My husband and I have been on the Low Carb diet for almost almost two years now. We quickly lost a lot of weight and now use it to maintain our lifestyle. I lost almost 30 pounds and he lost almost 50 pounds. It’s not easy to do at first because giving up sugar and carbs at the same time was hard. However, the results are worth it. I feel so much better after doing it.
5 Low Carb Diet Tips
If you are following a low carb diet here are a few tips to help you reach your weight loss goals.
1. Don’t give up and have a support group.
One of the best tips I want to give you is to have a support group. I’m part of a group on Facebook and we share our ups and downs. My husband uses Reddit as his support group. He learned a lot and found some really great recipes along the way. He still does. He’s also used a lot of resources to create his own source of information that he shares with friends to help them start the same diet. Also, I have to say don’t give up. Use your support group so you don’t give up. It will be hard. It might take a little time to kick start the weight loss. If you feel hungry don’t jump to carbs, try some good healthy fats like nuts, olives and avocados.
2. Know when to consume carbohydrates.
You need to be aware of your daily routine and your individual response to carbohydrates, as there are certain periods of time when you can consume more carbohydrates than otherwise without causing detrimental blood sugar spikes. We decided to stay away from carbs completely at first. We didn’t exercise either, well I did when I was living in an apartment with a gym, but my carb intake did not increase much at all. But if you do think your body needs carbs here are a few tips.
The ideal time for carb consumption is before, during and after your exercise sessions. This is particularly applicable if your exercise sessions involve weight training, are intense or last for more than 2 hours. Make sure to eat your carbs before, during and after your exercise regimen to ensure that your intake will not affect your blood sugar levels or cause any damaging effects to your body.
If your exercise sessions fall into these categories you may be able to consume up to 600 calories of carbohydrates in a day. However if your carb intake exceeds your immediate energy requirements your body will store any excess, much of it as body fat. If you goal is fat reduction do not eat too many carbs, especially in a non-exertion period.
3. Know your own body’s fat levels.
If you have a beer-belly or a muffin-top like my husband and I did, then you are obviously aware of your need to burn fat. However, once you lose weight it can be difficult to know how far to go. Don’t lose weight below a healthy BMI.
This is a tip to not take lightly.
Losing weight to unhealthy levels causes different but serious health issues. Simple BMI calculators are freely available on the internet. We use Myfitness pal on our phones. To get started we kept track of everything we ate so that all our levels were correct. I think we did 5 % carbs, 80% protein, 15% fat and sometimes we just did more fat and less of something else.
If you follow a low carb diet correctly, you will lose the stubborn fat and improve your current health and feel a lot better.
4. Know what’s in your foods.
Don’t fall for the advertising trap of eating low carb meal replacement shakes, bars, ice cream and sugar-free snacks that are supposed to be great for people wanting to lose weight.
Many processed foods contain some amount of maltitol that may cause intestinal discomforts. Those foods that you often see being advertised for weight loss contain preservatives and other chemicals. Certain food are processed in ways that you may not even be aware of and by eating them you increase your risks of ingesting harmful chemicals.
Have you ever eaten something that didn’t agree with you?
For example, eating whole avocados is definitely healthy but if your guacamole comes from a colorful package picked from one of the aisles in your grocery store and you can’t pronounce the ingredients, you could be harming your health. Low carb doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. I find it’s best to make your own foods. Simple low carb food items combined make for great meals and snacks.
5. Know that your weight loss can stall…but keep going!
If you go on a low carb diet you could lose from 3 to 20 pounds during the first few weeks. Your actual loss will depend on how much body fat you are carrying and how strongly you restrict your carbs. These results can cause you to feel highly elated! However, after a few weeks your weight loss may stall or plateau. This is normal, so don’t despair.
Once you have made the decision to go on a low carb diet, you can follow it for life. It is a lifestyle and life-changing diet. So don’t stop, keep going! Look at your carb intake and reduce it to the level that makes your weight head downwards again.
Just remember to apply healthy food choices that supply your body’s nutritional requirements, rather than oversupplying its energy requirements. With some practice and self-observation you will be able to fine-tune your carbohydrate intake. This will allow you to continue with your weight loss in a progressive manner without risking your health in the process.
