![Diet Plans and Nutrition [Home]](/images/everydiet4.gif "every Diet [Home]"){kind=small}
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.
| Ketogenic diet | A diet that is high in fat with moderate protein and virtually no carbohydrate. This diet will put the body in a state of ketosis, where ketones rather than glucose are used for energy. |
| Atkins | Atkins is a ketogenic diet for weight loss. |
| Sugar Busters | More like a moderate carb diet with a ratio of 30-40% carbs – but with a fairly low daily calorie intake. |
| Hampton’s Diet | Quite similar to Atkins, but with an emphasis on healthier fats – specifically macadamia nut oil. |
| Neanderthin | Considered to be low-carb – as all grains are to be avoided. |
| Carbohydrate Addicts | This diet is unusual in that 2 meals have no carbohydrate, and then a 3rd meal is made up of about 1/3 carbohydrates. Very much a low-carb diet – but not low enough for ketosis. |
| Rosedale Diet | Rosedale places emphasis on more fats and no starchy carbs. |
| Protein Power | This diet could also be considered low to moderate carb – with a similar ratio to the Zone Diet. |
| South Beach Diet | The South Beach Diet has an induction phase that is very low carb, but beyond this the diet is not really low carb at all. Effort is made to consume only low GI (Glycemic Index) and un-refined carbohydrates. |
| Zone Diet | Dr. Sears Zone Perfect diet has a ratio of about 40% carbohydrates (moderate). However many refer to it as a ‘low-carb diet’. |
| Fat Flush | This detox diet is not usually referred to as a low-carb diet – but it has about the same macro-nutrient ratios as the Zone (about 40% carb). |
| Anne Collins Low Carb Diet | 28-day plan in 2 phases: Phase 1 (14-days) average of 30g carbs per day- Phase 2 (14-days) average of 55g carbs per day. |
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.
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.