The 400 calorie diet and Rachael Ray vs. boxing for weight loss

November 19, 6:20 PMNY Boxing Fitness ExaminerEd Lozano

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Celebrity chef Rachael Ray promotes healthy food choices among students at NY's P.S. 89

(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Prevention magazine unveiled it's "400 calorie diet" on the Rachael Ray show. The diet breaks down into a simple math problem: four, 400-calorie meals per day or 4x/400. According to Prevention, no food is off limits but you need to keep track of the calories.

The idea is simple; however, people looking to lose weight have a difficult time with eating only one serving of anything—except maybe broccoli. The book contains 400 calorie recipes that are simple and you can find just about anything for the finicky dieter. There is even a 415 calorie McDonald's meal.

Boxing for weight loss
A one-hour boxing workout can burn up to 1400 calories. If you follow a simple, rough estimate of your BMR along with a food diary you can then figure out your caloric intake and achieve your weight loss goals more effectively.

Here's how it works
BMR, or basal metabolic rate, is the level that your body burns calories while at rest. So if you have a fast metabolism then you burn more calories while resting. Here is a simple formula: BMR = (your body weight in lbs.) x 10.

For example, a 200 pound male needs needs to consume 2000 calories to maintain his weight. It takes 3500 calories to burn 1 lb. of fat. So if he eats 2000 calories per day and burns, say, 1200 calories per boxing workout three days a week; then, he will lose about 1 lb. at the end of the week.

Naturally, there are more factors to the numbers game then just grabbing a formula; such as, genetics, family history, pre-existing conditions, etc. If you'd like to get an accurate reading of your basal metabolic rate then please consult a dietician.

Final thoughts
The problem with the 400 calorie diet is that a definite nutrition plan is not factored in. Healthy and balanced meals are usually high in nutrients, low in calories, and low in sugar. When you're only measuring calories you can eat a McDonald's burger (250 calories/high in fat) with a packet of ketchup (15 calories/high in sugar), and a reduced-fat vanilla ice cream cone (150 calories/low in fat but high in sugar). Then see how long you last in the squared circle.