Low carbohydrate diets have been around for many years and are a popular choice amongst fitness freaks and the weekend warrior. The new diet on the block is the slow carb diet. This diet is in fact well established although it hasn't been thrust into the spotlight in fitness and muscle magazines.
Let's go through the both diets and see what might work best for you. At the end I'll share my experiences dieting on both diets.
The low carb diet is very effective over a short period of time. Large amounts of weight can be lost in a short space of time. 12 weeks appears to be the minimum diet period for a diet like this to see maximum results. Basically, the intake of protein is unlimited.
Chicken, beef, eggs, fish and protein supplementation are fine. Salads and non starchy vegetables are also unlimited intake. Banned foods are white carbohydrates like bread, rice and pasta.
Absolutely no sugar. I would define low as having less than 50 grams of carbohydrates in a day. Some of this will appear incidentally in your daily meals.
From experience, I would try and consume a small amount of carbs with breakfast so that could sustain me for a few hours. Oatmeal is a good choice for this. This rest of the day is meat and salad, meat and vegetables. Remember to drink lots of water when on this diet. It helps the kidneys process the protein and can help with hunger pains. This is one of the down sides to the low carb diet.
The hunger pains can be brutal due to the no sugar intake. If you can get past the first week on this diet the rewards await you. It is not uncommon to lose 3-5 kg in the first week. Then 1-1.5kg every week after that.
The ugly brother of the low carb diet is the slow carb diet. This was relatively unheard of until Tim Ferris' book "The 4 Hour Body." Again protein is unlimited with beef and chicken being the best choices. The major difference is the inclusion of legumes and beans to the diet. Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Red Beans etc offer a good protein hit and a very low gi carbohydrate. Even serves of protein, beans and vegetables are recommended. Cuisines like Thai and Mexican are fantastic for this diet. Weight loss using this protocol is very steady. 300-500g per day can be easily lost on this diet.
From my experience the low carb diet loses weight quicker but is very difficult to sustain over a long period of time. The bounce back in weight after completing a diet can be horrendous due to the metabolic shut down that can occur. I lost 15kg in 12 weeks using this diet. The rate I put it back on after the will power ran out was amazing.
The slow carb diet progresses a little slower (not much) but you get to keep your sanity while you do it. Following the slow carb diet for a minimum of 4 weeks can give you great body recomposition effects. Body fat is lost and muscle shape is maintained due to intake of carbohydrates. On this diet I've lost 7kg in 3 weeks. I feel much better dieting this way. For long term benefits I recommend the slow carb diet.
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