Weight Loss Diet.
How Do Carbohydrates Affect Your Weight?
Carbohydrates are healthy, filling, satisfying
and taste good, but they also can add weight. Much of the
epidemic of obesity is attributable to a marked in crease
in over-consumption of carbohydrates. Your body uses carbohydrates
as fuel, and if you eat too many carbohydrates, they are
stored as fat.
Insulin, a natural hormone that your body
produces, plays an important role in converting carbohydrates
into fuel and fat. If you understand how insulin works to
create fat, you are a long way towards reaching your weight
goals. Let?s get started.
Eating excessive carbohydrates causes an
over-release of insulin. Among its many jobs, insulin signals
the body to take in food (it has been called the "hunger
hormone") and, once the food is consumed, signals the
body to store the food energy in the form of fat. Too much
insulin results in too strong an impulse to eat, too often,
and a body that too readily stores food in the form of fat.
The scientific term for this condition is
'post-prandial reactive hyperinsulinemia' which means too
much insulin is released after eating. Over time, people
who are hyperinsulinemic become insulin resistant. That
means the cells in their muscles, nervous systems, and organs
stop working with the insulin to open the doors to these
cells and allow food energy (blood sugar or glucose) to
enter. At this point, you may experience symptoms of low-blood
sugar levels (hypoglycemia) including irritability, shakiness,
tiredness, intense cravings, confusion, and headaches. Once
the blood sugar cannot easily enter the muscles, nervous
system, or organs, much of the food energy gets channeled
into the fat cells and weight gain comes easily. Over time,
however, as high insulin levels continue, even the fat cells
can shut down and the blood glucose gets trapped in the
blood stream bringing on the condition known as adult-onset
diabetes.
A high-protein, low-carbohydrate weight
loss diet restricts the intake of carbohydrates and reduces
the intake of those foods that stimulate the production
and release of insulin. You?ll be able to lose weight and
shake the cravings, and look forward to a healthier life.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE HIGH PROTEIN,
LOW CARBOHYDRATE WEIGHT LOSS DIET
Increased protein consumption with restriction
of carbohydrates, especially simple sugars, starches, reduces
the stimulation of insulin, which is the hormone that facilitates
the storage of fat. When sugar from carbohydrates is unavailable,
the body turns on its fat burners and extracts energy from
its own stored fat. The consequences are rapid weight loss
and preferential fat loss. By supplementing the diet with
high levels of protein, vitamins and minerals, you maintain
muscle mass and enjoy other health benefits, while losing
weight quickly and safely. Here?s how to do it:
Eat 4-5 small protein portions (12-15g of
protein each) and one meal. Or eat 3-4 small protein portions
and two meals. For example, you might enjoy a protein shake
for breakfast, a protein bar a few hours before noon, a
shake and salad for lunch, some soy nuts a few hours before
dinner. With this example, you can indulge in a great-tasting
and filling dinner consisting of some of your favorite foods
that are high in protein and taste but low in carbohydrates.
Meals should consist of:
PROTEIN: as much as you want, preferably
skinless, lean white meats. Enjoy your favorite cuts of
meat or fish such as top sirloin, chicken breast, pork chops
or filet of sole. Or make an omelet loaded with real cheese
and slices of fiber-rich vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower,
fresh mushrooms, green pepper, scallions, spinach and green
beans.
SALADS: consisting largely of greens and
selected vegetable such as radishes, mushrooms, cucumber,
celery and various peppers. Jazz up your salad with slices
of chicken, turkey or cheese. Or pile it high with tuna,
shrimp, or crab meat.
VEGETABLES: choices, choices, choices including
bean sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, green pepper,
spinach, and lettuce. Stir fry a selection of vegetables
in olive oil and add chicken, beef, turkey, or even tofu
(extra firm is best). Eat them raw, dipped in olive oil
or with a low-carbohydrate dressing.
If you are eating two meals per day, they
should consist of only protein and vegetables. Be creative
and remember to vary your selections and try new dishes
as often as possible. Fruits should be limited, but if you
must eat fruit as a treat, peaches and plums are preferred.
However, try to eat these fruits only two or three times
per week.
Eating small amounts frequently throughout
the day helps speed up your metabolism so that you continue
to burn calories. Try roasted soy nuts, protein bars, and
soups to help maintain steady blood sugar levels and keep
you feeling energized.
NO-NOS FOR THE DIET In order for this weight
loss diet to be successful, the following foods should be
eliminated: *Products containing simple sugars, including
fruit, sweets, and many commercial sauces and dressings.
*Products made from white flour, breads, pastas and cereals.
*Naturally occurring complex carbohydrates such as rice,
potatoes, corn and grains.
Other carbohydrates that should be avoided
are those that are quickly converted into simple sugars,
such as carrots, beets, and many fruits. They encourage
the production and release of insulin. Elimination of these
foods is critical to shutting off insulin and reversing
the body from an efficient fat storer to an efficient fat
burner.
Do not eat *Bread and all of its relatives,
crackers, cookies, pastries, doughnuts, pies and muffins
*Chick peas, dried beans, lentils, pinto beans *Cereals,
hot or cold, sweetened or unsweetened *Most fruits, except
for plums and peaches *All products made of white flour
*Root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, parsnips and
beets *Snacks including pretzels, potato chips, popcorn
* White rice, potatoes and corn
YEAH, RIGHT. WHO EATS LIKE THIS? Actually,
until very recently, all humans did. And our ancestors used
to get a lot more exercise that we do. They chopped wood,
carried water, tended gardens, hunted animals and never
spent all day sitting at a computer. In our wonderful world
of progress, we have created an environment perfect for
getting fat and unhealthy. We have grown up in a lifestyle
of luxurious, delicious carbohydrates that our forefathers
and foremothers never heard of or ever dreamed about.
But we live in a world of today, and sticking
to this diet, especially in the beginning can be challenging.
There are several important keys to making a change to your
diet and sticking to it.
Replace something you must give up with
something you love that you can eat. If you just eliminate
a food, you will spend a lot of time thinking about how
much you miss it. Instead, plan to eat something else that
is ok. For example, when I gave up wheat products, I substituted
olives and peaches, and ate as much as I wanted until I
didn?t miss the wheat any more.
Have a ?Cheat Day.? Plan that one day per
week, you can eat whatever you want. Completely go off the
diet for 24 hours and go hog wild. Then the next day, get
back on the diet. Having a cheat day makes it easier to
transition into your new diet and slowly say good-bye to
your old carbo friends. Here?s another benefit. Over time,
you will find that you feel pretty darn crummy the day after
your cheat day, and you won?t want to cheat anymore. Thursdays
were my cheat days. On Thursdays, I ate pizza and bread
sticks, and drank beer with abandon. In a surprisingly short
number of weeks, I started feeling miserable on Fridays,
like I had a terrible hangover. It wasn?t long before I
felt so terrible that I never wanted pizza again.
Once you reach your weight goals, you can
reintroduce carbohydrates into your diet. To keep your weight
off for good, certain carbohydrates should continue to be
restricted. This doesn?t mean you can never have a baked
potato or a plate of spaghetti again, but it does suggest
that products made with white sugar, white flour and certain
root vegetables should be a rare culinary event. You can
phase in potato skins and whole-grain pasta once you?re
on to maintenance way of living.
As you increase carbohydrates, concentrate
on small fruits with the highest antioxidant power such
as blueberries, grapes, strawberries, plums, peaches and
apricots. Leave behind the bananas, mango, papaya, pears,
melon and pineapple.
As with all new weight loss diets and nutritional
changes, make an appointment with your family doctor and
have a physical to rule out any underlying medical conditions
that could be aggravated by this diet. If you are in good
physical shape, you may experience symptoms caused by your
body going through a carbohydrate withdrawal such as weakness,
dizziness and nausea. Your body should adjust to the new
fat-burning metabolism within a few days and the symptoms
should disappear. Make sure you?re drinking plenty of water
because water loss accompanies the first few days of carbohydrate
restriction. Many people find eating small, high-protein
snacks every few hours as opposed to three larger meals
a day helps as well.
