Quick Answer
Eating only 600 calories per day is not sustainable or healthy for most people. Such a severely restricted calorie intake puts you at risk of nutrient deficiencies and can cause fatigue, hair loss, irritability, and other issues. Health experts do not recommend consuming fewer than 1,200 calories per day unless medically supervised.
What Is a 600 Calorie Diet?
A 600 calorie diet involves limiting daily food intake to only 600 calories. This is an extremely low calorie level, considering the average sedentary adult male needs around 2,500 calories per day, and the average sedentary adult female needs 2,000 calories daily.
Eating just 600 calories per day results in a large daily calorie deficit for most people. This will lead to rapid weight loss in the short term. However, it is an unsafe way to lose weight for the majority of people.
Is 600 Calories Enough?
For most people, 600 calories per day is not enough to meet nutritional needs and maintain health. Some important considerations on whether 600 calories is adequate include:
– Gender: Men generally require more calories than women due to muscle mass and hormones. A 600 calorie diet is likely to be inadequate for most men.
– Activity level: People who exercise or have an active job need more calories than sedentary people. Athletes or others with high activity levels require even more calories. A 600 calorie diet would be extremely difficult to sustain with even moderate physical activity.
– Body size: People who weigh more tend to burn more calories each day. Shorter, smaller women can sometimes survive on fewer calories than taller, larger men. But 600 is still very low.
– Nutrient deficiencies: Getting adequate protein, fats, carbs, vitamins and minerals is essential. With only 600 calories and little food variety, nutrient deficiencies are highly likely.
– Sustainability: It is nearly impossible to get adequate nutrition for extended periods of time on just 600 calories. The diet would need to be followed under medical supervision.
So in summary, while a 600 calorie diet may technically provide enough energy for basic bodily functions if an individual is small and sedentary, it does not provide complete nutrition. It is not a safe or maintainable approach for most people.
Pros and Cons of a 600 Calorie Diet
Potential Pros
– Fast weight loss: Drastically cutting calories to 600 per day will lead to rapid weight loss, at least in the short term. This occurs because of the large daily calorie deficit.
– Simplicity: Following a 600 calorie diet does not require meal planning or tracking macros. The focus is solely on keeping calories low.
– Low cost: Eating fewer calories can reduce grocery costs. With a 600 calorie budget, inexpensive foods like eggs, rice, beans and frozen vegetables are staples.
– Can work short term: If medically supervised, some very obese people manage to follow a 600 calorie diet for several weeks or months. But supervision is crucial.
Potential Cons
– Nutrient deficiencies: It is impossible to meet all vitamin, mineral and macronutrient needs within just 600 calories. Deficiencies will develop over time.
– Loss of muscle mass: Consuming inadequate protein coupled with rapid weight loss contributes to the breakdown of calorie-burning muscle.
– Fatigue: Energy levels plummet rapidly on only 600 calories. Severe, persistent fatigue often sets in.
– Hair loss: Malnutrition from restrictive diets can trigger excessive hair shedding and loss.
– Gallstones: Rapid weight loss increases the risk of developing painful gallstones.
– Irritability: Very low calorie intakes and nutrient deficiencies affect mood and cause irritability and anxiety.
– Binge eating: Restriction often leads to overeating and binge eating episodes. This starts a cycle of restricting and binging.
– Weight regain: Most of the initial weight loss comes from lean tissue and water. Weight often returns rapidly once normal eating resumes.
– Medical risks: 600 calories is considered a Very Low Calorie Diet. VLCDs should only be done under medical supervision due to risks like electrolyte imbalances.
Health Consequences of Long-Term Low Calorie Diets
Eating just 600 calories long-term can jeopardize health in the following ways:
– Nutritional deficiencies: Insufficient intake of protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamins can develop within weeks, causing symptoms like hair loss and frequent infections.
– Gallstones: Losing over 3 pounds per week boosts the risk of gallstones. Rapid weight loss is a common trigger.
– Electrolyte imbalances: Very low calorie diets lead to low sodium and other electrolyte disturbances. These require medical management.
– Lean tissue loss: Muscle mass is broken down to provide calories when food intake is inadequate, slowing metabolism.
– Bone loss: Over time, low calorie diets contribute to osteopenia and osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercise can’t fully offset poor nutrition.
– Fatigue: Severely limiting calories causes tiredness, decreased endurance, and an inability to concentrate.
– Irregular heart rhythm: People following very low calorie diets sometimes develop arrhythmias which require medical supervision.
– Depression and anxiety: Hunger and malnutrition negatively impact mood and thought processes.
– Binge eating: Depriving yourself of food often leads to episodes of binge eating, especially when normal eating is resumed.
– Weight cycling: Ninety-five percent of people regain lost weight. Weight cycling promotes inflammation, insulin resistance and heart disease risk.
Special Populations Who May Follow Restricted Calorie Diets
While consuming just 600 calories daily is too low for most people, there are some exceptions where supervised low calorie diets are appropriate for limited periods. These include:
– Obese individuals: Prior to bariatric surgery, some extremely obese patients follow medically managed diets like Optifast 800 which provide 800-1,000 calories. This acute weight loss can reduce surgical complications and risk. But medical supervision is critical.
– Competitive physique athletes: Bodybuilders and physique competitors sometimes practice contest prep diets which restrict calories to very low levels under a coach’s guidance. However, they also risk health consequences.
– Morbidly obese patients: Medically supervised weight loss programs may use Very Low Calorie Diets providing 450-800 calories per day. However, patients require frequent monitoring of health markers, supplementation and refeeding guidance.
Unless you are morbidly obese under direct medical care, competitive physique athlete guided by a qualified coach or preparing for bariatric surgery, consuming as little as 600 calories is simply unsafe and unwise.
How to Lose Weight Safely
Rather than following fad crash diets, you can lose weight sustainably through science-backed strategies like:
– Aiming for 1-2 pounds lost per week. Losing more rapidly raises health risks.
– Cutting calories moderately by 500-750 calories below your maintenance needs. Larger deficits aren’t optimal.
– Eating at least 1200 calories per day as a female or 1500 calories per day as a male unless supervised.
– Balancing nutritious meals with whole foods. Avoid restrictive diets eliminating entire food groups.
– Staying active with both aerobic exercise and strength training for fitness and to maintain muscle.
– Making behavioral lifestyle modifications for long-term weight management success.
The key is losing weight at a moderate pace you can sustain without health consequences or major hunger. This leads to better long-term results for weight loss, weight maintenance and overall health.
Sample 600 Calorie Diet Meal Plan
Here is a sample one day 600 calorie meal plan:
| Breakfast | 1 hard boiled egg (80 calories) |
| 1⁄2 grapefruit (52 calories) | |
| 1 slice whole wheat toast (70 calories) with 1⁄2 tbsp peanut butter (49 calories) |
|
| 1 cup green tea (2 calories) | |
| Lunch | Salad with 1 cup romaine lettuce (8 calories), 1⁄4 cup chickpeas (60 calories), 1⁄4 cup cherry tomatoes (10 calories), 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (15 calories) |
| 1⁄2 whole wheat pita (70 calories) | |
| Dinner | 3 oz lean protein like chicken, fish or pork (120 calories) |
| 1⁄2 cup brown rice (100 calories) | |
| 1 cup steamed broccoli and carrots (60 calories) |
As you can see from this sample meal plan, eating only 600 calories requires extreme limitation of foods to tiny portions. Following this type of diet long-term is very challenging. That’s why most health providers do not recommend trying to survive on so few calories.
Healthy Low Calorie Diet Strategies
If you want to lose weight healthfully on a reduced calorie diet, consider these tips:
– Determine your calorie needs – Consider your gender, age, height, current weight and activity level. Online TDEE calculators help determine a calorie target for gradual weight loss, usually a 500-750 calorie deficit.
– Include lean protein – Protein foods will help preserve your muscle mass. aim for 0.5-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
– Prioritize produce – Fill half your plate fruits and vegetables which provide volume and nutrients with minimal calories.
– Watch portion sizes – Use measuring cups and food scales to understand appropriate portions and serving sizes for calorie control.
– Hydrate wisely – Drink water, unsweetened tea and coffee. Limit sugary drinks which add excess calories.
– Move daily – Engage in regular exercise like brisk walking to burn extra calories and maintain fitness.
– Be flexible – Allow an occasional higher calorie meal or day, just get back on track with healthy eating at your next meal.
Following these strategies allows you to create an appropriate calorie deficit without complete deprivation. This supports gradual weight loss as well as nutritional health.
The Bottom Line
Consuming only 600 calories daily is not safe, sustainable or nutritionally sound for most people. Extreme calorie restriction inevitably leads to health and nutrient deficiencies over time without medical supervision. Aim for no fewer than 1,200 calories per day unless directed by your healthcare provider for a specific medical purpose. Focus on moderate calorie reduction, nutrition and exercise for successful weight management without endangering your health.
