500 kcal per day: menu with recipes, nutritional features, list of products

The 300 calorie diet was developed by American Martin Katan and is based on calculating the calorie content of dishes. Such a diet is considered strict, but a significant advantage will be the ability for a person losing weight to select the dishes they like, according to the calorie norm. It is difficult for the body to adapt to low-calorie meals, the body begins to sharply lose excess water and kilograms.

• We recommend reading: diet for 200, 400, 500 and 600 calories per day

On average, when eating a 300-calorie diet, people lose up to 10 kg in 21 days.

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500 calorie diet

An ordinary person consumes 2000-4000 kilocalories in a comfortable mode.

To a large extent it depends on body weight. A woman weighing 55 kilograms can feel comfortable on 2000 kilocalories, but a tall man weighing 110 kilograms is only saturated on 4000 kilocalories.

If a person decides to lose weight on Monday and start a 500-kilocalorie diet, then within three days this can turn into unbearable hunger pangs. Therefore, very few people can sustain a 500 kilocalorie diet for more than 3 days.

How to burn 500 calories?

On average, a person with a heart rate of 140 beats per minute burns about 10 kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per hour.

For example, if I weigh 75 kilograms, my body will burn 750 kilocalories in an hour of aerobic exercise. And the consumption of 500 kilocalories will occur in 40 minutes.

Lighter people will need a little more time, and heavier people a little less.

Menu. What to eat for 500 calories?

Nutrition should not only be high in calories, but also balanced - balanced in proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

25% of calories should come from protein, 25% from fat and 50% from carbohydrates.

Out of 500 kilocalories, you need to consume 125 calories from proteins, 125 from fats and 250 from carbohydrates.

125 kilocalories of protein is approximately 30 grams of protein.

125 calories of fat is approximately 13 grams of fat.

250 kilocalories of carbohydrates is approximately 62 grams.

This composition of proteins, fats and carbohydrates cannot be obtained with a chocolate bar, but can be obtained from 150 grams of lean meat and 100 grams of cereal.

How to calculate calorie content yourself

To count calories in your daily diet, be sure to use a calorie table , which displays information about the amount of energy received from each product. For example, 100 g of beef is 220 cal., veal - 108 cal., potatoes - 77, and beets - 43. To understand whether this is a lot or a little, you can compare it with 100 g of sugar - 550 cal.

Energy replenishment from complex dishes - salad, soup, etc. can be calculated by summing up the indicators of all components. Interestingly, there are no calories in pure water; you can drink it as much as you like .

As for the energy component of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, 1 g of proteins and carbohydrates contains 4 calories each, and fats contain 9 calories.

Calculation of the optimal calorie content of a menu for weight loss is best done individually , taking into account your weight and height index. This means that you need to subtract 100 from your height and compare the result with your actual weight.

Let's look at how to do the calculation using conditional examples:

• Weight – 66 kg with height 164 cm . 164-100=64. 64 is close to 66. 164-66*3=294. 500+294=794 – this is the optimal daily calorie value for best weight loss.
• Weight 82 kg with height 170 cm . 170-100=70. In this case, the weight clearly exceeds the height. Therefore, the calculation conditions change: 170-82=88. This value is multiplied not by 3, as in the previous example, but by 2. The result is 176, i.e., to lose weight, you already need 676 calories per day.
• An example of calculating the calorie content of borscht .
  The recipe for this dish includes half a kilogram of cabbage (240*5=120), 100 g of beets (37), the same amount of onions (30), half a kilogram of potatoes (90*5=450), 200 g of carrots (27*2=54), kilogram of veal (108*10=1080), 100 g of vegetable oil (899) and 2.5 liters of water (0). In total, with a weight of 5 kg, the dish contains 260 calories, and its 200-gram serving contains 106.7 calories. (2670:500*200).
• An example of calculating the calorie content of buckwheat porridge with water . A glass of buckwheat – 626 cal (313*2), 2 glasses of water – 0. Total: 600 g 626 cal, and 100 gram serving – 104.3 cal.

How to lose weight by counting calories? Our website has the answer to this question. Read articles on the following topics:

• Low calorie 800 calorie weight loss program.
• Losing excess weight with a 1000 calorie diet.
• Nutritional tips for 1200 calories per day.
• Recommendations for creating a 1300 calorie diet.
• Is it possible to lose weight on 1500 calories a day?

The essence and principles of the diet

When switching to a diet of 500 calories a day, you need to understand that you need to do this gradually. Otherwise, a sharp jump will become stressful for the body and a real test for the person himself. Therefore, the best option would be to slowly reduce your caloric intake by 50-100 calories per week. In some sources it is also called the low-fat diet, since too little food is eaten.

To accurately count calories, you will definitely need scales, since it is simply impossible to determine the mass of a particular component/dish by eye.

Most of those who follow this diet recommend weighing raw foods. Special calorie counters will help. The necessary data has already been entered into them; all that remains is to enter the product and weight in the appropriate cells.

Some programs allow you to create your own recipes. As a result, the program will display the number of calories in one serving. You need to count all meals, including snacks.

At the same time, you need to understand that 500 calories is a lot for some things, but not enough for others. For example, to gain this amount you will need to consume 30 kg of cucumbers or 7 kg of stewed cabbage. But at the same time, 500 calories is 300–350 g of boiled chicken breast or 500 g of low-fat cottage cheese. You need to plan your menu correctly to compensate for the balance of elements and nutrients, while staying full and not eating in excess.

Principles of nutrition on a diet

To quickly lose weight, but at the same time minimally injure the body, you should eat as much protein food, fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. But even with a rational choice of dishes, you will not fully receive the required amount of vitamins and minerals, so they will need to be compensated with the help of special nutritional supplements.

Meals should be fractional, this will help you not to feel constantly hungry and will help stabilize metabolic processes in the body. Ideally, your breakfast will be hearty, your lunch will be lighter, and your dinner will be very low in calories. An afternoon snack is also allowed, but it is best to snack on 1-2 pieces of fruit.

Between meals you should drink at least 2 liters of still mineral water to avoid dehydration. In order for weight loss to be successful, you need to review your menu and exclude from it foods that are harmful to your figure and health.

Harmful are:

• fatty meats;
• fatty fish, caviar and fatty seafood;
• all fried foods;
• bakery products, yeast baked goods;
• lard, lard, spreads, confectionery creams;
• rich steep broths;
• fast food;
• smoked meats, canned food, semi-finished products;
• pickles, marinades;
• fatty sauces, especially mayonnaise;
• chocolate;
• carbonated drinks;
• alcohol.

During the diet, it would be best to avoid such foods, not only because they contain a lot of calories, but also because they create additional stress on the gastrointestinal tract. It is also best to minimize salt consumption - it retains fluid in the body and provokes the appearance of edema.

What foods should you eat and what should you cut out of your 500 calorie diet?

It is possible and necessary to eat on a 500 calorie diet with such restrictions more fully and densely. At the same time, you should choose high-quality products that not only satisfy hunger, but also bring useful substances to the body.

Recommended products include:

• vegetables (except starchy ones);
• fruits;
• cereals;
• lean types of meat (chicken, rabbit, turkey);
• lean fish (cod, tilapia, pollock, haddock, pike perch);
• bread;
• eggs (no more than 2-3 per week);
• greens (arugula, dill, parsley, lettuce, celery);
• low-fat dairy products;
• low-calorie fermented milk products;
• some sweets (marshmallows, marshmallows, marmalade).

It's better to refuse:

• bakery products;
• pasta;
• fatty meats;
• fatty fish;
• starchy vegetables (these primarily include potatoes);
• fatty dairy and fermented milk products;
• sausages and frankfurters;
• fast foods;
• sweet drinks;
• sweets, including sugar;
• semi-finished products;
• sauces and marinades;
• canned food;
• salted and smoked products.

Herbal teas are the most suitable for drinking. You can also use unsweetened fruit drinks and compotes. For cooking, it is recommended to use gentle methods: boiling, steaming, stewing, and in rare cases, baking.

Recommendations for the duration of compliance

To make any sense from unloading, you need to follow these rules:

• Do not do it for 2 days in a row; it is better to stick to the 5 to 2 scheme, i.e. no more than two such days a week.
• Additionally, take a vitamin-mineral complex.
• If you feel hungry, first drink a glass of water, and if it doesn’t go away, then eat something, for example, a couple of walnuts.
• Drink at least 8 glasses of clean, still water daily. This will help not only effectively lose weight, but also improve your well-being.
• Have snacks with low-calorie fruits, such as tangerines - there are only 330 units per kilogram, and bananas are high-calorie foods.
• A food diary helps you control your weight, where you need to enter data about your daily diet.
• It is undesirable to eat after 16:00 on fasting days.

General Diet Recommendations

A diet of 500 calories or less per day cannot be followed on a permanent basis. Experts do not recommend such low nutritional value due to the fact that it will not be enough for vital processes. However, judging by the reviews and results obtained with the 500-calorie diet, short-term adherence helps to get rid of some extra pounds.

There are people who actually eat this way every day on a regular basis. It is worth noting that it is not good - the body is under constant stress, hormonal and other disruptions occur in the functioning of systems and mechanisms.

There are a few rules to remember when switching to a 500 calorie diet:

1. The duration should not exceed 10-14 days.
2. Food should be varied.
3. The number of meals is at least 2-3 times a day.
4. You need to chew slowly and thoroughly, since the signal to the brain that the stomach is full only arrives after 20 minutes.
5. Drinking is not limited.
6. Physical activity should be minimal, at least in the first days.
7. The 500 calorie diet provides a varied diet, which should not become a mono-diet.

Reviews about the diet

Judging by the reviews, with a diet of 500 calories in a week you can lose weight from 5 to 8 kg. Although such numbers are good news, this reset is not healthy. Therefore, before starting a diet, you need to think about the possible consequences. In addition, not everyone manages to maintain the results obtained due to losing extra pounds so quickly.

Reviews on the 500 calorie diet still vary. It depends on the initial state of health of the person. This way, chronic diseases can worsen due to severe restrictions in the diet, vitamin deficiency can occur, etc. Many problems can be avoided by taking multivitamins and making your menu varied. However, some reviews of the 500 calorie a day diet say it helped them recover. Most often this happens in cases where such abstinence did not last for a long period of time, but for several days.

Reviews and results of the 500 calorie a day diet vary. You should consider your parameters and not hope for a miracle.

It is also worth understanding that this article is for informational purposes and before using the diet, consultation with a specialist is necessary.

Sample menu for the week

With a diet of 500 calories per day, the weekly menu includes three meals, but you can change it according to your understanding and well-being. Also, the weight of each serving is not indicated here. This was done specifically so that everyone can adjust the diet to suit themselves, that is, by increasing one of the meals, but reducing the weight in the other. Or focus more on proteins, reducing carbohydrates. This way, losing weight will be easier to bear and your health will remain comfortable.

Monday

Breakfast. Oatmeal with tomato and cucumber, chamomile tea.

Dinner. Cream soup of zucchini, carrots and peas, bread, rosehip infusion.

Dinner. Salad of cabbage, beets, carrots with boiled chicken breast.

Tuesday

Breakfast. Low-fat cottage cheese with berries, mint and lemon balm tea.

Dinner. Vegetable soup (pepper, zucchini, tomato, green peas, carrots), apple compote.

Dinner. Tilapia with vegetables (carrots, onions, tomatoes).

Some low-calorie dishes from the menu for the week

Some dishes should be written separately so that preparation does not cause difficulties.

Oatmeal pancake

For oatmeal pancake you will need ½ egg, 20 g oatmeal, 30 g milk, a pinch of salt. The ingredients are mixed and whipped using a blender until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Next, it is poured onto a heated non-stick frying pan and fried on both sides. You can use different products for the filling, or eat it just like that.

Creamy vegetable soup

Carrots and onions are finely chopped and stewed in a small amount of water. Next, add zucchini and peas, add water and cook until the vegetables are soft. Once ready, puree the mixture using an immersion blender. Serve with croutons or bread.

Pike cutlets

Peel the pike from skin and large bones, cut into pieces and pass through a meat grinder. Add egg, salt, pepper, and seasoning to taste to the minced fish. If the minced meat turns out to be liquid, then it is recommended to add a little rice flour to give it shape. Then form cutlets and steam them.

Risotto with vegetables

To prepare you will need rice, green peas, corn, sweet bell pepper. Pour some vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat. Add rice there and fry until golden brown. Then add water and cook until half cooked. Add vegetables, salt, cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Can be served as a separate dish or as a side dish.

300 calorie per day diet

As you can see, everything is simple to the point of banality, and the results are impressive - in 50 days you can lose up to 30 extra pounds. The classic version of this technique involves maintaining a certain caloric intake, while the latter changes daily, and 6 out of 50 days involve complete fasting. This principle is due to the fact that the body’s metabolism does not have time to adapt to regular changes in calorie content of food.

As a result, the weight decreases quickly throughout the day. You can create a diet yourself, guided by the permitted products listed above, as well as taking into account the principles of the diet. The main rule is not to go beyond the established daily caloric intake standards. The latter can be found in the special abc diet table.

While following such a strict diet, you need to drink a lot of fluid - up to 2 liters daily.

Contraindications and side effects

It is not always possible to follow a low calorie diet. In some cases it is strictly contraindicated:

• during pregnancy and lactation;
• for chronic diseases of the digestive system;
• for diabetes mellitus and pathologies of the endocrine system;
• for diseases of the excretory and biliary system (kidneys, gall bladder, liver);
• for chronic hypotension.

If the following sensations occur, then it is necessary to stop restricting food:

• weakness;
• chronic fatigue;
• dizziness;
• loss of consciousness;
• nausea, vomiting;
• disappearance of menstruation.

These are signs of exhaustion of the body that need to be addressed urgently to avoid negative consequences.

Advantages and disadvantages

This diet has its pros and cons that need to be taken into account when choosing the appropriate method for losing weight.

Despite the fact that there are more disadvantages than advantages, this technique is popular. Some people tolerate food restrictions well and this is not a problem for them. This diet is often used as a fasting diet to quickly bring your figure back to normal.