Carb Commando

Watch Your Carb Intake, Nick

Are you a part of the low carb diet craze?

If so, you are certainly not alone. Among the most popular are the Atkins Diet, The Zone, the South Beach Diet, Sugar Busters. But there's been a lot of debate about low carb diets. How do they work? Are they always a good idea? What could be the drawbacks?

There's no disputing that done correctly, low carb diets do work, but are they a healthy choice? Just like with any diet plan, to keep the weight off, you need to maintain that style of eating for the rest of your life. Most people find that a life without pasta or bread just isn't realistic. But there are lower carb options of these foods that are just as tasty and satisfying.

And counting carbs is good for diabetics. We musn't forget that.

Which Low Carb Diets are the Best

That's really up to you. There are some diets that are very, very restrictive, and others that are less restrictive. The one that will work best for you depends largely on how disciplined you are. Read the books about each one and see what you think you can handle. Probably the best way to go about it is to start out on one of the low carbdiets that is very restrictive (like the Atkins Diet) then when you've lost the weight you want to lose and want to maintain it, switch to one that's less restrictive (like Protein Power).

Read on to learn more
Realize that there are low carb desserts out there
And they taste yummy

Why Low Carb Diets Work, Always

When you eat carbohydrates, your body releases insulin to break the carbs down into fat, which it uses as fuel. When the body has more carbs (or fuel) than it needs, you gain weight. That's why finding the optimum level of carbs for your body and not exceeding it will help you lose weight. During the first two weeks of a low carb diet, the very restrictive plans will only allow you 20 grams of carbs. This allows your body to release stored carbs (i.e. - burn stored fat) through your urine. Then you gradually add carbs back into your diet.

But the carbs you add back in are complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta and whole grain cereal. Simple carbohydrates like white flour, refined sugars, regular pasta, white bread and syrups are the ones you need to avoid. Those are the kind of carbs that turn to belly fat.

To help you be a success at your low carb diet, you might want to find a carb counter. You can use food labels and keep a journal, invest in a carb counting book, go to online carb counting websites or go high-tech and get a carb counter for your PDA. Of course, the hard part isn't in the counting. The hard part is in the willpower. Count each carb and live healthier.

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