Low Carb Diet

Question: Does a low carb diet cause you to lose muscle? If so, what is the most effective way to lose body fat? I'm currently doing cardio 3 times a week coupled with power strength training twice a week. I used to eat good carbs (like multi grain bread, wheat and granola cereal, etc) and have lost 15kg in the past 6 months with about 10% of body fat down. Recently one health instructor I met told me that going on low carb is even better and I'll lose weight even faster. I have since then (for about a week now) been on a low carb and it feels weird to be on a low carb, high fat & protein diet since I've been on a low fat diet for some time. I've also been researching and it seems low carb diets are unhealthy. Is this true? Pls advise. Thanks.

Answer: The weight you initially lose in a low carb diet is water. The body needs carbs to burn to make energy. It's not going to get much from your fat cells, but rather your muscle cells. Every professional I have talked to highly discourages low carb diets.

Question: Do low carb diets really work?How many carbs a day is considered a low carb diet? for example, if i where to keep up the low carb diet for about one month and then i start eating regular, will i gain more weight? or what are the "side effects" if i where to do this?

Answer: Low carb diets are an excellent way to lose bodyfat.in the short term, as long as you don't go below your BMR in daily caloric intake. Where people run into problems is taking all cals to too low of a level and choose low quality nutrients, and unfortunate component left over from Atkins days when the diet allowed for any and all types of fats and proteins. Anything lower than 20% of your daily caloric intake coming from carbs can be considered low carb. As for the long term, once you reach the desired goals, you don't want to continue back on the diet that got you into trouble in the first place. This means cutting out the processed foods, especially processed carbs, which are so prevalent in the modern diet. A diet high in lean proteins, low GI carbs and good fats spread out over the day will always produce optimum results, along with a consistent exercise regimen.

Question: I am switching from a low carb diet to a low fat diet diet. Do you think I will gain weight? I have been on a low carb diet for seven months and I've lost 25 lbs. I have pleateued at the same weight for about 3 months. I want to try and exercise more but I find I have no energy to run as much as I used to before low carb. I also miss fruits and whole grains, such as cereal, and I need more fiber in my diet (its very hard to use the bathroom on low carb if you know what I mean). I know I lost weight on low carb and I'm scared to death if I switch back I will regain. I'm just so confused! And if I do add carbs back should I still limit them? Like only at breafkast and lunch? Someone who is nowledgeable please help!! Thanks so much.

Answer: you should really limit your carb intake at night. Heavy foods at night are not good. still eat your carbs and enjoy low fat. just remember low fat doesn't always mean its healthier for you.

Question: What are some low carb foods and is low carb the best way to go on a diet? I am thinking about trying a low carb diet, kind of like the Atkins diet but I'm going to try this on my own, not with a program. What are some good low carb foods that I can eat that will keep me going during the day? Also, does anyone have some lower back exercises? I can't find ANY that are doable without some machine contraption and I can't afford one of those!

Answer: Low carb diets do seem to be a successful way to lose weight if you can stick with them. Low carb foods are usually foods with a low glycemic index. This means, they they don't increase your blood sugar. High blood sugar is a surefire way to increase hunger. No carb foods: Meats (Fish, Poultry (remove the skin), Beef, Pork, etc.) Low carb foods: Pretty much anything that doesn't contain grains/flour or sugar. Although there are plenty of exceptions. :) Both Atkins and South Beach have massive lists of acceptable foods for all of their phases. These lists are a great guideline even if you don't want to follow either diet. If you do end up going with a low carb diet plan, I'd suggest South Beach over Atkins. It's a tad bit more lenient. Especially after induction. The best non-mechanized lower back exercises I've encountered are yoga poses or physical therapy strengthening exercises. Here are a couple: Physical Therapy 1 1) Lie on back, left knee bent. 2) Tighten abdominals and buttocks, keeping back in neutral position. 3) Raise right leg 12 inches, knee straight. 4) Hold 3 counts 5) Lower leg. Repeat 10 times. Progress to making circles and squares with raised leg. =-=-=-=-= Yoga 1 1) Lie on your back. 2) Bend your knees, placing feet flat on the ground. Inhale. 3) Raise your right leg up. 4) Exhaling, place your hands around the shin. If that is not possible place your hands around your thighs. 5) Hold for a few seconds. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Question: Can I do a low carb diet to lose weight while running 20 to 30 miles a week? I have been running, eating a healthy diet and drinking lots of water for over a month now and a I havent lost a pound. I have lost weight doing low carb before but I want to have the energy to train for a half marathon at the same time. Is it healthy to do low carb and distance running together?

Answer: I'm going to go against the popular answer here on this one. I was on a low-carb diet while training for a half marathon. I lost a ton of weight, smashed my personal best time, and felt fantastic. I then went on to train for a full marathon and on the advice of the "experts" added healthy carbs back into my diet. I never felt great while training and can honestly say I had more energy while I was low-carbing it. I have since gone on to compete in Ironman triathlons and other long distance events. I have tried it both ways. For me, low-carbing worked well and I always felt good. Ask other low-carbers for their advice on this. Those who have never tried low-carb will always slam it because it doesn't fit their conventions. Honestly, I think everyone is different. I know I felt great while running more than 30 miles a week on a low-carb diet. I felt my energy levels were easy to keep constant and I always performed well. Others swear by eating more carbs and that's great for them. Give it a shot, measure your progress and decide on your own terms. Good luck!

Question: What kind of foods can you suggest for a low carb diet? Ok- I went on a low carb diet and I found a list of foods for snacks, but not many recipes or dinner/lunch ideas except wraps. Can anyone give me suggestions? Also- I am on a low carb diet b/c it is the only thing I have found that eases my stomach pains after meals. Tried lots of diet adjustments and cutting out unnecessary carbs is the only thing that keeps me feeling good. I will and love to eat whole grain foods.

Answer: Low carb means just that. Check your labels if you are in doubt. If you wanna lose weight then you need to do the induction which takes 2 weeks to get the carbs out of your system. That means absolutely no carbs at all. You won't believe how your appetite pretty much disappears! Try to stay away from aspartame in diet drinks, they can stall you and they can cause brain fog. No bread, crackers, chips, potatoes, milk, tortillas, peanut butter (has as much carbs as protein) etc. You can have any meat, except processed meats. Be careful about sausage. you can have butter, cheese (read labels for least amount) heavy cream for coffee, veggies, (no corn or peas) mayo, mustard, no ketchup! If it has sugar, don't eat it. No carrots. I am on one now. I eat a lot of chicken with mayo and sprinkle some of the hidden valley ranch dip mix powder in and mix it up. Make a great snack or lunch. you can buy the chicken in a can like tuna. I eat cheeseburger steak with peppers and onions and mushrooms a lot. Chicken salads with ranch dressing. Shrimp sauteed in butter and ms.dash. Chicken strips with melted swiss cheese and ranch dressing. You just have to get creative. Snacks, you can have, pickles (check carb. content) wrapped in ham with cream cheese inside. Lovem! Only in moderation though for them pickles! Cheese, bologna, cucumbers and tomatoes with a little salt. That's great in the summer. Here's what I ate today, 2 scrambles eggs for breakfast. Coffee with splenda. I had a salad with grilled chicken and ranch dressing. I drink alot of soft drinks with splenda to curb my sweet tooth during the day. Crystal light is good too. Not too much, Has aspartame. No fruit for quite a while. I lost 50 lbs about 7 years ago on this diet. Took me only 4 months. I have put a little back on and I'm trying to get back where I was. I've lost 14lbs in 3 weeks so far. There will be times where you don't see any weight loss on the scale but don't give up. It will come if you stick at it. You can go to low carb friends online, there a lot help and recipes on there. Good Luck!

Question: How can I reduce my fat intake while on a low carb diet? My doctor recently put me on a low carb diabetic diet. I am not a diabetic - yet. I have a very high insulin resistance in which he wants to treat with diet and exercise and diabetic meds. I have been charting everything I eat, the calories, the fat grams, the carbs, fiber and protein. However, since my carbs have decreased, it seems that my fat intake has increased - at least it seems that way in the pie chart. Is it possible to reduce the fat AND carbs? The doc wants me under 35 carbs a day which is extremely hard to do as it is. It seems like the lower fat foods have a higher carb content and the higher fat foods have a lower carb content. I am concerned about my blood lipids, blood pressure and overall heart health. I would greatly appreciate any tips or advice you may have to offer. Thanks! Oh, the reason I am so insulin resistant is due to the PCOS that I was diagnosed with a year ago. It's sypmtoms have started to take over my body very quickly and has deemed me infertile, unless I can drop and control my insulin levels ASAP.

Answer: I too have PCOS, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. I followed the atkins plan and in 12 months lost 125 pounds, came off all meds and my cycle has been normal ever since. My triglycerides and cholesterol and LDL were normal for the first time in my adult life! While I tend to be aware of the fat sources in my diet, it really isn't necessary to go low fat if you low carb....I've kept the weight off for three years now. But if you still want to lower your fats, choose lean protein sources and use oil/fat free cooking methods. make egg white omelettes and use less cheese. Good luck with your low carbing...it works!

Question: How long does it take to get used to a low carb diet? I need to stay on a low carb diet since I have candida, but I always end up getting horrible cravings and I feel very anxious on a diet that consists mostly of meats and low carb vegetables. So far, I've only been able to stay on the diet for ten days. Do the cravings ever completely subside? How can I feel satisfied on such a restricted diet and not feel so edgy all of the time?

Answer: The cravings should be over in 3 days. I'm betting you aren't going nearly low enough with carbs. Carbs trigger cravings. Low carb (or more specifically ketosis) is a natural appetite suppressant but you must keep fat calories >65% of total calories. Fat (not protein) will keep you satisfied & feeling full. When you lower carbs you have to increase fat to fuel your body with calories. You do not want to fuel your body with protein & there is not enough calories in vegetables to fuel the body. I always suggest for the first 3 days plan to overeat but with low carb foods. Have lots of low carb foods available. Eat so much you won't feel deprived. The carb addiction will probably drive you to eat even if you're stuffed. Don't worry about the calories (you can't gain weight with no carbs to trigger insulin) just keep piling in low carb foods and by the fourth day the carb addiction & your appetite will all be gone. Simple carbs are addictive & can be disastrous to health. The best way to break the addiction is NO carbs for 3 days. Make a huge batch of deviled eggs, eat one every time you want "something" - have huge omelets with bacon, sausage, peppers, mushrooms & cheese. Pork chops smothered with peppers, mushrooms & cheese - pork rinds & dip or tuna/chicken/turkey/egg salad - steaks - a huge sugar free cheese cake. Eat so much you won't feel deprived of anything. By the 4th day, the addiction will be gone & you can start making healthy choices. You can lose more body fat eating protein & fat (don't eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast, eat all you want, but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter & half an avocado a day (for added potassium). Keep the calories high & the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace. The first 2 weeks eat several cups a day of (mostly) lettuce & celery, cucumbers, radishes, mushrooms, peppers & more variety of vegetables thereafter - add 5 grams per day additional every week (20 grams day first 2 weeks, 25grams 3rd week, 30grams 4th week etc) til you gain weight, then subtract 10grams. That will be your personal carb level (everyone is different & depends on how active you are.) Start with meat, fats & salads for 2 weeks and then slowly add in more green veg, wk4 fresh cheeses, wk5 nuts & seeds, wk6 berries, wk7 legumes, wk8 other fruits, wk9 starchy veg, wk10 whole grains. You will learn how your body reacts to different foods. The first week is just water weight but fat is lost thereafter if you keep your calories high enough. Otherwise the body will strip it's own lean tissue for nutrition. Although that may look great on a scale it will make it MUCH easier to accumulate fat in the future (since all that pesky lean tissue burning up calories will be gone). The body won't release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow metabolism to compensate & store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering calories, it will continue lowering the set point, til it can survive off nothing & store fat on anything. The body will only release it's fat stores if it knows there is plenty of nutritious food. Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) & exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat. The core of Atkins program is converting the body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). Dietary fat levels need to be at >65% of total calories, if not, the body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis). It takes minimum of 3 days to convert a body to ketosis, (but only one bite to convert back to glycolysis). People feel sluggish the first week but most feel better than ever thereafter. Simple carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice) trigger insulin which can store the calories eaten into fat. The more protein the more the fat burning hormone glucagon is released. The more carbohydrate the more the fat storage hormone insulin is released. High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger & unbalance other hormones. Controlling insulin levels will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so lean muscle will be gained even without exercise. Any exercise will greatly increase muscle mass with high HGH levels. Ground flax seed (2 Tbsp) 1/4 cup water, artificial sweetener, mix in a raw egg - let sit 10 min. to absorb liquid, put some cream cheese in the middle & nuke 2 minutes. Suggested for daily fiber needs. As long as you have <9grams carbs per hour, you will maintain insulin control & shouldn't gain weight, no matter the calories because insulin, the fat storage hormone

Question: How does a low carb diet work? I heard that after a few days if your body doesnt have a lot of carbs, your body starts to get rid of the fat. Something like that. Why is it that a low carb diet help you lose weight fast? I also heard in the news that the low carb diet is the most successful diet people get on.

Answer: Does This Diet Work? Yes. A low-carb diet really does work, and it works more quickly and more easily than any diet you've ever done before. That is, as long as you don't cheat. More so than any other type of diet, sneaking a donut or a candy bar on a low-carb diet really *will* kill you. OK, it won't kill you literally, but it will kill the fat-burning stage your body is in, requiring weeks to get yourself back on track. Believe me, that Milky Way is *NOT* worth it, no matter how much you might think so at the time. ___________________________ How Quickly Will I Lose Weight? Well, the answer depends on where you are starting, of course. If you're only 10 lbs overweight to start with, you will not drop those 10 lbs in the first week and be done with it. It will be a more gradual process. However, if you are 100 lbs overweight, you might lose 10, 15, or even 20 pounds over the first two-week induction diet period, with it tapering to 2-4 lbs per week after that. [See the FAQ for more information on the stages of the diet itself.] 10-15 lbs in *two weeks*?!?! How can that possibly be healthy, you are asking. The two-week induction diet is meant as a jump-start for your system, to get it into maximum fat-burning mode quickly and successfully. But you do not stay on that diet after 14 days—you begin adding a few more carbo grams in at that point, to dial back the loss level to a more reasonable, *sustainable* level. It doesn't do you any good to lose 30 lbs in a month, only to gain it right back after going off the diet. ___________________________ Will the Weight Stay Off? Again, the answer is yes, if you don't fall right back into your old carbo-heavy habits. If, the day you hit your goal weigh, you run out and have a bowl of pasta the size of Texas and a dozen jelly-filled danishes, you'll soon be back at your overweight stage, or even higher. The low-carb diet is truly more of a lifestyle change, rather than a simple transitory diet. While you *will* get to eat your favorites foods again in your life, it will be on a very limited basis. You can kiss the days of eating at Pizza Hut every Friday night goodbye—once per month is more realistic. But don't let that get you discouraged before you've even started—the benefits of losing that weight far outstrip any pangs you might feel for that chocolate fudgesicle when you're in the store of "free sample" day. After you shed those first pounds quicker than you could have ever dreamed possible, you will never look at the candy aisle the same way. Now, continue on to the Pre-Diet Timetable section for some suggestions on starting your new life smoothly and successfully.

Question: How can I keep a low carb diet if everything contains carbs? I am really stressed out over this because I have PCOS, and I am supposed to keep a low carb diet to lower the effects and lose weight. I also want to get pregnant. I love veggies and fruit, but it seems like all the veggies and fruit have tons of carbs? I am so confused. I just had a tasty snack of red radishes, baby carrots, and cherry tomatoes...yumm..but im sure it was a fattening snack!

Answer: You should pick up a book from the library to learn the carb counts of many foods. The Protein Power book is a nice one because they give you lots of options. Most veggies are fine ... carrots are a smidge high but not really that bad. Some veggies are high in carbs, but not many of them. You want to stay away from potatoes and corn except in very small amounts, and you want to not eat sweet potatoes or peas very much. Some fruits are low in carb, those are berries and melons. Peaches and other "stone fruits" like apricots, nectarines etc. aren't that bad .. apples and bananas are very high carb and should be avoided. Most processed foods are high carb .... you are going to want to eat mostly meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, any vegetables except the ones I mentioned, and berries/melons.

Question: How to reduce your cholesterol, while on a low carb diet? I am currently in a low carb diet but my cholesterol results where high, do I need to change anything in my diet? Or is there any suggestion on what I can eat to reduce my cholesterol.

Answer: Your cholesterol level is an important parameter to know health of your heart. there are two types of cholesterol - Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) which is also known as “bad cholesterol “ and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), also known as “good cholesterol”. Here are natural ways to reduce your cholesterol: http://www.knowabouthealth.com/4-most-effective-ways-to-beat-cholesterol-naturally/

Question: How can i make an effective low-carb diet plan? I've tried everything,and honestly, i don't have time to count calories.How does a low-carb diet work? Has anyone tried it? Does anyone know a list of low-carb foods to help me off to a good start?

Answer: if you want a good carb diet YOU HAVE TO COUNT CALORIES!! it takes 3 extra minutes pasta oatmeal bread

Question: After going on a low-carb diet for two weeks, how likely is it to gain back the weight? Im planning to go on a low carb diet for two weeks, only eating about 40 grams of carbs a day. However, once I return to school, I am going to eat carbs again, but in moderation. But I am wondering if I would gain the weight lost again. I do not want my weight to yo-yo.

Answer: eventually yes you will. The low/no carb Adkins diet is meant to keep off weight when you keep the carbs out. Adding carbs again will make your body crave them more. A slow addition to carbs will slow the process but just going on a low carb diet shouldn't make you lose a lot of weight. You need to add exercise in your daily activity as well. I tried Adkins for a month. Then gained the weight (6 lbs. back after I gave up) The low carb caused me to become agitated and angry.

Question: How long do you have to stay on a low carb diet before you start to lose weight? How long do you have to stay on a low carb diet before you begin to lose weight?

Answer: The first week is just water weight but fat is lost thereafter if you keep your calories high enough. Otherwise the body will strip it's own lean tissue for nutrition. Although that may look great on a scale it will make it MUCH easier to accumulate fat in the future (since all that pesky lean tissue burning up calories will be gone). It all depends on metabolic resistance. If your body has a low metabolic resistance you will lose more weight in 14 days than if your body has a high metabolic resistance. You can determine your metabolic resistance either being high, average, or low after 14 days of following the Induction Phase. Here is a list of the Degrees of Metabolic Resistance: Pounds you have to lose: - High Average Low Resistance Less than 20lbs: -------------- 2lbs - 4lbs - 6lbs 20 - 50lbs: ----------------------- 3lbs - 6lbs - 9lbs Over 50lbs: ---------------------- 4lbs - 8lbs -12lbs You can lose more body fat eating protein & fat (don't eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast, eat all you want, but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter & half an avocado a day (for added potassium). Keep the calories high & the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace. The first 2 weeks eat several cups a day of (mostly) lettuce & celery, cucumbers, radishes, mushrooms, peppers & more variety of vegetables thereafter - add 5 grams per day additional every week (20 grams day first 2 weeks, 25grams 3rd week, 30grams 4th week etc) til you gain weight, then subtract 10grams. That will be your personal carb level (everyone is different & depends on how active you are.) Start with meat, fats & salads for 2 weeks and then slowly add in more green veg, wk4 fresh cheeses, wk5 nuts & seeds, wk6 berries, wk7 legumes, wk8 other fruits, wk9 starchy veg, wk10 whole grains. You will learn how your body reacts to different foods. The body won't release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow metabolism to compensate & store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering calories, it will continue lowering the set point, til it can survive off nothing & store fat on anything. The body will only release it's fat stores if it knows there is plenty of nutritious food. Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) & exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat. The core of Atkins program is converting the body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). Dietary fat levels need to be at >65% of total calories, if not, the body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis). It takes minimum of 3 days to convert a body to ketosis, (but only one bite to convert back to glycolysis). People feel sluggish the first week but most feel better than ever thereafter. Simple carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice) trigger insulin which can store the calories eaten into fat. The more protein the more the fat burning hormone glucagon is released. The more carbohydrate the more the fat storage hormone insulin is released. Simple carbs are addictive & can be disastrous to health. The best way to break the addiction is NO carbs for 3 days. Make a huge batch of deviled eggs, eat one every time you want "something" - have huge omelets with bacon, sausage, peppers, mushrooms & cheese. Pork chops smothered with peppers, mushrooms & cheese - pork rinds & dip or tuna/chicken/turkey/egg salad - steaks - a huge sugar free cheese cake. Eat so much you won't feel deprived of anything. By the 4th day, the addiction will be gone & you can start making healthy choices. High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger & unbalance other hormones. Controlling insulin levels will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so lean muscle will be gained even without exercise. Ground flax seed (2 Tbsp) 1/4 cup water, artificial sweetener, mix in a raw egg - let sit 10 min. to absorb liquid, put some cream cheese in the middle & nuke 2 minutes. Suggested for daily fiber needs. As long as you have <9grams carbs per hour, you will maintain insulin control & shouldn't gain weight, no matter the calories because insulin, the fat storage hormone is not activated. Many people gain weight on high carb, do low carb to lose weight & then are shocked when they return to high carb & gain weight. Many people can return to moderate carb levels but very few can really eat all they want of sugar & maintain weight or health.

Question: How do you get off of a low-carb diet without gaining weight? My experience with being on a low-carb diet has been that I am extremly sensitive to carbs. For example, if I eat even a single chocolate bar, it leads to weight gain the very next day. Due to this increasing sensitivity to carbs, it gets harder and harder to lose or even avoid gaining weight.

Answer: First off, low carb diets are not the way to go. I would suggest some physical activity. Walking, swimming, riding a bike. Any of those coupled with a balanced diet, including carbs will aid you in losing weight. However, weight, isn't whats important, as much as inches lost.

Question: How many carbs a day is considered a low carb diet? How many carbs a day is considered a low carb diet? Thanks.

Answer: Anything less that 9 grams of carbs per hour controls insulin and is considered low carb (up to 144 grams per day) You can lose more body fat eating protein & fat (don't eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast, eat all you want, but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter & half an avocado a day (for added potassium). Keep the calories high & the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace. The first 2 weeks eat several cups a day of (mostly) lettuce & celery, cucumbers, radishes, mushrooms, peppers & more variety of vegetables thereafter - add 5 grams per day additional every week (20 grams day first 2 weeks, 25grams 3rd week, 30grams 4th week etc) til you gain weight, then subtract 10grams. That will be your personal carb level (everyone is different & depends on how active you are.) Start with meat, fats & salads for 2 weeks and then slowly add in more green veg, wk4 fresh cheeses, wk5 nuts & seeds, wk6 berries, wk7 legumes, wk8 other fruits, wk9 starchy veg, wk10 whole grains. You will learn how your body reacts to different foods. The first week is just water weight but fat is lost thereafter if you keep your calories high enough. Otherwise the body will strip it's own lean tissue for nutrition. Although that may look great on a scale it will make it MUCH easier to accumulate fat in the future (since all that pesky lean tissue burning up calories will be gone). The body won't release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow metabolism to compensate & store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering calories, it will continue lowering the set point, til it can survive off nothing & store fat on anything. The body will only release it's fat stores if it knows there is plenty of nutritious food. Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) & exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat. The core of Atkins program is converting the body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). Dietary fat levels need to be at >65% of total calories, if not, the body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis). It takes minimum of 3 days to convert a body to ketosis, (but only one bite to convert back to glycolysis). People feel sluggish the first week but most feel better than ever thereafter. Simple carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice) trigger the fat storage hormone insulin. The more protein the more the fat burning hormone glucagon is released. Simple carbs are addictive & can be disastrous to health. The best way to break the addiction is NO carbs for 3 days. Make a huge batch of deviled eggs, eat one every time you want "something" - have huge omelets with bacon, sausage, peppers, mushrooms & cheese. Pork chops smothered with peppers, mushrooms & cheese - pork rinds & dip or tuna/chicken/turkey/egg salad - steaks - a huge sugar free cheese cake. Eat so much you won't feel deprived of anything. By the 4th day, the addiction will be gone & you can start making healthy choices. High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger & unbalance other hormones. Controlling insulin levels will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so lean muscle will be gained even without exercise. Ground flax seed (2 Tbsp) 1/4 cup water, artificial sweetener, mix in a raw egg - let sit 10 min. to absorb liquid, put some cream cheese in the middle & nuke 2 min for daily fiber needs. As long as you have <9grams carbs per hour, you will maintain insulin control & shouldn't gain weight, no matter the calories because insulin, the fat storage hormone is not activated. Many people gain weight on high carb, do low carb to lose weight & then are shocked when they return to high carb & gain weight. Many people can return to moderate carb levels but very few can really eat all they want of sugar & maintain weight or health. I am adamantly opposed to low calorie dieting because most people lose a good portion of lean tissue (including vital organs like the heart) along with fat stores. There is no nutrition in fat stores, only energy. Most people get impatient and lower their calories and increase their exercise to a point where they lose so much lean tissue that when they return to what was maintenance level eating they are now accumulating more fat stores because their caloric needs have dropped due to the loss of this tissue as well as their metabolism slowing down to work more efficiently on fewer calories & it becomes a vicious cycle of dieting and more loss (including vital organs like the heart). This stress to