Low Carb Diet Advice: Do Low Carb Diets Really Work to Help You Lose Weight?
When it comes to low carb diet advice, there's much too much hype floating around about its benefits, but never any mention of the potential drawbacks of undergoing this type of diet.
For some people wanting to lose weight, low-carb diets are what they’ve been looking for while others keep searching for better ways to do it.
In this article, we'll examine both the benefits and drawbacks of low carb diets to help you make an informed decision before undertaking this particular weight loss dieting method.
Low Carb Diet for Quick Weight Loss
Carbs (Carbohydrates) give the body glucose, its main source of energy. Low-carb diets are weight loss programs that work by training the body to burn fat (rather than carbohydrates) for energy. In a low carb diet, you tend to limit the consumption of foods that are high in carbohydrate (energy), such as sugars, white flour, white rice, and potatoes.
Drawbacks of a Low-Carb Diet
1. It’s too demanding physically and psychologically: Some weight losers give up because the myth of an easy low carb diet actually requires discipline, patience and stamina -- more than what the dieter hoped for.
A number of people who tried a good low carb diet such as the Atkins Diet complained about the side effects of the induction period (the first two weeks). They felt constant headaches, dazed, having difficulty concentrating and getting heart palpitations.
Others have reported a drop in levels of productivity while on a low-carb diet because of feelings of listlessness, making getting through the day, a struggle.
2. Embarrassing side effects: Some low carb diet side effects could result in socially embarrassing situations. In the beginning stages of the diet, the body goes into ketosis whereby it changes fat into energy. This can cause bad breath and foul smelling urine.
In addition, eating less carbs (like sugar) reduces mouth fuzz which prompts you to clean your teeth. This could lead you to brush your teeth less often, increasing the chances of tooth decay and bad breath.
3. Giving up the goods: The biggest drawback for some lies in having to forgo their favorite foods which bring about intense cravings. As a result, many feel guilty when they cannot resist indulging their cravings on the sly, and some simply get depressed.
4. Potential health risks: Weight loss is likely to be quick on a low carb-diet, which can generate feelings of nausea, fatigue, and light-headedness. And because the diet is high in fat, you are at risk for cardiovascular disease, a health risk that is not immediately apparent.
Dehydration and kidney stones are additional risks. The diet makes it difficult for the kidneys to process all the protein. This leads to a decrease in the body’s pH which can then lead to a withdrawal of calcium from the bones, thus making the latter more brittle.
Benefits of a Low- Carb Diet
1. Physical well-being: After undergoing a low carb low cholesterol diet, many people have reported feeling healthier after having gone through the process with initial difficulty. For some, the major benefit lies in having failed to reduce weight on other diets while the low-carb diet shows positive results. They eat less than before and feel fuller from the high-protein, high-fat foods they eat.
2. Psychological well-being: Low-carb diet plans are popular because they produce results. Many people lose weight quickly, atleast in the short term. This is a confidence booster which provides the momentum to continue with the diet.
Some weight losers report less emotional eating and improved mood. This could be because the amount of food they eat on a healthy low carb diet plan maybe more than what they ate before, but they are better choices for the weight loss. The frequent eating of high-protein snacks may also replace the emotional eating.
Generally speaking, when comparing low-carb diets to low-fat diets, the former proves to be less manageable in practical terms, yet for many weight losers after six months, the weight loss is about the same.