A common myth or misconception about Low Carb Diets is that you’re supposed to cut out all your carbs in order to lose weight. And while that certainly is a method taught by at least one low carb program I’ve come across, it is not the norm. In fact, it’s almost impossible to cut out all carbs from your diet on a regular long term basis.
I think the mis-understanding comes from a lack of knowledge though. You see, with a general American diet that follows the FDA approved food pyramid, you’ll consume approximately 300 grams of carbohydrates every day. And for some people: That is way too much.
The key phrase here is “some people” though. Each of us has a different body makeup. Each of us has different lifestyles, and each of us has different genetic inheritances too. And to top it all off: Two people may consume the exact same amount of carbohydrates in completely different ways.
One person for instance, may eat 300 grams of carbs a day in the form of low glycemic, slow acting complex carbs. The kind you get from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Another person however, may consume 300 grams of carbs that are primarily made up of simple fast acting sugars and starches. Eating pasta, rice, white bread and sugared treats for instance.
The person who eats low glycemic complex carbs is more likely to lose weight by simply moderating or reducing their carb intake a bit. Dropping the total daily consumption to 150 grams for instance, is likely to create great results for that person. The one who eats simple, fast acting carbs though, may still gain weight even if they reduced their daily carb intake to 150 grams. They may even struggle to see results by dropping their daily carb intake to as low as 50 grams a day.
And that brings me to another important point: Because our bodies and genetic make ups are so different: Often two people can eat the exact same foods in the exact same portions, and you’d still see one having success with losing weight while another is struggling with their weight loss.
Now, if you want to lose weight quickly, a few of the most popular low carb diets work quite well for most people. The top two however, require you to reduce your daily carb intake to 20 or 30 grams of carbs. For some people that is just too restrictive. If this is a problem for you, then try going backwards instead with these steps:
1. Reduce or eliminate the simple, fast acting carbs from your daily eating. This includes table sugar, white bread, pasta, candy, pastries and similar items. Maintain this eating style for 1-2 weeks and gauge your progress. If you’re losing weight at a rate you’re happy with, then simply maintain this change in your daily eating habits. If you’re not losing weight though – or not losing as fast as you’d like to – try step two:
2. Reduce your overall daily carb intake to 150 grams. Do not eat 150 grams of simple sugars and carbs each day though. Fill this allotment out with fresh veggies, fruits and a limited amount of whole grains.
3. If that still doesn’t produce the weight loss results you’re looking for, try dropping your daily carb intake to 75-100 grams. Again, be sure you’re choosing healthy, low glycemic, complex carbs.
4. From this point, if you’re still not happy with your weight loss progress, you can take one of two approaches: First try dropping your daily carb intake by 10 grams each week. Do this until you reach a point of weight loss that you’re happy with but is still safe for you. Second: Drop all the way down to the 20 or 30 grams that popular low carb diets start you with.
Done sensibly, low carb diets can work quite well. Just remember there is no need to try eliminating all carbohydrates from your diet, and there are good carbs too.
By: Kathy Burns-Millyard
