Low Carb Weight Loss

3 min

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By Undine Tackmann
March 4, 2020

Why trust us?

Wondering how low-carb weight loss actually works? Here you’ll find out what you need to keep in mind to achieve optimal results.

How does low carb weight loss work?

Weight loss following a low carb diet is pretty much what it says on the tin: eating food low in carbs that may aid weight loss. The NHS recommends a balanced food intake with up to 50% of your food being carbs per day. In low carb diets, however, the carbohydrate ratio can occasionally be on the low side. Our article on balanced nutrition explains why carbs are an important energy source nevertheless.

What are some different low-carb diets?

Wondering whether going low-carb is for you? The possibilities are, if not endless, more varied than you might realize. They vary widely in their recommendations Here is a summary of some of your options!

Atkins Diet

Cardiologist Robert Atkins invented this extreme form of low-carb nutrition plan. You’ve probably heard of this plan to lose weight! With the Atkins diet you can eat all the meat, fish, eggs, and cheese you want, but pretty much no pizza, pasta, or other foods high in carbs. Your percentage of calories from carbs shouldn’t exceed 20% of your total energy intake, while fats and proteins each make up 40%.

Glyx Diet

As you might already be able to tell from the name, Glyx is all about a food’s glycemic index. In a nutshell, the glycemic index (GI) tells you how a food affects your body’s blood sugar: A high GI leads to a rapid increase in blood glucose.

With Glyx, you use a food’s GI to decide whether or not to add it to your meal plan. The goal is to make sure that your food produces as few fluctuations in blood sugar levels as possible.

In addition, Glyx incorporates so-called weight loss foods, including olive oil, fish, nuts, and seeds. It also focuses on low-calorie fruit and vegetables, such as cabbage, strawberries, and asparagus. Increasing your intake of low-GI foods and concentrating on fresh and high-fiber foods almost always reduces the amount of carbs in your diet, making Glyx a low carb diet.

Dukan Diet

The Dukan diet can be classified as a classic protein diet. It’s divided into 4 phases in total, with varying degrees of strictness with regard to nutrition regulations. And it’s not only low-carb, but also low-fat: It radically limits your carb intake and eliminates fat, meaning that you can only get your protein from very lean sources.

Logi Diet

The LOGI diet is similar to Glyx because it also uses the glycemic index. But instead of being just for short-term weight loss, it was originally intended to be a long-term nutrition plan. LOGI stands for LOw Glycemic and Insulinemic diet. You will choose foods that keep your blood sugar and insulin levels constant, which usually means you’ll reduce your carb intake.

Ketogenic Diet

In a ketogenic diet, your total intake of carbs is greatly reduced, while fats are increased: 60% of your calories per day should be derived from healthy fats, 30% from protein, and only 10% from carbs. These ratios make it an extreme form of low-carb nutrition.

As you can see, there are a wide range of low carb diets to choose from. Your choice is up to you and may depend on your weight-loss or health goals.

Can you lose weight with a low-carb diet?

Now more than ever, people are turning to low-carb diets since they’re especially good for losing weight over the short-term. Wondering how losing weight with a low-carb diet works?

It’s pretty simple: Reducing your consumption of carbohydrates in a low-carb diet is supposed to create a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit is what happens when you consume fewer calories than you burn during the day. Calorie requirements vary from person to person. Our free calorie calculator makes it easy to calculate your daily calorie requirements.

All low-carb diets make use of one of the human body’s basic mechanisms: Carbs are the body’s number one source of energy, so if you don’t give your body any through your diet, it’ll use up stored carbohydrates to keep producing energy for you.

Carbs are stored as glycogen, mostly in your liver and muscle cells. Rapid weight loss is mostly caused by the fact that glycogen is bound to water when it’s excreted. When all these reserves are used up, the body falls back on fats and proteins as a source of energy.

Low-carb nutrition plan

So, does a low-carb diet work? To lose weight your body has to burn more calories than it takes in. It doesn’t matter what your diet or dietary habits are. We always recommend a moderate calorie deficit of 300-500 calories. Make sure you also continue to eat a balanced diet.

Conclusion

A low-carb diet can help you lose weight if you execute it correctly. Be careful not to overdo it with your calorie deficit. If you’re looking to lose weight by eating low-carb, consider adding some exercise into the mix.

Sources for this article

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