Low Carb Diet Analysis
I started a self-styled low carb diet in October 2008 and was on it until April 2009. The diet seemed to be doing great. I lost 25 lbs. and wassticking with the diet without too much pain. However, ultimately the diet failed because it was not an indefinitely sustainable way of eating for me and because the diet itself was based on some habits that were not so healthy. I tend to think extremely low carb diets are not a healthy way of eating, but as they do tend to take off the weight fairly quickly, I told myself I'd do the diet long enough to take the weight off and then I'd go off the diet and not gain back the weight. The first part of the plan went fine. I lost the twenty-five pounds in the first three weeks. I stayed on the diet for six
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more months and kept those twenty five pounds off while I was on it, but after the seventh month the diet became unsustainable as I found myself eating more and more carbs every day. Why did the diet fail, even after I had lost twenty-five pounds? Because of two unhealthy habits and one unfortunate fact that just goes along with eating low carb. Unhealthy Habit #1: High Fat Eating. Low carb diets allow you to eat high-fat if want, and you will still lose the weight. So I ate high-fat. I reasoned, I'm denying myself of all those delicious carbs, and I have to replace them with something. So I replaced them with the fat. That kind of eating is not so healthy for the heart, either, whether you're eating low carb or not. Here't the thing: when I went off the diet it was not so easy to give up those fats I was accustomed to eating, and fats + carbs= rapid weight gain. Unhealthy Habit #2: No Regular Exercise. It is a fact that you can lose weight eating low carb even if you don't exercise. If you are losing slower than you want or hit a plateau in your weight loss the exercising will speed it up, but it's not required. It's not a healthy thing to do. I had the quick weight loss, which probably means I also lost muscle, because what I had was a flabby body that weighed less than before. Not the result I had wanted from the diet. Plus, when I stopped eating low carb, since I had less muscle mass to help burn off the calories, I gained the weight back much more quickly. Unfortunate Fact of Low Carb Dieting: One unfortunate fact, the one that probably was responsible for most of my weight loss on the diet, is that low carb eating will cause your body to get rid of water weight. I take a medicine which causes me to retain a lot of water. Also, hormone changes cause me to have a fair amount of water retention. When I was eating low carb, I didn't retain the water as I had before, but when I quit the diet, all the water weight came back. Water retention is often a big part of our weight. My conclusion from this unsuccessful diet experience is that the only way to lose weight, keep it off and be healthy is to develop the habits of eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Trying to lose weight by taking fad diet shortcuts has not worked for me in the past. It is a constant battle to control my weight, but I am working every day to develop the healthy habits that will help me have healthy, sustainable weight loss.
1.
One way to cut some carbs painlessly is to tell the waiter/waitress to hold the bread when you go out to eat. Restaurants usually have some sort of bread to nibble on before your food which can add plenty of carbs to your daily intake. If you ask them to hold off on it, then you will not be tempted to eat it. 2. If you are eating Chinese food, ask for brown rice instead of white. Also, if you enjoy cooking rice and eating it, purchase brown rice instead of white. It has not been processed and is still high in nutrients like white rice. 3. If you are a big snacker and enjoy the typical array of potato chips, pretzels, and cookies, then try to buy them in small bags. This is a good way to limit your intake and prevent yourself from breaking your diet. If you really want to watch your carbs, make it a goal to only have one bag of these snacks a day. 4. Watch out for foods that read "low-carb" on the label. In all reality, the FDA has yet to come out and say what "low-carb" really means and most research shows that these foods simply cut some fats and are marketed as low in carbs. These foods are not necessarily bad for you, but having too much of them could have the same effect of eating a high carb equivalent. 5. When on a low-carb diet, it is important to eat enough food to feel satisfied without feeling bloated or "stuffed". Eat a decent portion every 4 or 5 hours, it will speed up your metabolism and it will give your body the constant energy it needs to function throughout the day. Following these simple tips will cut your daily carb intake significantly and will have you well on your way to accomplishing your fitness
goals.
With so many miracle diets sprouting like a magic mushroom out of nowhere, one can only ask why none of these are working at all. The truth is that weight loss is a temporary thing and people suffer from weight gain more these days. Is it something to do with the chemicals we have in food? Or, is it something playing in our heads? No matter what the answer is, there are reasons why diets simply fail in keeping you lean and fit. Top Reasons Why Diets Fail If you have been frustrated with weight loss gimmicks that don't work, you are not alone! To live healthy is a long-term goal and the reason why you're not achieving this with your diet is: 1. You Lack Discipline Keeping off the pounds and having a healthy life is more than just what you eat, it's mostly mental. If you don't have the discipline and commitment to make healthy choices, your efforts will be in vain. Before you even start a weight loss program, make sure your mind is set and focused on one goal. 2. You Have Unrealistic Expectations Only a hen sat its way to success. If you think you'll lose an inch off your waistline by simply snacking on your miracle diet each day, you are set for failure. The problem with these diets are the promise of an instant result and we all know that this is temporary, that you may go back to your normal eating habits and gain weight. 3. You Starve Yourself Many of these wonder diets that promise instant results are void of essential nutrients that will keep the body healthy. These diets deprive your body of whole foods and just doesn't fit in with what's normal. Why is this set to fail? Simple. You live in the real world where people eat real foods. If you do drastic measures like cutting down your calories, your body will go on a starvation mode and your metabolism will go slow. 4. You Believe It to Be the 100% Solution You are what you eat, but diet is only just half of the equation. You need to manage your life, do physical activities, and ditch your bad habits. Are you living a balanced, healthy life? 5. You Feel Super Guilty of Slip-Ups Accept that you are only human and that anytime, you can be tempted to indulge. Instead of being harsh on yourself for giving in to your cravings, you have to turn the tables and make something that will work. For example, try a reward system. If you managed to live by healthy standards for the week and achieved your goals, you can give yourself a reward with a benefit, like having a bite of your antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Don't blame it on the food alone. Keep in mind that it is still your decision whether to pig out on unhealthy food or not. Try planning a healthy eating program that will sustain you all day, making you feel more energized than any energy drink out there. Eat Well! Be Well!
more months and kept those twenty five pounds off while I was on it, but after the seventh month the diet became unsustainable as I found myself eating more and more carbs every day. Why did the diet fail, even after I had lost twenty-five pounds? Because of two unhealthy habits and one unfortunate fact that just goes along with eating low carb. Unhealthy Habit #1: High Fat Eating. Low carb diets allow you to eat high-fat if want, and you will still lose the weight. So I ate high-fat. I reasoned, I'm denying myself of all those delicious carbs, and I have to replace them with something. So I replaced them with the fat. That kind of eating is not so healthy for the heart, either, whether you're eating low carb or not. Here't the thing: when I went off the diet it was not so easy to give up those fats I was accustomed to eating, and fats + carbs= rapid weight gain. Unhealthy Habit #2: No Regular Exercise. It is a fact that you can lose weight eating low carb even if you don't exercise. If you are losing slower than you want or hit a plateau in your weight loss the exercising will speed it up, but it's not required. It's not a healthy thing to do. I had the quick weight loss, which probably means I also lost muscle, because what I had was a flabby body that weighed less than before. Not the result I had wanted from the diet. Plus, when I stopped eating low carb, since I had less muscle mass to help burn off the calories, I gained the weight back much more quickly. Unfortunate Fact of Low Carb Dieting: One unfortunate fact, the one that probably was responsible for most of my weight loss on the diet, is that low carb eating will cause your body to get rid of water weight. I take a medicine which causes me to retain a lot of water. Also, hormone changes cause me to have a fair amount of water retention. When I was eating low carb, I didn't retain the water as I had before, but when I quit the diet, all the water weight came back. Water retention is often a big part of our weight. My conclusion from this unsuccessful diet experience is that the only way to lose weight, keep it off and be healthy is to develop the habits of eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Trying to lose weight by taking fad diet shortcuts has not worked for me in the past. It is a constant battle to control my weight, but I am working every day to develop the healthy habits that will help me have healthy, sustainable weight loss.
1.
One way to cut some carbs painlessly is to tell the waiter/waitress to hold the bread when you go out to eat. Restaurants usually have some sort of bread to nibble on before your food which can add plenty of carbs to your daily intake. If you ask them to hold off on it, then you will not be tempted to eat it. 2. If you are eating Chinese food, ask for brown rice instead of white. Also, if you enjoy cooking rice and eating it, purchase brown rice instead of white. It has not been processed and is still high in nutrients like white rice. 3. If you are a big snacker and enjoy the typical array of potato chips, pretzels, and cookies, then try to buy them in small bags. This is a good way to limit your intake and prevent yourself from breaking your diet. If you really want to watch your carbs, make it a goal to only have one bag of these snacks a day. 4. Watch out for foods that read "low-carb" on the label. In all reality, the FDA has yet to come out and say what "low-carb" really means and most research shows that these foods simply cut some fats and are marketed as low in carbs. These foods are not necessarily bad for you, but having too much of them could have the same effect of eating a high carb equivalent. 5. When on a low-carb diet, it is important to eat enough food to feel satisfied without feeling bloated or "stuffed". Eat a decent portion every 4 or 5 hours, it will speed up your metabolism and it will give your body the constant energy it needs to function throughout the day. Following these simple tips will cut your daily carb intake significantly and will have you well on your way to accomplishing your fitness
goals.
With so many miracle diets sprouting like a magic mushroom out of nowhere, one can only ask why none of these are working at all. The truth is that weight loss is a temporary thing and people suffer from weight gain more these days. Is it something to do with the chemicals we have in food? Or, is it something playing in our heads? No matter what the answer is, there are reasons why diets simply fail in keeping you lean and fit. Top Reasons Why Diets Fail If you have been frustrated with weight loss gimmicks that don't work, you are not alone! To live healthy is a long-term goal and the reason why you're not achieving this with your diet is: 1. You Lack Discipline Keeping off the pounds and having a healthy life is more than just what you eat, it's mostly mental. If you don't have the discipline and commitment to make healthy choices, your efforts will be in vain. Before you even start a weight loss program, make sure your mind is set and focused on one goal. 2. You Have Unrealistic Expectations Only a hen sat its way to success. If you think you'll lose an inch off your waistline by simply snacking on your miracle diet each day, you are set for failure. The problem with these diets are the promise of an instant result and we all know that this is temporary, that you may go back to your normal eating habits and gain weight. 3. You Starve Yourself Many of these wonder diets that promise instant results are void of essential nutrients that will keep the body healthy. These diets deprive your body of whole foods and just doesn't fit in with what's normal. Why is this set to fail? Simple. You live in the real world where people eat real foods. If you do drastic measures like cutting down your calories, your body will go on a starvation mode and your metabolism will go slow. 4. You Believe It to Be the 100% Solution You are what you eat, but diet is only just half of the equation. You need to manage your life, do physical activities, and ditch your bad habits. Are you living a balanced, healthy life? 5. You Feel Super Guilty of Slip-Ups Accept that you are only human and that anytime, you can be tempted to indulge. Instead of being harsh on yourself for giving in to your cravings, you have to turn the tables and make something that will work. For example, try a reward system. If you managed to live by healthy standards for the week and achieved your goals, you can give yourself a reward with a benefit, like having a bite of your antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Don't blame it on the food alone. Keep in mind that it is still your decision whether to pig out on unhealthy food or not. Try planning a healthy eating program that will sustain you all day, making you feel more energized than any energy drink out there. Eat Well! Be Well!