600 calorie diet: What it is and how does it affect your body?

In a nutshell

In order to lose weight, you need to create an energy deficit. Typically, the recommended daily calorie intake is set to around 1,600–2,400 a day for adult females, however, some women opt for extreme restrictions, such as 600 calories a day. A 600 calories a day meal plan is a significant deficit that can lead to a range of physical, hormonal, and mental risks. Yet, it might be a short-term solution or a part of medical treatment.

Losing weight and getting into your ideal shape can be a tough journey complicated by a variety of internal and external factors. No wonder millions of women out there are constantly seeking effective ways to get in shape quickly and easily, and often, cutting their diets to as low as 600 calories a day sounds like an answer. But is it?

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Understanding the Calorie Deficit

Although weight loss has always been surrounded by plenty of myths and misconceptions, today, most dietarians, coaches, and even scientists agree that fat loss depends solely on energy deficit.

What does this mean? An energy deficit basically means having less energy than your body needs. When your body receives less energy than it spends, it starts using its reserves to bridge the gap, and that’s when you start losing body mass and body fat.

How to Create a Deficit for Effective Weight Loss

Basically, there are two ways to get into the deficit–by cutting down the energy you consume through adjusting your diet or by enhancing the level of energy expenditure through boosting physical activity.

To understand how to create the gap, it’s crucial to understand how your body spends energy. The first thing you need to know is that your body has its basic metabolism–the amount of calories it burns per day without any additional activity. For females, the basic expenditure looks like this:

• Age 20: 1,559 calories
• Age 30: 1,516 calories
• Age 40: 1,473 calories
• Age 50: 1,429 calories
• Age 60: 1,386 calories
• Age 70: 1,343 calories
• Age 80: 1,300 calories

All the energy you spend through activity, for example, after a yoga class, adds up to your basic expenditure. Respectively, you need to consume fewer calories with food and drinks than you spend to create a deficit.

Understanding the Challenges Females Face With Weight Loss

Although energy deficit works pretty straightforward, which should supposedly make weight loss simple, we can’t ignore the fact that to many women out there this process feels as if they’re pushing a large rock up a hill.

Why does this happen? The answer might be as obvious as not counting your calorie consumption correctly and eating more than you spend. However, it’s also important to note the specs of the female body–it typically has more body fat and less muscle than men, which affects the basal metabolic rate (BMR). Additionally, females are constantly facing hormonal fluctuations that can also make the weight loss process more complicated. We also have to mention underlying health conditions, such as PCOS or endometriosis, that can make it harder for women to maintain a healthy weight.

That’s when solutions like switching to a 600 calorie day meal plan start looking justified.

What Is a 600 Calorie Diet?

A 600 calories a day diet means just that–it’s a diet that implies eating only 600 calories per day. Some of you might think of it as a low-calorie diet. However, if we look at the typical nutritional value of low-calorie diets (usually totals at around 1200-1500 calories), we can confidently state that a 600 calorie a day diet is more of an extreme calorie restriction rather than just a low-calorie meal plan.

Is 600 Calories Enough for a Daily Consumption?

The short answer is “no.” In order to function healthily, a person needs to consume as many calories as they spend according to their BMR. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that adult females require around 1,600–2,400 calories a day. Based on these recommendations, we can state that eating 600 calories a day is an extreme deficit.

600 Calories a Day Weight Loss: The Possible Risks

Physical Risks

Following a 600 calorie a day meal plan for a long time can lead to a number of physical consequences. First of all, a lack of sufficient nutrients can result in malnutrition and subsequently, cause fatigue, constipation, and frequent sickness. In the long run, a severe deficit can also lead to a decreased metabolic rate and muscle loss.

Hormonal Risks

Long-term caloric restriction has also been found to affect female hormones via hypothalamic and peripheral mediators. In the long run, this can lead to significant hormonal imbalances and fertility issues.

Psychological Risks

Consuming only 600 calories for a prolonged time can also bring a number of psychological consequences. Namely, studies reveal the following psychological responses:

• Development of eating disorder symptoms (e.g. binge eating, fear of fatness, purgative behavior, etc.)
• Depressed mood
• Subjective feelings of hunger and fullness
• Cognitive performance suppression (e.g. issues with attention/concentration, verbal memory, brain fog, etc.)

When Is Following a 600 Calorie a Day Meal Plan Safe and Medically Justified?

Though consuming 600 calories per day is generally not enough for a healthy adult female, there are some cases when such a diet is safe:

• In clinical settings: Sometimes, very low-calorie diets (VLCDs) are prescribed as a part of medical treatment, for example, before surgeries. In this case, following VLCD is safe because you typically do it under the supervision of healthcare professionals who monitor nutrient deficiencies and other adverse effects.
• In obese people: Studies show that VLCDs are generally safe and quite effective as a short-term weight loss plan for treating obesity. Diets with severe restrictions (such as 600 calories) are appropriate for people with a body mass index of at least 30 kg/m2. Still, such diets are used for a short time and also under medical supervision.
• Short-term use: In some cases, a 600 calorie a day diet can be used as a short-term weight loss solution to give the fat-burning process a boost. However, it’s important to consider the possible risks, and ideally, should be done under the supervision of your healthcare provider.

Practical Tips for Safe 600 Calories a Day Weight Loss

Consult With a Healthcare Provider

Understanding your current state of health, underlying conditions, and hormones is pivotal before implementing any severe restrictions in order to prevent serious risks.

Have a Plan

Before switching to a new meal plan, it’s good to have a specific goal and plan in mind. It’s also important to plan for how long you want to stick to your diet, let’s say, it can be a 600 calories a day weight loss in 2 weeks or eating 600 calories a day for 6 weeks–whatever your plan is, it should align with your goal, health condition, and your doctor’s recommendations.

Focus on Nutritional Value

Even if you decide to consume only 600 calories, you can always source them differently. To make the process healthy, it’s recommended to place emphasis on healthy, nutrient-dense foods. Your daily diet should consist of plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole foods to help minimize nutrient deficiencies. Also, you might need to incorporate additional supplements.

Stay Hydrated

When you’re in a calorie deficit, you need to keep your body hydrated at all times. Drinking plenty of water can help you manage your appetite, avoid overeating, aid digestion, and prevent dehydration caused by rapid weight loss.

Incorporate Regular Physical Activity

Getting active doesn’t only help weight loss and toning, it can also help you keep your energy levels high despite a calorie deficit and manage your mental well-being.

Keep an Eye on Your Health

Unless it’s a one-day fasting, sticking to a 600 calorie day meal plan is definitely stressful for your body and can lead to certain risks. That’s why it’s pivotal to keep an eye on how you feel at different stages of your diet and cease it in case of any issues.

Have a Transition Plan

Lastly, it’s important to note that transitioning from a calorie restriction to normal eating is also rather stressful for the body. If you don’t have an adequate transition period, you can damage your metabolism and gain the lost weight back. To prevent this, plan a gradual transition to normal eating.

Conclusion

While creating an energy deficit is a proven way to stimulate weight loss, eating 600 calories a day is considered an extreme restriction that’s far from recommended healthy deficits. The possible risks of following such a diet for a long time include:

• Fatigue
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Muscle loss
• Decreased metabolic rate
• Hormonal imbalances
• Depressed mood
• Development of eating disorders
• Decreased cognitive abilities

Despite these risks, sometimes, using a meal plan for 600 calories a day can be justified. Namely, such diets might be used as a part of treating certain conditions, pre-surgery, or as a short-term weight loss solution. If you consider this solution, be sure to consult with a healthcare provider and stick to the practical tips we shared earlier to make the process healthier.