The Bacon Factor: Low-Carb Diet Plans for Weight Loss

So you think you’re finally ready to give up all the refined grains and sugars and opt for eating bacon 24/7? We’re kidding about the bacon, but going low-carb may in fact be a great solution for your weight loss. 

Here’s how it works: Your body produces large amounts of insulin to help digest carbs. It increases blood sugar levels so that the body can turn the carbs into energy. But a low-carb diet involves withholding those pesky carbs so that the body will have to rely on fat stores instead to create energy.

In essence, your body becomes a super powerful, super-efficient fat burning machine.

And even better: there are numerous reported benefits to a low-carb diet.

Just to name a few…

• Increased Energy: The body produces energy at a steady rate, rather than the typical sugar spikes and crashes from eating processed foods.
• Fewer Cravings: Since carbs contain glucose (sugar), flushing it out of your body will decrease sweet cravings.
• Improved Brain Function, Mood Consistency: Sugar crashes cause mood swings as your energy quickly bursts, peaks and then declines.
• Less Emotional Eating: Flushing serotonin-causing carbs (which make you feel relaxed and sometimes emotional) from the body will decrease the likelihood that you’ll eat because you’re sad.
• Pearlier Whites: Sugar is the leading source of cavities. Cutting out the sugar from carbs will make your teeth healthier.

Sources: About.com, Fitday

Here are the three most popular schools of thought when it comes to making the low-carb leap:
 

Atkins

Atkins was the original founder of the low-carb diet. Here’s the science behind his diet plan:

• Limited carb-consumption to change the way you metabolize energy.
• Instead of converting glucose to energy, the body uses stored fats to create energy, resulting in weight loss.

South Beach Diet

This diet relies on the philosophy of “good carbs” versus “bad carbs."

GOOD: Carbs with a low glycemic index (55 or less).

• Examples: Beans, fruits, veggies, seeds

BAD: Carb-rich foods that are digested quickly (55 or more), causing a spike in blood sugar.

• Examples: White bread/pasta/rice, sugary breakfast cereals, potatoes, bagels

Paleo

This diet goes back-to-the-basics. And we mean the very basics.

- Excludes anything our Paleolithic ancestors didn’t have access to.

• Examples: Grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, salt, sugar and processed oils.

- Focuses on low-carb, unprocessed food.

• Examples: lean protein, eggs, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds.

Here’s some more of the 411 on low-carb diets:




Sound like something you want to give a try? Cool. That’s why we here at Diet-to-Go serve up a low-carb menu to satisfy all your protein needs. Our Carb30 menu yields only 30 net carbs per day, perfect for someone just getting started or a person seeking to maintain their weight loss plan.

View our Carb30 menu →

** Disclaimer: Please consult your physician before going on this or any other diet plan.