Low Carb Eating and Weight Loss

There is no doubt that low carb eating results in weight loss. In this article we will examine how low carb diet plans promote weight loss. We will also cover who should use them and what some of the drawbacks are.

Reducing the proportion of carbohydrates in your diet means you eat far less high-density carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice, cereals, etc. Less medium-density carbohydrates like potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, peas, corn, most fruits and dairy products, and more of the low-density carbohydrates like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, etc.

By using this low carb eating approach you will certainly be able lose weight quickly without having to cut virtually all the carbs out of your diet as is recommended by many low carb diet plans.

How Most Low Carb Diet Plans Work

Most low carb diet plans recommend avoiding all starchy carbohydrate sources, which include pasta, rice, bread, cereal, potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, corn, peas, etc. as well as avoiding fruits and dairy products. By doing so you keep your blood sugar level low and therefore insulin low as well. By keeping insulin low you limit the amount of fat that gets stored, minimise the conversion of carbohydrate into fat and maximise the mobilisation and utilisation of fat as a fuel source. It is normally recommended to consume less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. This style of low carb eating, whilst effective at helping you lose body fat (and weight), also has some serious drawbacks.

Drawbacks of Most
Low Carb Diet Plans

Any weight-loss principle that you choose to incorporate into your lifestyle must be something that you can follow long term (ideally, for the rest of your life); it must be a sustainable lifestyle habit. If you find it too difficult to follow the principle for an extended period of time then it is highly likely that you will revert to previous habits and therefore put the lost fat (and weight) back on.

This is certainly one characteristic of most low carb diet plans that make them worth avoiding. They are simply too hard to stick to long term! Let's face it, if you've eaten bread, pasta, rice, cereal, fruit and dairy products for the last 20 or 30 years, what is the likelihood that you will be able to avoid eating them for the rest of your life? Not likely at all!

Plus, if you're avoiding foods like starchy vegetables and fruits it is highly likely that you will be missing out on some important nutrients (i.e. vitamins, minerals and fibre) that are essential for optimum body functioning.

Who Should Follow Low Carb Diet Plans

Despite the problems associated with most low carb diet plans, there are certain groups of people who benefit from this style of eating.

The obvious examples of people who benefit from low carb diet plans are people who suffer from some degree of insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetics and women who have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), tend to have high degrees of insulin resistance.

It also appears that people who use anti-depressant medication may also benefit from following a low carb eating approach.

People in these categories who decide to use a low carb eating approach (less than 50 grams a day) to assist their weight-loss efforts should ensure that they include plenty of fresh fibrous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, etc.) in their diet to ensure they provide their body with the fibre and vitamins and minerals it needs. They should also include 1 or 2 pieces of fruit a day as well. Once they have been able to overcome the insulin resistance then they can start to slowly incorporate some starchy carbs back into their diet without a corresponding weight gain. This will make it a much more sustainable approach long term.

The Best Low Carb Eating Approach

For people who don't suffer from one of the conditions mentioned previously and who just want to lose weight, they can still following a low carb eating approach without it being too extreme, as well as making it a long term sustainable approach to nutrition.

For these people I suggest consuming 50-100 grams a day of carbs and simply controlling the source of those carbs. Therefore, if you're having 5 small meals a day this means you will be consuming about 10-20 grams of carbs per meal. Then, you simply want to ensure that you only consume 1 or 2 serves a day of the high-density carbohydrate sources (bread, pasta, rice, cereals), 2-3 serves of the medium-density carbohydrate sources (starchy vegetables, fruits and dairy products) and 4-6 serves a day of the low-density carbohydrate sources (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, etc.).

By following this simple low carb eating approach you will be able to gain all the benefits that the low carb diet plans offer without missing out on foods you enjoy or potentially making your body deficient in essential nutrients. If you would like a low carb food list, click on the following link: Low Carb Food List.

If you would like to get a complete list of high, medium and low-density carbohydrate sources, get a copy of my e-book, Look Good, Feel Great!

Not only will it provide you with lists of foods containing all the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) but it will also provide you with all the principles you need to lose all the weight you want and get in the best shape of your life!

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