I know. You’ve tried it or know someone who has and are amazed at how fast the pounds start coming off! Unfortunately, in the beginning, most of the initial weight lost on low-carbohydrate (low-carb) diets is water weight. Our bodies rely primarily on carbohydrate for energy, so we have carbs (called glycogen) stored throughout our muscles and liver so it is readily available when we need it. For each molecule of glycogen stored, we store 4 molecules of water; what that means, is that as we use up our glycogen stores and we don’t replace it with carbohydrates from our diet, we lose all the stored water that would normally be there. Water weighs a lot.
After that, any additional weight loss is due to reduced calorie consumption, not the lack of carbs themselves. As low-carbohydrate diets are so restrictive, our choices are less and our consumption of calories is less. Research has shown that there is no difference in weight loss when following a low-carb diet plan versus any other one, as long as caloric intake is the same for both.
The restrictive nature of low-carb diets also means we miss out on all the benefits of healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, and legumes. In addition, with so many foods being off limits, this becomes a difficult diet to stick with.
The weight loss plan that works is the one you can stick with. A combination of exercise and learning (with a little help from an RD if needed) to eat a balanced diet that doesn’t leave you feeling deprived is the best way to lose the pounds and keep them off.
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