What You Need to Know Before Starting a Low Carb Diet

In the last 12 months or so, low carbohydrate diets have captured the hearts and weight loss hopes of the American public. And why not? These diets promise quick weight loss and the ability to keep eating fatty foods. If you love your steak and eggs, this seems like the ultimate diet. However, before signing up, the low carb diet bears a review. Is it really the right diet for you?

The premise of the Atkins or any low carbohydrate diet is that carbohydrates are the source of all our weight loss woes. There is some real substance to the argument in that we Americans have been eating excessive amounts of refined carbohydrates which have caused many of us to become insulin resistant as the body continues to wage war against repeated blood sugar spikes brought on by our poor eating habits.

The Atkins diet and other very low carbohydrate diets take your body out of a sugar burning state by practically eliminating all carbs for an induction period that can last two weeks or more. The body will continue to burn sugar as it primary energy source until it essentially runs dry and then converts to burning fat. During the conversion, the dieter can feel tired, irritable, have headaches or get dizzy. Once you get past this incredibly tough period, you are allowed to eat a few carbs, but generally not more than 60 grams a day. That's like eating one bagel a day and then stopping. This is a difficult road to follow for a liftetime.

In fact, a recent study showed that most adults who start a low carbohydrate diet quit the diet within a year. Admittedly, there is great progress by Atkins and other food manufacturers to dramatically reduce the amount of effective carbs in some food offerings that could be classified as comfort foods (e.g., muffins, brownies, yogurt and more). This helps but you cannot have much if you want to stay within the diet guidelines.

In addition to the loss of almost all traditional comfort foods, by cutting out carbohydrates, the diet is also cutting out a lot of foods that are good for us. Fruits and vegetables have fiber, vitamins and phytonutrients that help keep us healthy. Limiting fiber while consuming a lot of saturated fat, is not the most heart healthy diet.

The low carb diet does take a person out of a primary sugar burning state into a fat burning state. However, some literature makes it sound as though you cannot burn fat any other way. The fact is that we are all burning some fat, we may just be adding more fat faster than we burn it. Modifying the diet to eliminate refined carbohydrates and focusing on high quality protein and good fats will gradually train the body to burn more fat and less sugar.

To their credit, the Atkins group have refined their diet guidelines from their original 'eat all the fat you want' stance to 'eat moderate amounts of good fats'. This is not only a heart healthy step forward but is also likely to help your weight loss efforts as essential fatty acids (the good fats) can help you actually burn more fat. However, when you consider that carbs are already limited on this diet, I'm not sure what you eat except grilled chicken breast, fat free cottage cheese and egg-white omelets. This effectively transforms the diet into a high-protein, low-calorie diet which, if it becomes low calorie, will induce the body to lower its metabolism.

But the one thing you need to know about why the Atkins diet brings about significant weight loss in the first week is that it sends the body into ketosis. Without getting technical, this is a body imbalance that causes your body to flush out toxins (ketones) through your urine like crazy! What you are losing then is primarily water ? not fat. Over the long term, restricting carbohydrate consumption to the levels recommended in Atkins and other similar diets is that they overlook the fact that your body needs carbohydrates to utilize the protein you consume. Thus, just like the low calorie diet, this diet cannot help you increase or even maintain muscle mass if carbohydrates are not consumed at a higher level than they recommend.

Finally, if you go off of the low carb diet, your body will immediately stop burning fat as it's primary fuel source. Adding carbs back into the diet will usually cause weight gain as the water weight loss comes back within days.

If you are committed to fat loss success, then you cannot overlook the body's need for sufficient calorie levels to prevent the body from lowering its metabolism. You also need sufficient protein that the body can utilize to have a shapely figure (this goes for guys and gals), youthful skin and great hair. Keep the fruits and vegetables, permit yourself a serving or two of a whole grain bread or pasta, focus on high quality proteins and good fats, get calcium from low fat dairy products such as yogurt and your body will respond with a slow, steady and healthy weight loss.

Here's to your health as well as your weight loss success!

About The Author

After four years of a near twenty-year Finance career as VP Finance at a global software company, I wanted a fresh challenge. I re-focused my career to pursue my long term personal interest, Health and Fitness, and founded Accelerate Nutrition, Inc. of which I am President. Our website, http://www.accelerate-weight-loss.com is focused at increasing health awareness on diet and fitness issues.

nancy@acccelerate-weight-loss.com

---

Help for Sugar Cravings

Many people have asked me what foods they should eat... Read More

How I Lost 12 Pounds And Had Fun Doing It!

You see it all the time; people agonizing over their... Read More

Lose Weight - Diet Tips For Fast Weight Loss

Looking to lose weight quickly? The good news is that... Read More

Is Low-Carb Weight Loss Really Just Water Loss?

Any weight loss or diet plan, including low-carb plans like... Read More

Taking Control of Your Subconscious for Permanent Weight Loss

From the moment of birth your first emotional experiences establish... Read More

Sensible Approach To Weight Loss

Losing weight is a tough and demanding task for most... Read More

Medical Conditions That Inhibit Weight Loss

Weight loss can be a difficult goal to achieve. Some... Read More

Slowing Down Can Help You Lose Weight Faster

Running For Weight Loss??.Slow DownYou may be out running your... Read More

Weight Loss in Children

What is "too young" to begin a weight loss program... Read More

Yoga As An Aid To Weight Loss

Yoga is wonderful for nurturing a state of mental and... Read More

Gastric Bypass Patients Succeed Eating High Protein Diet

The first rule for successful weight loss and weight maintenance... Read More

Proven Strategies to Effectively Burn Fat Out Of Your Body! Part 1

It is much safer to your long term health to... Read More

Want To Lose Fat? Eat More of This

If you've been working out with weights for any length... Read More

Take Anything... Just Leave My Coffee Alone!

The pursuit of a healthier me (or you) shouldn't involve... Read More

Diet and Exercise Evolution: Water: 65% of Your Body Cant be Wrong

The Liver The function of your kidneys is to filter... Read More

The Diet Pill They Don?t Want You to Have is Back

It comes as a surprise to many consumers that the... Read More

How To Cop An Attitude With An Overzealous Hostess

We all encounter those hosts and hostesses who feel it... Read More

The College Student?s Guide for EASY WEIGHT LOSS!

Weight loss is a hot topic among college students today,... Read More

Five Tips for Easy Weight Loss!

Weight loss is a hot topic among people today, especially... Read More

Commit To Cardio Exercise For Permanent Weight Loss

Everyone is looking for the secret to losing weight. Everyone... Read More

A Simple Plan for Weight Loss that Really Works

One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose... Read More

VPX ZERO Carb Fat Incinerating Protein - Go ZERO!

It's always great to find a protein supplement with very... Read More

Four Big Weight Loss No-Nos

I've worked with hundreds of people who were interested in... Read More

How to Exercise and Lose Weight on a Busy Schedule

In my fitness consulting business, I get the opportunity to... Read More

Unearth the Weight Loss Values in an Egg

At the University of Illinois, a new research found that... Read More

LapBand Surgery: The Rules of the Road, Part 2

The Constant Quest for Restriction; Not enough vs. too muchRestriction.... Read More

The Jack LaLanne Diet - Are You Tough Enough?

There's no way you can separate the Jack LaLanne diet... Read More

Brinks Unified Theory of Nutrition For Weight Loss and Muscle Gain

When people hear the term Unified Theory, some times called... Read More

Anorexia - a Game of Control!

Low self-esteem produces a game of control. It causes a... Read More

Weight Loss Begins in the Mind

Not only was I fat, I was in poor health... Read More

Cruisin to Lose

Recently, I won a family cruise on the Regis and... Read More

Green Tea And Weight Loss

There's recently been a LOT in the weight loss news... Read More

Lose Weight NOW! ? Do or Die Time!

Some of you will not like what I'm going to... Read More