Have you thought about trying a low carb fad diet? Before you commit yourself to the latest low carb fad diet, you’ll want to check out the scientific evidence behind these weight loss plans.

Low carb and no carb diet plans assert that you will lose weight if you severely limit the number of carbs you eat each day. The facts behind this diet plan is that a low carb diet will reduce your body’s dependence on insulin, since the diet keeps your blood sugar level low. High levels of insulin in your blood stream can result in your body storing excess calories as fat. Most people do indeed experience a drop in weight when they follow a low carb diet plan.

However, most of these low carb plans don’t limit how many calories you can consume. The idea is the dieter can eat unlimited amounts of low carb foods such as bacon and hamburger and still lose weight, a concept that has been challenged by a study put on by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The study measured the success rates of 800 adults on a variety of diet plans, including low carb diets. The study concluded that caloric intake was the primary determinant of long term weight loss, meaning you do indeed need to limit calories (or burn off the equivalent of calories) if you want to lose weight.

Many dieters who have tried low carb fad diets claim they can’t stay on the diet long term because the craving for carbs is too intense. Your body requires carbs for energy, so the cravings can be too much to resist.

One last concern is the serious loss of energy most people on these diets experience. If you want to exercise, you need carbs to burn. Try going for a run while deprived of carbs; you’ll find it to be incredibly difficult, which makes it hard to stay motivated to work out. You may need to sneak in a few carbs in order to exercise, which is essential for muscle tone.

Now you know the truth about low carb fad diets.

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