Why a Low Carb Diet Is Good for Weight Loss

Why a Low Carb Diet Is Good for Weight Loss

few decades; the low-carbohydrate diet. If it is your desire to get fit and have a better overall attitude about your general health and wellbeing, a low carb diet may very well be a great fit for you.

Medical research has generally been positive concerning this type of diet. As recently as 2004, in a study reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Yancy et al.), when compared with a low-fat diet, a low-carb diet resulted in better participant retention and greater weight loss. Also discovered in the study was that serum triglyceride levels decreased more rapidly in those on the carb restricted diet than those on a low-fat diet and that the level of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) decreased while HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) levels become more favorable as a result of the low-carb diet than those levels found at the end of the low-fat diet. This research, along with other studies dating back to as early as 1924, has helped many people including some in the medical fields, to embrace low-carb diets.

There are additional benefits carbohydrate limiting diets over other more common diets. These benefits include a rapid rate of weight loss, sometimes as much as one pound of fat loss per day, as well as a decrease in hypertension (high blood pressure), decrease in insulin-resistance, decrease in overall hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels), decrease in type-II diabetes symptoms and complications, as well as a decrease in joint inflammation and pain. Such results have been regularly seen anecdotally as well as through several studies that have been conducted over the course of several decades. People who have been on low-carb diets also experience an effect known as satiety, in which the brain perceives the stomach as being "full" because of the presence of certain fats in the diet. Fats found in nuts as well as some animal fats help in this effect, thereby allowing those on limiting their carbohydrates the ability to be more satisfied with their diets then people on low-fat diets are with theirs. Those dieters feeling the effects of satiety are more likely to get fit than those who do not.

 As with any diet, it's important to seek the advice of your doctor before beginning a weight loss regimen. Of course, with some doctors still clinging to the old methods of low-fat or low-calorie weight loss, it is important to do your research first so as to have a reasonable discussion with your doctor. If necessary, you may want to speak with a doctor or dietician who has a favorable view of low-carb diets. As with any diet, low-carb diets may have some short term issues which some people find disagreeable. One is that some people experience a low-energy state the first few days. However, those who make certain to have plenty of electrolytes during the first few days will also find they have almost no issues with low-energy. Since this was an original complaint against the Atkins diet and other low-carb diets in the beginning, Atkins and others have transformed their diets to make up for such problems. Also, many of the low-carb diets have a nice assortment of fiber-filled vegetables to add to any dish. Today's low carb diets are without a doubt among the best ways to shed pounds fast for those who want to get fit.