No Sugar High Protein & Low Carb Diet

The most recent resurgence of the low-carb diet happened in the early 2000s, spurred by Dr. Robert Atkins, a major low-carb proponent and the inventor of the Atkins Diet. Although the hype surrounding low-carb diets has fallen off in recent years, there are still many advantages to a no-sugar, high-protein, low-carb lifestyle. Low-carb diets by definition restrict empty calories from sugar and processed foods, which is a healthy step in the right direction for anyone.

Getting Started

If you are interested in exploring a low-carb lifestyle, researching a few well-known low-carb diet plans is a good place to start. You do not have to follow Atkins, South Beach or Neanderthin to the letter in order to adopt a low-carb diet, but these plans can be excellent resources because they have done the difficult research for you and can guide you to no-sugar, high-protein foods that will form the base of your diet on a low-carb eating plan.

Planning Meals

Low-carb diets are actually incredibly simple to follow because they typically allow the dieter to eat as much as they need to feel full. Ingredients like sugar, starch, pasta, rice, flour and potatoes are strictly forbidden, which for many people is an easier adjustment than controlling portions of such foods. Although many special low-carb, no-sugar grocery items now exist, it is also possible to do a low-carb diet without ever buying any specialty products. Meat, eggs, cheese and non-starchy vegetables are the mainstays of a low-carb plan, and they are available almost everywhere.

Losing Weight

While a low-carb eating plan doesn't have to be about losing weight, most people who adopt a low-carb diet do so because they are looking to shed a few pounds. If you are trying to lose weight with a low-carb diet, you should be aware that as with any diet, you must make permanent changes to your eating habits if you hope to keep the weight off. Low-carb diets are often used for quick weight loss, which disappears as soon as the dieter goes back to eating "normally." Adjusting your mindset to a new way of eating is paramount.

Living Low Carb

While low-carb diet plans may seem unrealistically strict, once you adjust to a new way of eating, you'll find that making low-carb choices is easy and possible almost anywhere (although pizza parlors can present problems). As you approach your goal weight, you can also add back certain healthy carbohydrate foods in small quantities, if your metabolism can handle it. Also, losing weight on a low-carb diet and following a low-carb maintenance plan doesn't mean never having another piece of cake as long as you live. Everyone has a bad day now and again with their diet, so slipping up and eating a candy bar isn't the end of the world, as long as you pick up where you left off at your next meal.