Okay, so like I had promised, I am going to talk specifically about some particular diets and share my take on these diets and help people understand these diets a bit easier, so that people are well aware of what they can expect from them, the pros and cons, the positive and negatives and maybe give people a new perspective on the “low carb” diet. This diet is one of the most popular diets to date, for no other reason then because everyone wants to blame carbs for their weight gain and everyone knows there are good and bad carbs, but because people don’t know the difference nor seem to care they will jump on the low carb diet assuming this will heal all wounds. Let me be the first to say, this diet is not the healer of all wounds, it will not keep you happy in the long term unless you honestly can maintain this diet without “cheat days” and it will be a hard diet for those of you who are carb eaters. Now I am not saying this diet is impossible or even a bad diet, but it has its ups and downs and I know more people who have done this diet and failed, been stressed out, and/or gained weight then I know those who are successful being on it. There are many different low carb diets out there and they all have the same catch phrases, same mottos and they all lure you in with the same result.. weight loss. Because of this diet, it has been a diet that many fail to do well.. and I don’t blame you. Going from eating bread to little or no bread, pasta, rice, beans, ect is hard and it doesn’t make one any happier when they realize how hard it really is to stick with it.
From my own experience, I tried the “low carb” diet as an experiment for myself and failed. I didn’t even last more than a month before I was back at eating carbs. Not because I couldn’t afford it, or because my options were gross, it was because I didn’t like it, I didn’t see the benefits right away and I have a hard time maintaining diets unless I can find enough recipes with little to no carb usage. Like I mentioned before this diet is hard to maintain over the long term and it is frustrating to those who aren’t used to not implementing carbs in their diet. This diet does show results for those who stick with it and have the disciple, it can keep one from living an unhealthy lifestyle choice, it eliminates any chances of eating bad carbs, and it promotes weight loss. Down below I am going to list the good and bad with this diet for both beginners and those of you who have already started this diet.
Pros/positives
- insulin management
- lower inflammation
- promotes advantageous muscle tissue/adipose tissue ratio
- It gives you more energy
- Lipid meal shifts metabolism (will shift the body into a fat burning mode because it will make it eaiser to access the stored bodyfat and rid of it)
- restricts food choices (restricting calorie intake)
Con/Negatives
- You need to make it fit into your lifestyle (commit more time to food preparation, shop differently, relearn to cook without certain ingredients, and avoid certain foods)
- You will have to consciously eat more varied foods to avoid nutrient deficiency
- intensity is reduced
- reduced fiber and micronutrients
- hypoglycemia and lowered testosterone levels
- Low glycogen levels
For all of you who are thinking about doing this diet, keep in mind the pros and cons and make sure you understand what you are getting yourself into, and most importantly, make sure it is something that you can stick with long term, otherwise what is the point? Also, for those of you already on this diet and or want to start this diet, here are some recommendations:
- Never go more than 3 days of having a high carbohydrate day
- Make sure the little bit you have of carbs are fibrous sources or simple sugar post workout
- if you are choosing to go severely low on carbohydrates, taking a supplement such has glutamine may be beneficial
- A supplement of dietary fiber and micronutrients is very important while on this diet
Finally, before you decide to start, take into account all the positives carbs have on the body.
Thank you for reading, please feel free to contact me:)
Sincerely,
Your blogger Shay-lon
Be the best version of you 
A friend of mine lost a lot of weight doing no carbs but her biggest problem was she used running for exercise and not having carbs caused a lot of issues for her..
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Thank you sharing this feedback. Yes, running for exercise and not eating carbs are a bad mix. I assume the running was so she could lose weight along with not eating carbs; even still not healthy. Agreed.
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Reblogged this on Staying healthy isnt a crime-Fitness is a lifestyle choice and commented:
Older post, about “low carb” dieting, the good and bad and in betweens, if you are someone who has done this diet, feel free to share your own thoughts, opinions and stories. Thank you.
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I decreased the amount of carbs I ate and went from 180 lbs to close to 135 lbs. I did not change much more than that as far as exercise. I didn’t go as far as “low carb” but I did decrease pastas, breads, and white potatoes. I don’t know if the weight loss was due to eating fewer carbs or the heavy sauces and spreads that tend to go with them.
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Well that is amazing, I love that! Well nothing wrong with benefiting from weightloss from less carbs, it does do wonders, I will admit that much.
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I must say I am really not into ‘the diet thing’, I have a couple friends who tried it, and it ended up being a Yo – Yo diet for them. Our bodies need carbs, and there are healthy carbs out there. Often people think, oh lets do this diet, but really don’t go into it as you have shown.
Thanks for a very informative post Shay-lon,
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Lynne,
I have head of the “Yo-Yo” effect, which happens in diets like these when people cannot sustain such a diet for a long period of time. I know it has shown to help with weightloss, but again like you said, our body does eventually need carbs, especially someone who exercises plenty. I believe some people shun carbs because they are blamed for many times people’s obesity but honestly, in my opinion, it isn’t the foods fault, it is our fault for now being attentive to how much we eat of something.
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I definitely agree with you. 🙂
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