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Low Carb Diets
Due to extensive publicity, low carb diets have become increasingly popular. However there is considerable ambiguity over exactly what is low carbohydrate. Many companies have seen low carb popularity as a brand to be exploited.
Low Carb – A Definition
All food is made up of three primary macro nutrients – carbohydrates (or sugars), proteins, and fats. Low carb implies that the percentage of carbohydrate (by calorie) is low – but lower than what?
- High Carb 50-70% (USDA Food Pyramid)
- Moderate Carb 40-50%
- Low Carb 25-39%
- Very Low Carb 0-25%
However it is common to find that any diet less than 50-60% carb ratio is called a low carb diet. Depending on one’s sensitivity to carbohydrates, a moderate carb ratio may be better than a high carb ratio.
By definition, the lower the carb ratio – the higher the fat and protein ratio. Generally speaking a low carb diet will also tend to be a high protein diet.
Find high protein and low carb recipes here.
Low Carb Diets
The following diets are generally all ‘lumped’ together under the definition of ‘low-carb’. However they actually are made up of little or no carbs – to some that are moderate carb.
| Anabolic Diet | A low carbohydrate diet that alternates with periods of high carbohydrate eating. |
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| Bodytrim Diet | An Australian weight loss program designed to teach people what to eat, when to eat and why. The creators of the program claim that dieters can expect fast and permanent results with minimal exercise and while enjoying all the foods they love. |
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| Cheat to Lose | One week of reduced carb, one week of Low Glycemic Load carbohydrates, one week of Higher Glycemic Load, and then a “cheat day” |
| Dukan Diet | Followed by over 1.5 million French women and apparently it is also used by models and celebrities including Giselle Bundchen and Jennifer Lopez. Until recently the diet has only been available in France but the English version of the book has just been released. |
| Fat Burning Diet | Dieters to cycle between high carb and low carb days |
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| Fat Loss Target Diet | An online weight loss program that apparently was developed over a four-year research period by a team of nutrition and fitness experts that specialize in weight loss. Based on High Protein / Low Carb. |
| Idiot Proof Diet | There are three phases to the diet with the first being a two-week introductory phase which is very low carb and resembles the induction phase of the Atkins diet. |
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| How the Rich Get Thin | The basic structure of the diet is high protein, low carbohydrate with the elimination of processed foods including nutrition bars. |
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| Kimkins Diet | A low carb and very low calorie diet that has received a lot of controversy. |
| Lifestyle Cut Diet | The basis of the program is a low carbohydrate diet with small frequent meals because this promotes the continual burning of fat. |
| Lindora | a high-protein, very low carb diet based on the process of ketosis. This program is medically-supervised |
| Living Low Carb | Not a diet book as such but more of a general guide to living a low carb lifestyle. |
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| New York Diet | A very strict low carb diet plan that eliminates alcohol, bread, sugar, coffee, fruit and dairy products. |
| No Grain Diet | The No Grain diet is very low in carbohydrates, as it requires dieters to eliminate all grains, sugar, potatoes, and sweets. |
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| South Beach Diet Supercharged | The diet is basically the same as that outlined in the original South Beach Diet with some extra foods allowed. |
| Stress Eater Diet | A four-week meal plan that transitions from a low carbohydrate diet to a more moderate intake of carbohydrates. |
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| Thermogenic Diet | The basic idea of the diet is to restrict carbohydrates to some degree while emphasizing low glycemic sources and at the same time. |
| The Schwarzbein Principle | The diet involves two stages. The first stage is designed to heal the metabolism and is basically a high protein, low carbohydrate diet that is very similar to the Atkins diet. |
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Other Low or Reduced Carb Diets
- Schwarzbein Principle
- Leptin diets
- Your Fat Can Make You Thin
- Specific Carbohydrate Diet
- Eat Fat, Get Thin
- Go-Diet
- Insulin Resistance Diet
- Life Without Bread
The Low Carb Industry
The surging popularity of low carb diets caused an entire food industry to appear seemingly overnight. An entire line of foods now bear the catchy name “low carb”. What’s unfortunate is that a lot of these foods are very processed, and are not rich in nutritional quality. Clever marketing has come to the fore, with terms like “Smart Carbs” and “Net Carbs” appearing on many products.
The craze began to decline towards the end of 2004.
Hey Glenn, yes but you want to also increase your protein intake because this will keep you from feeling too hungry which could lead to slip ups.. Best of luck!
I just started my diet. I want to lose 55-60 pounds by Christmas. At my doctors urging I need to do this. So am I right in lowering carb intake, like eating salads, green, veggies and some fruits? Am I starting at the right place????
Oh, and you dont’ have to go very low carb to achieve good results. Moderate carb works well.
Trish, I’m periomenopausal, post hysterectomy, and I’ve been using low carb & exercise since Sep 08. I’ve been successful with getting 60lbs off and keeping it off. Never felt better. And didn’t know the menopausal symptoms had me feeling sooo bad!
holmes..nobody wants to eat oatmeal all day
Do low carb diets work w post-mnopausal women? seems more difficult now to lose weight even with increased exercise
Low carb diets are tough, especially south beach and others that require you to cut out fruits, breads, desserts, chips and other snacks. I think the best diets are ones with weight training built in to help your body burn more calories instead of just cutting carbs and calories. I use low carb chocolate to help curb my cravings and stay on my diet and meal plans.
Low carb diets work the best, and Atkins is a pretty good standard.
The primary cause of fat gain is Insulin, which is always triggered by carbohydrate intake. Insulin tells the body to store energy, in muscles and – more commonly – in fat tissue.
>Holmes, I can understand you would think your diet works the best, sicne if it gave me results I would approve of it. However it doesn’t sound particularly healthy, and I’m guessing that with a low carb diet you would need half of the exercise you did (which I’m assuming was boring low intensity cardio?).
Low carb means that you will be constantly burning fat – stored or from diet – for energy, this means that you would still lose weight even if no exercise was involved.
And Green Vegetables are gods in this diet, since you can scoff as many as you want.
> elvis: is this for real ? why should I restrict energy food ?
Because what do you think your body burns for energy if you stop eating sugar? Duh.
Sadly, this doesn’t work with other diet plans, so everyone assumes you must be weak, miserable, and starving on low carb, too. When actually, you’re full and bursting with energy and health for the very first time in your life.
> ELIZABETH TURBERVILLE: HOW MUCH CARBS CAN YOU EAT A DAY TO LOSE WEIGHT AND CAN YOU EAT BACKED POTATOS AND SALADS TO AND RANCH DRESSING TO.
Read the Atkins book. It starts at 20g and goes up to 200g or so. The rules are very specific.
Salads and ranch dressing are fine. Baked potatoes aren’t. Everything you used to put ON the baked potatoes? Encouraged. Yum.
is this for real ? why should I restrict energy food ?
drink diet soda and eat oatmeal all day for 3 months
2 packets in the morning right when you wake up
eat it through out the day
2 when you go to sleep
with alot of exercise i went from 193 to 147-150 in 3 months
try it out
HOW MUCH CARBS CAN YOU EAT A DAY TO LOSE WEIGHT AND CAN YOU EAT BACKED POTATOS AND SALADS TO AND RANCH DRESSING TO.