Many dieters have tried counting fat grams or calories in order to lose weight, but most of the time, these methods are unsuccessful in the long-term. The low-carb movement advocates a totally different approach for weight loss, one that does not restrict calories or fat, but that strictly controls the grams of carbohydrate allowed in the diet. Some popular low-carb diet plans usually recommend less than 20 g of carbohydrate a day during the induction phase, followed by a slight weekly increase of 5 g of carbohydrate during the ongoing weight loss phase until the right amount of carbohydrates has been established.
Carbs and Weight
The principal premise behind low-carb diets is that by decreasing the amount of carbohydrates consumed, blood sugar levels do not rise as much after eating and therefore prevent the release of excessive amounts of insulin. Insulin is the hormone that helps lowering blood sugar levels after eating by storing the extra carbs consumed in the glycogen stores and fat cells. Since insulin promotes fat storage, low-carb diets try to minimize the release of insulin so the body can start burning fat instead of storing it.
Low-Carb Versus Low-Fat Diets
Many studies have compared different diets to determine what is the most effective diet for weight loss. One of them was published in March 2007 in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" and compared a low-carb diet containing less than 20 g of carbohydrates during the induction phase, which lasted two to three months, followed by a carbohydrate intake of less than 50 g during the ongoing weight loss phase, to a low-fat diet providing 55 to 60 percent of its calories as carbohydrates. The study showed that after a year, the low-carb group lost about double the weight, 10.4 lbs versus 4.9 lbs, compared to the low-fat group. Many other studies also show that low-carb diets seem to be more effective for losing extra body fat.
Low-Carb And Ketosis
The reason why low-carb diets are so effective may be due to their ketogenic effect. Ketosis refers to a process by which the body converts fat to ketone bodies, which can be used by various organs, such as the brain, the muscles and the heart, as explained by Dr. Michael Eades. This is a normal physiological state where the body uses fat as its main source of fuel and should not be confused with ketoacidosis.
Food
When following a low-carb diet, many of the traditional foods commonly eaten by most Americans need to be limited or excluded. Bread, pasta, rice, grains and foods made with flour, processed foods as well as milk, yogurt, fruits, fruit juices and sugar all contain carbohydrates. Therefore, a low-carb diet should be based on healthy fats, such as coconut oil, avocado, olives, olive oil and nuts and seeds, and an adequate amount of protein from fish, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese and nuts.
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