Several low-carbohydrate diet plans are available, all of them suggesting fewer than 55 percent of calories from carbohydrates. Some diet plans suggest exactly when to eat the carbs, relying on food combinations to help lose weight. Others have no restrictions, although understanding how carbohydrates work in the body may help you discern the best time to consume them.
Definition
It turns out that all calories are not created equally. If you're choosing a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet, you'll need to significantly reduce the amount of simple and complex sugars that your body digests. This will cause the body to look for other sources of energy to burn, including fat. A review of articles conducted through the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine showed that this type of diet plan worked to keep you feeling full longer and assisted in weight loss. Carbohydrates generally include fruits, vegetables, sweets and grains.
Benefits
Eat the carbohydrates allowed on your eating plan throughout the day to keep your energy level as high as possible. Carbohydrates move into your digestive system more quickly than protein or fat. To keep blood sugar stable, you should eat your carbohydrate with a protein or a fat to keep your blood sugar from spiking and then bottoming out, making you hungry more quickly.
Considerations
Take the carbohydrates allowed to you on your plan and divide them into as many meals and snacks as you intend to eat during the day. If you are planning to have three meals and two snacks per day, take your carb allotment of 50 carbs, for instance, and split them throughout the day. You may decide to have 12 carbs with each meal and seven carbs with each snack. Or you may decide to have protein-only snacks and save your 50 carbs to eat at your meals. Many low-carbohydrate plans offer few carbs in the beginning so you will get the most out of lower carbohydrate foods, such as vegetables and fruits. Remember that your body will likely not know the difference between an orange and a small portion of chocolate, so it's acceptable to have some sweets in your plan, too.
Drawbacks
Low-carbohydrate diets are difficult to maintain for a lifetime since they limit so many favorite foods, even if you are adding small amounts of them throughout the day. Additionally, you may need to take a multivitamin each day to replace the vitamins not found in fruits and vegetables. You may also need to take a laxative or daily fiber therapy to replace the fiber traditionally supplied in your diet by carbohydrates.
Warnings
Low-carbohydrate diet plans can cause dizziness and nausea as your body adjusts to its new way of digesting and using your food. If you feel dizzy, consider upping your carbohydrate allotment temporarily until your body can adjust. If the dizziness doesn't go away and you are also feeling weak, seek medical advice as you may be suffering from ketosis, which occurs when the body doesn't completely break down fats.
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