Low Carb Diet

Achieving weight

loss goals

Proof you can transform your body (fast!)

Low carb weight loss is a new way to look at dieting by

restricting yourself from high carbohydrate foods. It has

worked wonders for many people and more and more

people these days are switching to low carb weight loss

diets. It basically works on the theory of strict reduction of

carbohydrate intake.

A person might spends hours together in the gym and work-

out like no one else, but he can end up without losing

weight because soon after the gym he or she might go

straight to the refrigerator to grab some food. So the work-

out done in the gym will go in vain. Hence to lose weight

effectively sticking to a low carb weight loss diet is very

essential.

People are attracted to a low-carb way of eating for a

variety of reasons, but the most notable one is usually

weight loss. How much weight can you realistically expect

to lose?

The truth is that it's hard to predict how much weight any

individual will lose on a low-carb diet (or any other weight-

loss diet, for that matter). There are simply too many

variables at play. But here are some reasonable weight loss

goals you can anticipate based on scientific facts.

The Basics of a Low-Carb

Weight Loss Experience

You may be surprised to hear that on a low-carb diet

weight loss mainly happens in the same way as on any

other weight loss diet - by creating a calorie deficit

(consuming fewer calories than you expend).

The difference is that while a low-calorie diet has an

externally-imposed calorie limit, a low-carb diet works with

your body so that you desire fewer calories. It's like

changing the demand rather than the supply of food.

Carbohydrate reduction seems to work on the appetite

system in multiple ways, including altering levels of

hormones and other transmitters of information about

hunger and satiety in our body.

In terms of specific weight loss, some research suggests that

people lose approximately the same amount of weight on a

low-carb diet as on a low-calorie diet, even though they are

not told to limit the amount of food they eat (just the

amount of carbohydrate).

Stuck in the Whirlpool of Mainstream Diets?

If you struggle to lose weight or continue to pack on

pounds, then hear this:

It’s NOT your fault.

That’s right…contrary to popular opinion—and what the

media and medical community will probably tell you—there

is a strong chance you are not to blame for those extra

pounds.

There is something else you need to know:

You are NOT alone.

The majority of dieters fail to keep off a single pound, and

the average American dieter makes 4-6 dieting attempts

per year. One study even concluded that 95% of severely

overweight dieters gained back every pound within 3 years.

Most likely, there are several reasons you’ve struggled to

lose weight in the past, and my experience tells me that you

fall into one or more of 5 categories.

See those 5 categories here in this short presentation

Unusual Japanese Tonic From the Healthiest Island in the World

Getting Started

Getting started on a low-carb diet can be nerve-wracking.

You may worry about changing your daily meal routine,

how you will feel on it, or have anxiety about the diet not

working. Hopefully, this information on what to expect in

terms of weight changes your first month can ease your

mind a bit:

The First Week of a Low-Carb Diet

The first week of a low-carbohydrate diet leads to a shift in

the body's metabolism. This is because the body has been

using primarily glucose for energy and must switch to using

primarily fat.

The good news is that some weight will be lost, but it's water

loss, not fat loss. This is because the glucose which is stored

for easy use in our liver is in a molecule

called glycogen which is bound up with a lot of water.

When initiating a low-carb diet, the number of glycogen

stores are mobilized and broken down, and with it, goes

some water weight.

The weight loss tends to be more pronounced in people

who restrict their carbohydrates to less than 50 grams per

day (a very low carb diet), as opposed to those who stick to

a low-carb diet which is between 60 and 130 grams of

carbohydrates daily. Remember, a standard diet contains

about 200 to 300 grams of carbohydrates daily, so a low-

carb diet offers a pretty dramatic drop.

It's important to note that one of the interesting, and

sometimes discouraging, things about this water is that once

gone, it doesn't all stay gone. Returning to eating a higher

level of carbohydrate will definitely increase the number of

glycogen stores, causing overnight weight gain (but not, of

course, fat gain).

But even if you don't go back to eating a lot more

carbohydrate, glycogen stores gradually build back up (the

glucose mainly coming from gluconeogenesis from protein).

This is not at all a bad thing, as our bodies need to maintain

a certain level of blood glucose, and having a reserve is an

important "slush fund," so to speak.

But these changes can really do a number on scale-

watchers who are anxiously tracking those lost pounds. Even

when you are losing fat, those tides of water flowing in and

out (meaning all the fluid shifts occurring in your body) may

create what looks like stalls in your weight loss.

The trick is not to get too tied to the scale during this time.

The Second Week of a Low-Carb Diet

It's good to think of the second week as a week of stability

after the roller coaster metabolism shift of the first week.

Even so, this is often where the real fat loss will start in most

people who respond well to low-carb diets. Some bodies do

take a little longer to adjust, however, so try to remain

patient.

It's also important during this time to ensure that you are not

only reducing your carbohydrate intake but choosing

healthy alternatives. For instance, since carbohydrates are

found in many fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and

alcohol, you will be eating more fats and proteins.

Be sure to choose healthy sources of protein and fats

(called monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) like:

Avocado

Nuts and seeds

Olive oil

Fish like salmon

Fruits and vegetables are healthy, though you just need to

choose low-carb options like:

Broccoli and cauliflower

Spinach and kale

Bell peppers

Brussel sprouts

Asparagus

Melons like cantaloupe and watermelon

Strawberries

The Third and Fourth Week of a Low-Carb Diet

Sometime in the second half of the first month, your body

will probably settle into a pattern of weight loss. The rate at

which you lose depends on many factors, the most

prominent of which is how overweight you are to start out

with. In other words, people with less to lose will lose much

more slowly than those with a lot of extra fat.

Generally, once the first couple of weeks are over, people

will lose between half a pound and two pounds per week

which is considered a healthy rate. The usual advice is to

weigh yourself once a week because of day-to-day weight

fluctuations due to fluid, fiber consumed, and other factors.

Also, women who are having menstrual cycles sometimes

decide not to weigh in the second half of their cycles,

especially if they tend to retain water at this time.

Finally, it's important to choose a consistent time of day to

weigh yourself. Most of the time people choose to weigh

first thing in that morning, before beginning to eat and drink,

because this is the best basis for comparison. If you weigh

yourself at another time of day, there will be even more

fluctuations.

After the First Month on a Low-Carb Diet

In a large review study on over 1,000 people with obesity

who followed a low-carb diet, the average weight loss was

about 15 pounds for people followed between three and six

months after beginning the diet. After two years of follow-

up, the average weight loss was about 10 pounds; so still a

reduction, but this data suggests that people do tend to

gain some weight back.

Likewise, there are other scientific studies that suggest a low-

carb diet is better for short-term and not long-term weight

loss. For instance, one study of over 400 people who were

either overweight or obese found that the difference in

weight loss at six months (which was higher in people on a

low-carb diet as compared to a low-fat diet) was not

sustained at the one-year mark.

In fact, the weight loss at six months in this study was an

average of seven pounds on the low-carb diet, so less than

the prior study. Again, it's extremely challenging to pinpoint

an exact "how many pounds" number, as there are too

many other factors at play when it comes to a person's

weight.

All in all, the diet may be potentially challenging to adhere

to for a long time. So like any diet, it's best to choose a way

of eating that is healthy and includes food you enjoy, as you

will, in the end, be more likely to stick with it.

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