Top 5 Reasons Why Low-Carb Diets Fail

Ok, the low-carb pundits were right on one thing: refined carbohydrates are making Americans fat. But all carbs are not created equal, and restricting carbs, especially the good carbs, can be hazardous to your health. Thank goodness the low-carb diet craze is dying on the vine. Here's why.

1. Carbs are the body's #1 source of fuel

Your brain and muscles require glucose (a carb) to enable you to think and move. If you restrict or eliminate carbs, the body is forced to resort to making glucose out of protein. Making glucose from protein requires extra work for the body. During this process, nitrogen is released, the kidneys are strained, and the body loses water and minerals.

2. Restricting carbs triggers ketosis

When carbs are restricted or missing in the diet, as a last ditch effort, the body will breakdown muscle or fat to make glucose. The process is called ketosis and is usually associated with illnesses. For example, diabetics and pregnant woman with toxemia experience ketosis. During the ketosis process, the body loses a lot of water and appetite is suppressed. Obviously, ketosis is not a healthy condition, yet low-carb diet authors convinced millions of people that ketosis was a "metabolic advantage."

3. Low-carb diets lead to binging

A low-carb diet is an extreme diet and most people cannot stick with it. Everyone loves carbs. We all have fond memories of picnics with potato salad and baked beans, homemade bread, cookies and pies. If you restrict or eliminate carbs, eventually you'll end up binging on them. You don't have to restrict carbs, you just need to change the type of carbs you use. When you read Chapter 14 of Carbs from Heaven, Carbs from Hell, you'll discover over 65 mouth-watering recipes made with good carbs. Now you can indulge without the bulge.

4. The Glycemic index is misleading

Low-carb diets base their eating strategy on a measuring tool called the glycemic index. The glycemic index measures how quickly a carbohydrate raises blood sugar levels in the body. Carbs that raise blood sugar quickly are classified as high-glycemic index foods and are taboo on a low-carb diet. However, we don't eat carbs by themselves. Combining a fat or an acid (vinegar for example) with a carb lowers the blood sugar response dramatically. Several other factors determine how fast blood sugar levels are raised by a carb: fiber content, ripeness, type of starch, and the list goes on and on.

5. Diets Don't Work

Last but not least, a low-carb diet, or any other diet, is doomed to fail. Diets, including the low-carb diet, restrict calories. Consequently, the mindset of any diet is that once you have lost the weight, the diet is finished and inadvertently you end up going back to your old bad eating habits. Is it any wonder why so many people fail on a low-carb diet? Instead of yo-yo dieting, wouldn't it make good sense to change your lifestyle? That's exactly what Carbs from Heaven, Carbs from Hell enables you to do. It empowers you with a prescription for wellness: a step-by-step plan on how to achieve a lifetime of optimal health in a fit body.

Jeffrey Prince of the American Institute for Cancer Research sums up the low-carb diet craze in a nutshell. "When unproven science becomes a sales pitch, some people get rich and the rest of us get ripped off." Millions of unsuspecting Americans were and are still being misled by the low-carb diet half-truths. Now you know the rest of the story about low-carb diets.

References

Blackburn G.L. (2002). “Making good decisions about diet. Weight loss is not weight maintenance.” Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine 69, 864-866.

Heaton, K.W. et. al. (1988). Particle size of wheat, maize, and oat test meals: effects on plasma glucose and insulin responses and on the rate of starch digestion in vitro. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 47, 675-682.

Jenkins D.J., Kendall, C.W., Augustin, L.S., et al. (2002). Glycemic index: overview of implications in health and disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76, 66S-73S.

Polivy, J. (1996). Psychological consequences Food Restriction. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 96, 598-592.

-- Dr. James D. Krystosik

Babysteps to Health

Slow and steady wins the race. When you slowly take off the pounds and stick to an exercise program, you are more likely to keep those pounds from coming back. Look at every pound lost as a small victory in the road to health.
Don't set yourself up for failure; set goals that are attainable. Lofty goals are hard to meet and only leave you frustrated.
Make it easier on yourself--use half the cream and sugar in your coffee. Make small changes that add up to a big defecit but don't leave you feeling like your giving up everything you love.
Reward your success--the right way. We'd all like to celebrate that 5 pound milestone with a hunk of chocolate cake, but consider treating yourself in a different way. Why take five steps forward and then two back?
Keep it interesting. Variety is the spice of life; try new things and new foods. If you eat yourself into boredom, you won't be able to stick to a diet or workout routine.
Small changes for big results. Love eggs? Ditch the yolks. Chicken? Lose the skin and try baking or grilling instead of frying. It all adds up over time.
Keep track of activity. Keeping a log or journal of your workouts not only keeps you honest, it allows you to take a look back and see just how far you've come.
If you must eat sweets, eat dark chocolate because it has many health benefits
Stay away from the scale. When your clothes get looser and your measuments shrink should be proof enough that you are on the right track. Numbers on a scale are just overrated.

When is a Fad Diet a Bad Diet?

Time for a reality check: there is no magic bullet, instant cure, or easy way out. Losing weight is not easy, and many fad diets fall easily into the bad diet category. Be wary of any diet or weight-loss program that:

Promises rapid weight loss. Any weight loss of more than 2 pounds per week is too rapid, unsafe, and is unlikely to stay off.
Promises easy weight loss without exercise or that weight loss can be maintained without lifestyle changes.
Uses miracle or magical foods. No food can melt away fat or undo years of overeating and lack of exercise.
It's basis lies in consuming only one (or a limited number) of foods, encourages consuming certain foods in mass quantities, or calls for specific food combinations.
Relies on undocumented case histories. Testimonials and anecdotes mean nothing if there is no scientific data to back up claims.
Promotes unproven or inauthentic weightloss aids such as herbs, supplements, body wraps, pills, cellulite creams, etc.
Sound too good to be true. Most of the time it's because they are.

Splurge vs. Smart: Dining Out Without Breaking Your Diet

High-calorie, fat-laden, large portioned restaurant meals don't have to be a diet breaker. With some careful reading, you too can enjoy a night out without the guilt of a caloric splurge.

When dining American, be wary of words like buttery, fried, pan-fried, crispy, au gratin, creamed, sauteed, and hollandaise. Look for items that are described as steamed, broiled, grilled, roasted and poached to help cut back on calories and fat.

In the mood for a little Italiano? Sauces created from cream or cheese, such as Alfredo sauce, quickly pack in the fat. Go for sauces that are tomato based, and take half home with you--almost all pasta dishes weigh it at well over a serving or two.

Craving some late-night Chinese? Stay clear of batter-coated, breaded, or deep-fried foods and go for the stir-fry. Plain rice is better than fried, and go easy on the sauces; soy sauce and other Asian sauces tend to have high sodium content.