Carbohydrate-rich foods have acquired bad reputation in recent years because they are related to overweightThe problem comes when mistakes are made when following diets low in these nutrients that prevent you from losing weight.
To get the full metabolic benefits of low-carb diets, it is not enough to simply reduce carbohydrate consumption.
Read more: How to cook healthier carb recipes: reheated pasta is less fattening than hot pasta
The Low-carb diets prioritize protein, healthy fats, and vegetables, and can help people to stay in a caloric deficit and lose weight, if done correctly.
However, the dLow-carb diets won’t work and could do more harm than good if you make the following 9 mistakes.
Not eating enough
For many people, when they’re trying to lose weight, the answer is obvious: eat less. Less food means fewer calories, which in turn means less weight, right? But this isn’t always true. Depending on what you’re eating, it’s possible that even if you skip a meal, for example, you’re making up for those calories with snacks or other meals.Additionally, when your body doesn’t get enough calories it can go into starvation mode.
Or eat too many calories
Regardless of what you’re eating, if you eat more calories than you need, you’ll gain weight. Also You will struggle to lose weight if you are not creating a healthy calorie deficit by exercising to burn calories. and decreasing your intake to create a total deficit of about 500 fewer calories per day than you need or were consuming before.
According to Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, CEO of Diet Doctor, the magic trick to effectively losing weight on low carb is to only eat when you’re hungry. “You can get almost the best results with less effort by eating only when you’re hungry and, if necessary, adding intermittent fasting,” he adds.
Make the diet low in both carbohydrates and fats
Most people get the majority of their calories from dietary carbohydrates, especially sugars and grains.
When you remove this energy source from your diet, you must replace it with something else. However, Some people believe that reducing fat on a low-carb diet will make their diet even healthier, which is a big mistake.
The reality is that if you don’t eat carbs, you have to add fat to compensate. Otherwise, you will be hungrier.
A fat intake of about 70% of total calories may be a good choice for some people on low-carb diets.
Eating too much protein
Protein is a very important macronutrient that most people don’t get enough of. It can improve satiety and increase fat burning better than other macronutrients.
Generally speaking, higher protein intake should lead to weight loss and better body composition.
However, when you eat more protein than your body needs, Some of its amino acids are converted into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis.
A good range to aim for is 1.5-2.0 grams per kg of body weight.
Not getting enough sodium
One of the main mechanisms of low-carb diets is the reduction of insulin levels.
Insulin has many functions in the body, such as telling fat cells to store fat and the kidneys to retain sodium.
With a low-carb diet, insulin levels decrease and the body begins to eliminate excess sodium, and with it water. This is why people often get rid of excessive bloating within a few days of following this diet.
However, sodium is a crucial electrolyte. Low sodium levels can be problematic when the kidneys eliminate too much sodium. This is one of the reasons why people experience side effects such as dizziness, fatigue, headaches and even constipation.
The best way to avoid this problem is to add more sodium to your diet, which is easily achieved by adding more salt to your meals.
Not getting enough fiber
When you focus on protein and fat, you may miss out on fiber. You need 20 to 35 grams a day for digestive health and to help prevent colorectal cancer..
Ideally, you should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in fiber such as asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and artichokes.
Include Low-carb, fiber-filled seeds like chia, hemp, and flax in your diet will also increase your intake of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats. You can also add some bran or psyllium as a fiber supplement.
Believing that low carb means eliminating carbs altogether
If you eliminate all carbohydrates, you will feel weak and exhaustedIf you feel bad after a couple of weeks on your new low-carb plan, it may be a sign that you’ve been cutting back too much.
Try to increase your carbohydrate intake by eating nutrient-dense foods containing carbohydrates, such as berries. Some people do better with small amounts of starchy vegetables, such as squash, corn, or peas.
Do intense exercise in the first week
As your body adjusts in the first week or two of a low-carb diet, you will probably feel weaker, with less energy and even a little dizzyTherefore, it is not the best time to do intense exercise.
Wait for your body to adapt to this change and switch from using carbohydrates as an energy source to fats. In the meantime, Do exercises that require less effortsuch as walking or practicing yoga.
Believing that you will always lose weight very quickly
In the first 2 weeks of following a low-carb diet, you can lose a lot of weight quickly.That’s a big reason why this diet is so popular. The problem comes when you think you can keep up that rate of weight loss forever.
Much of the weight you lose at first is water. Your body stores glucose (sugar) in the form of glycogen in your muscles and liver. When you drastically reduce carbohydrates, your body releases the stored glycogen, along with water. For every gram of glycogen released, two grams of water are released, which are excreted in your urine.
Once your body adapts, Your weight loss will be slower, but the losses will be mainly fat rather than water.
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