http://www.carbfreecafe.com/carb/low-carb-diet.html A low carb diet might be tempting if you've decided to lose weight. But first, learn all you can about being on a low carb diet. en-us Sun, 05 Mar 2006 17:34:01 EST Sun, 05 Mar 2006 17:34:01 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 Okay, so you may have heard about a low carb diet, but you aren't really sure what it is, other than the obvious--cutting carbs from your diet. But do you know what carbs are, or where they're found, or what you can and can't have if you go on a low carb diet? Specifics of a Low Carb Diet You've finally decided to give that extra weight the old heave-ho, but you're not sure how to do it. However, you've seen friends and coworkers have great success with low carb dieting. They seem to lose a lot of weight in a little time. That sounds good to you, so you need to know how to do it. First of all, realize that the first two weeks of diets like the South Beach Diet and the Atkins Diet only allow you to have 20 grams of carbs a day. At this point you're probably thinking, "Okay, sure. No problem." Well, before you just dive right in, consider this: Most people need 130 grams of carbs a day, and most of us eat far more than that. Limiting yourself to 20 grams a day might leave you feeling a little deprived, unless you can afford to buy a lot more steak, chicken, etc. and you think you'll be happy with your steak dinner even though it's sans baked potato. (That's right--no more potatoes of any kind.) In fact, when you're on a low carb diet you can't have bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, desserts, alcohol, tortillas, chips or crackers. In fact, most don't even let you have fruit, and you can't even have most vegetables. On the other hand, you can have enough steak, bacon, chicken, cheese and any other high-protein foods you want to feel satisfied. The first thing you should do is count the carbs in your current diet. Don't make adjustments just yet. If you're eating 225-250 grams of carbs a day, cutting down to 20 grams might be harder than you think. But it's only 20 grams a day for two weeks. Then you get more. Not the amount you got before, but more. And the carbs that you get are complex carbohydrates, meaning whole wheat or whole grain breads and cereals, whole wheat pasta and tortillas, long grain or brown rice and more vegetables. Once you've determined how many carbs you can or can't live without, research the various types of low carb diets out there. Some are very restrictive (practically no carbs) some are less restrictive (low carbs) and some are moderate, allowing complex carbohydrates only. Learn as much as you can before you decide which low carb diet is right for you. There are side effects associated with an extremely low carb diet, so you want to learn about those too. Sun, 05 Mar 2006 17:34:01 EST http://www.carbfreecafe.com/carb/low-carb-diet-foods.html Low carb diet foods often taste yummy - and they help you lose weight! en-us Mon, 06 Mar 2006 09:21:36 EST Mon, 06 Mar 2006 09:21:36 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 http://www.carbfreecafe.com/carb/low-carb-diet-food.html Low carb diet food, such as meat, is the only thing you may eat from now on. en-us Thu, 27 Apr 2006 17:24:13 EDT Thu, 27 Apr 2006 17:24:13 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 http://www.carbfreecafe.com/carb/low-carb-diet-plans.html Low carb diet plans have been all the rage so far in the 21st century. But low carb diet plans are losing popularity. en-us Thu, 03 Nov 2005 12:39:06 EST Thu, 03 Nov 2005 12:39:06 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 http://www.carbfreecafe.com/carb/low-carb-diet-plan.html A low carb diet plan may or may not be right for you. Here's a good suggestion about how to determine if you should go on a low carb diet plan. en-us Thu, 03 Nov 2005 12:22:18 EST Thu, 03 Nov 2005 12:22:18 EST Weblog Editor 2.0