Low Carb Weight Loss

There are now many different variations of low carb weight loss diets. Most of them have one thing in common and that is a strict restriction on the number of daily carbohydrates you can eat. Most of the carbohydrates are replaced by fats and proteins. Those on a low carb weight loss diet should get at least 60-70% of their daily calories from fat. Whereas carbohydrates should make up less than 10% or in some diets only 5% of their daily calories.

This may sound more like a weight gain diet than a weight loss diet. This is all to do with the way the body processes and uses carbohydrates. Dietary fat is not necessarily converted into body fat. Carbohydrates on the other hand are readily converted into fat by the hormone insulin.

The function of carbohydrates in the body is to produce energy. This is done by the liver breaking the carbs down into simple sugars or glucose. This results in the pancreas producing insulin which converts this sugar into energy by getting it into the blood cells of the body.

If consuming too many carbohydrates the body produces too much glucose, it will be stored in the liver and the muscle cells as glycogen until the body next needs a burst energy. Any excess glycogen that isn't stored in the liver or cells is stored as body fat. Insulin also stimulates your brain to produce hunger signals, usually causing you to eat more carbohydrates. Hence the increase in weight when high amounts of carbohydrates are eaten.

High carbohydrate eating can become a vicious cycle because of the production of insulin. Once you have eaten something sugary such as a chocolate bar to satisfy hunger, how many times have you felt hungry again very soon after. This is because high carbohydrate or simple carb foods are released into the blood stream very quickly and cause the insulin levels to 'spike' and the energy be used up rapidly. For this reason low carb weight loss diets have proved very successful for some people.

Restricting the intake of carbohydrates puts a stop to this cycle. Because when you restrict your carbohydrate intake, your insulin levels drop and levels of glycogen increase. The glycogen responsible for supplying your body with energy, causes body fat to be burned and cholesterol to be removed from the body. Cholesterol collects in the arteries, deposits of which can lead to heart disease and strokes.

If you severely restrict your daily intake of carbs on a low carb weight loss diet, you put your body into what is known as a state of ketosis. The result of ketosis is that your blood sugar levels stabilize, your insulin levels drop and because the body is burning fat, you lose weight. Unfortunately one of the side effects is bad breath. Drinking more water and using sugar free gum or mints can help with this.

This all sounds very simple and logical. There are however many different types of low carb weight loss diets, all with their own different guide lines. If you wish to start on allow carb weight loss diet, you need to find the most effective diet for you. Some low carb diets restrict the amount of fruit and bread you can have. While others opt for a balance of very low carb foods such as whole grain foods as well as no carb foods.

Being on a low carb weight loss diet does not mean a no carb diet. As much of our energy comes from carbs it is important to include some in the diet. A carbohydrate deficiency can lead to severe fatigue, mental confusion and muscle cramps.

A low carb weight loss diet has had much success for some people in achieving a healthy weight loss. There are many success stories to support a low carb weight loss diet, in particular with people who suffer from diabetes. Being able to control their sugar levels has meant being able to lower doses of medication and insulin as well as having the benefit of losing weight.

There are now a number of low carb weight loss products on the market to help you with your diet. These include low carb snacks, low carb muffins and cookies as well as low carb protein shakes. There is also a growing market in vitamins and mineral supplements for low carb dieters. This is because some low carb weight loss diets do not include certain grain-based products. These products contain nutrients such as B vitamins and therefore you may be lacking them in your diet. Vitamins C and E found in fruits may also be omitted from the diet. Hence the necessity for added supplements.

Low carb weight loss diets have helped millions of people to lose weight. But if starting a low carb diet it is worth doing some research into the low carb diet you have chosen. You need to be familiar with the structure of the diet and exactly what foods you can eat before you start. If properly followed it can help you achieve your long term weight loss goals.