You Just Started a Low-Carb Diet—Here Are the Recipes to Make First (2024)

FAQs

What is the number 1 worst carb? ›

1. Sugary Foods. Most people already think of many of the foods in this category as unhealthy treats. Candy, soft drinks, and sweet desserts such as cake, chocolate, and ice cream are all expected entries on a list of carbs to avoid to lose weight.

Severe carb limits can cause your body to break down fat into ketones for energy. This is called ketosis. Ketosis can cause side effects such as bad breath, headache, fatigue and weakness.

Processed carbs are generally unhealthy in most cases.

"No one food causes anything," she warns. "It's foods eaten consistently that can have an effect on health status and disease. Refined or processed sugars top the charts when we talk about increasing your risk for weight gain and disease risk."

Whether your goal is weight loss or just improving your overall health, focus on eating fewer simple, less nutritious carbs like: Breakfast foods and snacks with added sugar like cereals and granola bars. Desserts, baked goods and sweets, including candy. Dried fruit, as well as fruit juice, jellies and jams.

The most common result is losing between 3 and 6 pounds (around 2 kilos) during the two weeks. Pretty good results when you can eat as much as you want, no hunger required. Even though some of it, of course, is likely water weight. One person in ten lost more than 9 pounds (over 4 kilos) in the two weeks.

Here's what generally happens: Ketosis: When carbohydrate intake is severely restricted, your body starts to produce ketones as an alternative fuel source. Ketones are produced from stored fat in the liver and can be used by the brain, muscles, and other tissues for energy. This metabolic state is called ketosis.

Bread: Around 2 to 3 slices of white or whole wheat bread typically contain around 50g of carbohydrates. Oats: Approximately 50g of dry oats (about 1/2 cup) provides around 50g of carbohydrates. Fruits: Consuming around 2 medium-sized bananas or 3 medium-sized apples can give you close to 50g of carbohydrates.

Food and drinks allowed on a no-carb diet include meat, fish, eggs, cheese, butter, oils, water, and plain coffee or tea. If you're less stringent, you can also eat nuts, seeds, non-starchy vegetables, and high fat fruits like avocado and coconut since these foods are low in net carbs.

How many pounds can you lose in a week on a low-carb diet? ›

If a person follows the 75% fat /20% carb/5% fat keto diet, average results may look like this: Weeks 1–2: rapid weight reduction phase due to water loss – up to ten pounds. Weeks 2–4: standard weight reduction – between one and two pounds per week. After the first month – slow weight loss – around one pound per week.

You're Not Eating Enough Food

One of the most common reasons some people feel hungry when starting a low-carb or ketogenic diet is that they just aren't eating enough. And there are a lot of reasons we do this. It could be that even though we're told not to, we're still focused on calories.

Answer: Whole grains, says Susie. Yes, that is an entire food category, but foods like brown rice, oatmeal and quinoa are too good to choose just one. Whole grains are grains that contain the entire grain: bran, germ and endosperm.

Complex carbs are harder for your body to break down and cause a more gradual increase in blood sugar compared to simple carbs. Foods rich in complex carbs like beans, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds that support your health.

THE FIVE RULES OF THE SLOW-CARB DIET RULE #1 Avoid “white” starchy carbohydrates (or those that can be white). This means no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or grains. RULE #2 Eat the same few meals over and over again, especially for breakfast and lunch.

But carbohydrate quality is important; some types of carbohydrate-rich foods are better than others: The healthiest sources of carbohydrates—unprocessed or minimally processed whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans—promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients.