400 Calorie Fix

Prevention Editor-in-Chief Liz Vaccariello (remember the Flat Belly Diet?) is back with the 400 Calorie Fix.

If you read Prevention you are probably aware of the 400 Calorie column - which focuses on menus and meals that total up to 400 Calories.

The diet was featured on the Rachael Ray show,

"I was pleasantly surprised when I actually looked at the meals and realized how much food 400 calories can be. Getting used to eating on the plan was easy as far as my hunger was concerned, but as a busy mommy, the planning was a little tough for me in the beginning."

Why 400 Calories?
"We came up with that amount because registered dietitians say that's the amount in a meal that you're going to remain satisfied, you're not going to get cravings, you get a variety of tastes and textures and you're going to get enough disease-fighting nutrients so you stay healthy." - Liz Vaccariello.

Don't confuse this with a 400 Calorie Diet!
Three main meals would total 1200 Calories, plus extra for snacks. Given that the average intake is around 2700-2800 Calories per day, this is a good figure to shoot for.

The focus of the book is to take aim at the "calorie creep" that has occured over the last thirty years. The author wants to "start retraining your mind to see food the 400-calorie way".

Available as a pre-order (shipping Jan 4 2010) from 400caloriefix.com.

Also take a look at our most popular post of all time: What do 300 Calorie Meals Look Like.

Written By J. Foster on Nov 19, 2009

MORE: Books, Diets, calorie counting

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14 Comments

Spectra on 11/19/09

Actually, she was on Rachael Ray today and said you're supposed to eat 4 400-calorie meals a day for a total of 1600 calories, which is very reasonable for a woman who isn't terribly active. I would think it'd be easy to add a few calories here and there if you're more active. It seems like a pretty sane plan, especially if you are one of those people that eats sporadically all day long and doesn't really get a sense of when they are full.

E. on 11/21/09

I'm sure that most readers here aren't relying on diet blog comments for their nutritional advice, but on the off-chance there is someone here who is, I would just like to elaborate on Spectra's statement above that 1600 calories may be reasonable for a woman who is not too terribly active.

Whether or not it is reasonable depends on a number of things (the age, weight, height of the woman) and whether or not she is trying to maintain or lose weight.

For me, based on the above factors, 1600 calories is enough for me to lose a little under 1/2 pound a week sitting in my cube. Everyone is different, and I know that I would often get frustrated reading these 1200 - 1600 calorie eating plans and wondering why I was always so hungry.

Garrete on 11/26/09

It seems just about every weight loss program requires you eat their food which, as many of you would agree, are not the most preferred foods out there. Most diets, it seems, involve either starvation or massive amounts of expensive supplements. Some diet programs send participants running for personal loans just to keep up.

Jody - Fit at 52 on 11/19/09

I will have to check it out more. I would be curious what the make-up is in terms of protein/carbs/fat calories.

Spectra on 11/19/09

From what I saw on the show, it's a plan that's mostly about portion control rather than eating specific foods. She mentioned that you can "eat Oreos and milk with your kids as one of your 400 calorie meals". I think it's more geared toward people that don't want to change WHAT they eat; just how much.

O. on 11/19/09

I just saw your comment Spectra :)

It kind of sounds like you don't believe moderation followers are really eating healthy.

I can't speak for all moderation diet followers, but I can explain an example of what I do.

Yes I eat healthy. That is what I call the BASIS of my diet, or my day in day out regular way of eating.

I probably eat some of the say things you do. I love soy milk, Kashi brand foods, Amy's vegetarian entrees, I diligently eat freash steamed veggies, fresh fruit, and so forth.

BUT, I do have a "meal off" Usually once every 2 weeks, where I eat whatever I like. It "calms" that other side of myself, and in the long run keeps me on track.

I addition some of my "basis" meals are "normal food" but portion controled. Like I go to KFC, get one chicken breast, bring it home and have it with some steamed veggies.

O. on 11/19/09

Wow! I just got done watching Rachael's show a half hour ago, and I am usually not watching tv at this time of day. Glad I caught this.

I totally loved Liz today. The thing that really stuck in my head is when she was talking about the lady who was trying out the plan and Liz said "She can still have Oreo's and milk with her kids."

I don't know if Liz is a dietitian , but Liz get's "it".
She gets us food lovers.

While never having a personal session with a nutritionist, I have tried to follow the general advice they give on tv and in magazines, and I swear it made me yo yo for years.

The "moderation not deprivation" method is what works for some people. And while some long term weight loosers have sworn off certain foods, nutritonists need to realize that the some people can't be scared into never going to McDonalds again. But that doesn't mean they can't live a healthier lifestyle.

Spectra on 11/19/09

Ok, I'm not trying to villainize Oreos or anything...it's ultimately all about calories. And if you love Oreos, it's great Liz shows people how to eat them so you can still lose weight. Like, eat 2 Oreos not 8 of them. I was just trying to clarify that the plan doesn't focus on certain foods or nutrient ratios; it focuses more on portion control.

botgurl on 11/20/09

I can see where both Spectra and O. are coming from.

I have not seen the book but I think it might appeal to someone who is not ready to make only occasional visits to McDonalds.

Some people prefer portion control because they might not have to make drastic changes to their current diet. For example if they want to go to McDonalds every day for breakfast.

TonyK on 11/20/09

Most diets are just ways to fool people into eating less anyway... Intermittent fasting, Paleo, Warrior, Atkins, South Beach, etc.

It's nice to see a diet whose principles are based on the actual dynamics behind weight loss instead of some mysterious, secret macro-breakdown or nutrient partitioning via manipulation of your body's p-ratio, blah blah blah. Having this kind of flexibility will lead to a greater rate of success in people sticking to the diet.

Mike Howard on 11/21/09

"Most diets are just ways to fool people into eating less anyway... Intermittent fasting, Paleo, Warrior, Atkins, South Beach, etc"

Well said TonyK!

helpful on 11/22/09

I remember reading somewhere that you should figure on consuming 10 calories per pound to maintain your weight if you are not active (e.g. 120 pound person minimum consumption 1200 calories). The math is easy to figure, anyway, if using this as a starting point.

I think one problem with calculating how many more calories you should add/subtract to/from the base figure is that people overestimate how much exercise (including any kind of activity that burns calories here as well) they do.

Also, in regards to the "400 Calorie Fix", what will make a difference in how fast you feel hungry again is partly a result of the type of food you're consuming--Oreos vs. say broccoli or some other food with fiber or a lot of water in it. Grapes vs. raisins, anyone?

Sandy on 12/21/09

How does this 400 Calorie Fix differ from the Flat Belly Diet? Sound very similar

MindyHermannRD on 02/ 4/10

As the co-author and registered dietitian for 400 Calorie Fix, I helped to create meals that could fit into a balanced, satisfying and realistic eating plan. We advocate healthy foods -- fruits and veggies, high fiber, lean protein, good fats. But if you do want, say, Oreos or a fast-food burger, we show you how to right-size your portions.