Weight-loss plans come and go, although diets low in carbohydrates for weight loss have stuck around for several decades. A newer refinement on these low-carb diets involves eliminating all carbohydrates. However, your body needs some carbs to function properly. It can, in fact, switch to starvation mode, conserving energy rather than allowing you to lose weight, if deprived of all carbohydrates, according to Indiana University.
Types
Foods are classified as carbohydrate, protein or fat. Carbohydrates provide readily available fuel for the body to function, which is why you can get a sudden burst of energy after eating something sugary, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Your brain uses pure glucose --- a form of sugar --- for energy, according to Indiana University.
Effects
When you eliminate all carbohydrates from your diet, resulting in a zero-carb diet plan, your body is forced to metabolize fat and protein for its energy, according to Indiana University. In this severe case, your body likely will switch to burning your own muscles to provide the energy it needs. In addition, a zero-carb diet likely will include high amounts of fat, which can harm your cardiovascular health.
Function
To eliminate all carbohydrates from your diet, you'd need to drop all fruits, vegetables and beans, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. You'll also need to eliminate all grain products, which can include bread, crackers and bagels, pasta, cookies and cakes. Sugar-sweetened beverages, including pure fruit juice, are not allowed on a zero-carb diet, nor are sweetened dairy products such as flavored yogurt, since they also contain carbohydrates. When you're following a zero-carb plan, your meals will consist solely of meat, poultry, fish and fat sources such as olive oil.
Warning
Even the Atkins Diet program, arguably the most popular low-carb diet in America, does not recommend eliminating all carbs from your diet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Instead, the Atkins plan allows you to have virtually unlimited low-carb vegetables such as greens, since they provide valuable vitamins and other nutrients while still keeping your total carbohydrate count low.
Considerations
Eliminating all carbohydrates from your diet could be dangerous and might not result in any weight loss, according to Indiana University. And in the long run, it's unsustainable, so you'll probably gain back any weight you do lose quickly once you start to add carbohydrates back in. However, low-carb diets such as the Atkins plan do appear to work for weight loss, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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