Low carb diets became more popular after low-fat diets began to fizzle out. People needed something new to try and the desire to still be able to eat high fat foods (think bacon) while still being able to lose weight was incredibly appealing.
With low-carb diets, people could add back in most of their favorite high-fat foods as long as they were able to sacrifice bread, pastas and rice. With low-carb diets, weight loss can happen very quickly, sometimes within days for some people, which put this style of diet at the forefront for years.
But is a low-carb lifestyle really the best way to lose weight? Better yet, is it a diet that can be stuck to for life?
What Low-Carb Diets Look Like
The most popular and well known low-carb diet is The Atkins Diet, founded and created by Robert Atkins, M.D. This extreme low-carb diet promises quick and long-lasting weight loss while still allowing followers to be able to eat high-fat foods such as steak and ice cream.
The issue surrounding this diet when it first became popular was an ignorance to the unhealthy amount of saturated fats being consumed. There was a decrease in carbs indeed, but the increase in high saturated fatty foods was enormous.
A diet filled with butter, fatty meats and cheeses is not a healthy one regardless of how many carbs you are consuming.
The Atkins Diet has been revamped several times and there are now less extreme, low-carb diets out there to choose from.
The premise of all of these diets remains the same: a drastic cut in carbohydrates is needed in order to lose weight. Some of these diets have followers eating less than 20 grams of carbohydrates a day, which translates to roughly one small dinner roll for a 1,200 calore diet.
Foods forbidden on low-carb diets:
- breads
- pastas
- beans
- rice
- starchy vegetables
- fruits
Carbohydrates Are Not The Enemy
Each body is different and responds differently, which is why there are so many diets out there today. Some people might flourish on a low-carb diet, however the majority of low-carb dieters end up feeling sluggish, cranky, and all-around unhealthy.
Those on a low amount of carbohydrates might also have trouble concentrating, which is a result of the brain not having enough fuel to run properly.
According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the brain requires roughly 130 grams of carbohydrates a day to function properly. This is because carbohydrates are the body’s main energy source.
Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the body and it is the first form of energy that the body will use for physical activity. That is why so many runners “carb-load”, or eat an excessive amount of carbohydrates, before a big race.
When the body doesn’t have enough glycogen stored however, it begins to instead break down the protein in your muscles for fuel. This is especially dangerous for those who lead an active lifestyle or workout.
A continued pattern of low carbohydrate consumption, especially while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, can lead to a slower metabolism, excess fat storage, as well as muscle aches and fatigue.
If Low Carb Diets Don’t Work, Why Do People Lose Weight?
Low-carb diets tend to yield immediate results, but it isn’t due to actual weight being lost. The glycogen stores in our bodies tend to hold on to water.
When you deplete your carbohydrate intake and thus your glycogen stores, you are also reducing the amount of water bloat that your body has.
This can lead to an immediete change on the scale, however this two to five pound weight loss is simply water weight and not real fat loss.
The number on the scale may be lower and you may look and feel thinner, but this “weight loss” isn’t weight loss at all, but rather water loss.
Why Low-Carb Diets Don’t Work
First and foremost, low-carb diets fail because of the restriction behind the diet. Ever been told you can’t have or can’t do something? You are 10 times more likely to crave that thing, simply because you know you can’t have it. This is true for carbohydrates, especially when a low carbohydrate intake is required for a long period of time.
Low-carb diets also fail because they are unheathy to maintain for life. An active individual simply cannot survive on a low-carbohydrate diet without losing muscle mass, feeling fatigued and achy, and slowing down the body’s metabolism.
A slow metabolism will typically lead to immediate weight gain when excess food or more carbohydrates are consumed. This unfortunate side effect happens often to low-carb dieters, which in turn leads them to believe further in the success of a low-carb lifestyle. In fact, it is just the opposite.
Due to a restriction in whole grains, vegetables and fruits, low-carb diets also tend to result in a lack of fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants and other important vitamins and minerals. This lack of fiber and nutrients can result in digestive issues such as constipation and even some digestive cancers.
How Many Carbs Do I Actually Need?
There is no one-size-fits-all diet or eating program. Each individual body is different in how it responds to food, activity, sleep, stress, etc., which means that there can’t be one firm number for every person to ingest. There is however, a sort of guide we can use to figure out our body’s carbohydrate needs.
The amount of carbohydrates your body needs depends on:
- What goals you have (fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance)
- Genetics (medical conditions and body type)
- Activity level (sedentary, weight-training, endurance)
Base how many carbohydrates you need on these three conditions and listen to what your body is telling you. Sluggish, tired, or dealing with constant muscle soreness? You might be too low on carbohydrates.
When it comes to how many carbohydrates your body needs, keep it simple. Don’t overly restrict carbohydrates, and keep the ones you eat minimally processed and fresh. Listen to your body and observe how it feels and performs, then alter your intake based on your answers.
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