Low Carb Diet

How A Low Carb
Diet Works

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How A Low Carb Diet Works

This diet seems to work well and many people rave about it.
The system seems simple enough – eat lower carbs and loose
weight - but what exactly are the mechanics that make low
carb dieting work?

By now the term “low carb” is practically a household name
that is synonymous with loosing weight and getting in shape.

For one thing, by removing carbohydrates from your diet you
are cutting a ton of calories from your overall intake of food.
By lowering those calories you are obviously eating less and
this will make you loose weight.

In addition to eating less overall calories, by skipping all
of the starchy and sugary carbs that you would normally eat,
your body is now breaking down glycogen from the liver and
from the muscles to free glucose.

A low carb diet is very hard to stay on for any length of time, your
brain and your body requires a certain amount of carbohydrates to
function well, but cutting down on your carbs is certainly good for
most people and will help many to lose weight.

In addition to eating less overall calories, by skipping all of the starchy and sugary carbs that you would normally eat, your body is now breaking down glycogen from the liver and from the muscles to free glucose.

What is glycogen? Glycogen is simply glucose that is stored in the muscles and liver. This glycogen contains a ton of water and by converting it to glucose the water is released so the initial weight loss is almost all water but this can be a substantial amount of weight.

After about two weeks on a low carb diet you will notice that the extreme weight loss experienced comes to a slowing because it was mostly water being released. This is the time when your body will start burning fat instead of releasing water, so long as your carbohydrate intake is lower than 50 or 60 grams daily.

After about two weeks on the low carb diet the body is now burning fat as fuel for the duration of the diet. When the body burns fat for fuel then ketones are produced. What exactly are Ketones? Ketones are a byproduct that is caused when the body is burning fat for the fuel and energy.

These Ketones are released from the body through your kidneys. When the ketone level increases in your kidneys your appetite is also suppressed a bit more, aiding further in loosing more weight. It is highly recommended that you drink lots of water during your low carb diet to prevent dehydration.

Not everyone can handle a low carb diet. and how long you stay on a low carb diet is a personal choice. Many times just cutting back to a moderately low carb diet will do the trick without the problems.

It is also recommended that you consult a doctor or a physician before embarking on a low carb diet in order to lose weight.
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Article by Jeannie Crabtree. Visit her site for weight loss diets, weight loss plans and exercise equipment.

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