The Four Phases Of A Good Low Carb Diet


by Patricia Zelkovsky - Date: 2006-12-05 - Word Count: 724 Share This!

A diet that consists of low carb foods is at times an effective and healthy way to keep in shape and to be healthy inside and out.

A low carb diet basically focuses on consuming foods that are unprocessed and rich in nutrients.

This kind of diet contains various levels with four major parts.
One phase involves the induction phase, the second phase deals with weight loss that is ongoing, the third phase is about pre-maintenance and the fourth or last phase deals with maintenance.

The low carb induction diet phase

In this area, any intake of carbohydrates is limited to only twenty grams each day. Eating any kind of fruits, grains, bread, vegetables that are starchy or any other dairy products (except cream, butter or cheese) should be avoided.

In taking in carbohydrates, about 3 salad cups of vegetables or 2 salad cups plus a third of vegetables that are cooked, as long as the composition of these contains ten percent less of carbs, should be taken in.

Other carbs that are permitted to be eaten are seeds, nuts and olives. Be aware that these foods must still contain twenty grams or less of carbs to be considered.

Vegetables to be chosen must contain ten percent carbs. These vegetables are okra, asparagus, eggplant, vegetable salad and broccoli.

Usually vegetables to be chosen should be the non-starchy kind. There are available carbo counters which you need to utilize in order to know the choices available for you to eat.

In this level, meat, fowl, fish, shellfish and eggs are permitted to be eaten. What is not permitted are luncheon meats that contain nitrates or sugar. Also, any products that do not contain one hundred percent meat should be avoided.

Cheese are not permitted to be eaten, except diet cheese, whey cheese and cheese spreads, unless of course you are allergic to any milk products.

Caffeine should not be taken in. However if you are addicted to caffeine, you could take it in but in limited amounts.

Weight loss ongoing low carb diet phase

In this phase, you should first find out the critical level of carbohydrates you need to lose when you discover your level of ongoing weight loss or OWL.

The number culled from this phase is the carbohydrate level that tallies with your own unique capacity to metabolize in order to continually take off any excessive pounds.

This carbohydrate intake count should be continually observed. A person with a metabolic resistance that is average, the normal intake should be anywhere between fifteen to forty grams each day.

Vegetables, nuts and seeds are low carb foods that should be eaten.

As much as possible, learning new recipes is needed in order to make food-eating interesting and exciting. It is perfectly okay to learn and experiment with new fruits or vegetables.

Berries are highly recommended as these contain a low amount of carbs. Meanwhile, other fruits are restricted since they are high in sugar.

Weight loss is possible and visible the moment you slowly make your diet liberalized. If there are vitamins and nutrients you are taking in as designed by the program, continue taking them.

Pre maintenance low carb diet phase

When this phase is reached, ketosis production vanishes. This is where deviations in the diet is allowed, as long as the basic diet is maintained.

The intake of carbs is okay, just make sure that those few last pounds go away. Also, the deviation must be made slowly. At least a deviation or two each week is fine. Examples of a deviation is fruits, higher starch vegetables or a small baked potato.

Maintenance low carb diet phase

In this phase, the critical level for maintaining carbohydrates is known. This amount basically shows the amount of carbs you could eat which would not allow you to gain an ounce of weight.

Be aware that weight fluctuations are okay as long as these fluctuations are small. However, once you discover that you are five pounds above your own ideal weight, cutting back time is necessary.

Always remember that a low carb diet restricts your intake of carbs. An average person with a metabolism that is also average must be able to maintain anywhere between forty to sixty grams of carbs each day.

All in all, a low carb diet is possible for those who are sincere in their efforts to lose weight and to stay healthy by eating healthy.


Related Tags: health, dieting, diets, low carb diets

As a user of hoodia products, Patricia wanted to learn more about Hoodia Diet Patches.To see which patch she prefers please visit:http://www.dietpatchexperts.com/ Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

© The article above is copyrighted by it's author. You're allowed to distribute this work according to the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs license.
 

Recent articles in this category:



Most viewed articles in this category: