When metabolism is misunderstood, the lack of knowledge can lead to weight loss stalls. Getting help isn’t always easy, due to the controversy that surrounds the principles of a low carb diet. However, solutions are available from several physicians who support a low carb lifestyle for weight loss.
Low Carb Help from Dr. Eades
When following a low carb diet, low insulin and high glucagon levels set up a favorable environment for Hormone Stimulating Lipase, or HSL, to begin breaking down triglyceride stored in fat cells for fuel. According to Dr. Michael R. Eades, what many dieters miss is that fatty acids are only released if the dieter needs them.
Low insulin allows fatty acids to leave the fat cell, but if fuel needs are met through dietary fat, carbohydrate level won’t matter. The body will not need to burn stored fat. Most low carb dieters ignore the caloric density of what they eat. Eades believes this tendency can prevent weight loss.
The first comment made to his blog post entitled Low-carb and Calories shows the confusion over calories and the weight loss help that many low carb dieters need. Eades replied: “As long as there is a caloric deficit, the fat will exit and be burned. If no caloric deficit, no fat leaves the cell.” Eades also complained that too many dieters believe low carb levels enable them to lose weight regardless of how much they eat, but wrote: “it doesn’t work that way.”
Dietary Fat Information from the New Atkins
Many mistakes show a lack of adequate information. In the book New Atkins for a New You, the authors ask the reader to use a little common sense regarding dietary fat and calories. Like Eades, the authors agree that some dieters mistakenly think they can stuff themselves with protein and fat, and still lose weight.
The advice given in the book is to forget about calories if currently experiencing effective weight loss. “But if the scale won’t budge or it seems to be taking forever to lose, you might want to do a reality check, calorie wise.” The authors caution that while too many calories slow weight loss, “too FEW will slow down your metabolism, also threatening your progress.”
Shed the Diet Mindset
Many dieters view the concept of carbohydrate restriction as either being on or off of a diet. This mind set shows no permanent lifestyle changes have been made. When life interferes, any off-plan food choice can derail the diet for the rest of the day, or even a week. These people tell themselves that since they have already cheated, they might as well eat other things they are missing too.
This type of talk results in abandonment of any healthy changes made until dieting resumes and is partly due to misunderstanding the state of ketosis. Most low carb dieters believe ketosis is when ketones spill over into the urine, but it is actually when ketones build up in the blood.
A few extra carbs do not throw a dieter out of ketosis. Carbs eaten are immediately used as fuel or shuttled off to refill liver and muscle glycogen. Carbohydrates are only stored as fat if glycogen stores are full. While eating extra carbs can cause a dieter to stop spilling ketones into the urine for a day or two, he is still predominantly burning fats for fuel.
Low Carb Diet Solutions
The role of calories is often misunderstood by many low carb dieters. This makes weight loss stalls common among those who eat too many high calorie, high fat, low carb foods. The authors of the New Atkins for a New You caution the dieter to be sensible about dietary fat, but to also make sure the calorie deficit isn’t too large for weight loss success.
The diet mindset generally means the dieter has not yet made lasting lifestyle changes. An accurate understanding of metabolism and ketosis can provide help that will prevent a dieter from abandoning their plan when they eat too many carbohydratess. All weight loss solutions need to focus on permanent change and what is needed to make those changes happen.
References:
The Blog of Michael R. Eades, proteinpower.com, “Low-carb and Calories” (accessed May 7, 2010)
Eades, Michael R., M.D. and Eades, Mary Dan, M.D., The Protein Power Lifeplan, Creative Paradox LLC, 2000
Westman, Eric C., M.D., Phinney, Stephen D., M.D., Volek, Jeff S., PhD., New Atkins for a New You: the Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great, Fireside, March 2010
Ophardt, Charles E., Virtual Chembook, “Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism,” Elmhurst College, 2003 (accessed May 9, 2010)
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
Vickie Ewell - Vickie has worked with autistic individuals for 9 years. She has celiac disease and specializes in gfcf living.
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