more calories than you burn will cause you to gain weight, whereas eating fewer than you need will cause weight loss ( 4 ).

What happens when you eat too few calories a day?

However, eating too few calories (i.e., under the recommended daily range) can have counterproductive effects on your body, such as depriving it of essential nutrients. In addition, your body is designed to maintain certain energy stores as a survival tactic, and by reducing energy (calorie) intake, your metabolism lowers to compensate.

What happens if you don’t eat enough to stay healthy?

It Can Cause Fatigue and Nutrient Deficiencies. Regularly eating fewer calories than your body requires can cause fatigue and make it more challenging for you to meet your daily nutrient needs. For instance, calorie-restricted diets may not provide sufficient amounts of iron, folate or vitamin B12.

How can I reduce my Calorie Intake?

There are different methods to reduce your caloric intake: Calorie restriction, which involves eating fewer calories below what is typical while still eating essential nutrients, and fasting, which involves eating at only certain times of the day or week.

What are the side effects of a low-calorie diet?

You may end up with constipation, as it’s hard to get enough fiber on so few calories. If you maintain less than 1,000 calories a day for a month or longer, you may also experience gallstones due to the inactivity of the gallbladder from the very low fat in the diet.