A Low carb diet can yield positive results. Though several other diets have earned a bad reputation, research has shown that it is because the diet was not researched properly, performed properly, or was not followed through. Any diet takes time because the body needs to adjust to the new intake of foods, nutrients, and minerals. A low carb diet drastically changes the dietary habits and puts the body into a type of shock. After the initial period that the body adjusts, the method of eating low carb can be quite effective. As you are preparing to begin your diet journey, take into account the information we’ve listed below so you can lose weight fast and successfully and learn how to start your low carb diet.
1. Do Your Research
A Low carb diet is called such because they are “low” in “carbohydrates.” While this may seem excessive to say, the name of the diet is actually often misused. Eating fewer carbohydrates does not mean cutting them out entirely. Several first-time low carb diet newbies try to cut out all carbohydrates and are successful in doing so for about 5 to 7 days before they splurge and frequently over-indulge.
If you spend some time researching different types of low carb diets, you will find that they tend to have three things in common. First, they tell you NOT to cut out ALL carbs. Second, they suggest specific times when you ingest carbs. Third, they have certain carbohydrates that you should eat.
Cutting out carbs entirely from your diet is not only harmful to your body and immune system, but it is one of the number one causes of relapses to bad dietary habits and frequently the proprietor in gaining extra weight that wasn’t there before you started the diet. Also, take into consideration that carbohydrates are responsible for balancing blood-sugar levels in your body. When you deplete that or if you do not have enough, you could put your body into shock or worse. Everyone’s body requires a different amount of carbohydrates to stay balanced. Asking your doctor is the safest way to determine yours.
2. Timing is Everything on a Low Carb Diet
Your body will naturally and effectively process carbohydrates at specific times of the day. If you increase your exercise routine or if you exercise regularly, your body needs carbs to function and burn fat efficiently otherwise it will store the fat. Learning what your chosen diet says about carb timing will be important in helping your body learn how to burn carbs for the long-run as well. Those who start a low carb diet need to consider when your body is going to burn the most amount of calories and time the carb intake accordingly. Eating carbs right before a workout is not advised by several experts; however, eating carbs two or three hours before will give your body the energy it needs and help it burn fat during the workout. On the opposite side, eating your daily carbohydrates in the evening or right before bed will cause your body to store them rather than process them and may cause weight gain.
3. Put the Processed Food Down
While on a low carb diet, you will have to eat fresh and healthy and avoid processed food as much as possible—even if they say they are “low carbohydrate.” Several meal replacement bars, shakes, and other “diet” foods label themselves low sugar and low carbohydrate. Before you bite in, take a moment to look closely at the package. Nine times out of ten, that bar you are going to eat is made almost entirely of processed, synthesized ingredients and preservatives. Your body not only does not know what to do with these foods, but it will often store them or turn them into a mock carbohydrate and store them. To successfully start a low carb diet, learn to cook and eat fresh and healthy and stay away from processed foods.
From the pages of Healthline: Low Carb Food List – Foods to Eat
How Many Carbs to Consume A Day
A helpful article by The Diet Doctor: Perfect Low Carb Meal Plan for Beginners
4. Don’t Skip Cheat Days on a Low Carb Diet
Cheat days are not evil, but they are necessary, and scientists and doctors are contesting to that fact more and more. Cheat days function in two ways when you are on a low carb diet. First, they actually put your body into a super fat burning mode. When you eat more carbs than you are normally giving your body, your body takes them in and begins processing and burning them immediately along with fat. In this way, cheat days are good for low carbs. The second way that cheats days work is that they satisfy a mental and emotional need. When you are consuming fewer carbohydrates, your naturally crave them. Cheat days give you that chance to be able to reasonably indulge. Be aware that ‘reasonably’ should be emphasized as overindulging or having more cheat days than you should only have a negative effect.
5. Use Supplements Wisely
As you begin your low carb diet and before you decide to start taking those carbohydrate blockers or intense carbohydrate burners, take into consideration the side effects as well as the fact that you are already consuming fewer carbs than normal. As previously discussed, carbohydrates are good for your body at the right time. If you are taking supplements that are supposed to block or burn more carbohydrates, you are putting your body at risk.
There are specific supplements available that help you to curb your cravings for carbohydrates. Some of the more popular brands include Gymnema Sylvestre, L-tryptophan, or even Thermofactor. Before you begin taking these supplements, it is essential that you speak with a doctor or physician to determine if these could have a negative side effect. In the same, try not to add more things on to your plate than you need as you begin your diet. Start by eating healthy and following the lower carb dietary plan. Let your body have time to adjust to its new state, and if after a while you aren’t seeing the results you need, consider adding supplements. Often a simple change in diet makes a huge difference.
6. Be Ready to Stick with the Low Carb Diet
The number one reason that low carb diets fail is that people do not stick with the diet. The first one to two weeks of your low carb diet will be difficult, and you will want to quit. You will feel lethargic and your mood will fluctuate. Remember that it takes between 6 and 8 weeks for your body to adjust and your diet to take full effect. Low carb dieters also need to be aware that your body may store carbohydrates for a while, but if you stick with the diet, those carbs and fat will be shed quickly.
Sticking with it also means that you commit to staying on a low carb diet permanently. Research has shown that low carb dieters who regress and begin eating normally can gain back the weight they lose if not more simply because your body is afraid you will deprive it of low carbs again. Low carb dieting needs to be considered a lifetime commitment.
Now that you are ready to begin your low carb diet, take into consideration all the tips we have provided you and make sure that you do your research, speak with a doctor if needed, and are ready to make the commitment to making your body happy and healthier.
Let us know if you have tried any specific low carb diet and how it is working for you. Our readers all are looking for information on how to lose weight fast and safely.
Click On The Images To View A Few Similar Posts
