How few calories can you live on

You can use online tools, such as My Calorie Counter , to help you track your daily calorie intake. MCC allows you to set a target for daily calorie consumption and can tell you throughout the day how you are doing. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Health Topics. Health Tools. By Madeline R. Reviewed: May 26, Medically Reviewed. Defining the Low-Calorie Diet It seems logical that if calories are the problem, you would want to eat as few of them as possible to speed weight loss.

Some people use a calorie diet as part of the recently popularized intermittent diet plan. Under this plan, you eat a balanced Mediterranean-style diet of about calories for five days of the week and then limit yourself to low-carbohydrate calories per day for the other two days.

There is very little evidence to support the benefits of intermittent dieting over daily calorie reduction. You can get an idea of how much or how little calories is when you consider the calorie count of popular foods. The USDA calculates that two handfuls of peanuts or a slice of pepperoni pizza contains about calories. An apple contains fewer than 80 calories, while two pieces of fried chicken contain about calories. You might also want to consider how many calories you burn in a day.

According to the Harvard Medical School , a pound person burns 72 calories by just sitting in a one-hour meeting. One of the problems with a calorie diet is that it places no limits on the fats and carbohydrates you consume.

A serving of chocolate pound cake and a glass of milk adds up to about calories. Regardless of calorie count, a well-rounded diet includes fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Being healthy is about a lot more than just a number. The greatest dangers associated with a calorie diet relate to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to many health problems.

In fact, most people cannot meet their vitamin and mineral requirements if they eat less than calories per day. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic , if your diet lacks the mineral zinc , which is in pumpkin seeds and beef, you can suffer hair loss. If you're not fueling your body with enough food, and consequently not enough calories, you might not be getting the nutrients you need for optimal health.

Vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients are key to helping your body and brain perform at peak levels. In an attempt cut calories, many people limit or even reduce carbohydrates from their diet. When you restrict carbohydrates in an effort to only eat the bare minimum calories to survive, you miss out on the health benefits of fiber, which is a type of carbohydrate the body can't digest.

In addition to making you feel fuller for longer, fiber also regulates the body's use of sugars, lowers blood cholesterol, helps to promote regularity and prevent constipation, and it may even lower the risk of heart disease, according to Harvard T.

Chan School of Public Health. Another downside of only eating the minimum calories to survive is the impact it has on your metabolism. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says if you're not taking in enough calories, your body goes into survival mode and your metabolism slows down in an effort to conserve energy.

You also risk not getting enough calcium, which increases your risk for osteoporosis and hip fractures. Spending a few days eating the minimum calories needed to survive is not going to cause any long-term damage. An active person should eat fat and carbohydrates, while someone who is overweight may be able to lose weight with a low carbohydrate and high protein diet. Those aiming to lose weight should aim to shed between three to 10 per cent of their body weight to avoid gaining the weight back.

Think about the bigger picture here and think about health and longevity and enjoying food. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?