Low-carb Diet To Lose Weight

Low-fat diets are usually recommended by health professionals, but not everyone has weight loss success by simply reducing fat intake. If you are among the unsuccessful dieters that have tried eating low-fat to drop weight, a low-carb diet may be a promising alternative for you. However, before you make any changes to your diet, you should always discuss you weight loss plan with your doctor.

Low-Carb Diets

There are a variety of low-carb diets, each recommending a slightly different carbohydrate intake, usually ranging between 50 and 150 g a day; however, most recommend fewer than 50 g each day for the initial phase. Low-carb diets restrict or eliminate most carbohydrate-rich foods, which include potatoes and other starchy vegetables, grains, bread, rice, pasta, granola bars and baked goods as well as beans and lentils, fruits, sugary drinks, sweets and desserts.

Satiety and Hunger

Low-carb diets can help you lose weight more easily by helping you decrease your calorie intake without starving. Because they have a slightly higher proportion of protein and higher amounts of fat, low-carb diets are more satiating, leaving you feeling fuller longer after eating. A study published in the May 2004 issue of the "Annals of Internal Medicine," noted that participants following a low-carb diet automatically reduced their calorie intake to an average 1461 calories a day. This reduction in calorie intake was achieved without counting calories, but was spontaneous because of the higher satiety power of low-carb eating. Conversely, if you follow a low-fat diet, you typically have to consciously make the effort to keep your calories low for weight loss success.

Switching to Fat Burning

Eating carbohydrates stimulates the release of the hormone insulin by the pancreas. Insulin is required to keep your blood sugar levels under control, by making enter sugar into your body cells, where they can be used for energy, stored as glycogen in your liver and muscles or stored as body fat in your fat cells around your body. This is why insulin is often referred to as a fat-storing hormone. According to MayoClinic.com, the theory behind the low-carb diet is that reducing your carb intake will help lower your insulin levels and stop the fat storage, allowing the sugar to be used for energy. Proponents of the diet believe that a decrease in carbs will cause the body to burn stored fat, allowing you to lose weight more easily.

How To Eat Low Carb

If your goal is to lose weight, you can try eating low carb to see if it works for you. Eliminate carbohydrate-rich foods from your diet such as grains, legumes, fruits, milk, yogurt and sugar. The extent to which you restrict your carb intake is up to you and depends on the results you want. Include generous servings of non-starchy vegetables at each meal along with protein, such as poultry, meat or fish. Add small amounts of healthy fats, such as cheese, nuts, avocado or olive oil, to each of your meals to ensure your stay full between meals. However, be sure to discuss your meal plan with a health care professional before you begin eliminating nutrients from your diet.