Is Low Carb Diet Always The Answer?

You have probably heard some stories from a friend or an acquaintance about how they lost a huge amount of weight following an Atkins type low carb diet plan. Of course, if you have heard the success stories you have probably also heard the stories of people who have lost their extra weight, gone back to “normal” eating habits, and gained every single pound back — maybe more. It seems that low carb diets DO work when they are followed strictly, but how good are they for the long term, and Is low carb always the answer?

The fact is that the low carb diet was never really meant to be a short term diet, but it was designed as more of a “lifestyle” by Dr. Atkins, who created the Atkins low-carb eating plan. On the induction phase of the diet, you eat very few carbs, then you move on to introducing some limited carbs, and then in the long term (once you have lost the weight) you eat carbs, but only certain carbs. The low-carb diet is the answer if a person is willing to make a long term lifestyle change.

To keep the pounds off you will need to completely eschew foods that are heavily processed and refined — for example, white bread and refined sugar never have a place within a low-carb dieter’s life, even after they have reached their target weight and are in the maintenance phase of the plan.

Is low carb always the answer? For many people, it is not. If you are not willing to make an eating change for life then this diet may not be right for you. People who use a low-carb diet for the short term and then return to regular eating (with lots of processed carbs and refined sugars) will inevitably gain weight back.

If you want a plan that is easier to follow for the long term, consider diets that lower fat content and introduce fat-burning foods. Such diets tend to be easier to stick to, and are more forgiving when you make the occasional “slip up.”