A low-carb diet is one that restricts carbohydrates, mainly found in pasta, sugary foods, and bread. Instead of consuming carbohydrates, you eat whole foods including fats, natural proteins, and veggies. Several studies show that low-carb diets can help in weight loss and improve health. A low-carb diet has been in common use for decades and is suggested by doctors. Best yet, there is generally no need to count calories or use any special products. All you need to do is eat whole foods that make for a nutritious, filling and complete diet. Learn more about a low-carb diet plan for weight loss and how to follow it for achieving your personal goals.
What is low carb?
A low-carb diet means that you eat few carbohydrates and a high proportion of fat. This can be called a low-carb, high-fat diet, or a keto diet. However, not all low-carb diets help in weight loss. For decades, we have been told that fat is harmful to our health. Meanwhile, low-fat diet products generally full of sugar, have flooded the shelves of supermarkets. This has been a major mistake, that coincided with the start of the obesity epidemic.
Recent studies show that there is no reason to get scared of natural fats. Instead, a low-carb diet fat can be your friend. Simply reduce your intake of starches and sugar, ensure you get enough protein, and you can eat all the fat that you need to keep yourself satisfied. When you avoid starches and sugar, your blood sugar tends to soothe, and the level of fat-storing hormone insulin drops. This helps in increasing fat burning and may make you feel satisfied, therefore naturally lessening food intake and supporting weight loss. Studies show that a low-carb diet can make it simpler to lose weight and to control your blood sugar, among several other benefits.
Different types of Low-Carb Diet Plan for Weight Loss
Keto diet- It is the strictest diet plan for weight loss, in which you need to consume less than 50 g of carbohydrates per day and increase your fat intake significantly. This is one of the popular weight loss tips.
Traditional low carb diet- This approach includes around 50 to 100 g of carbohydrates a day. This is a weight loss diet plan which many people prefer to start because it has fewer restrictions compared to a keto diet plan but can still deliver exceptional results.
Atkins diet- The Atkins diet takes you through 4 phases, starting with low-carb consumption and then slowly including more carbohydrate-rich foods throughout. It is great for people who prefer a more structured plan.
Dukan diet- This option includes 4 phases: two weight loss and the other two maintenance. For example, the 1st phase of the Dukan diet mainly focuses on high-protein food, the second add veggies, the third allows at least 2 celebration meals a week, and the fourth is about maintaining weight. As you can follow this diet from the book, it appeals to people who require a planned approach.
Who should not follow a low-carb diet plan for weight loss?
People can safely start a low-carb diet. But there are situations under which you cannot follow this diet plan for weight loss:
- If you are taking medicine for diabetes, e.g., insulin.
- If you are taking medicine for blood pressure
- If you are at present breastfeeding
If you are not in any of the above groups and do not have any other serious chronic medical conditions, you are good to go!
What to eat in a low-carb diet plan for weight loss
Your choice of food depends on a few things, including how healthy you are, how much do you exercise, and how much weight you want to lose. Consider this diet plan as a general guideline.
While following a low carb diet plan for weight loss, you can eat:
Meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, seeds, nuts, fats, high-fat dairy, healthy oils, and maybe a few non-gluten grains and tubers.
 All the foods contain less than 5% carbohydrates. Sticking to these food items will make it easy to stay on a moderately low-carb diet or even a strict low-carb diet, with less than 20 grams of net carbohydrates per day.
Tips for cooking and meal preparation
Eating low-carb, high fat includes having wholesome food. Some people even call it vintage eating. If you like cooking, you can make tasty recipes that are low in carbs. Not sure about cooking? Here are a few tips that will make it easier.
Take a break from regular breakfast- If you are not feeling hungry, feel free to skip and you can have just coffee. Many people find that within some days of following a low-carb diet plan, high-fat meals, hunger, and cravings start decreasing significantly. This can make it simple to skip a meal, perhaps mainly breakfast. Skipping a meal is fast, cheap, and might also increase the effectiveness of the diet for diabetes and weight loss. You can even try intermittent fasting. Cook two servings and you can save the second part for the next day’s lunch. Now, you only need to cook once a day.
Store leftovers in the freezer- Most of the recipes can be stored in a freezer, so you can make up a casserole, divide it into small sizes, and then freeze them. At the time of eating, you can simply heat it. This way, you can avoid cooking every day.
Repeat your favorites- Do you love scrambled eggs? Love to have steak? You cannot eat these things every day. You must try a new low-carb recipe using a variety of flavors and ingredients so you will not get bored.
No-cook plates- Do you want to stay away from the kitchen and do not want to cook a meal? Sliced cheese, deli meats, and veggies with dip make a quick lunch. Or you can even boil a dozen eggs and keep them ready in your fridge to simply grab for snacks or lunch. A can of salmon or tuna with some full-fat mayonnaise and vegetable crudites is a simple and healthy lunch. Sardines, smoked oysters, salad, or herring with raw vegetables are some of the simple no-cook options.
Conclusion
Low-carb diets restrict carbohydrates, like those found in sugary and processed foods, bread, and pasta. They contain a good amount of fat and protein. Several studies have shown that they can reduce weight and at the same time improve health too. The meal plan discussed above gives you the basics of low-carb, and healthy eating. Of course, you can browse online for even low-carb or paleo recipes.
If you have been trying hard to lose weight but without any positive result, then try this low-carb diet plan for weight loss. You will be surprised to see the result. However, for a positive result, you must make sure you follow all the above-mentioned weight loss diet tips. Many have attained benefits from this weight loss, so you can follow it without any worries. If you are among those who have followed this diet plan, then please let us know how the result is and are you much satisfied are you in the comment section.