One of the problems with an ultra low calorie diet is you are very restricted on what you can eat and the amounts are usually very small. With a low carb lifestyle you have many more options to choose from and the portions can be big enough to make you feel satisfied after eating. You don’t have to spend all day fantasizing about and craving your favorite foods. In fact, this is the most powerful aspect of the lifestyle in my opinion.
A problem that many new low carbers have is they really don’t realize how many different variations of food they can put together into a meal in order to add variety to their new lifestyle. For example, many people are under the mistaken belief that the only food which can be eaten is meat. This is far from the truth, in reality even if you are on the Induction Phase of Atkins you will be able to have up to 30 grams of carbohydrates.
Dr. Atkins recommends you use this carbohydrate allotment to eat fresh vegetables. This does two things. First, the vegetables can give you the crunchy sensation which is usually missing in low carb foods. It seems like our mouths need different types of sensory stimuli throughout the day and so this crunching can have a dramatic effect on our cravings.
After the Induction Phase the idea is to increase the number of grams of carbohydrates each week by five grams. The idea is to pay attention to weight loss and decide what the proper level is for you to continue to shed pounds. Once you stop your weekly losing you know you have added too many and you need to back off again.
Eat Plenty Of Vegetables On A Low Carb Diet
Most colorful vegetables are very good for a low carb diet. They usually have a lot of fiber, which is a carb, but it is a carb that can not be converted into sugar in our digestive tracts. That is why fiber just passes right through us. But, it does have the added benefit of also making us feel fuller longer.
Fiber also will have the effect of helping to remove some bad fats such as cholesterol from our body. You should be eating about 8 grams of fiber a day and veggies are a great way to get it.
The vegetables you want to stay away from are the starchy ones like potatoes and corn. Both these foods have high levels of starch which are very easy to digest into sugar. This causes a spike in blood sugar levels which can play havoc with your diabetes and also can cause a crash which results in over eating. You can stay away from the sugar crash by staying away from sugar and starch.
Most colorful vegetables will have a small amount of sugar or starch in them but the amount is so small compared to the amount of fiber and other nutrients that it really doesn’t hurt our weight loss goals at all.
Eat Fish and Poultry On A Low Carb Diet
One of the main complaints that some medical professions have against a low carb diet is the amount of saturated fats some people eat. A low carb diet is not all about eating bacon, butter, and cheeseburgers without the bun. The fact is, even Dr. Atkins recommended that a person eat lean meat and watch out for saturated fats from animal fat.
The best way to do this is to eat plenty of fish and poultry. You can still eat beef and pork but choose the lean cuts. Common sense should tell you that you will not be very healthy if you eat two pounds of bacon at a sitting or you eat beef hamburger with 30% fat at every meal.
It has been shown that people who eat a low carb diet based on lean meats, poultry, fish, and lots of non-starchy vegetables can be very healthy and will lose weight. To help your weight loss goals be sure to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.