If you’re hoping to lose weight or see improvements in your fitness, you will have come across various low-carb diet plans. Low carb diets have been proven to result in more weight loss than other diets, such as low-fat diets, but there are many different types of low carb diets.
In fact, it can be hard to tell them apart and determine which ones are actually beneficial for your body. So, to simplify it, here are some of the most common low-carb diets compared.
Ketogenic or Keto Diet
The Ketogenic diet is probably the most well-known low-carb diet. It is a safe, low carb high-fat diet plan that keeps carbohydrate intake low to cause the body to enter the metabolic state known as ketosis.
Ketosis stops the body from taking its required energy from ingested carbohydrates, making it burn fat for energy instead. Instead, the body is designed to release fatty acids, which the liver can then transform into ketones that are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and provide us with the energy we need to survive.
This is a naturally occurring process during low carbohydrate intake or during times of generally low energy input.
Studies show that the keto diet has beneficial effects in both the short and long term. It is effective in aiding people to lose weight faster than many other diets and has been shown to reduce appetite. This allows those trying to lose weight to stay on their diet and remain happy and comfortable.
It’s not just weight loss; the keto diet has been linked to other positive impacts on health such as; less acne, improved heart health, brain function, and helping combat PCOS symptoms.
Atkins Diet
Developed in the 1960s, the Atkins diet is one of the longest-running popular low-carb diets. It has been subject to much controversy in its time, with studies alternating opinions on its efficacy and safety. Although, most recently, it has been shown to be a safe diet so long as those doing it ensure they maintain their fiber levels.
The diet focuses on restricting carbs and encouraging protein and fats. It is split into four stages: induction, balancing, fine-tuning, and maintenance to ensure that those on the Atkins diet can maintain their weight loss safely.
The diet requires people to count their carbs rather than calories using a system called net carbs. Instead, the dieter measures the total carbohydrate content minus its fiber content.
Studies demonstrate that the Atkins diet is reasonably effective for weight loss, helping people lose more than diets like the Paleo diet. However, it has yet to be shown as the most efficient low-carb diet.
Atkins also claims to help prevent or improve diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, but relatively few studies support this compared to those highlighting weight loss.
Zero Carb Diets
Unlike Atkins and Keto, zero-carb diets remove all carbs from a person’s diet. In addition, these types of diets usually include lots of animal-based products such as; meat, fish, eggs, and animal fats.
There are no recent studies to support zero-carb diets. One study from 1930 showed the diet to be safe, but generally, a zero carb diet will result in a vitamin C and fiber deficiency. Following a diet like this can also cause you to overeat fat and protein, ultimately slowing down weight loss.
Low Carb Paleo
The Paleo diet is increasingly popular worldwide, partly because it offers the chance to eat a reasonably extensive range of food types while still promising weight loss. The low carb edition of this diet is slightly more restricted but allows people to enjoy meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, tubers, nuts, and seeds while eliminating added sugars, processed food, grains, legumes, and dairy.
A few studies have shown the efficacy of the Paleo diet, and they suggest that it can cause weight loss and improve risk factors for heart disease. However, its rate of weight loss is less than that of other low-carb diets.
Which one suits you?
Ultimately, you have to consider which one fits your lifestyle when choosing a diet. If you’re looking to lose weight relatively quickly, safely, and with minimal changes to your diet, something like the keto diet is perfect for you.
It helps to reduce your weight while also providing a range of health benefits. Learn more about how you can get started with the Keto diet on Drew Manning’s Back2Fit 2.0 Program.
