Home | Supplements | eBooks | DVDs | Articles | Forum
___________________________________________
Truly Huge Fitness Tips
Presented by TrulyHuge.com
___________________________________________
ACQUIRE CINDERBLOCK ABS THE AUSTRALIAN WAY!
All of the time-proven secrets for developing superb, sculptured,
deeply etched, rippling, cinderblock abs are revealed in this
ultimate instruction-packed report.
Separate yourself from the rest! Become a leader and not a
follower when it comes to your Ab training. Be the "one man in a
thousand" to Acquire Cinderblock Abs the Australian Way!
Click here to receive INSTANT ACCESS to this program:
https://www.trulyhuge.com/abs.htm
____________________________________________
Fitness Tips For 1/4/2007
____________________________________________
Low Carb Diet FAQ
By Doreen
1. First, and most important, I am going to assume that you have
read at least one of the many excellent books explaining low
carbohydrate and/or ketogenic diets. It's understandable that
someone new to low carbing will have questions and might be a
little confused about some information they have read. But it is
frustrating when basic questions that are answered in detail in
any of the books get asked over and over again - it's obvious
the person hasn't even bothered to read and inform themself,
and just wants a quick guide to "the plan". Sorry, doesn't work
that way!!
2. Why do I have to "read the book"?? I will repeat myself here.
Low Carbing isn't just a diet "plan", where you follow a regimented
menu for a period of time, then go back to old eating patterns once
the desired weight-loss is achieved. This is about lifestyle change,
learning and understanding how and why food makes you healthy
or takes health away. Educating yourself is simply the
"responsible" thing to do.
3. You mean I can't have bread, pasta, rice or potatoes??
Carbohydrate foods are more than just sugars and sweets. Starches,
especially refined starches such as white flour, white rice and white
noodles and pasta - the backbone of standard lowFAT diets - are
also carbohydrate foods, and are ultimately broken down by the
body into sugars. Other carbohydrate-containing foods are cereals,
whole grains, beans and legumes, fruits, vegetables, milk and
other dairy products. Some meats contain carbs too - liver and
other organ meats, clams, oysters, and especially processed
lunch and deli meats, sausages, etc.
4. What's left to eat?? Protein foods - meats, poultry, fish, eggs,
isolated protein powders (soy, whey, egg) - and fats - butter,
vegetable oils - are carbohydrate-free. Most cheeses, nuts, seeds
and tofu contain a few carbs, but are generally low enough to fit
well with a low carb eating plan. Low Carb vegetables - salad
greens of all kind, spinach, broccoli, celery, eggplant, zucchini,
green beans, asparagus, and much more. Some plans allow for
a small amount of low carb fruit as well - eg. berries or melon.
Most sugar-free diet foods are suitable, such as soft-drinks,
gelatin desserts, etc - but read labels carefully. Sugar-free
isn't always CARB-free. Arm yourself with a good food counts
book, and you will find plenty of variety to eat!
5. What about cravings, and "withdrawal pains"?? Many people,
but not all, experience unpleasant symptoms during the initial
period of switching to low carb eating, such as intense cravings
for sugars and sweets, or maybe headaches, fatigue or
irritability. This is not a sign of illness, or a reason to quit. Your
body needs to clear itself of the excess carbs in your system
left over from your previous high-carb diet. Once your blood s
ugar and insulin levels have evened out, you will feel better,
and cravings will disappear. Most people find this only takes
a few days, for a few though, it may last over a week. The best
"cure" for intense sweet cravings is to eat PROTEIN. Have
frequent, small protein-containing meals and snacks throughout
the day; this will prevent blood sugar swings which trigger the
cravings. Drink plenty of fresh, plain water to keep yourself
hydrated and to flush the system of metabolic wastes and
by-products.
6. Do I need to check for ketones in my urine?? Some low carb
programs recommend testing your urine for the presence of
ketones. Dr. Atkins explains in detail the why's and the how's
of ketosis and ketone testing in all of his books. Other
programs do not require this testing, and some plans, such as
the Zone, are not ketogenic at all. Make sure you are familiar
with the plan you have chosen to follow, to find out if daily
ketone testing is suggested. Some folks do not bother to test
for ketones, even when following a specifically ketogenic diet.
They prefer to go by the scales, and how their clothes fit as
an indicator of success. Others need the daily reinforcement
of knowing they are in ketosis, especially if the scales aren't
moving. It's up to the individual and the particular program
chosen.
7. What's so important about drinking a lot of water?? Second
only to oxygen, water is the most vital substance required by
our bodies, whether we are on a diet, or no diet at all. Yet so
few of us do drink fresh, pure, plain water. Instead, we drink
soda pop, or tea and coffee, juice or sugary fruit drinks,
milk - anything but water!! Drinking LOTS of water is
especially important when low carbing, to flush out the
metabolic wastes and by-products of all that fat burning. It
is generally recommended that you drink 64 fluid ounces of
pure, plain water, plus an additional 8 ounces for every
25 lbs you want to lose - every single day.
8. Do I need to exercise?? Anything you do to move your body
will burn fat. Since you're not eating carbs for fuel, this will
further enhance the fat-losses induced by a low carb diet.
Exercise also builds muscles; increased muscle will boost
your metabolic rate, thus burning even more fat. There will
always be some person to say they didn't lift a finger and
lost weight, but for most of us, any exercise will definitely
help our efforts.
9. I cheated. Do I need to start over?? It would be a good idea
to go back to Induction or early Intervention levels of the low
carb plan you have chosen to follow, for a week or at least a
few days to clear the excess carbs from your system and to
get back into fat-burning mode. Many low carbers
experience unpleasant symptoms after a high-carb cheat,
such as nausea, bloating, diarrhea, mood swings - all
brought on by the sudden surges and dips in blood sugar
and insulin. This becomes a great motivator to stick with
to low carb, and to not stray very often.
10. What are "hidden carbs"?? Generally, plain meats, poultry
and fish contain no carbs. However, commercially processed
meats, etc can have carbs added that you may not suspect -
sausages and meatloaves may contain breadcrumbs, milk
ingredients and sugars; bacon, ham, pastrami and other
cured meats are made with sugar, corn syrup or dextrose,
and many canned fish products contain sugar or starch-added
sauces. Always read the label to be sure. Other sources of
carbs that often get overlooked are coffee, and the cream and
packets of sweetener used. These can add up quickly if you
drink a lot of coffee through the day. Coffee has 0.8 carb grams
for a 6 fluid ounce cup. That's a small cup. Think about it,
especially during Induction or early Intervention phases of
your low carb program. Avoid anything "lowfat", they are
almost always high in carbs. Salad dressings and
condiments can add up too, and make sure you are
accurately measuring your allowed vegetables. 1/2 cup of
broccoli is not 2 cups of broccoli. And remember to count
the carbs in those breath mints and sugar-free gum. Cheese
and cream are often overlooked as a source of carbs, so
know how much you are consuming. If you are honest and
accurate, you will see that there really are no "hidden" carbs.
Read labels carefully, and get yourself a good carbohydrate
gram counter.
