“Low Carb” Diets - do they work?

  • Published
  • By SSgt David R Fernandez USAF
Fad diets come and go. The "Low Carb" diets have yet again received a lot of attention in the past few years. With millions of book sales and aggressive marketing campaigns, many people turn to these "Low Carb" diets such as the Atkins, South Beach, and the Zone diet for a quick and easy answer to weight loss. 

The problem is how do we know if they are safe and effective? Most Americans don't even follow these diets all the way through to the end. They obtain the desired results, and then revert back to their old eating habits. More often than not they wind up gaining all, if not more, of the weight right back. 

"Low Carb" Diets - The Theory
The key message these "Low Carb" diets convey is that carbohydrates promote insulin production, which in turn results in weight gain. Therefore by reducing carbohydrate intake, we will lose weight. 

The truth is: by eating a Low Carbohydrate diet, you're not providing sufficient carbohydrates to your body for daily function. Therefore it will start burning the stored carbohydrates (glycogen) for energy. When your body starts burning glycogen, water is released. Therefore the drastic initial drop of weight at the beginning is mostly water you lose as a result of burning glycogen. 

Some "Low Carb" diets can be high in fat! Some of these diets promise that you may eat as much meat, butter and cream as you want. There is no way for someone to eat that much fatty food and justify that it is healthy to do so; that type of thinking is just plain ludicrous. Numerous well-proven scientific research studies have shown that diets high in fat and saturated fat can increase the risk of Coronary Heart Disease. 

In addition, many "Low Carb" diets lump all carbohydrate foods together and give them a bad name. For example, the Atkins diet limits carbohydrate intake to just 20g daily in the beginning stages of the diet (vs 130g recommended level by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine). 

Most grains, fruits, beans, potatoes, rice, pastas, some vegetables are all excluded from this diet. Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber as well as antioxidants such as Vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavonoids which are essential in the prevention of heart disease and cancer. 

Why do some people lose weight initially on a "Low Carb" diet?
The truth is - in addition to losing water drastically at the beginning, these "Low Carb" diets are often calorie-restricted. Followers only eat an average of 1000 - 1400 calories daily compared to an average intake of 1800 - 2200 calories. To lose 1 lb a week, you only need to eat 500 fewer calories per day than you metabolize.

Therefore, it doesn't matter if you eat a high or low carb diet; you will lose weight by simply restricting your calories to less than what you need daily. One easy way to lose 500 calories a day without restricting food is through physical exercise. 

By simply burning more calories than you take in you should start seeing some results in no time. 

If you have any questions, or concerns about the type of foods you should eat, or type of exercises should be performing go ask the experts. We here at the HAWC will help you get the facts on how to lose weight healthfully and become a leaner fitter you. 

We are able to calculate how many calories you need daily in accordance to your specific needs; i.e. height, weight, age, activity level. We are located at the old Southside Fitness Center, Bldg 2117 A. Our hours of operation are; Monday through Thursday 0700 till 1900 and Fridays 0700 till 1630. Or just call DSN 480-4292 (480-HAWC), 06371-47-4292.