Even if you haven't tried one of these diets yourself, you probably know someone who has. So, how's it working? At first, many people seem to do well on low carb diets. Despite having to reduce sugars (including pastas and breads, and some fruits), the foods allowed on these diets are tasty and easy to obtain, so it's easy to stick to your plan. Then you'll usually experience a quick weight loss.
Unfortunately, this loss may be misleading. When you remove starches from your diet, you tend to lose water weight, since these foods hold onto water. Finally, most of these diets are extremely low in calories, as they narrow the selection of foods you can eat. If you cut down on calories, you're bound to lose weight. And when your body depletes its stores of carbohydrates it begins to break down fats, leading to a process called ketosis. Ketosis produces toxic products that are excreted through your skin, breath, and urine. It is dehydrating and bad for your kidneys. One of the side effects of ketosis, however, is a vastly reduced appetite.
But the success often doesn't last. On reason for this is that your muscles use carbohydrates as fuel, and as they run out of their preferred energy source, you may feel more fatigued. This can lead to muscle loss (through less exercise) and reduced metabolism. Soon, your calorie intake meets your body's reduced needs, and weight loss stops. Also, you'll probably soon start craving foods you've been denied, such as baked potatoes or watermelon (or doughnuts or popcorn!) As these foods sneak back into your diet, ketosis stops, your healthy appetite returns, and now you're consuming plenty of carbs in addition to extra protein and fat. Of course, you're going to gain the weight back.
These diets may in fact be especially bad for people with diabetes, who need to be extra careful about eating a healthy, balanced diet that is low in fat. Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease, and puts extra stress on all the body's systems.
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