Are you on a low-carb diet but still gaining weight or not seeing the weight loss results you desired? There is a general belief that the path to losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight is by reducing your carb intake, however, some people's experience is otherwise, they are eating low-carb but still gaining weight. This experience could be rather frustrating. Let's take a look at some of the reasons you are experiencing this:
You Are Not Cutting Down "Enough" Carbs
Weight loss is not only about cutting down carbs, it is about cutting down "enough" amount of carbs for your body to reach "ketosis". Ketosis is the state in which your body functions when it doesn’t have enough carbs to burn for energy. Instead, it burns fat and helps you lose excess weight.
Research shows that until your body reaches this state of ketosis, a low-carb way of eating would be ineffective. This means that as long as your body is still getting carbs to burn, there won't be a need to burn fat, hence there won't be any noticeable changes in your weight. You must know the carb level required by your body for you to know how to cut it down for an effective Keto process to take place.
As a diabetic patient, the Keto way of eating (WOE) helps you lose weight while keeping blood sugar in range (due to low carb intake) and still get the nutrients you need from another food source.
You Are Eating Carbs Unknowingly
Often, people cut down on the popular foods known to be high in carbs like bread and pasta. However, there are still some foods that are still very high in carbs but find their way into your body unnoticed. For example, fruits like apples and bananas are relatively very high in carbs, and taking too much of them might cause your carb count to still be too high for your body to reach ketosis (you have to stay under about 50 grams of carbs per day). Instead, you can try berries like blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries with your favorite nut butter or plain yogurt.
Too Much of Processed Foods
While trying to go for low-carb diets, instead of natural foods, some people end up stocking up on lots of processed foods like protein shakes, protein bars, protein cookies, etc. Studies show that eating less processed foods without changing macros (calories, carb count, fat content, protein, etc.) helps you lose weight. Hence, always try to opt for a more natural choice like eggs or an avocado salad to avoid running into some weight-gain challenges.
You don’t have a Proper Eating Plan
Plan on when you are going to eat and stick to it. Reduce unnecessary and late-night snacking. This might be a little bit difficult for a diabetic patient as you'll need to maintain a certain blood sugar level, however, proper planning can help in avoiding unnecessary calories and carbs intake.
Maintaining a healthy weight requires proper planning and intentionality, especially for diabetic patients. If you are eating low carbs but still gaining weight, chances might be that you need to start paying attention to some of the reasons highlighted above.
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