Four shocking ways a LOW-CARB Diet can Help You to Lose Weight
Let me start off by saying one thing - carbohydrates are not bad. But….if you have a dysfunctioning metabolism it may be because you are burning carbs and not fat (something we will get to). To reverse this, you may need to consider your carb intake (especially the types of carbs).
Of course, weight loss is more than just diet. But nutrition is an important aspect of metabolism, and it is argued online, in books, videos, forums, and social media again and again. I have personally found that diets low in processed carbohydrates are most effective for metabolic health. There is a reason the Atkins Diet, Paleo, Whole30, and Keto have been some of the most popular diets for weight loss (if they are done right). They all have one thing in common: low-carb, high-fat.
A modern American diet is very high in carbohydrates. Simply put, carbs taste delicious. And they give us dopamine, serotonin, and other brain chemicals that make us feel good… immediately. But after an hour or so, we develop a craving for more. The vast amount of bread, cookies, cakes, candies, Cheetos, and Pepsi consumed by Americans (and many other countries) can easily make us feel that carbs are an essential part of our diet. But when you realize that hundreds and thousands of scientific studies have shown that processed grains and sugars contribute to disease, it makes you wonder if we even need these at all. Metabolic diseases, including obesity, have been linked to high sugar consumption and high carbohydrate intake. And if you don’t know this already, sugar is a carbohydrate.
Even diseases such as diabetes (insulin resistance), Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), cardiovascular disease (including high cholesterol and poor blood lipids), Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, Gastritis, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Autoimmune disease, sleep disorders, depression anxiety, and Alzheimer’s (wow!) are commonly studied for their link to high consumption of processed and refined carbohydrates (including sugar).
After using a low-carbohydrate diet in my own practice, I saw the powerful effects it had on metabolic diseases, including obesity and insulin resistance.
Why?
Allows for your natural feeling of satiety
Did you know that out of all three macronutrients, carbohydrates are the only macronutrient that does not signal your feeling of satiety? Meaning you can overeat on carbs without knowing it! If you don’t believe me, try eating a burger without the bun or fries. Just eat the meat and veggies, maybe a side salad to go with it. You will get full much faster than you think! If anything, you will be drawn to eat the fries, but when offered more meat, likely you will say ‘no’. Why is this?
Carbs (especially the flavorful ones like fries) do not signal our brain when we have had enough. We could keep eating the fries until we feel “too full”. When you take a food that is mostly protein or fat, like meat, avocado, or eggs, it's very easy to fill up. The extra calories that come with overeating carbs is only one issue. The other issues include insulin and blood sugar imbalance, prevention of entering the fat-burning mode, inflammation, damage to the gut lining, and mood changes. This is why it's important to be aware of having your own “shut off” switch with carbs. I teach a strategic tool on how to do this, that is NOT counting your calories or macros.
2. reduces carb cravings
Carbohydrates have this fascinating ability to be addictive - when you eat them, you crave them more! If you have ever experienced a sugar binge, then you know exactly what I am talking about. For some people, even potatoes and rice are so tastier that they end up eating more than their body necessarily needs. This causes calories to increase, insulin resistance to worsen, and more importantly, your relationship with food to become complex and toxic. If you already know that you have issues with boundaries around sugar and particular carbs, then it might be best to work towards healthy boundaries for yourself in the format of a 30-day challenge (work with me to do this!). For some people, a healthy boundary with sugar could be leaving it out of your diet completely! For others, it may mean limiting it to only special events. If food cravings are a real issue for you, you may want to consider Serotonin Nutrients, a supplement that contains 5-HTP and can help increase feelings of satisfaction.
3. Gets you into fat-burning mode
Carbs are the body’s first choice for providing your cells energy. The second is fat. Last is protein. When the body lacks carbs, it will start burning its second choice, fat. This includes fat on your body. If carb consumption is high, then the body will not burn as much fat or protein because its first choice of fuel is aplenty. If you have a dysfunctioning metabolism, you most likely cannot get into fat-burning mode unless you deplete carbohydrates, and increase healthy fats to signal the body to access your at for fuel. Over time, especially if this is a keto diet, you can actually reverse the metabolic dysfunction. But, when I say carbohydrates, I mean deplete the processed and refined carbs. Refined and processed carbs are not an essential food - period. However, fibrous carbs, such as plants (legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, some whole grains, and fruits) are essential due to their vitamin, mineral, and nutraceutical content. This is what the keto diet, Atkins, Whole30, and Paleo diet all do - they deplete processed carbs and increase healthy fats (some more than others).
Think about it though - by default, when you deplete carbs, fat or protein must increase - the lost carbs must be replaced with something. So a low-carb diet is really a low-carb, high-fat/protein diet.
Makes sense?
However, a diet too high in protein is shown to be linked to various health issues, so be sure to increase the healthy fats, such as avocado, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, ghee, and eggs. You don’t have to go into a full keto diet (70% or more calories from fat and 5-10% calories from carbohydrates) to reap the benefits (though some of you may). Macros that are 15-25% carbs, 40-50% fat, and 30-35% protein tend to create a healthy, low-carb diet that I am speaking of.
You can also consider supplements to help increase fat-burning, such as Acetyl-L-Carnitine.
4. Improves Blood Sugar Imbalance
Why does blood sugar matter to you, if you just “want to lose weight”? If you have ever struggled with metabolism or hormone issues, you must address blood sugar. When you consume food that spikes your blood sugar too high, such as soda, and you consume it for long periods of time (years), your body becomes acclimated to the sugar. It will stop the normal process of absorbing sugar into the cells for energy. On a scientific level, insulin (the compound that allows sugar into cells) stops recognizing sugar in the bloodstream, known as insulin resistance. This leads to high blood sugar levels, higher A1C, and high fasting insulin levels on a blood test. This means that the body cannot sustain and regulate normal levels of energy. You might feel more carbohydrate cravings, constant fatigue or low energy, poor sleep, patches of dark skin, skin tags, high blood pressure, and…. Obesity. So if you are looking to improve your metabolism and lose the extra weight, improve energy, and balance your hormones, you must address blood sugar balance. How do you do this?
Foods that spike blood sugar (have a high glycemic index) and that worsen insulin resistance include refined grains and sugars. Yes, processed carbohydrates. In fact, in my own practice, when I have clients go on a refined sugar-free and grain-free diet, they experience fat burning and increased balanced energy. Reducing the foods that spike your blood sugar can reduce blood sugar levels and improve sensitivity to insulin.
Blood sugar may not be your main issue when it comes to weight gain, but there is a high chance that it is. You can also pair a low-carb diet with clinically-evident supplements such as magnesium, chromium picolinate, or berberine to speed up healing. (click images below to purchase through my FullScript account).
It's important to work with a functional nutritionist or other health professional that can order you the right tests for insulin resistance.
The Bottom Line
A low-carb diet has been shown over the last 50 years to improve metabolism, burn fat, and balance blood sugar. Successful low-carb diets such as Atkins, Paleo, Whole30, and Keto reflect this research. A low-carb diet is less about the amount of carbs and more about the type and quality. Carbs are excellent in their whole-plant, whole-grain form, bound to protein, fats, and fiber. This allows them to slowly release into the bloodstream for cellular energy. A piece of cake is high carb, but so is a bowl of quinoa. Lettuce is made up of carbohydrates, but so is FruitLoops cereal. The difference here is that processed carbs are more concentrated and spike blood sugar while fibrous carbs are less concentrated. Insulin resistance develops with high consumption of refined grains and sugar, leading to weight gain. To reverse insulin resistance, you need to take on a low-carb, high-fat diet that is rich in plants. Always do this under the supervision of a qualified nutritionist who can guide you through the diet and lifestyle protocol.
