How to Lose Weight Eating Low Carb

You can lose weight by being smart about the carbs you eat.

Low carb diets are helpful in losing weight but shouldn't be used indefinitely. If you are on a low carb diet, the carbs you are leaving out are simple carbs like wheat, rice and corn. While these foods are healthy in moderation, many people develop habitual patterns of eating -- which include a lot of these types of carbs. Complex carbs are very good for you and can be found in fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

Things You'll Need

• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Legumes
• Lean meat
• Fish and seafood
• Nuts and seeds
• Dairy foods
• Tofu and meat substitutes (optional)

Instructions

1. Divide your food into fruits, vegetables and proteins such as meats, nuts and legumes, dairy, and meat substitutes.

2. Make each meal a combination of two of the food categories. For example, combine one serving of salmon with one pear, or a serving of beans with one serving of cheese -- or one serving of carrots with an apple.

3. Eat five to six small meals per day, using different combinations of food categories. An example of a full day's menu might include scrambled eggs and cheese in the early part of the morning, apple and orange later in the morning, chicken breast and asparagus for lunch, yogurt and blueberries as an afternoon snack, salmon and salad for dinner -- and cucumber and melon for dessert.

4. Drink lots of water throughout the day.

5. Avoid beverages that have more than 10 calories.

6. Begin an exercise routine if you don't have one. Start by walking at a fast pace for 30 minutes three times per week. If you already have an exercise routine, add something new to keep it interesting.

Tips & Warnings

• Follow this diet for 10 days to two weeks, and then ease yourself back into a more normal diet, but keep restrictions on how much you eat. It is helpful to take breaks from the diet after a couple of weeks, and then do it again.

• The way this diet works is by using your body's natural metabolic reflex upon eating. Each time you eat, your body starts burning new calories, so if you eat smaller meals more often, your body has more chances to burn off excess weight.

• Before going on any diet, consult your doctor to make sure you are healthy and fit enough to change your diet.

References

• Weight Loss 4 Dummies