Is Low-Carb Dieting for You?

Low-carbohydrate dieting is all the rage nowadays. However, many people are baffled by how a high-fat and protein diet could be more effective than the more traditional low-calorie diets. Also, there are many skeptics and critics who say that restricting carbs is unhealthy, and it is certainly a contradiction of what the food pyramid recommends.

Many have heard that you can eat bacon by the boat load and mayonnaise by the gallon, just as long as you don't eat any carbs - and it just seems too good to be true. However, on the flip side, do you really want to live your life eating burgers without the bun? Can you deal with the prospect of giving up birthday cake and ice cream forever? Imagine the trips to an Italian restaurant - no bread, no pasta - can you accept that as a permanent reality?

If you love your carbs, then switching to a carb-restricting diet is going to be a major life change that is going to require diligent commitment and willpower. You should talk with your doctor about changing to a low-carbohydrate or no-carbohydrate diet because this weight-loss approach is not advisable for everyone.

Also, you have to decide whether or not you want to commit to such a radical change. If you think that you will only be able to stick it out for a short stint, then what's the point? A diet should not be a quick-fix; you have to find a program that you can visualize yourself living with permanently. If you have decided that you want to give a no-carb or low-carb diet a try, then you should understand how this type of weight-loss program works.

The science of low-carb dieting is pretty simple. By eliminating carbohydrates and sugars from your diet, you are reducing the glucose levels in your blood. When carbohydrates are consumed, blood sugar levels rise sharply, and these high blood sugar levels trigger insulin production. Insulin is responsible for keeping blood sugar levels stable, so if the high blood sugar is not expended through physical activity, then it is going to be stored as fat. Without high blood sugar, you are eliminating stored fat that results when the insulin kicks in to stabilize your blood sugar, and so you will lose weight. It is no wonder that so many people who start a no or low-carb diet are able to drop a large amount of weight within the first month - the shift is so dramatic, and if you are able to stick to it, dramatic results are truly inevitable.

While there are some people who are devout about consuming as little as zero to ten grams of carbs a day, it is more advisable that you aim for the thirty to fifty grams. You may opt to start out with less than ten grams a day, and gradually raise your carb intake over the first three months of your program until you reach the maximum that you plan on consuming as part of your low-carb lifestyle.

If you are nervous that the sudden change from your usual high-carb high-sugar diet to a very low-carb diet will be too much of a shock to your system - physically and psychologically - then start by eliminating the "carb culprits" in your life. Stop drinking soda or anything else with sugar in it (including fruit juices), and switch to bottled water. If you are a pasta lover, stop eating pasta altogether. Make gradual changes over the first month of your diet so that you can ease into your new lifestyle without feeling suddenly deprived.

If you are looking for a regimented low-carbohydrate diet to follow, then you will not have to look any further than your local bookstore or the internet. The Atkins' diet is certainly the most well-known, but there are many variations, such as the South Beach diet and the Zone diet. Of course, along with your low carb diet, you also have to get aerobic and weight-training exercise so that you can shed the pounds.