How to Understand a Low Carb Diet

In the 1990s, low carb diets became very popular as a way to lose weight. These low carb diets restrict the amount of carbohydrates that you eat. Any diet that has you consuming 40% or less of your daily calories from carbohydrates can be considered a low carb diet. Two famous examples of the low carb diet fad are the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet.

Instructions

• 1

  Become informed about what a "low carb diet" means. There are many myths floating around about what exactly it means to be on one of these low carb diets. There are several books you can get about the low carb diet. A good place to start is either the Atkins diet book or the South Beach diet book.

• 2

  Do not fall for the myths. Many people think that "low carb" really means "no carb." This is not true. Fruits and vegetables are part of a low carb diet. Another myth is that a low carb diet increases your chances for heart disease. The truth is actually the opposite. Low carb diets may help with heart health.

• 3

  Understand carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are one of the main three areas of the food pyramid. These organic compounds are comprised of starches, sugars and fiber. In the body, carbs are used for energy, but the energy is stored. Much of it is stored as fat, which is what the low carb diet targets for weight loss.

• 4

  Consider making a few simple changes before following an actual diet plan. Change one or two things at a time. For example, you might try replacing pastas with a vegetable or fruit. You might also want to switch to whole grain pastas and breads if you still plan to eat these.

• 5

  Decide on an approach. Ever since the Atkins Diet was published, many other similar diet books have followed. This means that the definition of "low carb diet" does not have a single meaning anymore. Many people choose to follow a book because these books tell you what and when to eat. Others prefer to do the diet by themselves by following rules such as the "no white" rule. This avoids sugar, white flour, white rice and potatoes.