Low Carb Monster

Carb

The low carb rage is on the downhill slide. Even the Atkins corporation is feeling it. They have now filed for bankruptcy due to the popularity of the diet being on the decline and the competition from other companies. It sites "slumping demand and a flood of competing products" as its reasons. So why have so many people lost interest? Chances are the reasons are different for everyone.

Why Low Carb Diets are on the Decline

Sure, low carb diets are a great way to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time, if you can give up carbs that long without losing your mind! But there are a lot of reasons why low carb diets are losing popularity. One could be that it allows (and even encourages) too much fat and saturated fat, and it doesn't allow enough fruits or fiber. Here are some of the side effects:

Bad breath - This is caused by ketosis, which is a state your body is in when it's burning fat.
Tiredness - Carbs are what your body uses for fuel and energy. Even though your body uses fat for fuel while you're on a low carbdiet, you still might not have enough energy left.
Grumpiness - Carbs cause your brain to produce a hormone called serotonin, which is a "feel good" hormone.

Perhaps those side effects are reasons for most. For others, it could be because they just couldn't stick with it. Think about it--most people who are dieting still need 225-250 grams of carbs a day for good health. The first two weeks of most low carb diets only allow you to have 20-40 carbs a day. Considering this, and the fact that the reason most people are overweight is because of eating far more carbs than your body actually needs, it's easy to see why a low carb diet is so hard for many people to stick with. Then they go off it and gain their weight back (often times more, too).

A low carb diet is just like any diet--you have to stick with it forever to keep the weight off. And long term, it's not good for you because all the saturated fat can lead to heart disease, and it can also cause kidney damage.

We're not here to tell you whether or not a low carb diet is right for you. We can just tell you about them.