Extreme Low-Carbing: To Consider...

Many are initally attrached to low carb by promises of quick losses and want to know how they can maximize return on their efforts. Others, perhaps not-so-new to low carb, are looking for ways to restart sluggish or stalled weight loss. While pauses and uneven progress are all normal along every low carb journey, they can be unsettling or frustrating when they linger.

Sometimes, the quest for quicker and more dramatic losses lead people to consider more and more restrictive dietary practices in hopes of finding the “magic bullet” and getting the last of that weight off, once and for all. We understand that. There probably isn’t a person here who hasn’t faced these same issues at some point. And without question, we understand each person has to find their own path. We can’t tell you what to do, even if some of us with big mouths may be tempted on occasion.

But you know what? We worry! We care about the people that look to this community for information and help, whether it’s a low carb noob or an old friend. We take pride in helping people find success: lifetime success. We want you to find your lifetime success, too. (And we want for you to stay healthy and feel great doing it.)

We also believe that the only good solution for any weight problem is a PERMANENT solution. And a solution cannot be permanent if it’s not sustainable. So when considering eating plans, we encourage you to critically evaluate your options, bearing in mind that weight management and good health are both lifetime propositions. When you’re evaluating a new eating plan, please consider more than the rate of weight loss:

• Is it safe? Was the plan developed by a qualified medical professional or dietician with an appropriate background, or is the author merely a self-styled enthusiast with a penchant for marketing? Are most of the plan’s proponents disinterested third parties, or do they stand to benefit financially from advocating the plan? And remember: publication does not equal credibility. For example, often women’s magazines promote faddish or extreme diets—usually featured on the cover just next to glossy pics of sugar-encrusted garbage. Recipes included, of course. Extreme sells.
• Are the promises realistic? Is there science to back up the claims? Are the facts used complete and in context? If the plan is solid, it will withstand scientific scruntiny.
• A Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) should ONLY be undertaken under close supervision from a medical professional. At 800 calories a day or less, VLCD’s involve serious health risks and should only be considered in very specific situations. (Incidently, an impending high-school reunion is not one of those very specific situations.)
• Remember that VCLD’s slow your metabolism and will make it even harder for you to lose weight as time goes on. Protien as well as fat is cannablized to keep your body running, and muscles as well as vital organ tissue are impacted by the process. Please be aware of the impact of your choices over time.
• Could you get results from less extreme measures? Why not try dropping back to an eariler phase of your current eating plan, or cutting out some of the “extras” you might be including now insead of signing up for the next fad? Many times, as we get closer to goal, things slow down and choices that didn’t cause problems before now do. Things change. Adapting may be in order.
• Are you moving yet? Low carb maximinzes the effectiveness of exercise. If you’re not taking advantage of that metabolic bonus, you’re not low-carbing as effectively as you could be.
  
• Are you making it harder than necessary on yourself? A “little here and a little there” adds up. Having off-plan items around the house makes it harder to avoid nibbling. Consider the possibility of addressing carb-creep or weekend munching in leiu of adopting a more restrictive eating plan. Make sure you’re working your plan before you decide your plan’s not working!
• What’s your hurry? Yeah, yeah, we know; waiting stinks. But don’t consider it waiting. Consider it education: you’re taking a course in how your body works, so you can manage your weight and health for a lifetime. Even if you’re officially “stalled,” consider it practicing maintanence. It doesn’t sound so bad when you look at it that way, does it?

We’ll do what we can to help, but we know, ultimately the choices are yours. Let your choices be informed ones. Stay safe out there!