Lighter Life...

Right, so I've heard lots of things about plenty of diets and calorie counting etc.

Nearly every post on these forums stress that women should be eating 1500 + cals a day to lose weight.

However, if this is the case, why are diets such as the lighter life program have such a huge success ratio?

The program consists of packs which in total add up to only 500 Calories a day, but most people it works wonders, and its line with national recommendations, so yeah, I was just wondering whats the deal with only being able to survive on 500 Calories a day? (in regards to the ideas I've read here about needing 1500+ ?)

Also, has anyone tried the Lighter Life Program? :)

Eat 500 calories a day, then go have a 1000 calorie meal with your family, then watch how every bit of that 1000 calories stuck on you like **** on a shoe. Your body being in survival mode sucks, especially when you want to enjoy food every once in a while. Plus, I highly doubt a diet consisting of 500 calories a day could have anywhere near the nutriants your body needs to function at it's peak for the rest of your life.

There are lots of reviews of it on the web. 

It is a Very Low Calorie Diet that is combined with counseling.  Theoretically that counseling can help you learn how to deal with your food issues.  If not, then when you go back to regular eating you will gain it right back.

Plus, it's expensive, and I would not want to not eat for days or weeks at a time.  Only drinking their replacement shakes would suck.

And from the reviews I have seen, those who have done it typically don't have any better long term success rate than any other weight loss program.  So, yeah people may lose a lot of weight, but most of them dont' keep it off. 

And on Very low calorie diets, you have to be under a doctor's care (also expensive) which means that it is potentially dangerous.  Also on that kind of diet you will lose a lot of muscle from your body along with the fat. 

I remember reading an article that announced the death of a young woman who was on LL for a whole year. It is ridiculous to think you can do this long term. Over time this seriously damages your metabolism and doesn't teach you any principle of healthy eating and how to attain a happy balance in your life.

You're better off just counting calories and going by the guidelines of whatever your CC coach says (and a check up from a dietician if needed).