New Guide: How to Lose Weight with a Low-carb Diet

Are you ready to lose weight while eating delicious, nourishing food that keeps you satisfied for hours?

In another guide, we've covered all the research on why low-carb diets can help you lose weight. Now let's dive right in to learn how to follow a healthy low-carb lifestyle for weight loss.

1. Getting started on a low-carb weight loss diet

Now, the first step: What should you eat?

Foods for weight loss

The best foods for weight loss are very low in carbs, nutritious, and filling, such as:

Complete list of foods to eat

In studies, following low-carb diets based on these foods have often shown better weight loss results than following low-fat diets.

Foods to avoid for weight loss

You probably already have some idea of the types of foods you should stay away from on a low-carb weight loss diet. Many of them are the same kinds of foods you would limit on any diet, such as:

• Cake, cookies, ice cream, and other desserts
• Pancakes
• Chips and fries
• Soda and other sweet drinks

But there are also some foods you should avoid that may surprise you, like:

• Whole-grain breads and cereals Learn more
• Milk (not to be confused with cream, which is ok to use)
• Fruit (except berries) Learn more

It's not that these foods are "evil" or "bad for you," but they do break down into sugars that raise your insulin levels and make it harder to lose weight.

Complete list of foods to avoid

Meal planning tips

Low-carb meal planning is really quite simple:

1. Start with a generous serving of protein (meat, fish, eggs, cheese, or tofu). Shoot for around 4 ounces (113 grams), a serving about the size of a smartphone. Learn more
2. Add as many non-starchy vegetables as you want. Learn more
3. Include a tablespoon or more of fat (such as butter or olive oil) for cooking or serving. Fat will make those non-starchy veggies taste delicious, so add dressing, drizzle, or dip-enough to feel satisfied. Learn more
4. Season with salt, herbs, and spices.
5. Include a glass of water or other low-carb beverage. Learn more

Using vegetables as substitutes for bread, pasta, and rice is a two-for-one special. It not only reduces the carb content of your meal, it boosts the nutritional value as well:

• Use lettuce in place of bread for sandwiches and burgers.
• Shred cauliflower and pan-fry in oil to make cauliflower "rice" for a low-carb burrito bowl or as a side dish for meat or fish.
• Cut zucchini into spirals to make noodles, aka "zoodles." Sauté them in butter and garlic, then top with chicken or protein of choice.
• Boil cauliflower until tender, then blend together with butter, cream, and salt to make mashed "faux-tatoes" as a side dish - and an excellent gravy transport vehicle - for turkey or other protein.

Looking for more low-carb meal ideas that can help you lose weight? Check out our recipes and meal plan below:

2. Common low-carb weight loss mistakes

Despite the best of intentions, both newbies and experienced low-carbers sometimes do things that can slow down weight loss. Here are a few common low-carb bloopers:

• Fear of fat: Many people find it hard to give themselves permission to eat fat when they begin a low-carb diet. This is perfectly understandable, since we've all heard that fat is bad for our health and that eating fat will make us fat. However, the fat found in natural, unprocessed foods isn't unhealthy. Just because they're tasty, doesn't mean butter and other whole-food sources of saturated fat are not good for you. To succeed on a very-low-carb diet, you should lose your fear of fat. There's no need to add heaps of butter or pour oil on your food, but do include a tablespoon or more during or after cooking. Here's our list of the top 10 ways to eat more fat.
• Eating too many nuts: Yes, they're healthy, delicious, and low in carbs, but nuts are also one of the easiest foods to overconsume. Your mind wanders for one second and a whole bowl of macadamia nut disappears! According to a large review of several trials, overweight people seem to take in more calories overall when they eat nuts.
• Eating too often or too much: Although low-carb meals can provide a feeling of fullness for several hours, many of us have a habit of snacking frequently. But the advice to eat mini-meals throughout the day may not produce good weight loss results. In fact, eating only two or three times a day - which is often easy to do on low-carb - may be your best bet. Also important: Eat only when you are hungry and stop as soon as you begin feeling full.
• Indulging in low-carb treats: Sugar-free ice cream, keto candy, and low-carb baked goods can be very tempting, but - like their high-carb counterparts - they can get in the way of weight loss. The worst offenders are packaged "low-carb" or "keto" bars that often contain sugar alcohols and other additives that may end up impeding your progress. Still, even homemade low-carb treats should be minimized because they're easy to overconsume and may lead to carb cravings.
• Consuming too many keto-friendly drinks: Although plain old water is the only beverage your body needs, coffee (including Bulletproof coffee), tea, and certain alcoholic beverages can also be enjoyed on a low-carb diet. But keep in mind that drinking too much alcohol or Bulletproof coffee can definitely slow down weight loss. To get the best results, limit yourself to just one glass or cup per day.

3. Frequently asked questions

Question: Is low carb safe?
Answer: Yes, low carb is generally a safe and healthy way of eating. Here is an article that addresses the most common concerns people have about low-carb diets: Top 17 low-carb and keto controversies

Question: How fast will I lose weight on a low-carb diet?
Answer: Unfortunately, there's no way to know how quickly you'll lose weight on low carb, because it varies a lot from person to person. Some people lose 10 pounds or more the first month, while others - who may be trying just as hard - lose about half that much within the same period of time. Generally speaking, the more extra weight you are carrying, the more you will lose at the beginning. However, weight loss tends to slow down for everyone after the first few weeks, because part of the initial weight loss is water rather than fat. That's okay, because it's no fun to carry around several extra pounds of water weight either! Also, research has shown that weight loss tends to slow down when carb intake is gradually increased during a study, even if people are technically still eating low carb (around 100 grams per day).

Question: What is the "keto flu," and how can I prevent it?
Answer: The keto flu or low-carb flu occurs when transitioning from a higher-carb diet to a very-low-carb diet. Symptoms include headache, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. You can prevent or greatly reduce symptoms of the keto flu by following the simple advice in our guide: The keto flu, other keto side effects, and how to cure them

Question: Will I be able to eat more carbs after I lose weight?
Answer: Perhaps, although you'll probably need to keep your carb intake well below where it was before you started low carb. Many people find that they get the best results by eating about 20 grams of net carbs per day and can maintain their weight loss eating twice that much or more, but some prefer to remain close to 20 grams or so most of the time. This is something you can experiment with once you're in maintenance. Net carbs are the portion of carbs that are digested and absorbed by your body. Learn more about net carbs

4. The bottom line

The science is clear and so is the way forward: low carb can be a safe and effective way to lose weight. And, here at Diet Doctor, you'll have plenty of company along the way.

Although not everyone experiences major or rapid weight loss on low-carb, this way of eating will allow you to lose weight at your own pace, while enjoying delicious food with no need to go hungry.

At Diet Doctor, we want to support your weight loss journey in any way we can. We've created hundreds of low-carb recipes, meal plans, guides, and other tools to help you along the way and available whenever you need them.

Here's to losing weight on low carb in a healthy, sustainable way!

/ Franziska Spritzler, RD

Interested in more?

In addition to our 14-day keto meal plan, we have several other meal plans available with Diet Doctor Plus, our membership program, including:

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