Low Carb Diet Problems

Diets which limit carbohydrate intake, such as the Atkins and South Beach diets, have enjoyed considerable public success. By limiting consumption of carbohydrates, the dieter forces their body into burning the existing fuel stored in fat cells, resulting in rapid weight loss. However, the low carb lifestyle has several inherent problems. It can cause health issues and some followers find it difficult to adapt their current eating habits. While a low carbohydrate diet may offer an immediate solution to a weight issue, the problems with this type of diet should be examined thoroughly before starting.

Inconvenient
A low carb lifestyle may lead to successful weight loss, but as these diets lose their "fad" status, low carb specific products are disappearing from store shelves. Recipes such as those outlined in The South Beach Cookbook are low carb versions of many traditional recipes; however to eliminate the carb count in these foods, they must be prepared from scratch. The absence of low carb convenience food leaves the dieter to prepare their own food, which can be both time consuming and costly.

Restrictive
Low carb diets strive to eliminate some or all carbohydrate intake; eating plans such as the Atkins and South Beach diets allow dieters to do this in stages. The first stage of the diet is a very restrictive phase, in which the dieter must avoid all carbohydrates. The restrictions of this phase make food choices more difficult, both at home and when dining out. These restrictions can also cause issues if the dieter is preparing meals for a family or others who are not following the diet.

Fat Intake
In low carb diets and products, the sugars are reduced; however, in many situations these products have a higher fat content than their non low carb counterparts. It is necessary for the dieter to read the nutrition content labels carefully, as fat content can still cause weight gain, even while following a low carb diet. Outside of prepackaged foods, the restrictions of the diet can steer dieters towards higher fat foods, such as cheese and meats. While the purpose of a low carb diet is to force the body to burn fat, in many cases the fat is coming from the diet and not from the stored fat cells of the body, resulting in little to no weight loss.

Nutrition
The low carb diet steers the dieters towards specific foods. These diets are rich in lean meat, dairy, and fats with little emphasis on nutrition. The absence of certain fruits and vegetables in a low carb diet, due to their impact on the body's blood sugar levels, can lead to a lack of essential vitamins and nutrients. Followed long term, it is possible to create a vitamin deficiency or a higher LDL cholesterol than is considered acceptable.

Weight Gain
The low carb diet can cause rapid weight loss, however in the initial stages of the diet this is often caused by water weight and is gained back as the dieter progresses to more normal, stable eating habits. As the dieter lessens restrictions on their carb intake, the weight lost in the initial phase of the diet may be reversed. If the dieter ceases to restrict their carb intake, the weight lost in the dieting processes is likely to return. The process of losing and gaining weight, called "yo yo dieting," can cause nutritional deficiency, problems with the liver and other organs, and osteoporosis.

How to Lose Weight Without Working Out

Many people want to lose weight, but instead of misplacing pounds they misplace their momentum when working out becomes too much of a hassle, too time consuming or just plain too hard. While it is not a good long-term plan to lose weight without exercising and maintaining a healthy cardiovascular and fitness regimen, there are times in your life when you may simply be too tired, too stressed or too busy to work out. At times like that, you do not have to sacrifice your figure, but you will need to focus very intensely on the things you eat as well as when you eat them.

• Take a daily multivitamin. Work with your doctor to make sure that you are getting all the vitamins and minerals that you need. Because you will need to cut your calorie intake dramatically in order to continue to lose weight without a regular workout, you need to insure that you still are getting all the vital nutrients.

• Replace breakfast with a nutritious protein or meal replacement shake. This will help make sure you get enough energizing calories to start your day without adding in excessive carbohydrates that are in most breakfast cereals, toast and other classic morning meals.

• Avoid sugar entirely. If you must sweeten something, use a sucralose-based sweetener instead of the real thing. When you are not exercising, your body automatically stores glucose and turns it into fat instead of using it for energy.

• Cut your portions in half. If you are going to forgo exercise, then you will need to forgo nearly half of the calories that you are accustomed to eating. Try to eliminate calories from breads, sugars and sweet drinks like teas and colas while keeping high-protein foods like chicken, lean red meats and fresh fruits and vegetables.