Is a low-carb diet really effective? I suppose it depends on your
definition of effective. Yes, a low-carb diet will help you lose weight
quickly, perhaps faster than anything short of a complete crash diet.
However, there are some things you should know about carbohydrates that
will help shed some light on why a low-carb diet is by no means a
permanent weight loss solution, how it will affect you, and why it isn't
particularly safe.
Carbohydrates are a fundamental source of
energy for your body. Even if you don't know why (and the why isn't
particularly important for the scope of this article), you know that if
you eat a lot of sugar, which is a carb that your body digests very
quickly, you get a sudden boost of energy. It follows, then, that if you
eat less carbs, you'll have less energy; so if you choose to pursue a
low-carb diet, be prepared to feel a little more sluggish than usual.
Also, as I'm sure you know, exercise is an essential aspect to any
weight loss program, but if you aren't eating enough carbs, you will
find it more difficult to get through your workout. Mental toughness
will only get you so far - at some point your body is going to need
fuel.
When you eat, your body can essentially store excess carbs
for later. These carbs are stored as fat, which is why a low-carb diet
can help you lose weight so quickly. When you stop eating enough
carbohydrates, your body will pull on its reserves (fat) to give you the
extra fuel you need. Sounds great, right? You can just let your body
rely on fat to get you through your day. After you lose all of your
unsightly fat, you can simply start eating carbs again to supply your
body with the energy it needs and like magic, you'll be thin!
Unfortunately, there's a problem that anyone who advertises a low-carb
diet conveniently ignores. Having an excess amount of food to eat (at
least in some parts of the world) is a very new problem that our bodies
haven't yet learned to deal with. Our metabolism is much better at
preventing us from starving than it is at letting us lose weight, so if
you try a low-carb or even a crash diet, your metabolism will slow down
and your fat will become even more stubborn. You'll lose less weight
that second week than you did your first, and even less during that
third week. When you finally do start eating carbs again, your body will
convert even more of them into fat than it usually would in preparation
for another fast. This is why a low-carb diet is not a permanent weight
loss solution - in fact many people will end up even heavier than they
were before the diet because their bodies take a while to realize that
another fast is not imminent.
Finally, carbohydrates should be
part of any balanced diet that will also include protein and fat. If you
are lacking any one of these elements, you are likely to feel hungry
even after eating a high calorie meal because your body isn't getting
its nutritional needs met. This is true even if you are eating the same
number of calories as before.
With all of this said, there are
some things that you can do to make sure your body isn't constantly
converting all of your carbohydrates into fat. First, it's entirely
possible that you can eat less carbs without eating too little. For a
2,000 calorie diet, you should be eating about 300 grams of carbs, which
comes to 1,200 calories. It may seem tedious, but one day take the time
to measure out your foods and use the nutritional information on the
labels to calculate about how many carbs you're eating in a normal day
(you can also search online for foods that don't have a label, like
fresh fruit). If you're eating more than 300 grams worth, then you can
cut back without risking low energy levels or having your body go into
starvation mode (just make the change gradually over time if you're over
by a lot).
When you're at about 300 grams of carbs daily, you can
focus on upgrading the carbs you eat. Fruits and vegetables are the
highest quality sources of carbs you can find - they're complex
carbohydrates which means they'll provide you with sustained energy over
a period of time (as opposed to most sugars that break down quickly and
lead to a crash) and they're easy for your body to digest (they also
pack a lot of vitamins to help you stay healthy). When you do eat grains
(and it's hard to get to 300 grams without eating grains), opt for 100%
whole grain options. Whole grains, like fruits and vegetables, pack a
good dose of fiber that will help keep you full longer and will ease
some of the pressure you're putting on your digestive system. Whole
grain cereals are becoming increasingly more popular and most of the
breads in the bread aisle will say something like 100% whole wheat or
100% multigrain. You can also pick up whole wheat pasta, brown rice
instead of white, and whole wheat pizza crusts, tortilla shells, and
crackers. Make these upgrades a part of your everyday diet and you can
watch your body permanently transform safely without sacrificing your
energy levels.
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