Positives For Low-carb Diets

If you have been considering a weight loss plan, you may have come across the low-carbohydrate diet. Often referred to as the Atkins diet, low-carb eating has been a fixture in the weight loss industry since Dr. Robert Atkins first publicized the diet in the '70s. While the diet is controversial, proponents, including Mauro Di Pasquale, author of "The Metabolic Diet," have remained vocal about its effectiveness. If you need to lose a significant amount of weight, a low-carb diet may offer advantages that conventional diets don't.

Enjoying High-Fat Foods

While conventional diets strictly limit high-fat foods, low-carb diets depend on them. Without carbohydrates to burn for energy, dietary fat must be raised to act as a substitute. Foods such as beef, pork, cheese, whole eggs and bacon are actually encouraged by Atkins and Di Pasquale. As long as calories are controlled and carbohydrates are kept to a minimum, these foods should not, according to Atkins, cause significant negative changes in the risks of stroke or heart disease.

Reduced Hunger

One of the more difficult aspects of dieting is dealing with hunger. Fat and protein have a satiating effect on appetite that makes you feel full for a longer period of time than will a high-carbohydrate meal. Low-carb dieting also minimizes the production of the hormone insulin, which can cause hunger and cravings, especially on a reduced-calorie diet.

Stable Energy Levels

Low-calorie, high-carbohydrate dieting can cause drastic changes in energy level and mood over the course of the day. A period of drowsiness in the hours following a meal is common. Because the high-fat, high-protein foods eaten on the low-carb diet digest more slowly, the dieter typically experiences more consistent energy levels. Di Pasquale notes that shortly after adjusting to the low-carb diet, some dieters may even feel sensations of high-energy and euphoria.