Low carb diets can work for most people. However, it may not be in the ways that people think. In theory, a low carb diet works because carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels in the body. This, in turn stimulates the insulin which drives blood sugar into the cells, thus preventing fat from breaking down in the body. This process is said to restrict you from burning excess fat, thus, not losing any weight.

The proponents of these low carb diets believe that if carbohydrates can raise your blood sugar and your insulin levels, thus causing weight gain, then decreasing carbs will cause the blood sugar and insulin levels to drop, thus leading to weight loss. They believe that if you are not eating the carbs that your body will more efficiently bread down fat to give you the extra energy that you are lacking from cutting your carbs.

Some people actually lose weight while on a low carb diet. Some do not lose an ounce. However, those who lose weight on the low carb diet can not likely credit the blood sugar and insulin level theory for their loss. Most likely it is due to these four factors:

Water weight loss. When you first begin to decrease you intake of carbohydrates, your body begins to burn glycogen. Glycogen is mostly made up of water so when the glycogen is burned, the water is released. This results in increased urination and weight loss is the result.

Decrease in appetite. When your body burns fat without carbohydrates, it products byproducts that are called ketones. These ketones build up in your bloodstream and this may cause you to not feel as hungry.

Increased full feeling. A low carb diet usually has a higher fat content. Because fat takes longer to digest, you may feel fuller for a longer period of time.

Reduction in caloric intake. The majority of the low carb diets strictly limit the variety of food that you are allowed to eat which usually results in a reduction in your overall caloric intake. Carbohydrates, such as rice, cereal, pasta, milk, bread, most fruit and all sweets usually make up more than have of a person’s daily caloric intake. When a person goes on a low carb diet, however, these foods are limited or restricted altogether which results in a significant caloric intake reduction.

A low carb diet can be an effective form of weight loss, but it is not necessarily a diet that can be maintained easily over the long term. There currently have not been any studies conducted to determine if there are long term adverse effects of continuing a low carb diet over an extended period of time. However, for shorter term dieting a low carb diet may be an effective weight loss tool. Of course, before going on any diet you should first clear it with your doctor to make sure that it is OK and that a low carb diet is right for you.