The Negative Calorie Diet plan has based its claim to fame on the notion that there are certain foods that will give a 'negative calorie balance' – that is, more calories are required for digestion than are present in certain foods. Therefore, eating these foods in large quantities will result in weight loss.
For instance, the diet promoters use these examples:
CHOCOLATE CAKE … Calories in the cake: 450 Net result = 350+ calories added to your body, resulting in fat gain if your calorie balance is too high (nothing new there). |
APPLE … Calories in the fruit: 65 Net result = -35 calories resulting in a calorie deficit and a weight loss, rather than a gain. |
What's On The Negative Calorie Diet Food List?
Here are the mainstays of the Negative Calorie food plan [in alphabetical order]:
apples
asparagus
beets
blueberries
cabbage
cantelopes
carrots
celery
chicory (unusual choice?)
chili peppers
cranberries
cucumbers
dandelions
endives
garden cress
garlic
grapefruit
green beans
lemons
lettuce
mangos
onions
oranges
papayas
pineapples
prunes
radishes
raspberries
spinach
strawberries
tangerines
tomatoes
turnips
zucchini
Does The 'Negative Calorie Food' Diet Actually Work?
If we consider the term "negative calorie food" it's obvious that we need to use our terminology correctly because every food contains calories – even a leaf of lettuce. Yet it is true that the foods above are low in calories and require digestion that uses up much of their caloric count. All of these foods are high in fiber, which is good for digestion – and yet require a lot of calories.
Also remember that preparation is a huge deal if you're contemplating this diet. Yes, blueberries are wonderful – but not in a sugar-rich blueberry cobbler. (YUM! :-)
On the other hand, you could take many of the ingredients above and prepare a very yummy negative calorie diet soup that would fill you up and help you lose weight rather quickly – assuming you didn't eat a ton of other foods, of course.
What's Good About The Negative Calorie Diet
The most powerful effect of the Negative Calorie diet is that dieters will eat a ton of fruits and vegetables, since they are the foundation of the plan. This will result in a huge influx of:
Fiber, as already mentioned
Minerals and vitamins
And as long as the negative calorie foods are eaten in natural, raw form, your weight will definitely be affected.
What's Not So Good About The Negative Calorie Diet
Ultimately, the only way to solve our 'weight problem' is to make lifestyle changes. Yeah, I know that sounds terrible but you know it's true. So this is the diet mentality in operation once again. Besides, if we eat the negative calorie foods without focusing on a new way of being we will just regain the weight. We've all heard about dreaded yo-yo dieting and don't need to do that anymore.
Also, if we truly follow this low calorie diet we're in danger of eating too little. Sounds good – but we don't want our bodies to believe we're in starvation mode and slow our metabolism. This not only slows weight loss but it almost certainly will result in weight gain after we “go off” the diet.
Is The Negative Calorie Diet Right For You?
If you want to diet with the Negative Calorie plan you will be healthier for eating all the fruits and veggies. That part is excellent. Even better, though, is to take this concept and incorporate it into a lifestyle plan that will result in a permanently thin and healthy body.
Check our diet reviews on popular eating plans
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