Low Carb Diets Can Lead to Weight Gain Not Weight Loss Success

I don't recommend dieting in general, because it is short-term...and achieving healthy, permanent weight loss success is a long-term relationship! Think of dieting as speed dating and weight loss success is going for the golden anniversary of marriage!

I digress...what I wanted to talk about today is low carb diets...short term or long term (if you think of diet in the definition of what you eat as opposed to what you eat to lose weight.)

While I know many people have dropped pounds while on low carb diets there are others who have not...no one diet works for every body.

Where I caution people who ask me about low carb diets is to make sure they understand what carbs are, and why having carbs in our diet is important.

The best and easiest way to reduce your carbs is to focus on the SIMPLE carbohydrates in your diet. That's the "white stuff"--refined white flour and sugar (which does by lots of different names, but that's a whole nother topic!)

These refined simple carbs have no, or extremely little, nutritional value. They truly are empty calories. While they give you some immediate fuel, they also result in a very quick blood sugar drop shortly afterwards. This is the carb craving that so many of us experience...we want the quick sugar boost and we have to keep eating these simple carbs to keep that "high" feeling.

Many people mistakenly think going on low carb diets means they can't have any carbs. First that is next to impossible to achieve. Second, complex carbohydrates are good for us...they provide nutrients we wouldn't get otherwise, they give our bodies fuel, and they give us fiber which keeps our system regular and also helps us feel full.

Another thing about carbs...although I don't count calories, if you do you should know that gram for gram, carbohydrates have fewer calories than protein or fats.

Going on low carb diets if done incorrectly can actually leave you hungry or bored...both of which will backfire in the long run.

So for maximum weight loss success eat plenty of complex carbohydrates. Enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes...you will have the energy you need, feel fuller and more satisfied, and be getting a better balance of nutrients your body needs.