calorie restriction

Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RD, ACSM HFS is a Washington, D.C. based dietitian and weight management expert. Together with Bernie Salazar, at-home winner of The Biggest Loser, she co-created “The Nurture Principles” – Five mantras to help people change their lives and find wellness within.

If you’ve ever lost weight by cutting calories then you can understand the allure of restricting further to accelerate weight loss. But just because a little is good – more is not better. An eating plan that is too restrictive is a first-class ticket to sabotage. Find out if your current plan needs loosening up.

You cut out foods you love.

If your diet has you avoiding specific foods, especially ones you love, it is essentially setting you up for failure. There’s no reason that even the most “forbidden” food can’t be included in a healthy eating plan. You deserve to love the foods you eat. Include a small portion of something that satisfies – whether you crave sweet or salty foods.

Dr. Oz explains to Oprah how a calorie-restricted diet could be key to anti-aging. (via Oprah.com)

Recently on Oprah, medical guru Dr. Oz discussed the benefits of purposefully restricting your daily caloric intake in order to add more years to your life. A calorie-restricted diet also lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and body fat, all of which, when they are high, are linked to a host of diseases. In fact, Dr. Oz says calorie restriction is the number one way doctors say we can extend longevity.

“The data that we have in rodents and some larger animals now indicate you can probably extend your life expectancy by up to 50 percent potentially from doing this,” says Dr. Oz.

So exactly what is calorie restriction? On a calorically-restricted diet you are reducing the amount of your daily calories by 20 to 25 percent, by consuming foods that are nutritious, low in calories and unprocessed. Tons of fruit, vegetables and moderate amounts of protein with small amounts of fat comprise the basic features of the calorie restriction way of eating; while sugar, processed foods, most saturated fats, flours and some grains are avoided.