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.
http://www.accelerate-weight-loss.com
Alexis limo rentals ..I wonder how much it is generally known that the... Read More
Nothing is more disappointing than hearing a gastric bypass patient... Read More
"I'm too busy!" "I'm always on the run." "I... Read More
Have you ever thought, "I just can not seem to... Read More
Why have I allowed myself to get into this shape?... Read More
As we look around at the current generation of children,... Read More
Some (not so) Silly Diet Tips and Why They're NotAt... Read More
If you are looking for a way to lose fifteen... Read More
If you are trying to lose weight, the holidays literally... Read More
Wanna know the truth? If you're going to... Read More
I've worked with hundreds of people who were interested in... Read More
A little information if often a dangerous thing... and many... Read More
Today's society is about speed. We no longer have to... Read More
Have you ever worried about something so much it paralyzed... Read More
Cardio Exercise...A huge variety of fitness activities provide cardiovascular benefits.... Read More
The best way you can get rid of your pop... Read More
Many people search for a pill, a special diet or... Read More
Diet pills have met with many different fates, and come... Read More
The Secrets have been in our family recipes, some even... Read More
Weight loss information is often confusing and misleading. The more... Read More
Do a little people-watching, next time you're in the grocery... Read More
negative calorie effect in foodsWhatever food we eat,... Read More
Q: "I'm wondering if you can help me. I'm not... Read More
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!The health clubs are always racking... Read More
I did it without starving myself or taking pills. How... Read More
car service from Midway Alsip ..A new survey has found that heel pain caused by... Read More
The rediscovery of the wealth of the wonder drug Hoodia... Read More
Have a conversation about gastric bypass surgery with just about... Read More
- Are your ideas of obesity and fat control based... Read More
Looking to avoid the dieting mistakes many of our weight... Read More
Barriers to healthy diets are placed into four broad categories:... Read More
The term 'thermogenic' refers to a group of drugs or... Read More
AND SAVE MONEY IN THE PROCESS. The secret is simple... Read More
You are not a kid any more and becoming a... Read More
I would like to introduce you to an incredible new... Read More
If I were asked, "what is the most difficult thing... Read More
I was at the grocery store the other day, doing... Read More
Our bodies only require a small amount of salt for... Read More
Changing habits is one of the most difficult challanges we... Read More
1. Include in your diet things that contain more water... Read More
It seems there are two schools of behavior patients follow... Read More
Gaining up to 20 pounds over four years can significantly... Read More
Do you know someone that is obsessed with the scale?... Read More
Teenagers with body mass indices between 25 and 30 require... Read More
Understanding the theory of adaptation (see previous article, Adaptation I)... Read More
Its crowded..really crowded..every other site offers Weight Loss Programs and... Read More
This article is about making long-term changes in the foods... Read More
What does it take to lose weight?When it comes to... Read More
The scourge of obesity has reached such gigantic proportions across... Read More
Millions of people spend billions of dollars, hoping to achieve... Read More
Weight Loss |