Low Carb Digest

By now the term "low carb" is practically a household name that is synonymous with loosing weight and getting in shape.  This diet seems to work well and many people rave about it.  The system seems simple enough - eat lower carbs and loose weight - but what exactly are the mechanics that make low carb dieting work?

For one thing, by removing carbohydrates from your diet you are cutting a ton of calories from your overall intake of food.  By lowering those calories you are obviously eating less and this will make you loose weight.

In addition to eating less overall calories, by skipping all of the starchy and sugary carbs that you would normally eat, your body is now breaking down glycogen from the liver and from the muscles to free glucose. 

What is glycogen?  Glycogen is simply glucose that is stored in the muscles and liver.  This glycogen contains a ton of
water and by converting it to glucose the water is released so the initial weight loss is almost all water but this can be a substantial amount of weight.

After the next two weeks you will notice that the extreme weight loss experienced comes to a slowing because it was mostly water being released.  This is the time when your body will start burning fat instead of releasing water, so long as your carbohydrate intake is lower than 50 or 60 grams daily.

The body is now burning fat as fuel for the duration of the diet.  When the body burns fat for fuel then ketones are produced.  What exactly are Ketones?  Ketones are a byproduct that is caused when the body is burning fat for the fuel and energy.

These Ketones are released from the body through your kidneys.  When the ketone level increases in your kidneys your appetite is also suppressed a bit more, aiding further in loosing more weight.  It is highly recommended that you drink lots of water during this phase of your low carb diet to prevent dehydration.

Not everyone can handle this eating plan and how long you stay on a low carb diet is a personal choice.  It is also recommended that you consult a doctor or a physician before embarking on such a sudden change in eating habits in order to loose weight.