Before you choose any diet, you should do your research to make sure it’s safe and has rules you can stick to long term.

So you might want to ask:

There are dozens of diets on the market. Why should I choose a low carb diet?

The diet market is huge, but there are really only three general diet groups:

1. Low-calorie diets

2. Fat limiting diets

3. Diets that limit carbohydrates

1. Low-fat limiting diets can be good for a long-term regimen for athletes, those who only have a few extra pounds to lose, or those who just need to maintain their healthy weight. This type of diet can also be used to improve blood cholesterol and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, but recent clinical data questioned this approach.

2. Low-calorie diets require self-discipline, support, and guidance. Possibly the best known is the Weight Watchers weight loss program, which has attracted millions of dieters for decades. An interesting note: Before the rise of low-fat diets, Weight Watchers offered carb-limiting programs, not fat-limiting ones.

3. Lastly, low-carb diets are used to curb appetite, making it easier to adhere to over time. Opponents of the diet often emphasize that the foods you should eat are not considered balanced. Dieters are generally advised to take supplements to ensure adequate nutrient intake.

The especially strict ketogenic diet, which requires not only limiting carbohydrates, but also protein and even water, is becoming increasingly popular.

Ketogenic Diets

It’s a diet that, when followed conscientiously, produces a byproduct called ketones. Most dieters can achieve ketosis (a condition associated with increased blood ketones) by limiting their carbohydrate intake to less than 60 grams per day.

The state of ketosis is what makes a ketogenic diet so metabolically similar to fasting that it is often referred to as a controlled fast.

This diet is a mathematically calculated diet that is high in fat and low in not only carbohydrates but also protein. Also limit your water intake to avoid diluting ketones and carefully monitor your calorie intake. The diet has been around since the 1920s, when it was considered a breakthrough in the treatment of childhood epilepsy, but it was usurped by synthetic drugs in the 1950s. It is now used in neurological treatments.

Clinics that prescribe the Ketogenic Diet followed the progress of their patients for decades, collecting and documenting many cases. None reported serious side effects and none concluded that the diet was unsafe.

Does a low carb diet work?

Many people are successful for the simple reason that they are easier to follow than conventional diets. You don’t have the hunger cravings you do when you’re on a diet that limits fat and calories.

The first thing the body burns for energy is carbohydrates. However, if the body does not have carbohydrates to burn, it looks for another source of energy: fat. Therefore, by reducing your carbohydrate intake, your body burns fat naturally and you lose weight. Remember, anyone beginning a new weight loss program or drastic change to their diet or health routine should consult their doctor beforehand.

A growing body of clinical evidence supports what you should consider a basic tenet of fat reduction: If you’re in relatively good shape and want to lose weight, then the #1 dietary change you should make is to lower your carbohydrate intake. and up your protein immediately.

For some reason, people still don’t want to understand and accept that dietary fat is NOT the problem for most active people. It is the intake of excess carbohydrates that is largely responsible for adding fat tissue to your body. Significantly cut carbs and you’ll drop the fat.

Here is the evidence. In a recent study, two groups were monitored. Both groups consumed 30% of their daily caloric intake in fat. The only significant dietary difference was that one group ate only 12% of their calories from protein (58% carbs), while the other group ate 25% protein (45% carbs). Even with a constant intake of fat and a relatively minor reduction in carbohydrates (from 58% to 45%), the results were clear. After six months, the higher protein, lower carb group lost 50% more fat than the higher carb group.

I would expect the results to be even more dramatic if carbohydrate intake were reduced closer to 40%, as in the popular 40-30-30 fat loss programs.

It’s important to realize that we’re not suggesting eliminating carbs entirely (this is ultimately counterproductive), but rather a gradual reduction in carbs to balance the diet. There is no question that most people, and Americans in particular, eat carbohydrates in excess.