If you are looking to lose weight, following a low carbohydrate diet is an alternative that you can consider. Remember that for best results, it is best to accompany this diet with daily physical activity, as well as a sufficient amount of water; at least two liters a day.
What is the low carbohydrate diet?
There are many diets today that promise to help you lose those extra pounds. However, one of the most traditional diets followed by many people around the world is the low-carbohydrate diet. But what exactly does this diet consist of? As its name indicates, this diet is characterized by its low content of carbohydrates; that is, it limits the carbohydrate content and enhances the consumption of protein and fat.
And what are the carbohydrates that are restricted in this diet? Here we find, for example, cereals and certain starchy vegetables and fruits. In turn, there are multiple diets low in this type of food and each one follows certain restrictions on these. These restrictions are regarding the amounts and types of carbohydrates that can be consumed.
The main objective of this type of diet is to achieve weight loss, which is why it is one of the most famous regimens. However, this type of restrictive eating can not only help you shed extra pounds, it can also bring multiple health benefits . And it is that a low carbohydrate diet is also recommended to help prevent diseases such as type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Why choose this diet?
It is possible that you have already tried numerous diets to try to lose weight and still not achieve your goal. But why might cutting carbs be your best option? Why should you follow this diet? Not only is it great for helping you with weight loss, but it can also help you improve your eating habits.
Remember that excessive consumption of carbohydrates, present in junk food, only brings long-term health risks. In addition, if you accompany this regimen with daily exercise, you will not only lose weight, but you will also be improving your health. Remember that before starting any type of diet, it is best to go to your GP and see if this type of diet is good for you, particularly if you have a condition such as diabetes or heart disease.
Characteristics of the low carbohydrate diet
The advantage of this type of diet is that you can design it yourself according to your needs, as well as your food preferences, so you do not necessarily have to completely deprive yourself of the food you like. But, how to choose the carbohydrates that you can consume? Carbohydrates are grouped into different groups:
- Simple natural, which are acquired from fructose (fruits) and lactose (milk)
- Simple refined, such as regular sugar
- Complex naturals: whole grains and legumes
- Complex refinements: industrial pastries (white flour); These types of carbohydrates are the ones you should avoid at all costs if you want to lose weight.
We advise you to start your low-carbohydrate diet progressively; that is, not suddenly restricting all foods. You can gradually begin to wean yourself off complex refined foods, such as industrial rolls and other processed foods. If you consume them daily, it is best to reduce their consumption and limit it, for example, to weekends.
What carbohydrates can you consume?
As you have already seen, not all carbohydrates are bad for the body or take you away from your goal. There are good carbohydrates and you can include them in this diet. Here we find fruits and vegetables, heading the list; It is also allowed to consume milk (preferably semi-skimmed or skimmed) and its derivatives; As derivatives of milk we can mention natural yogurt and fresh cheese.
You can also consume legumes: beans, chickpeas and lentils. Remember that these should not be prepared as traditional dishes, but can serve as a base for salads. Eating lentils does not mean that you should eat the traditional lentils with cold meats; these will simply take you away from your target. Finally, dried fruits, such as walnuts, are also a good option to include in your new diet.
It is important to note that, although cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables can be consumed, they must be done with certain restrictions and following a specific schedule. For example, it is not advisable to consume sweet foods at night, since, when resting, you do not need to burn energy. That is, you need energy during the day and not at night. Some guidelines on this type of diet can be found in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; here it is established that carbohydrates should represent between 45 and 65% of the daily calorie intake. On the 2,000 calorie diet, for example, carbohydrates make up between 900 and 1,300 calories per day.
Avoid processed foods at all costs: bread, white flour pasta, cookies, cakes and sweets. It is also not advised to consume sodas or drinks with sugar. If you don’t want to drink water all the time, you can make your own drinks like lemonade and sweeten it with natural sweeteners like maple and agave syrups.
How does this diet work?
One of the most frequent questions that people who want to lose weight usually ask themselves is about how this diet works. How do you manage to lose those kilos, without consuming all the carbohydrates? We start by telling you that carbohydrates are not bad, even if they are demonized. They are a source of energy that the body needs.
During digestion, complex carbohydrates are broken down into glucose or simple sugars and sent into the bloodstream; hence glucose is present in the blood. When this happens, the body releases the insulin needed for the glucose to stick to the body’s cells so they can use it for energy. However, insulin only absorbs a certain amount of glucose. This is when you gain weight if you consume a lot of carbohydrates from industrial pastries, since that excess glucose is transformed into body fat, after storing a part in the liver and muscles.
When carbohydrate intake is reduced, what the body does is draw on stored fat reserves and get the energy it needs to function. By using these reserves, by not entering as many carbohydrates into the body, weight is lost.
low carb diet results
Without a doubt, weight loss is the most obvious consequence of restricting the consumption of carbohydrates; as long as the diet is balanced, followed properly and, of course, accompanied by daily physical activity.
These types of diets are usually very restrictive at first and later incorporate more calories and, consequently, more carbohydrates. It is important that, when you have reached your goal, you do not abandon the diet completely, as these diets help you lose weight very quickly, but the rebound effect can be greater.
On the other hand, it is believed that this type of diet, despite all odds, is very satiating and does not generate anxiety in the body. That is, you do not go hungry as long as the diet is balanced and the consumption of proteins and fats is enhanced. This type of food will help you feel full and, consequently, help you eat less.
