Can you answer PRETTYNENA’s question about Weight Loss?:

The name should be something along the lines of all natural weightloss clinic and involving naturopath. It’s for my friends business and her boyfriend thinks they should name it “The Fat Factory”.

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With all of the conflicting studies and open interpretation of advice, it’s no stunner that disorder reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. Whether it’s Atkins, the South Beach or another low-carb set up, as many as 30 million Americans are doing a low-carb diet.

Advocates swear that the elevated quantity of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health conditions. Critics, on the contrary, attribute obesity and associate health conditions to over-consumption of calories from any source, and shortage of physical movement. Critics also contend that the shortage of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate plans may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, like fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.

Any plan, either low or high in carbohydrate, can generate substantial weight loss during the primary stages of the diet. But bear in mind, the key to prosperous dieting is in being capable to part with the weight for good. Put another way, what does the scale reveal a year after going off the diet? Let’s see if we can debunk some of the mystery around low-carb diets. Further down, is a listing of some relevant points taken from latest studies.

Differences Between Low-Carb Diets.

There are several popular diets designed to reduce carbohydrate intake. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately larger quantity of the whole caloric intake. Atkins and Protein Power diets limit carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters assert to remove only sugars and foods that raise blood sugar levels excessively.

What We Know about Low-Carb Diets.

Just about all of the studies to date have been small with a broad range of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric consumption, diet length and participant characteristics have varied greatly. Most of the studies to date maintain two things in common: Not one of the studies had participants with a mean age above 53 and Not one of the controlled studies lasted longer than three months. Findings on older adults and long-term results are scant. Several diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and consequently caloric expenditure. This helps to explain discrepancies among studies.

The weight loss on low-carb diets is a business of caloric restriction and diet length, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This discovery suggests that if you desire to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a prolonged duration. Little data exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. In spite of the medical community concerns, no short-term adverse effects have been established on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels amongst participants on the diets. Adverse effects may not be exposed because of the short period of the studies. Researchers have found that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet.

The extended range weight difference for low-carb and other types of diets is comparable. Most low-carb diets invoke ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and confusion. During the first stages of low-carb dieting some fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Ususally, these symptoms go away quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat similar to nail-polish remover (acetone).

Low-carb diets do not permit the consumption of more calories than other types of diets, as has been frequently reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn’t matter weather they originate from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the effect of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie intake, calories burned during exercise, or any number of other factors. The drop-out rate for rigorous low-carb diets is somewhat high.

What Should You Do?

There are 3 significant points I would like to re-emphasize:



The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is comparable.



Despite their acceptance, little data exists on the long-term efficacy and safeness of low-carbohydrate diets.



Rigorous low-carb diets are generally not sustainable as a routine way of eating. Boredom most often overcomes willpower.



It is clear after reviewing the subject, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are required. There just isn’t a lot of satisfactory information available, especially regarding long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets generate ketosis which is an unusual and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under some circumstances this may cause health related complications. The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a hasty weight loss plan to reach your goal. If you can’t see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it’s not the proper diet for you. To this end, following a somewhat low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients is beneficial.

If you do resolve to follow a low-carb arrangement, bear in mind that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred to fats from animal origins. Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say men and women on their system should curb the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that just 20 percent of a dieter’s calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This switch comes as Atkins faces contention from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan.

Another alternative to “strict” low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not “throw out the baby with the bath water”. In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbs such as fruits, potatoes and whole grains, retained.



Thanks to Paul Wolbers for contributing this article to our Weight Loss blog:

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Can you answer neelarang’s question about Weight Loss?:

I am 5′6 and weigh approximately 120 lb so I really don’t want to lose weight… I have a small frame & relatively small chest and hip measurements but have a lot of belly fat. I know that you can’t spot reduce. I was planning on doing some sort of cardio at least 3 times a week in addition to strength training… but won’t I lose weight then? I am more interested in losing inches from my waist than losing weight.

Rapid Weight Loss Diets

Perform a search for the word diet on Google and you’ll find 175,000,000 results. Run the same diet search on Yahoo and you’ll be presented with 118,000,000 suggested sites. The popular auction site eBay has more than 26,321 diet items for sale. Finally, searching for diet on myspace.com will reel in page after page of people interested in, confused about, and seeking answers for dieting.

With the staggering array of diet pills and diet plans on the market today, it’s should come as no surprise that most people are perplexed about which diet product is right for them. Approximately two-thirds of our population is overweight, and statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that 80 percent of overweight individuals and almost 87 percent of obese individuals are trying to lose or maintain their weight. In other words, there are literally millions of Americans seeking diet tips and advice they can trust.

That’s why we’ve created this list of top 10 diet tips. As personal trainers and health club owners, our goal is to offer you sound advice on how to achieve permanent weight loss with a healthy diet program. We’re not pushing any particular diet food, diet supplement or weight loss program. Instead, our goal is to provide you with some of the best weight loss information available.

1. Our first diet tip is also our most important. We strongly encourage you to seek medical advice before beginning any diet and nutrition program. This is good advice for anyone beginning a new exercise program, as well. Nobody but your own personal physician is qualified to give you the expert advice you need to make intelligent decisions about healthy weight loss, so first and foremost get some medical advice before starting any diet.

2. Our second diet tip is to look for all the free advice on dieting you can find. Be aware that the best, most reliable health advice will come from people actually working in the industry - NOT from marketers and salespeople. With this in mind, seek tips on losing weight from doctors, nutritionists and gym owners. Be wary of health tips from marketers who are solely interested in selling you a product or plan. The ulterior motive to sell may make their weight loss tips questionable.

3. Realize that if a diet has gained national exposure, it has probably worked for someone. However, just because a diet has worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. Just as legal advice and dating tips must vary from person to person, diets are not a one-size-fits-all commodity either. So when your relative or co-worker gushes about the great new online diet they’re on, check it out before you jump on the bandwagon. What works for them may not work for you.

4. Try many different diet recipes to decide which you like best. People enjoy different foods, and finding a diet recipe that pleases everyone is like trying to give the same relationship advice to every couple on the planet. It just won’t work. Attempting to force yourself to eat foods you don’t like, just because they’re low in calories, will only lead to frustration and failure. A much better approach is to experiment with diet recipes until you find the perfect match for you.

5. Our fifth diet tip is to avoid weight loss pills and prescription diet pills that may be unsafe or even deadly. Although some diet drugs are completely safe and effective, others (like Meridia and Phen-Fen) have surprised users with serious side effects. The promise of fast weight loss isn’t worth the risk to your health, so be cautious with weight loss drugs and other weight loss supplements.

6. Good financial advice always mandates that you journal your expenses in order to find out where your money is going. In the same way, you should start keeping a journal of everything you eat. Everything! This is one tip on losing weight that is guaranteed to work for virtually everybody. It turns out that just a bite here and a taste there really adds up, and keeping a diet journal will open your eyes to how many calories you’re actually getting. Armed with this information, you’ll know where to cut and trim to lose weight.

7. Join a support group. Some of the best weight loss tips and diet advice isn’t found in a book, but comes from other people just like you. Joining a diet support group like PRISM or TOPS can make all the difference when your willpower starts to fade and you’re tempted to throw in the towel. Whether you’re swapping Weight Watcher recipes or discussing the new diet patch on the market, a support group can be a tremendous help as you write your own weight loss success story.

8. Set realistic expectations. All the doctor advice on dieting suggests that, if you’re experiencing healthy weight loss, then you should be losing no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. Lose weight any faster than that and you’re likely losing muscle tissue and water weight instead of just fat. This is one of the worst things you can do when you’re trying to achieve permanent fat loss. So forget the infomercials that promise you quick weight loss without any effort, because that’s just not true. Focus instead on achieving your ideal weight with a healthy diet and nutrition weight loss plan.

9. A diet tip that you may not expect requires you to eat more often. That’s right! Consume small high-protein and low fat snacks every 3 to 4 hours and you’ll keep hunger pangs away all day. This will go a long way towards eliminating the binges that are so tempting during a diet. Following this advice will also keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day, giving you more energy and preventing the ‘crash’ many experience when dieting.

10. Finally, remember that any weight loss diet must include regular exercise to be effective. It’s a proven fact that when you diet without exercising, up to fifty percent of the weight you lose may actually be muscle loss. Losing muscle is the absolute worst thing you can do when you’re trying to lose weight fast because for every pound of muscle you forfeit you actually lower your metabolic rate by about fifty calories. In other words, losing muscle makes it harder for you to lose body fat. With this in mind, coupling regular exercise with your diet plan makes success much more likely.

Take these diet tips to heart and you’ll soon be well on your way to weight loss success. Good luck, and we’ll see you at the gym.



Thanks to Tracie Johanson for contributing this article to our Weight Loss blog:

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