Any adverse effects from this diet?

[random]

If a person sticks to this diet alone for a month would there be any serious side effects other than fairly rapid weight loss? The diet is 120 calories from fish 200 calories from potatoes 100 calories from mixed frozen vegetables. 1 or 2 cups of tomato juice at 50 calories each as much celery (plain) as you want because celery is a negative calorie food for a maximum of 520 calories a day. By my guess I should lose 1 pound every 3 days for a total of 10 pounds.

[tomgwyther]

520 calories per day seems extremely low, the foods mentioned above seem to be lacking in carbohydrate also, maybe a little more iron wouldn't go a miss.

if it were me, I'd add a bit of red meat, bread/pasta and plenty of fluids. I'd also increase the amount of calories to over 3000 because thats how much I burn; but that's just me though

 

I found this on the NHS website:

 

An average man needs around 2,500 calories a day to maintain his weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000 calories a day. These values can vary depending on age and levels of physical activity, among other factors.

However, instead of focusing on how many calories you consume each day, to maintain a healthy weight you should:

eat a healthy, balanced diet

take part in physical activities - for more information, see Live Well: how much exercise?

balance the amount of calories you eat with the amount of calories you burn

[Phi for All]

There is only a certain amount of good you'll get from celery, so more than a certain amount isn't going to make you lose weight faster. We can't process the cellulose in celery; it's not the chewing that causes an overall negative net, it's the digestion. Too much celery and you'll find your body wanting to shut down and sleep in order to devote energy to digestion. Too much celery can also cause diarrhea. Overdo celery and you won't be in any condition to exercise.

 

Personally, I would substitute some whole grain for your potatoes (not corn), but that's just me. When I'm trying to lose weight, I don't eat any veg that's buried, like potatoes, carrot, beets, turnips, radishes, etc. They're very starchy.

 

Like tomgwyther, 520 calories a day seems very low to me. You could double that and still be lower than most diets a doctor would give you. And you don't mention exercise at all. Of course, you probably wouldn't have the energy to exercise if you're only eating 520 calories. You're MUCH better off and will lose weight faster if you increase your caloric intake and exercise as well.