Do Low Carb Fad Diets Work?

Have you thought about trying a low carb fad diet? You'll want to educate yourself about the pros and cons of low carb fad diets before you try it.

Low carb and no carb diet plans assert that you will lose weight if you severely limit the number of carbs you eat each day. The trustworthy premise behind this diet plan is that a low carb diet keeps your blood sugar low—ask any diabetic—and therefore decreases your body’s production of insulin. Since insulin triggers the storage of fat, it makes sense to lower your body’s insulin production. Most people do indeed experience a drop in weight when they follow a low carb diet plan.

However, most of these low carb plans don’t limit how many calories you can consume. A recent study by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the Natitional Institutes of Health counters this assertion. The study measured the success rates of 800 adults on a variety of diet plans, including low carb diets. The end conclusion was you must limit caloric intake if you want to lose weight long term.

Many dieters who have tried low carb fad diets claim they can't stay on the diet long term because the craving for carbs is too intense. Your body requires carbs for energy, so the cravings can be too much to resist.

Many low carb dieters complain that they don't have enough energy to do everyday activities. If you want to exercise, you need carbs to burn. Try going for a run while deprived of carbs; you'll find it to be incredibly difficult, which makes it hard to stay motivated to work out. Many people find it impossible to exercise at all until they resume eating carbs.

Now you can make an educated choice regarding low carb fad diets.