Will a Low Carb Diet Work for Me?
When I decided to go on a “low carb” diet (also referred to as a ketogenic diet), a number of my friends on other more “traditional” diet plans went into a panic. After about 30 seconds into their lecture, I realized that their concern was more a result of not knowing what a low carbohydrate diet was than anything else. If you are thinking about going on a low carb diet and aren’t quite sure how to start, or what the diet entails, you’ve come to the right place to learn more and decide if it’s for you.
What is a Carbohydrate?
Carbohydrates are in most of the foods that we eat. Carbs consist of different sugars and starches, and break down into glucose (aka sugar). Glucose is one of the three main sources we derive our energy from so we can get out of bed each morning and be productive.
A short list of foods that are high in carbohydrates are:
Cereals, grains and breads: Bagels, white and whole wheat bread, rice, pasta
Fruits: Dates, berries, apples oranges, watermelons, raisins
Vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, carrots
Beans: White beans, black eye peas, chickpeas, refried beans
Sugar: White table sugar, candies, any foods with corn syrup, fruit juices
Why would we want to limit our Carb Intake for Weight Loss?
When you eat any sort of carbohydrate, your body releases something called “insulin” into your bloodstream. Insulin’s role is to tell the cells in our body to nab the sugars from the blood as quickly as possibly, and to then tell the fat cells to not release any fat to burn off since our bodies acknowledge that they will be getting their energy from the sugar we have now ingested. If there is not enough sugar in our blood stream for energy use, our bodies will then turn to our fat cells and “instruct” our fat cells to release fat to be used as energy instead.
While carbohydrates are certainly necessary for us to function, most Western countries consume so many carbs in a day that often our fat cells never get a chance to release our body’s fat for energy use (thus not allowing us to lose weight). If you chose to eat a low carb diet, the amount of carbohydrates in our bodies are limited (thus limiting the amount of insulin telling our bodies to burn sugar rather than fat) and so our fat cells are then able to release fat into our bloodstream so fat can be burned and used as fuel.
How do Low Carb Diets Work?
Most of us in North America eat upwards to 300 grams of carbohydrates a day, which means we have a whole lot of insulin coursing through our bodies, telling our fat cells to hold on to that fat we wish to release. Eating so many carbs makes it almost impossible for most to actually lose any weight and can even cause one to gain MORE weight!
Our bodies get their energy from three sources: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Low carb diets focus on limiting your carbohydrate intake between 20 to 60 grams a day, while increasing the amount of protein and fats you eat. This means eating more meat, soy products and vegetables that are low in carbohydrates (such as kale, spinach, broccoli and peppers) and cutting out the crackers, pasta, most fruits and anything made with refined sugars.
What should I know before starting a Low Carb Diet?
As with any diet, there are a number of issues you should be aware of to help decide if this type of diet is right for you. The first concern is:
Depletion of Glycogen: Glycogen is the stored form of glucose/sugar. Eating less carbs means less glycogen in your muscles and liver, which will cause water loss/dehydration (which is why many low carb dieters see a drastic drop in weight during the first two weeks). It is also argued that the lack of glycogen leaves one feeling sluggish and fatigued, and that it can actually lead to muscle loss. This in turn causes our skin to sag and become dull.
Decreased Basal Metabolic rate: Metabolism is all about our muscles, so the less muscle and muscle tone you have, the slower our metabolism actually is. This means that you could be burning fewer calories in a day than one who is not on a low carb diet.
Cuts out the Good Carbs: Many of these low carbohydrate diets do recommend cutting out both the bad carbs (cookies, cakes, baked items, soda) and the good carbs (whole grains, fruit, vegetables, legumes). Cutting out these natural and nutritious foods may leave our bodies completely nutritionally depleted, which leaves us open to illness and infection.
As with any diet, it’s important to recognize that consistency is key. Failure to practice a diet meticulously will either lessen the positive results, or render no results whatsoever. Before starting any diet plan, however, it’s always a good idea to visit your health practitioner for more information on the diet you are choosing to use and how it may affect your body specifically.
Best of luck on your weight loss journey!
