Trying to lose weight while cutting carbs can be a challenge. Credible health, nutrition and medical experts such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, MayoClinic.com and Harvard School of Public Education all recommend you get the majority of your calories from carbohydrates -- even if you're trying to lose weight. Even the South Beach Diet doesn't recommend drastically reducing carbs, only changing the ones you eat. Plan a low-carb diet carefully if you want to take weight off in a healthy manner and keep it off.
Considerations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created no legal definition for "low carbohydrate" when referring to foods, meals or diet. Different high-protein or low-carb diets suggest different percentages of carbs. If you want to reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat for medical reasons, consult with a physician or dietitian to determine the correct amount of carbohydrates you should include in your diet.
Types
Well-known, low-carb diets such as The Zone or Atkins Diet have you decrease the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Other diets, such as the South Beach Diet, recommend you decrease the amount of starchy or "white" carbohydrates you eat. These carbohydrates include potatoes, rice, pasta, breads and pastries. The South Beach Diet is actually not a low-carb diet, but because it lowers your intake of some types of carbs, many people refer to it as a low-carb diet.
Calories
Whether you eat low-carb, high-protein or a balanced diet, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn each day to lose weight. To lose 1 lb. of weight per week, you'll need to burn 3,500 calories, or 500 calories more than you eat each day.
Protein Choices
Choose lean animal proteins that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, such as fish, turkey and chicken breasts and nuts and legumes. Less expensive cuts of beef, such as sirloin, top round and flank steak have less fat and cholesterol than more expensive cuts such as filet and ribeye. Use low-fat or fat-free versions of dairy products.
Substitutes
You can keep meals familiar, low-calorie and low-carb by using substitutes. For breakfast, make omelets with egg whites and a low-fat cheese, rather than egg yolks and vegetables. Reduce starches in pancakes, waffles, bagels and muffins by choosing whole-grain versions. Instead of fresh fruit, serve a sugar-free fruit spread. For lunch, serve tuna salad in lettuce leaves instead of bread. Add black beans and sour cream to soups, rather than vegetables. For salads, skip the extra vegetables and croutons and add nuts, cottage cheese or crumbled eggs. You'll need to eat carbohydrates each day, so for dinner, try sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. Serve refried, baked or black beans instead of mashed potatoes or rice. Keep servings of meat, fish and poultry to roughly the size of your fist to control calories.
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