IF I WANT TO DROP WEIGHT? SHALL I CUT CARBS????

I get asked this question nearly every day.   The reality is that low-carb diets can help with short term weight loss – and they do work – until they stop working, and this comes at a cost.  I personally know as I have been there many times myself over the years. I have defaulted to this approach in times of desperation to get leaner. And as a coach, I have seen first-hand the long-term metabolic damage done by low carb eating.

I have had to learn the value of a balanced diet which includes carbs and simple sugars the hard way.

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I ATE LOW CARB

When dieting for a long time and doing loads of cardio, my metabolism slowed down and it became really, really hard to lose weight. I still had to get lean to compete, so I resorted to a low/no carb diet for a very long time.  My health fell apart during those years, my hormones become unbalanced and my thyroid gland downregulated. Fat loss was exceptionally difficult. My body temperature plummeted.

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY METABOLISM SLOWED DOWN

• I was tired all the time.
• I started getting cellulite for the first time ever.
• I got stressed very easily.
• I started to develop a food sensitivity to dairy product and gluten.  This appeared completely out of the blue.
• I struggled with awful bloating for the first time ever.
• I always felt cold.

I was totally unaware that my low-carb diet was ruining my thyroid gland and hormonal balance.

This story is more common than you think. 

Fitness magazines constantly recommend low-carb diets to get lean.  And I can honestly say that most of the clients with slow metabolisms or trouble losing weight that we work have come to us whilst following a low carb diet.

Many do lose weight INITIALLY, but in the medium to long term low carb eating does not support healthy metabolism. 

There is now so much research showing that low carb diets result in the following:

• Fall in active T3 thyroid hormone – remember we need active T3 for fast metabolism and we need a fast metabolism for faster fat burner and greater hormonal balance.
• Rise in thyroid gland blocking that reverses T3 hormone.
• Fall in metabolic rate and energy production.

All of these factors only suppress your thyroid gland functioning and ultimately slow down or halt fat burning.

SOME OF THE RESERACH

Hormonal and metabolic changes induced by an isocaloric isoproteinic ketogenic diet in healthy subjects.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6761185

“A significant fall in triiodothyronine and rise in reverse triiodothyronine were observed, while thyroxine levels remained unchanged.”

Sucrose substitution in prevention and reversal of the fall in metabolic rate accompanying hypocaloric diets.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3740086

“The fall in both resting metabolic rate and triiodothyronine concentration was markedly reduced as compared with values during the carbohydrate-free diet. It is concluded that carbohydrate restriction plays an important role in mediating the fall in resting metabolic rate during hypocaloric feeding.”

SO, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS ON A LOW CARB DIET?

INITIALLY weight loss occurs……. but this is short lived, and for many is often only water weight.

When carbohydrates are reduced, blood sugar levels drop.  When blood sugar levels drop, stress hormone such as cortisol and adrenaline increase.   Adrenaline can make you feel pumped….but here is the thing….it is not sustainable.

Your body can only continue to overproduce stress hormones for so long and eventually this becomes impaired.

WHY?   Thyroid hormone is required for the production of stress hormones.  The conversion of thyroid hormone requires carbohydrates as fuel.    And here lies the key.

So……the longer you eat a low carbohydrate diet, the more you reduce your thyroid hormone production.  Eventually a point will be reached where the body cannot produce enough stress hormones to meet the demands of what your body needs in order to compensate.

It is at this point that all kinds of awful symptoms including weight gain occurs.

THE RIGHT CARBS ARE YOUR FRIENDS AND WILL HELP KEEP HORMONES BALANCED, METABOLISM FAST AND YOUR BODY HEALTHY.

THE SOLUTION

Let’s be clear again, it’s about the right carbs, balanced properly and eaten at the right time. Procomp meal plans are balanced with carbs, proteins and fats.  We favour simple natural sugars are recommended by the research of Dr Ray Peat such as pulp free Orange Juice, ripe Tropical fruit, Raw honey and root vegetables.

This is how we get great results with the ProComp Pro-metabolic meal plans.   It is about eating carbs that fuel thyroid gland functioning, the reduction of cortisol and all meals are balanced with the right amount of proteins and fats to keep blood sugar levels level.

If you are tired of the low carb cycle and not getting result check out delicious nourishing, Pro-metabolic meal plans.

https://www.prometaboliclife.com/12-week-metabolic-thrive-meal-plan/

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you want any recommendations or advice about our Pro-Metabolic Meal Plan programs.

https://www.prometaboliclife.com/contact/

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