Low Carb FAQ

A: Check the specific guidelines for the low carb plan you have chosen - most of them list their recommendations for supplements in the book.

You should be taking a good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. Check the label to make sure the supplements are free of sugar and starch. You might want to add some flax seed oil which is high in omega 3 and helps your body burn fat. Many people find it helpful to take supplements such as Chromium Picolinate, Carnitine, Sellenium, and B-Complex. Many of the diets have their own supplements such as Atkins Diet Basic

Q: What foods should I avoid?

A: During induction it is best to avoid alcohol, sugar, caffeine, nitrates (such as those found in may lunch meats), processed flour, and salt. You will have to experiment with these to see which ones stall your weight loss and which you can tolerate and in what amounts. If you find you are not losing weight cut out one or more of the above and see if weight loss starts, then add a small amount back in to determine how much you can tolerate before you stall again.

Q: What are Net Carbs?

A: Net carbs are the amount of carbs in a food minus the fiber and sugar alcohol. This is because sugar alcohol and fiber are not digested by your body so they don’t count towards your carb total for the day. So if you are eating something that has 9g carbs and has 3g fiber, and 1 g sugar alcohol, you count that as 5 g “net carbs”. Sugar alcohol is found mostly in sweets and will be listed on the packages of most low carb desserts such as low carb candy bars and brownies.

Q: How many carbs will I be able to eat?

A: That depends on the diet plan you are following and your own individual needs. On diets with an induction phase you are very limited but once on maintenance some people can have up to 70 grams of carbs per day. Everyone is different though so you will have to find your own personal limit.

Q: How much water should I drink?

A: As much as you can! Fresh, plain water is vital to your health it helps flush toxins from all the fat you are burning from your bloodstream and keeps your kidneys functioning properly. Generally you should drink 64 fl oz per day plus another 8 oz for every 25 pounds you are overweight.

Q: Is Low Carb Eating Safe?

A: There is a lot of misconception out there about low carb eating. The most prevelant is that you are cutting out all carbs and that you can’t eat any vegetables or fruits and that the diet consists of high fat meats. This is simply not true (but if it were that would be bad for you!). The truth is that you are cutting out sugary processed foods that have no nutritional value at all. Most low carb plans recommend eating lots of vegetables (probably a lot more than the folks who are telling you this way of eating is not healthy are eating!). After the induction phase you can add in even more veggies and fruits. Low fat meats are stressed as well, just like any other diet. Think about what you were eating before you started low carb eating (or what you are eating now if you are not low carb yet) - do you think those foods are good for you?

Q: What foods can I eat?

A: You should refer to the book for your diet plan , but basically you can eat meats, fish, poultry, eggs, butter, vegetable oils which have no carbs. Foods that contain few carbs are: most cheese, seeds, nuts, tofu, low carb veggies like greens, brocolli, eggplant, zucchini, asparagus and more (See my section on low carb veggies) . Some plans allow low carb fruits like berries (see my section on low carb fruits) . You can also have sugar free and low carb foods - Check out my section on low carb packaged foods .

To keep yourself in line, you might want to use some carb trackng software on your PC, or a pocket sized tracker like NutriCounter . Better yet, why not join eDiets ? They have a low carb option with built in menus, shopping lists and counters and trackers right on site. Plus fabulous support and customized plans.

Q: I just started the induction phase why do I feel so sick?

A: It is actually quite common to experience, weakness, headaches and nausea for the first couple of days. While it may seem like this is because the diet is not good for you it is actually sugar withdrawal. By now you have probably read about how your body can become addicted to sugar (and also white flour) and what you are feeling is withdrawal similar to a withdrawal from drugs. If you were eating a lot of foods that contained sugar and white flour you may want to scale back on those types of foods before trying out a low carb diet.

Q: What is Ketosis?

A: When the body is burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates, that is called ketosis. During this metabolic state, your body will produce Ketones which are used for fuel - the excess is excreted in your urine and sweat. The presence of Ketones can be detected by test strips . Measure your ketosis by testing your urine at the same time everyday - any shade from light pink to dark purple is good. Some people never get into Ketosis but still lose weight so don’t be disappointed if this doesn’t happen for you. Unlike Ketoacidosis, Ketosis is not dangerous unless you have severe kidney problems. Please check with your doctor. Read more about ketosis.

Q: Will I get enough fiber on a low carb plan?

A: If you are eating a lot of processed foods and very few fruits and veggies, you are probably not getting enough fiber now! Most people get their fiber from bread, pasta, cereals, fruits and veggies, but if you read the labels on most of the foods you eat you will see that the processed foods contain very little fiber. Since most of these foods will be eliminated on a low carb way of eating you will need to rely more heavily on getting fiber from fruits and vegetables. Good sources include brocolli, celery, lettuce and spinach. In addition, psyllium husks can be taken with water and many of the low carb packaged foods are quite high in fiber.