No diet is "easy" -- especially one that asks you to cut out one or more of the basic nutrients. However, recent research suggests that removing carbohydrates from your menu can be good for your health and your weight loss efforts. Although some carb-cutting diets require extensive tracking and recordkeeping, you can achieve strong results with a simpler approach.
Defining "No Carb"
No diet is truly "no carb." Avoiding carbohydrates entirely will produce a physiological state of emergency called "ketosis." This is a starvation reflex, and can damage your liver and other organs. Instead, carb-counting diets encourage you to drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake to as little as a single serving every two to three days. Not only is this a healthier choice, but your chances of success at a diet are much higher if you avoid "never again" policies.
Why It Works
According to licensed nutritionist Monica Reinagel, host of the "Nutrition Diva" podcast, cutting carbohydrates out of your diet helps you lose weight in two ways. Carbohydrates have the highest concentration of calories as compared to their nutrition of any basic nutrient -- meaning you can get the same nutrition while eating less if you replace carbs with other foods. The other reason has to do with how quickly carbs break down in your digestive system. Carbohydrates, especially refined carbs, break down so fast they flood your body with blood glucose. When the blood sugar spike ends, your body has adjusted to the higher level and immediately demands more food in the form of a snack craving. Fewer carbs can mean fewer cravings, and fewer between-meal snacks.
Low-Impact Low-Carb
The trick for a simple carb-counting diet is replacement. For each meal you plan, eliminate the carbohydrate dish and replace it with vegetables or lean meats. At breakfast, you can opt for ham instead of toast. At lunch, you can replace the potato salad with a green salad. Your dinner mashed potatoes can be a serving of mixed veggies. This approach reduces your carb intake enough to be effective without requiring close attention to exact carbohydrate counts.
Cheat Day
According to celebrity personal trainer Bill Phillips, observing a weekly "cheat day" will greatly increase your chances of sticking with any diet long-term. On your carbohydrate cheat day, you should feel free to indulge in the potato chips, fruits and breads you've been missing all week. Although this will slow your progress somewhat, it more than makes up for it in helping you avoid cheating on other days. It's simply easier to resist temptation on Friday if you know you can cheat on Sunday.
References
- "Body for Life"; Bill Phillips; 1998
- "Which Diet Is Best, Part 2;" Nutrition Diva Podcast; 1/5/2010
- "The Four Hour Body"; Timothy Ferriss; 2010
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