Why low-carb diets fail

The American health world is known for two things. Our ever growing obesity problem and our obsession with trying to fix it through restrictive diets.The 80's and 90's were defined by low fat diets, where whole grains were everything. Pasta, bread, cereal and low fat milk were the ultimate health foods.    Over time people began to realize that the low fat diet not only caused weight gain, but also caused dry skin, hair loss, premature wrinkles, depression and the loss of menstrual cycles. At the turn of the millennium the masses started to realize that maybe this diet wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. So the pendulum swung to the opposite side stating that carbs are out and fat is back in!The low-carb diet gained so much attention because when it was introduced people began losing a significant amount of weight.  But unfortunately, like the low-fat period, cutting out any macronutrient whether it's fat, protein or carbohydrates will be accompanied by a host if health problems and causes weight gain down the road.Maybe some of you are intrigued that I’m not arguing against the idea that low-carb diets cause weight loss. Well, I'm going to share a secret with you that will help you steer clear from jumping on the bandwagon in order to loose a few lbs.Anytime you cut refined carbs out of your diet you will loose weight.It's simple. Refined carbs in the form of sugars, cake, cookies, processed breads, white pasta etc. all cause your blood sugar to quickly rise and your pancreas to secrete insulin. Insulin is a signal for your body to store weight. So when you stop eating refined carbs, your pancreas secretes less insulin and your body will shed some fat.But let's not throw out all carbs just yet. Natural, unprocessed carbohydrates are essential to our health. Squash, fruit, grains, beans, potatoes? Our bodies need them.What happens when you cut out all carbs?Your body becomes stressedAny macronutrient removal is a form of malnutrition. We need carbs. Without them, you can survive, but not thrive. Initially for maybe the first few months or a year, you may have tons of energy and lose a ton of weight. Sounds awesome. But in the process of cutting all carbs your body begins to produce high amounts of the stress hormone cortisol (which is what gives you energy and the endurance to live with the “fat is a more optimal fuel” mentality). By the way, an increase in cortisol is not a good thing. Cortisol, acts similarly to insulin, by signaling for your body to store weight. It also lowers your immune system and breaks down muscle tissue.Your Body enters KetosisKetosis is survival mode that your body enters in order to not die from low blood sugar. Your body registers this as starvation. It really surprises me that people encourage intentional ketosis for weight loss.Your weight will go back upAfter your initial weight loss period of a few weeks your metabolism will slow down. When you are stressed, your thyroid cannot produce the necessary amount of hormones to lose or even maintain your weight because it is dependent on the health of your adrenal glands. Thus, your weight loss will after a few weeks plateau and eventually you will gain the weight back. Our bodies are genius when it comes to adaptation, but it can backfire when you cut out a macronutrient.Its a frequent occurrence for those who are on a long-term, low-carb diet to gain weight when they re-introduce even small amounts of carbs. This is because over the years their bodies have been in a starvation state (like low-calorie dieters) and have adapted to survive without carbs. When they are re-introduced, the body often doesn't know how to process this new source of fuel which leads to major blood sugar issues and insulin secretion. Re-introduing carbs when your metabolism has slowed down is not great for weight loss.Your will sacrifice vitamins and antioxidantsCarbohydrates come from plant sources indulging fruit, vegetables, grains, beans and potatoes. Many of these are loaded with antioxidants vitamins and minerals that you cannot get when following a low carb diet (no matter how much coconut oil you consume).  This will catch up to you in the end.Some of the other side-effects from long-term, low-carb dieting are:Thyroid problemsBad body odorBad breathLoss of muscleErectile disfunctionLoss of menstrual cycleLow energySkin problemsBone density lossSo instead of  removing all carbs or even most carbs from your diet, try cutting out the refined, highly addictive, processed carbohydrates first.  It is much more sustainable and will protect you from any harm that cutting out macronutrients can do.