Low Carb Diet

The Popular Low Carb Diets - How Do They Compare?

For the many of you who have been showing an interest in weight loss and diet for a long time, you will be very aware that weight loss is something of an obsession in those countries affected by obesity and overweight problems. Over recent decades, it seems an endless number of fad diets have come and gone; these have included not just low carb diets, but no carb diets too.

Such extreme diets as a no carb diet, or no protein diet, have generally been dismissed as unhealthy. Today, though, there are 3 very popular diets that are low carb, or in the case of the Zone Diet, modest carb diets. The other 2 are the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet.

These 3 popular low carb diets have all been criticised in some quarters, mostly for their claims that one can have a healthy diet, and lose weight as well, without having any restriction on the consumption of foods that are rich in fat, such as meat and cheese. Such claims have gone against conventional advice from the medical world, which recommends a restriction of fatty food in the diet.

What is the truth about these low carb diets? Are they effective, and can they form the basis for lifelong healthy eating? On the surface, they all claim carbs are bad, and proteins are good; that you can still lose weight even when eating as much protein as you want. Well, the answer is possibly, "yes".

So, how can your reconcile the claims of the Big 3 low carb diets, with the conventional view that says a healthy diet should be low in proteins and saturated fats, derive 50-60% of its calories from carbohydrates, and emphasizes whole grains and fresh vegetables as the main source of nutrition?

Out of interest, let's take a closer look at a typical menu recommended on each of the Big 3 low carb diets, and compare typical meals with each other and one based on USDA recommendations:

USDA Recommendations - Typical Meal

3 oz lean fish (brushed with olive oil and garlic and broiled)

1 oz slice whole grain/whole wheat bread

1 tablespoon olive oil vinaigrette dressing

2 cups of spinach salad with grapefruit

This sample meal contains:

about 350 calories

20 g. carbs

15 g. protein

14 g. fat

South Beach Diet Dinner Menu

Poached salmon with Greek salad.

Sugar-free jelly with a low fat topping.

This sample South Beach Diet meal contains:

about 300 calories

14 g. fat (olive oil in Greek dressing)

17 g. protein

and 3 g. carbs

Atkins Diet Dinner Menu

Spring Salad

Green Goddess Dressing

Maple-Mustard Glazed Baked Ham

Roasted Asparagus

Baked Artichoke-Parsley Cheese Squares

Atkins Coconut Layer Cake

This sample Atkins Diet meal contains:

about 400 calories

17 g. carbs

8 g. fat

18 g. protein

The Zone Diet Dinner Menu:

Baked salmon with Fruit salsa (kiwi, blackberries, apple)

This Zone Diet sample meal contains:

435 calories

5 g. fat

10 g. carbs

17 g. protein

Do you notice anything about these meals? Even the low carb diets are not extreme. They do contain a balance of protein, carbs and fats, emphasising lean meats and carbohydrates.

Really, you can just pick the diet that seems most suited for you. That way you will most likely stick with it to achieve a slimmer and healthier you.