Are Low Carb Diets Good or Bad for Weight Loss Success?

Everybody has heard of “low carb" diets -- since they seem to be emerging as the newest trend in dieting.

But do they really work? ...
If so, are they the solution to weight loss that everybody is looking for?

Well we don’t think so, because most low carbohydrate diets have several problems which make losing weight very difficult for the “average” dieter.

For example, if you follow the Atkins diet (a popular low carb program) then the restriction on carbs for the first couple weeks is very severe (by almost any standards).

The Atkins program allows you to have just 20 grams of "net carbs" per day during the first phase of the diet (which usually lasts for 2 weeks).

Just to give you an idea of how few carbs that really is – even a large apple has more than 20 grams of "net carbs".

This low level of calories is usually too severe for the “average” dieter to tolerate for 2 weeks straight, and in fact eating such a low level of calories can make a person feel “weak”, “miserable” and even "spaced out" all day long (because your body needs more carbs than that for energy), and can lead to long term health problems.

Other low carb diets (such as the South Beach Diet) are not quite as severe as the Atkins Plan, but in our opinion even the South Beach Diet is not as easy to follow as it could be.

We firmly believe that a successful diet needs to be easy to follow – because that’s the only way that people will stick to the diet and lose weight.

We also believe that diets should not make average people feel “miserable” and “weak” all day long, because if a diet makes people feel miserable and weak then it’s going to be very difficult for average dieters to adhere to such programs.

We’re not saying that all low carbohydrate diets are as restrictive as the Atkins Diet is, but we're saying that most low carb diets are so hard to follow that the average dieter will probably wind up feeling hungry and weak all day long (which is not a good thing for dieting success in our opinion).

We believe that “low carbs” is not the answer to losing weight, since your body needs a reasonable amount of all 3 types of calories to lose weight consistently.
The reality is that your body needs a reasonable amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat calories too otherwise fatigue / exhaustion will set in.

To lose weight quickly you must eat all 3 types of calories in the right proportions, and that’s why most dieters fail. They fail because nobody understands what the right amounts of calories should be.

To start losing weight quickly we recommend using the new From Fatigued to Fantastic Program, featuring over 8 hours of interviews with experts in nutrition, relationships, career, finances, sleep and so much more.

Are you confused about Carbs?

By now you should be seeing some good changes happening in your body. Yes, even just after a few days! Many people report feeling energized, lighter, and less bloated just by applying the 3 "magic rules" and incorporating some more healthy fats into their meal plans.

A question I do get quite often after people have eliminated white foods such as pasta, white rice, potatoes, and bread from their eating is "Isabel, don't I need some carbs?"

The word CARBS often induces more fear in people than the words Monday morning, Taxes and Shark combined. (AAAhhhh!)

Your fears may have some merit (but no need to scream), as many carbs in our supermarkets today are really just doing us more harm than good. Most breads, pastas, cereals, cookies and crackers are overloaded with refined flour and happen to be one of the leading causes our planet's obesity rate is on the rise.

Here's the dilemma. You really do need carbs to function properly. Your brain does not function as well without carbs (hmmm...does this explain anything about some people you may know?) and you may lack energy and be unmotivated to do anything (even fun things) without them.

Where is the happy balance? How can we get enough carbs for a healthy body and prevent weight gain? Or even better, lose weight?

Do carbs make you fat and how can you incorporate them into a healthy meal plan? The answer is here:

Do Carbs make you fat video.
What carbs do you need to modify in your current eating plan to help your body shed off its unwanted weight? Start with one or two food items and replace them with the healthier carb options I mentioned in the video.

Remember, there's no need to go "low carb". Just pick the "right carbs" to see the weight drop off.