You have decided to start following a low-carbohydrate diet and are ready to jump in head first. Low-carbohydrate diets work by changing the way your body uses energy. Instead of using glucose for fuel, your body will switch to using fat from your diet and from fat stores in your body. Low-carbohydrate diets take a couple of days to start working because your body has about two days worth of glucose stored in your liver and muscles. There are a few ways however to expedite the process.
Step 1
Burn off all the glycogen. Glycogen is the body's storage form of glucose. It is used as the primary energy source for short, intense bursts of movement, such as weight lifting or sprinting. By exercising in the first few days of your low-carbohydrate diet, you will use up all the glycogen faster and move on to fat burning sooner than you would without exercising.
Step 2
Drink plenty of water. Water is necessary to help flush out the byproducts of fat burning, also known as ketones. Ketones are excreted in the urine and through respiration when the body is in fat-burning mode. Not only will water help to move the process along, it will also help keep you hydrated as the first few pounds lost will likely be water weight.
Step 3
Don't limit fats the first week. In order for your body to make the switch from burning glucose for fuel to burning fat, you must give your body plenty of dietary fat. Some amount of saturated animal fats will be hard to avoid on a low-carbohydrate diet, but aim to consume mostly unsaturated fats such as those present in olive oil, canola oil, oily fish and flaxseed.
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