| Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need to take supplements?
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
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
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 and .
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.
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 . 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, can be
taken with water and many of the low carb packaged foods are quite high in fiber.
The information above is for informational purposes only. Please consult your
doctor before changing your eating habits or starting any diet.
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