 |
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
MORE RESOURCES:
|
Five time-saving weight-loss tipsMilwaukee Journal SentinelFor some, turning to a weight-loss supplement as a more efficient means to losing weight might be an option. If you decide this option is for you, it's important to do your research. Review sites like www.weightlosspills.net to learn more about popular ... |
|
Weight loss, fitness are expo focus Saturday in Lake KatrinePoughkeepsie Journal“What we're trying to highlight are lifestyle changes that people need to put in place to not only achieve fitness and weight loss but maintain it,” Karnasiewicz said. The one-day event will include free screenings of bone density, blood pressure, ... |
Brain Blogger (blog) |
A Gateway to Weight Loss?Brain Blogger (blog)But what about the mantra we're hearing that aggressive weight loss is hopeless, because it results in rebound weight gain? Our brain's reward centers, our hormones, and our psyches simply can't resist the evolutionary forces unleashed by artificial ... |
Google News
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A Warning of the Complications of Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery involves stapling the stomach to make it smaller and reattaching the small intestine to bypass a portion responsible for the majority of calorie and nutrient absorption.The procedure is only available to the morbidly obese (more than 100 pounds overweight) who have been obese for more than 5 years and shown a serious effort to lose their excess weight through not surgical methods such as diet and exercise.
Are You Confused By All The Different Diets? Heres A Quick Diet Comparison
It would not be surprising to hear your answer is "yes, I'm confused by all these so called diets." You may read from one expert that low carbohydrate (low carb) and high protein is the way to lose weight.
Top 10 Questions and Answers on Atkins Diet
1. What is Atkins Diet?
Dr.
Theres Still Time for Your New Years Resolution and Lowering Body Mass Index
This year, we all made some of the typical New Year's resolutions. We want to quit smoking, spend more time with our kids, and drop a few pounds.
No Low Carb Diet Progress? Sleep In To Get Thin!
If your low carb diet is going nowhere, maybe its time to get more sleep. In a paper presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, researchers found that people, who got little sleep, got fat.
Obesity Prevention Must Begin at Home
Not losing weight but gaining it is why we are faced with an obesity epidemic in children. This is the real problem.
How to Shed Pounds Fast!
Very few Americans are satisfied with their current weights. There are too many good tasting, high-calorie foods, and too few hours available to burn the fat.
Gastric Bypass Surgery, an Overview
With the number of people suffering from obesity rising so rapidly in America it was only a matter of time before the miracle cure for those who were morbidly obese. Is it all really as simple as stapling your stomach?The gastric bypass has suffered both positive and negative press since it's availability to the general public.
How 40,000 People Reversed Heart Disease
It is well known that about two-thirds of the U.S.
Obesity, Whats The Big Deal
Nowadays, so much of the public is obese (fat) that it is the
"norm". So much so, that we are starting to ignore this
epidemic.
Why Do Athletes Use Ephedra?
You are probably familiar with the weight loss connection with the ephedra pill, but did you know that the ephedra pill is also extremely popular with performance athletes? For decades, athletes have been seeking out ways to enhance their performance. One of the most common and popular enhancing substances was the ephedra pill.
How Green Tea Can Help You To Lose Weight
Green tea has been highly valued in Asia for centuries for it's medical properties. In the recent years green tea benefits caught the attention of western scientists.
Weight Loss: Carbs? Or No Carbs?
Dietitians just plain don't like low-carb or high-protein
diets.Whether it's The Atkins Diet, The Stillman Diet, The
Scarsdale Diet or Eat Yourself Thin Like I Did by Nancy
Moshier, a popular, new book that recommends a low-carb
regimen, medical experts say these diets are not part of
long-term weight maintenance.
The Key to Weight Loss: The INSIDE OUT Factor - The #1 Mindset in Changing Your Weight Forever!
WHAT DOES BEING FIT REALLY MEAN?The "INSIDE-OUT" approach to fitness differs from that of conventional wisdom. Most programs work on diet and exercise alone.
Easy Steps To Weight Loss
It can be intimidating to follow a weight loss plan, right? Sometimes there are so many rules, and so many major changes in your life required. Is there another way? Not just another diet or plan, but a whole different approach?Try Small Changes To Lose WeightIf a diet or a complicated weight-loss system is just too overwhelming, try making a small change instead.
Whats Really Behind the Milk Diet?
The purpose of this article is not to scrutinize, vilify, or verify the so-called Milk Diet. There are a number of resources available both online and offline which can help you and your physician decide which of the several diet plans or personalized weight loss programs is right for you.
Ultimate Weight Loss: Fight Fat and Win
As if you needed another reason to hit the snooze button, recent study concluded that your odds of being overweight are 24% lower for each additional hour you sleep. That's great and all, but what are those of us who work 50 hours a week on top of training and watching reruns on TV supposed to do with such findings?Now there are different ways you can lose weight while you sleep.
Why Should I Lose Weight?
According to the BMI chart, if you are overweight, you may be more at risk of developing disease. That should be reason enough to lose weight.
Bathing Suit Season - A Lifestyle Guide
To prepare ourselves for the Summer Sun we want to do more for ourselves than just watch what we eat. We want to get every part of ourselves moving, metabolizing and breathing.
Top 5 Reasons Why Women Over 30 Dont Lose Weight And Keep It Off
Have you heard about it lately? Everywhere you look, women over 30 can find one hundred excuses for not being able to lose weight and keep it off.Blame it on your thyroid, cortisol, menopause, your hectic lifestyle or even your genes.
|
