Common Myths About the Low Carb Lifestyle

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012 at 1:00 am

Common Myths About the Low Carb Lifestyle

All diet programs have myths that surround them. The low carb eating plan is no exception, however the myths about low carb tend to stick around even though science has proven them to be false. The government has been pushing the low fat diet for so long that many still believe in some of the total falsehoods associated with the low fat diet concept, which are often used to disparage low carb diet plans.

Myth #1 – You live on meat and cheese.

This is simply not true. Yes, you can and will eat meat and cheese if you choose, but there are so many other things that you can eat too. Many vegetables are low in carbs, sugars, and calories. This means you can eat an abundance of these types of foods. You will be eating more food because you’re making better choices and cutting out highly processed breads and pastas. These better choices are quite valuable for diets that work for you personally.

Most low carb plans have you cut out the majority of carbs in the beginning. As you lose weight or want to maintain weight loss, you will add healthy carbs back into your eating plan. Low carb diets are not against carbohydrates altogether, they are against the unhealthy, over-consumption of carbs that have adverse effects on metabolism and glucose levels.

Myth #2 – You eat a lot of unhealthy fats.

This one isn’t true either. You are allowed to eat fats, healthy fats. Your body needs some fats so it can function properly. Cutting all fat out of your daily diet is an unhealthy choice. If the low fat diet were working, everyone would be skinny. In fact, it does not work and leads to many health issues because the body isn’t getting the fats it needs.

Myth #3 – Low Carb causes health issues like heart disease.

This is one of the most common myths about low carb eating. Low carb eating is based on the way your body was designed to process food and nutrients. Just think of how many bread and pasta trees you’ve seen growing. None. Low carb eating is based on natural foods that are grown or come from live sources. Meat comes from animals, a live food source. Vegetables are grown in the ground or on trees, another live food source. Nuts and berries, also live food sources.

Low carb is closer to the way that nature intended for you to eat. You cut out processed foods that have been mass produced and pulverized until they no longer resemble a true food source. By eating a low carb diet, you are eating more fresh, wholesome foods.

Myth #4 – Low carb is extremely high in calories.

While eating a low carb plan allows you to eat more calories, it is not an extremely high amount. You don’t have to count calories. You should remember that a calorie is simply a measurement of energy. Your body needs energy and with a low carb diet you are getting that energy from protein and fats and just a few carbs.

When you eat a high carb diet, those carbs are immediately turned into sugar so the body can burn it as a fuel source. However, it is either used up quickly and leaves you feeling depleted, or it isn’t burned up efficiently and is stored as more fat. A low carb diet causes the fat stored in your body to be turned into a fuel source and burned up.

Myth #5 – It’s mostly water that people lose, not weight or fat.

Your body does not burn water as a fuel source. It does need plenty of hydration to function properly. Hydration can come from many factors. One of the main reasons a person loses too much water is from too many caffeinated drinks which act as a diuretic. Some foods can even act as a diuretic. It also comes from not drinking enough water throughout the day.

However, eating low carb meals forces your body to burn up its own fat stores as fuel. So, it is fat that this diet uses up, not water. You do lose excess weight because the fat is being used as it was intended, a fuel source. You will lose some water in the form of glycogen, which is glucose and water stored in your muscle tissues.

Always do your own research so you can debunk myths as they pop up. Myths are usually always started out of ignorance or by competitors.

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Joe Lindley