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Home » How to lose weight quickly » What You Need to Know About Low-Carb Diets – GoodHousekeeping.com

By now you've probably seen and heard the term "low carb" used in hundreds of scenarios from flashy headlines to celebrity endorsements and even the snack aisle. That said, internet buzz around a weight-loss diet one morning can be entirely contradicted by another trend the next day.

That's why I'm breaking down everything you need to know about the low-carb life and redefining which carbs you should eat versus the ones to cut back on.

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Little known fact: Carbs are actually in almost everything we eat, but in very trace amounts. Let's start with some basic biochemistry: Dietary carbs are made up of sugar molecules called saccharides. Saccharides break down in order to be digested and absorbed in your body, where they are responsible for literally everything: metabolism, tissue and organ function, even the synapses your brain is firing right now!

In the plainest of terms: These simple sugars fuel our organs. While protein, fat and carbs break down into smaller molecules to provide energy, glucose (the simplest sugar molecule) is the preferred source. Our very smart and energy-saving bodies do everything in their power to provide enough glucose to get stuff done, including using fat and protein when necessary.

They use what they need for metabolic functions and ultimately store whatever's left over in adipocytes a fancy, science-y way of saying "fat cells." What happens if we're storing more than we're using? We gain weight. What happens if we use more than we store? We lose weight. Easy as (crust-less) pie, right?

Er, sort of.

Eating plans that cut carbs to less than 50 grams per day can induce ketosis, a physiological state in which your body uses fat cells for energy. There are two main reasons why low-carb diets show results quickly.

First: Since we use carbs for energy, cutting them means we have to pull from somewhere else to keep our organs functioning. Our bodies then turn to the glucose stored in our muscles as glycogen for fuel.

What else happens when we break down muscle glycogen? We lose water weight! Our muscles store about 3 grams of water for every gram of glycogen, meaning we can lose quite a bit of weight right away when we tap into glycogen stores for fuel. That's why someone who loses weight in "just one week!" from a low-carb plan is likely losing water weight, not necessarily real weight that stays off over time.

Second: Most of us eat too many carbs to begin with. About half of our calories should come from carbs, according to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. That's about 250 grams per day for a 2,000 calorie diet, or even fewer if you're eating less than that. When you consider all of the grain-based foods and sneaky sources of added sugar, it's easy eat a whole lot more than the recommended amount.

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There's a major misconception about low-carb diets that I hear frequently: "Steak, bacon, butter, cheese, oils, avocado, coconut oil You can eat all of the meat and fat you want, right?!" Not quite. Ultimately, all diets rely on the same principle: Calories in versus calories out.

Some diets cut calories from all macronutrients (protein, fat and carbs) in equal amounts. Others cut from fat, and some buzzy types cut from carbs. But the end result is the same: You cut calories, you'll lose weight. If you eat them in excess, you'll gain weight. So just because you've eliminated one macronutrient doesn't give you free rein to chow down on another type of food!

Originally posted here:
What You Need to Know About Low-Carb Diets - GoodHousekeeping.com

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Home » How to lose weight quickly » What You Need to Know About Low-Carb Diets – GoodHousekeeping.com