Low carb diet recommends foods that are low in net carbohydrates, fat, and high in protein. Low-carb diet meals consist of 15 grams or less of carbohydrates per serving. Whether you are adopting a low-carb diet for weight loss or an underlying condition, it is important to understand that not all carbs are created equal and that a low-carb diet does not mean a zero-carb diet.

What are the common sources of carbohydrates?

The common sources of carbs are grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, nuts, and seeds, legumes, such as beans, lentils and peas.

Carbs are grouped as: 1) Simple natural, such as lactose in milk and fructose in fruit 2) Simple refined, such as table sugar, 3) Complex natural, such as whole grains or beans 4) Complex refined, such as white flour. In general, you digest complex carbs more slowly than simple carbs. A low-carb diet is meant to cause the body to burn stored fat for energy, which leads to weight loss.

What is a low-carb diet?

Low-carbohydrate diets restrict carbohydrate consumption relative to the average diet. Therefore, foods high in carbohydrates are limited, and replaced with foods containing a higher percentage protein, low percentage of fat and low carbohydrate foods. Lean meat, poultry, fish, egg white, cheese, few nuts and seeds, and leafy and fibrous veggies like spinach, kale, and chard replace high-carb foods like sugar, bread, and pasta.

How can we replace regular carb foods with Low card foods?

Eating low carb meals is easy by simply switching out white rice or brown rice with cauliflower rice and substituting roti, naan or parathas with low carb rotis made from almond or coconut flour.

How to calculate net carbs?

When you take the total amount of carbs in food and subtract out the dietary fiber.  Even though, it is a form of carbohydrate; however, your body does not digest fiber, so it does not provide calories.

    TOTAL CARBOHYDRATES – FIBER = NET CARBS

For Ex: ¼ cup white rice flour: 31.6g carb – 0.9g fiber = 30.7g net carb

As a general rule of thumb, chose foods that are high in fiber compared to those with similar carb and less fiber. It is recommended to consume 25 grams of fiber for women and 38 grams of fiber per day for men.

What are the typical foods included in a low-carb diet for weight loss?

While there is no strict definition of a low carb diet, anything under 100 grams per day is generally considered low carb. A low-carb diet broadly focuses on proteins and some non-starchy vegetables but generally limits grains, legumes, fruits, breads, sweets, pastas and starchy vegetables, and nuts and seeds. A typical low-carb diet includes a daily limit of 0.7 to 2 ounces (20 to 57 grams) of carbohydrates. These amounts of carbohydrates provide 80 to 240 calories. Low-carb diets greatly limit carbs during the early phase of the diet.

Most people can lose weight if they limit calories and boost their physical activity. To lose 1 to 1.5 pounds (0.5 to 0.7 kilograms) a week, you need to eat 500 to 750 fewer calories each day.

Unfortunately, there is no way to know how quickly you will lose weight on low carb, because it varies so much from person to person. Some people lose 10 pounds or more the first month, while others may lose about half of that within the same period.

However, if you eat less than 50 grams of carbs per day, the body will go into ketosis, supplying energy for the brain via so-called ketone bodies. This is likely to dampen your appetite and cause you to lose weight automatically. Some recent studies suggest that cutting carbs is particularly effective at getting rid of the fat in the belly area only if the patient can maintain a steady calorie deficit. Eating lots of cucumber (because of its much water content, it helps you feel full and eliminate cravings), tomatoes (rich in both calcium and vitamin C, which is an essential antioxidant that helps fight free radicals in the body) chilies, leafy greens, and beans help to get rid of your belly fat.

To achieve effective weight loss on a low-carb diet, you will need to: 1) Keep carbohydrate intake low, 2) Protein intake moderate, 3) Fat intake very low/zero, 4)Avoid snacking, 5)Exercise regularly.

How long should we stay on a very low-carb diet?

Following the low carb diet for an extended period can be difficult. This includes cutting back carbohydrates to 50 grams a day or less, for at least three to five days a week to maintain your desired weight.

How long does it take to lose 30 pounds on a low-carb diet?

3500 calories are equivalent to approximately one pound of body fat, therefore to lose one pound, you need to burn about 3500 calories. In the same ratio, if you reduce your energy intake by 500 calories every day of the week, you will need about 30 weeks to lose 30 pounds.