500 calorie per day diet: menu, reviews and results

Calorie counting today remains in first place in the effectiveness of weight control and loss. This technique allows you to consume the right amount of energy and spend more than was collected.

The optimal amount for a female adult body is 1800-2000 kcal per day. For men – 2200-2500. Effective weight loss begins with reducing your diet to 1600-1400 kcal.

Diets that involve less consumption are considered harsh and have a short-term effect.

Rules for the 500 calorie per day diet

The 500 calorie per day diet is one of the most effective weight loss methods. Its main principle is the selection of products for daily nutrition of no more than 500 calories. This is not enough for an adult, so this diet is short-lived.

For it to be effective, you must adhere to the following rules:

to calculate the energy value of dishes, you need to separately calculate the calorie content of each ingredient;
You can stick to this diet for no more than 3 days, because a significant reduction in calorie intake is a stressful situation for the body;
This technique does not have great limitations in products. The main thing is not to exceed the permitted limit;
fried and fatty foods are completely excluded;
The basis of nutrition is porridge and protein dishes.

The 500 calorie per day menu can be varied and it is not necessary to consume only one product. You can do fasting days no more than 2-3 times a week, depending on the result you want to achieve.

What are calories

Calories measure any energy, including that obtained from food. The body spends it to ensure vital functions, to perform certain reactions, etc. Many people may ask: “How will this information help me lose weight?”

If you ask any nutritionist or athlete, they will confidently answer: in order to lose weight, you need to spend more calories than the body receives. Therefore, you need to calculate how much energy a person spends per day, and based on this, select the daily calorie intake.

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.

pros	Minuses
The body is cleansed of waste and toxins.	This way of eating is stressful for the body.
In a short time you can lose up to 5-7 kg.	Due to a calorie deficit, a feeling of weakness occurs, so training on fasting days is undesirable.
The menu is varied	Problems may arise in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
This diet can be used as a fasting diet and you can eat according to this scheme 2 times a week.	The condition of the skin, hair and nails worsens.
For some people, restricting food intake can become psychologically stressful.

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.

Salmon in tortilla breading with rice

Take a dried tortilla and crush it into crumbs with your fingers. Beat 1 egg. Dip about 120 g of salmon fillet into the egg and roll it in crumbs. Place in the oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees. While baking, heat 1 tsp in a skillet. olive oil, add a clove of garlic, 2 tsp. pepper, 2 cups bell pepper (diced) and 1/2 cup brown rice. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 tsp. chopped parsley and a spoonful of lime juice. Serve with rice.

Effect on the body

A 500 calorie per day menu is not suitable for a daily diet, because a longer diet will have a negative effect on the body. The positive effect is rapid weight loss in a short period of time, the body is cleansed of toxins and waste due to accelerated metabolism.

But also a significant restriction of calorie intake can cause the following negative processes in the body:

a constant feeling of hunger leads to general weakness of the body, so it will not be possible to engage in sports activities on this day;
due to low content, chronic diseases may worsen;
due to a lack of vitamins, the condition of the skin, hair and nails worsens;
Restricting food intake can cause stress, depressed mood and irritability.

Therefore, nutritionists do not recommend limiting your diet for a long time. It is better to use this method for a couple of fasting days, and the rest of the time stick to a balanced diet in combination with physical activity.

Contraindications, side effects

The 500 calorie per day menu is not for everyone.

It belongs to the strict category, and any restriction in products has contraindications:

chronic and acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and liver;
reduced immunity;
periods of pregnancy and lactation.

Also, this technique is not suitable for people already following another diet recommended for medical reasons, children and adolescents.

Severely restricting calorie intake leads to side effects.

They may appear immediately or later:

disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract can cause diseases;
eating disorders - overeating or bulimia;
decreased appetite;
weakened immunity;
Decreased glucose causes dizziness and headaches.

Because of these side effects, this diet has many opponents. Therefore, before starting fasting days, it is worth assessing all its pros and cons and health status.

Saturday

Number of kilocalories: 1547

Breakfast

Buckwheat – 50 g
Greens – 50 g
Cheese – 20 g
Chicken egg – 55 g

Boil buckwheat and egg. Finely chop the greens, egg and cheese and mix with buckwheat. Add salt to taste.

Snack

Grapefruit – 200 g
Orange – 200 g
Banana – 100 g

Buckwheat – 50 g
Green beans – 200 g
Cheese – 30 g
Chili pepper – 20 g
Sunflower oil – 10 g

Fry beans and peppers in oil, boil buckwheat. Mix and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Snack

Walnuts – 40 g

Beetroot – 150 g
Chicken breast – 100 g

Boil beets and breast separately. Cut the beets into slices or grate them.

Snack

Kefir 1.5% – 350 g

Allowed foods

The menu for 500 calories a day can be varied, the main condition is to use permitted products:

almost all vegetables and fruits;

The 500 calorie per day menu consists mainly of vegetables and fruits
seasonal berries;
lean meat (chicken, turkey);
fish with low fat content;
low-fat kefir;
eggs;
tea;
coffee;
cereals with low starch content.

You can eat all foods that contain no fat and little starch. These should be foods high in protein.

Friday

Number of kilocalories: 1441 kcal

Breakfast

Chicken egg – 110 g (2 pcs)
Hercules – 30 g
Apple – 50 g
Honey – 10 g
Cinnamon – 2 g
Cereal bread – 20 g

Boil eggs soft-boiled or hard-boiled. Boil oatmeal in water, add honey, apple, sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve with a slice of grain bread.

Snack

Fresh carrots – 300 g

Rice – 50 g
Chicken breast – 100 g
Olive oil – 10 g
Onion – 100 g
Carrots – 150 g
Pickled cucumber – 200 g

Rinse the rice. Cut the breast, onion, carrots into cubes, fry in oil in a deep frying pan. Add rice to the pan and add water. Simmer until done. The result will be a dish similar to pilaf. Serve with pickles.

Canned tuna in its own juice – 200 g
Cherry tomatoes – 100 g

Snack

Kefir 1.5% – 350 g

Prohibited Products

Any diet involves restrictions on foods, and the “500 calories a day” method is no exception.

Prohibited for use:

smoked meats;
foods high in fat;
all dairy products, except low-fat kefir;
sweet;
flour products;
carbonated drinks;
juices;
compotes with added sugar;
fried foods;
cereals and vegetables with a high starch content.

For the diet to bring results, all of the above foods must be excluded from your diet.

Diet planning and calorie calculation

A 500 calorie per day menu should consist of low-carb foods. When compiling a diet, it is necessary to take into account the calorie content of each ingredient if it is a complex dish. To calculate, you will need a table in which the weight of the product and its energy value will be recorded.

Calculating the calorie content of dishes requires an individual approach, which takes into account weight and height. It is necessary to subtract 100 from the height indicator and compare it with the weight indicators. By following this diet, you can lose up to 1 kg per day.

There are fasting days when you eat only one food. But this is a very strict version of this technique, which is suitable only for those who do not have health problems and the body is already prepared for food restrictions.

Calorizer

Since not everyone likes to count, an online calorie calculator was created to simplify the calorie counting system. In order to calculate the energy value of a product or a whole dish, it is enough to indicate everything eaten in it. And in a second the result is ready.

But the online calorie calculator is far from the only one; there are many more quick ways. Applications for smartphones, tablets and computer programs. They can show not only the calorie content of an individual product, but also an entire dish with a large number of ingredients. For example, you don’t need to count each component, you can just type the name of the salad - and the result is ready.

Examples of a 500 calorie per day diet menu

The 500 calorie per day menu can be varied, so this technique is often chosen by those who have never been on a diet. The main condition is to count the calories of each product so that the diet brings results.

For 1 day

If you need to quickly lose 1-2 kg per day, then you can arrange a mono-diet of 500 calories per day. The peculiarity of this option is that the daily diet consists of only one product.

In order not to cause harm to health, it is necessary to choose the right product for such unloading:

Buckwheat with kefir is the most popular option for a 500-calorie mono-diet. A 100 g serving of boiled buckwheat provides 105 calories, and low-fat kefir - up to 30 calories;
Another popular option is chocolate. Cocoa helps remove excess fluid from the body, resulting in weight loss of 1-1.5 kg. At one time, 100 g of dark chocolate (75%) and green tea are allowed. One chocolate bar should be divided into 5 parts;
The most severe and stressful option for the body is drinking fasting. It is allowed to consume only liquids - water, broths, compotes, decoctions, infusions.

Before carrying out such a mono-diet, it is better to consult a specialist so as not to harm your health.

For 3 days

Nutritionists believe that 3 days is the optimal duration of this diet. During this time, you will be able to lose extra pounds without harm to your health.

Here is a sample menu:

for breakfast - any low-starch cereal porridge and an apple;
for second breakfast - grapefruit;
lunch - 100 g of boiled poultry, cucumber;
for an afternoon snack - 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese;
for dinner - 100 g of baked fish, tomato.

You can drink unlimited quantities of water because it contains no calories. And other drinks should already be included in the calorie count.

For 4 days

When creating a 500-calorie menu for 4 days, you can use the diet suggested above as a basis. On day 4, it is permissible to boil 2 eggs for breakfast, and a grapefruit or apple for the second breakfast. You can have 100 g of poultry and a tomato for lunch, an orange for an afternoon snack, and 2 baked apples without sugar for dinner.

For a week

If a person plans to limit his diet during the week, then he needs to arrange 1-2 fasting days of 500 calories per day. Otherwise, such a diet can harm the body. On other days, nutrition should be balanced and correct.

For breakfast you can make porridge and light vegetable salads, omelettes. For lunch, nutritionists recommend preparing cream soups and vegetable soups. Or replace them with vegetable salads. For dinner you can stew vegetables, poultry and lean fish. Bread can be replaced with fruit. In addition to water, it is also allowed to drink green tea and low-fat kefir, unsweetened compote.

A properly designed menu is the main condition for the effectiveness of the “500 calories a day” diet. This method of losing weight creates a stressful situation for the body, so if you adhere to it, you need to monitor the general well-being of the body. If you constantly have a headache, a feeling of weakness, or dizziness, you should increase the serving size towards higher energy value.

Tuesday

Number of kilocalories: 1503 kcal

Breakfast

Chicken egg – 110 g (2 pcs)
Milk – 30 g
Cheese – 20 g
Broccoli – 70 g
Cereal bread – 20 g

Beat eggs with milk, add grated cheese and broccoli, bake in a deep bowl in the oven without oil for 20 minutes. Serve with a slice of grain bread, black coffee without sugar or tea.

Snack

Peaches – 300 g

Rice – 50 g
Pollock – 200 g
Sea kale salad – 150 g

Boil the rice until tender, bake the pollock in the oven without oil or steam it. You can make your own seaweed salad or buy canned one.

Snack

Cheese – 40 g
Cereal bread – 40 g
Tomato – 50 g

Cut the tomato and cheese into thin slices and place on bread. You can add garlic for a brighter taste.

Chicken breast – 100 g
Sour cream 15% – 20 g
Cheese – 20 g
Tomato – 100 g
Garlic – 10 g

Finely chop the tomato and garlic and mix. Coat the chicken breast with the resulting sauce and bake in the oven without oil for 20-30 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with grated cheese.

Snack

Kefir 1.5% – 350 g

Dietary recipes for weight loss from simple products

Most of the foods in this diet are allowed, so the menu can be varied. Therefore, it is psychologically easier for people to tolerate dietary restrictions.

Fruit and vegetable salad from feta cheese with yogurt

This salad is suitable for breakfast or lunch.

To prepare it you will need:

150 g low-fat cheese;
150 g of Chinese cabbage;
2 apples;
orange;
2 cucumbers;
150-200 g low-fat yogurt.

Having prepared all the above ingredients, you can start preparing this light salad:

All ingredients must be cut into large cubes, after peeling the vegetables and fruits.
Mix everything and season with yogurt.

The energy value of 100 g of salad is 150-200 calories. This salad also contains vitamins that the body especially needs during a diet.

Watercress and orange salad

Another option for a light breakfast and lunch is a salad of watercress and oranges.

It is prepared from the following ingredients:

200 g watercress;
200 g oranges;
20 ml olive oil.

This dish is very easy to prepare:

You need to remove the zest from the orange, then divide it into slices. Then you need to remove the thin film from the slices and collect the juice in a separate bowl - this will be needed for salad dressing.
Cut the orange slices into two parts and chop the watercress coarsely.
For dressing, mix the resulting orange juice with olive oil. All ingredients must be mixed.

A 100 g serving of this salad contains 170 calories.

Escarole salad with vegetables

Escarole contains a large amount of vitamins necessary for the body. A salad with it is ideal for this diet.

To prepare it you will need:

escarole salad;
fennel;
cucumber;
a bunch of radishes;
olive oil;
vinegar.

This salad is very light and improves body tone, which is important for a low-calorie diet.

Cooking steps:

All vegetables must be cut into thin strips.
Then you need to sprinkle them with vinegar and olive oil and mix everything

100 g of this dish contains only 70 calories.

Chard salad

Chard leaf salad should also be included in your diet for people who adhere to this technique. They contain vitamins necessary for the normal functioning of the body.

To prepare this healthy salad you will need:

chard leaves;
tomato;
Bell pepper;
cucumber;
parsley;
olive oil - 30 ml;
half a lemon.

Having prepared everything you need, you can start cooking:

Cut all vegetables into thin strips; chard leaves can be torn into large pieces. Finely chop the parsley.
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the olive oil.
Add everything to the vegetables and herbs and mix.

The result is a light and healthy salad that is suitable for breakfast or lunch.

Cream of mushroom soup

For lunch you can prepare not only salads, but also dietary vegetable soups.

To prepare mushroom puree soup you will need:

500 g champignons;
30 g butter;
bulb;
garlic clove;
greens, salt, pepper.

To prepare, you will also need a mixer or blender to grind until mushy.

Cooking steps:

You need to cut the mushrooms, onions and garlic into cubes.
Then you need to pour 1-1.5 liters of water into the pan and cook the vegetables until tender.
Then they need to be beaten with butter until the consistency of puree or cream. Add herbs, salt and pepper.

There are 100 calories in 1 serving of Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Onion soup

Onion soup can be chosen for fasting monodays. It contains large amounts of vitamins A, C and E.

To prepare it you need to prepare:

6-7 pcs. Luke;
1 kg of white cabbage;
3 tomatoes;
3 sweet bell peppers;
celery.

Having prepared all the necessary ingredients, you can start preparing the onion soup:

All vegetables must be finely chopped and placed in a pan with cold water.
Place the pan over medium heat and cook for 15-20 minutes. If the vegetables are not ready, turn down the heat, cover the pan with a lid and continue cooking until done.
Sprinkle the finished dish with herbs. To enhance the taste, you can add spices, salt and pepper.

The resulting broth can be stored for a week. 1 liter of onion soup contains 500 calories.

Low-calorie borscht

The peculiarity of dietary borscht is the absence of meat and minimal roasting of vegetables. This soup is suitable for lunch during a low-calorie diet.

To prepare this borscht you will need:

beet;
2 onions;
carrot;
tomato paste;
bell pepper;
200 g white cabbage;
garlic clove;
salt, pepper, bay leaf.

There are no potatoes in this borscht recipe, because foods containing large amounts of starch are prohibited on a low-calorie diet.

Cooking steps:

Pour water into the pan and place on medium heat.
Then you need to cut the cabbage into thin strips and put it in boiling water.
Next you need to chop the carrots, onions and peppers for frying. Pour a little olive oil into a frying pan and fry the onion first. Then you need to add carrots and peppers.
Grate the beets and add them to the vegetables in the pan. The roast must be simmered for 5 minutes.
Then you need to add 4 tbsp to the vegetables. tomato paste and a glass of broth. Cook everything until the water boils down.
When the cabbage is almost ready, you need to add the frying agent and cook everything until the vegetables are completely cooked. You also need to add spices and bay leaves and garlic passed through a press to the broth.

Decorate the finished dish with herbs, you can add low-fat sour cream.

Creamy vegetable soup

Creamy vegetable soup is also a popular recipe for a low-calorie diet.

Any vegetables with low starch content are suitable for its preparation:

tomato;
zucchini;
cucumber;
half an onion;
1-2 tbsp. olive oil;
salt pepper.

To puree all the vegetables you will need a blender.

Cooking steps:

All vegetables must be peeled. To make it easier to peel the tomatoes, you need to scald them with boiling water.
Pour water into the pan and place on medium heat.
All vegetables must be finely grated.
Pour olive oil into a deep frying pan and fry the onion over medium heat. Then you need to add the rest of the vegetables to it and saute them for 4-5 minutes.
Frying must be filled with boiling water, add spices and leave everything on low heat for another 10 minutes.
Then you need to grind everything with a blender to a cream or puree.

Garnish the finished dish with herbs and serve. This recipe is also suitable for a regular menu, only when serving you can add croutons or sour cream.

Risotto with vegetables

Risotto with vegetables is a favorite dish of those who watch their figure. There are 140 calories per 100 g.

For cooking you will need the following products:

1.5 cups rice;
2 onions;
2 carrots;
2 zucchini;
2 cloves of garlic;
3 tbsp. olive oil;
10 g butter;
greenery;
200 g frozen green peas;
50 g Parmesan cheese;
salt pepper.

Having prepared all the ingredients, you can start preparing the risotto:

All vegetables need to be peeled and cut into small cubes, and the greens should also be finely chopped.
Pour water over all chopped vegetables and place the pan over medium heat.
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter and fry the onion. Then you need to add half a glass of water and simmer over low heat for 1.5 minutes.
You need to add rice to the onion and simmer together for another 1.5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Then the rice needs to be poured with vegetable broth and cooked until half cooked, about 20 minutes.
Pour olive oil into a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic until golden brown, gradually adding vegetables and spices to them, stirring constantly.
Then the vegetables, along with butter and Parmesan, are added to the rice and stirred until the risotto becomes a viscous consistency.

If your diet allows, then during cooking you can add dry white wine rather than water to the onions.

Shrimp with polenta

Classic shrimp with polenta is a fairly high-calorie dish. If you are on a low-calorie diet, you should avoid bacon because it is a high-calorie product. The peculiarity of preparing polenta is the addition of cheese during the cooking process. The shrimp and mushrooms are simply fried in a pan and added to the polenta.

Salmon in tortilla breading with rice

This is a variation of the Mexican dish - tortillas with rice and chicken. This option is suitable for those who want to add variety to their diet. Fried pieces of salmon and rice with tomatoes are wrapped in tortilla.

Pork and potatoes with cherry chutney

Pork with potatoes with cherry chutney is a high-calorie dish, so you can eat it in small portions. Chutney is an Indian sauce whose main ingredients are cherries, red onions and apples.

This sauce is ideal for meat dishes such as pork. Potatoes are also a suitable side dish, but it is better to replace them with vegetables.

Pasta with eggplant

Pasta with eggplant is another popular dish among those losing weight. Eggplants need to be fried until al dente to preserve their vitamins. You can also sprinkle the finished eggplant pasta with cheese.

Oat pancake

Oatmeal pancake is a suitable option for a diet breakfast. They prepare it like a regular pancake, only if you grind the oatmeal in a blender, the dish will be more tender.

Cucumber and whey drink

A drink made from cucumbers and whey has a tonic effect and restores strength. And one glass contains only 30-45 calories, so you can drink it instead of kefir or water.

A menu with a significant restriction in the diet can be varied, which helps to better cope with psychological discomfort during the diet. The “500 calories a day” weight loss method is strict, so you cannot stick to it for a long time. Nutritionists advise using it as a “unloading” for the body.

Monday

Number of kilocalories: 1513 kcal

Breakfast

Hercules – 50 g
Raisins – 10 g
Honey – 10 g
Chicken egg – 55 g
Cereal bread – 20 g

Boil Hercules in water, add raisins and honey to the finished porridge. Boil the egg soft-boiled or hard-boiled. Serve with a mug of black coffee or tea.