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low-calorie diet

low-calorie diet

2 3.0
A way of eating that limits calories to help lose weight or improve health
  • noun
  • /loʊˈkæləri ˈdaɪət/
translation icon : dieta baja en calorías
  • There has been a suggestion that significant weight loss through a very low-calorie diet (600 kcal/day) or through bariatric surgery in people who are overweight and have recently been diagnosed with T2D may even lead to remission of the condition.
  • a very low-calorie diet

And so the idea would be that on a low calorie diet, a diet, it's been termed calorie restriction.

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Examples

  • This drug induces dose-dependent weight loss, and over a year's treatment, can amplify the effects of a very low-calorie diet.

    Academic text (2000)
  • All participants were given a low-calorie diet and advice on increasing physical activity.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Any low-fat, low-calorie diet plan can help maintain and progress to a healthy weight.

    Blog text (14)
  • People stick with low-calorie diets more readily than they continue with exercise to drop pounds.

    Blog text (34)
  • If certain populations have a low-calorie diet and are thin, it's because of necessity, as they can't afford more caloric-dense food.

    Blog text (31)
  • The similarity is that the 'cure' for what supposedly ails them involves a very low-calorie diet, which usually leads to lots of weight loss very quickly.

    Blog text (28)
  • The HCG diet combines the HCG hormone with a specially designed low-calorie diet.

    Blog text (4)
  • When you go on a low-calorie diet—body weight x 10 is low—it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll start burning muscle mass to some degree as your body hunts down any ready source of fuel.

    Blog text (25)
  • Following her doctor's advice, she started a low-calorie diet to lose weight safely.

  • To improve her health, he decided to adopt a low-calorie diet that focused on whole, nutritious foods.

Synonyms

reducing diet
vslow-calorie diet
3.3

A diet that helps you lose weight by eating less fat and sugar

focuses specifically on limiting calorie intake to promote weight loss
obesity diet
vslow-calorie diet
3.6

An eating plan that helps people with too much body fat lose weight

is used for general calorie control to lose weight or improve health

How Restrictive

fad diet
3 5.6
low-calorie diet
2 3.0
diet
491 1.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

low-calorie + diet

The meaning 'a diet that restricts calorie intake' is directly compositional from 'low' (small in amount) + 'calorie' (unit of energy) + 'diet' (planned way of eating). This adjective+noun pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning (hyphenation does not affect transparency).

Etymology

Low-calorie diet creates a simple picture: a low number of calories in your diet is like giving your body less fuel. With less fuel, the body uses stored fat, so the phrase means a way of eating to 'lose weight' or 'be healthier'.