I get a lot of questions about what makes the Carb Diet
work.
The most common questions I get are:
- Is it the types of food you eat, or simple caloric reduction that makes people drop fat on this diet?
- What makes this different from the Atkins (or other low-carb) diet?
- Why can’t I have dairy?!?
- No fruit either?? You’re kidding right?!
Part 1 – Caloric Reduction Versus the Types of Food You Eat
This is an interesting question I’ve been asked many times. You see, in case you’re not aware, there is quite a debate raging amongst fitness experts concerning the calories in/calories out model. The old standby message from nutritionists is that it doesn’t matter what food you eat, only how many calories you consume. If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. Do the opposite, and you lose weight. Easy enough.
However, there’s another group of people who say the type of food you are eating is important as well. In other words, if you consume 2000 calories from fast food french fries and cheeseburgers each day, your body will respond differently than if you consume 2000 calories from freshly prepared whole, non-processed foods each day.
But can it be both? I think so. The simple calories in/calories out model ignores other factors such as the impact of what you eat on your metabolism, insulin response, vitamin & mineral stores, and others. It is true that if you burn more calories in a day than you
consume, you will lose weight. But what if the food you’re eating causes your body to respond in a way that slows your metabolism down?
How Does This Apply to the Slow Carb Diet
The slow-carb diet has proven to be fantastically effective for a great many people. Is it simple caloric reduction or something else? Let’s explore the options.
Caloric Reduction
Caloric reduction certainly has something to do with the great results of the Slow Carb Diet. Let’s take a look at what could very easily be a normal day of eating for me under the Slow Carb Diet:
Breakfast
2 Hard Boiled Eggs: 150 kcal
1/2 Cup Black Beans: 115 kcal
1 Cup Broccoli: 60 kcal
Lunch
6 oz Chicken Breast: 300 kcal
1 Cup White Beans: 300 kcal
1 Cup Cauliflower: 28 kcal
Dinner
10 oz Sirloin Steak: 500 kcal
1 Cup Black Beans: 230 kcal
1 Cup Broccoli: 60 kcal
Total calories for the day: 1743
Considering the estimated number of calories for someone my age/height/weight to maintain my body weight is around 2500 calories per day, it makes sense that I’d lose weight eating the foods listed.
Put simply, the types of foods one eats on the Slow Carb Diet are naturally nutrient-dense and low in calories. The volume of meat, legumes, and veggies along with the high amount of fiber means one needs to eat fewer calories to be satisfied and feel full.
Other Factors:
Is there more to the story than simple caloric reduction? To learn more, I consulted my friend Dr. Tobon, MD, a resident physician in Physical Medicine & Rehab/Sports Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, FL. Here are the key takeaways from our conversation:
1) The type of food you eat on the slow-carb diet is high in protein and fiber. This requires longer and slower digestion, which means you burn more calories to digest the food you have eaten.
2) The purpose behind consuming only what Tim calls “slow carbs” is that you are maintaining a consistent blood sugar level and avoiding big spikes in blood sugar and the associated spike of insulin in your blood. When your body releases insulin, it triggers your cells to switch into energy storage mode. In other words, it triggers your body
to begin storing fat. If you keep your blood sugar consistent and avoid large insulin spikes, you avoid tripping that fat storage trigger in your body and continue to burn your food for energy.
As you can see, there is more to the Slow Carb Diet than simple caloric reduction, though that is a part of it. The type of food you are eating helps to keep your metabolism high and blood sugar consistent. In turn, it works to achieve the greatest amount of fat loss possible without feeling like you are depriving yourself.
There is more to the diet than the calories in/calories out model discussed above. Part two will address the remaining frequently asked questions from the beginning of this post. Stay tuned for more!