When it comes to losing weight, you may find the number of different low-carbohydrate diets, as well as the volumes of available advice regarding them, overwhelming. The truth is, once you choose a low-carbohydrate diet and follow it faithfully, you are highly likely to lose weight, especially in the short run. But have you ever wondered how these diets work? There are several theories that address that very question.
Calories
When considering restricting carbohydrates in your diet, it seems logical to assume that high-carbohydrate foods contain more calories than others. This is both true and false. Many low-carbohydrate diets rely heavily on protein-rich dietary alternatives. Gram for gram, carbohydrates and protein contain the same number of calories -- 4. However, it is no mystery that a piece of carbohydrate-rich sugary cake contains more calories per serving than a cut of lean meat.
How Your Body Processes Carbohydrates
In addition to the potential for high-carbohydrate foods to be more calorie-dense, the way in which your body processes carbohydrates makes a difference when you are trying to lose weight. Your body quickly converts the carbohydrates you eat into glucose, which is used to fuel everything you do. Even though glucose is critical, your body only stores it in limited quantities. Any amount of glucose greater than what you body can quickly use or store is converted directly into fat. This process ultimately results in weight gain.
Insulin
The way in which your body processes carbohydrates is further complicated by the hormone insulin. Produced by your pancreas, insulin is instrumental in how your body uses the carbohydrates you eat. In general, the level of insulin in your blood positively correlates to the amount of your dietary carbohydrate. Some medical professionals who advocate low-carbohydrate diets theorize that because fewer carbohydrates result in less insulin to facilitate the quick conversion of those carbohydrates to glucose, the more apt your body will be to rely on the fat stores you already have. This, in turn, causes weight loss.
A high-carbohydrate diet can force your pancreas to produce too much insulin, which can cause hypoglycemia, or a blood glucose level that is too low. Hypoglycemia causes hunger and cravings for more carbohydrate-rich foods, which can lead to an insulin spike. This cycle leads to weight gain over time.
Other Considerations
Remember, your body rapidly converts the carbohydrates you eat into fuel. Thus, you may feel hungry quicker when eating a high-carb diet than if you ate more protein-rich foods. Your body takes more time to digest these types of foods, which can help you to feel full and ward off those hunger pangs for longer periods of time. This leads to a decrease in the overall amount of food you eat, which will result in a loss of weight.
Any calorie-restricted diet, particularly low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets, can result in rapid and sometimes extreme water loss. While this is not always a bad thing, losing too much water too quickly can lead to dehydration, symptoms of which include headache, fatigue, constipation, dry skin and, ultimately, a decrease in urine output. This type of water loss can have the same slimming effect as fat loss, but it is important to ensure you are drinking enough water regardless of your diet.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Loss: Low-Carb Diet; May 2010
- McKinley Health Center: Macronutrients: the Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat; March 2008
- American Diabetes Association: How the Body Uses Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats; Erika Gebel, Ph.D.; March 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Low-Carb Diets: The Right Way to Go?; April 2007
- MayoClinic.com: Dehydration; Symptoms; Jan. 2011
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