Very Low Carbohydrate Diets - REDUCE YOUR CARBS

Reduce Your Carbs, But Don't Cut Them Out Completely,
And Don't Stay On Low Carbs Too Long

I'm not a big fan of very low carb (VLCD) or "ketogenic" diets. They make you feel like crap, you get "brain fog," you lose muscle along with the fat, and your training intensity suffers from lack of muscle glycogen (yes, even on a "cyclical" ketogenic diet.)

The worst side effect of the VLCD is one that few people think of because it requires a long-term perspective (and most people are caught up in short term results)...

For the average non-competitor, it's VERY difficult to keep off the fat you lose through low carb dieting. VLCD's set you up for a BIG rebound.

Bodybuilders often use VLCD's successfully before contests, but bodybuilders are extreme athletes with incredible discipline and willpower. I know bodybuilders who are so "hard core" that they can eat nothing but water-packed tuna fish out of the can for 12 weeks, then go back to a normal, balanced diet, no problem - no bingeing. That's a rare feat.

Lots of people lose weight on very low carb diets. Very few keep it off. I've seen people go on massive, uncontrollable binges of doughnuts, pizza and Ben & Jerry's (Chunky Monkey!), gaining 30 pounds in less than seven days after coming off a VLCD.

Folks, very low carb diets ain't the long term solution to fat loss. To use one successfully without gaining everything back, you have to know what you're doing and you must be extremely disciplined. Even then, you should consider VLCD'S as "last chance" diets or short term "peaking" diets that are fraught with side effects and disadvantages.

The "balanced" diet, which contains a wide variety of foods including at least 50% of the calories from fruits, vegetables, natural starches and whole grains, is ALWAYS the best way to permanently lose fat and it's the way everyone should start. This is sometimes referred to as a "baseline diet." All you have to do is exercise, pick the right types of foods and eat less than you burn each day and you'll lose fat.

Once you've mastered all the basics and you've reached the advanced stage, THEN I have to admit, despite the potential pitfalls, low carb, high protein diets can help accelerate fat loss even more.

Almost every competitive bodybuilder I've ever met uses some variation of the reduced carb diet. Maybe not zero carbs; maybe not 100 grams or less, but there's always some degree of carb restriction. Why? Because lower carbs provide metabolic and hormonal advantages that high carb diets do not. They also eliminate water retention and give the muscles a hard, dry look.

Here are the 4 "advanced bodybuilder's secrets" to using a low carb diet successfully:

1) Don't cut out all your carbs, just reduce them to a moderate level so carbs and protein are balanced and carbs are not the predominant macronutrient. 30% to 40% carbs should be low enough to get low carb diet benefits without low carb diet side effects.
2) DON'T eat a lot of carbs at night, but DO eat starchy carbs early in the day. 3) Don't stay on any reduced carb diet more than 12-16 weeks. Always go back to the balanced diet because it's healthier and more maintainable. 4) If you reduce your carbs substantially on ANY low carb program, eat more carbs every 4th day or so. These are called "carb up" days, or "re-feed" days. This will prevent your metabolism from slowing down and keep your energy levels up.

This article was provided courtesy of Tom Venuto and www.burnthefat.com.
Tom is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, personal trainer, gym owner, freelance writer and author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM): Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models.

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