Fortunately, there is such a thing as “low carb intelligence.”
Hopefully, by reading my brief rant this month, you will
increase your carb IQ, and soon join the ranks of the extraordinarily
fit, lean and healthy “carbo geniuses!”
Low carb stupidity #1
Selecting your beer or liquor carefully to make sure you
have the brand with the fewest grams of carbs.
Low carb intelligence
Avoiding alcohol if you’re trying to lose body fat.
Drinking only in moderation if you’re trying to maintain
your weight and be healthy.
Low carb stupidity #2
Believing any of the following: Low carbs diets are the
only way to lose fat, low carb diets are the best way to
lose fat, no one should ever eat a high carb diet, high
carbs always make you fat, starches and grains make everyone
sick and unhealthy.
Low carb intelligence
Adjusting your approach according to your health status,
your goals and your body type, not according to generalizations
preached by dogmatic diet “gurus.”
Low carb stupidity #3
Going on the Atkins diet (or any other very low carb/ketogenic
diet) with absolutely no idea why you’re doing it
or how the diet works (going on it because “everybody”
is doing it and because you see it advertised everywhere.)
Low carb intelligence
Studying the physiology and biochemistry of the low carb
diet and completely understanding all the pros and cons.
Then making an informed decision whether to restrict carbs
based on your own personal goals, needs and heath status.
Low carb stupidity #4
Thinking that very low carb (ketogenic) dieting is a maintainable
“lifestyle.”
Low carb intelligence
Understanding that reasonable (moderate) restriction of
carbs can be a helpful short term strategy for fat loss,
a good way to reach a peak, a legitimate method to control
appetite, and an effective way for some people to control
insulin. But also understanding that a balanced diet of
natural foods is probably the most suitable of all the diets
for health, lifelong maintenance and weight control.
Low carb stupidity #5
Believing calories don’t count if you just cut out
your carbs (or not counting calories because it’s
“too much work.”)
Low carb intelligence
Knowing that fat loss always did and always will boil down
to calories in vs. calories out. Taking the time and effort
to crunch your numbers (at least once), typing up your menu
on a spreadsheet, keeping a diary, and/or using nutrition
tracking software.
Low carb stupidity #6
Staying on a low carb diet that has stopped working (or
never worked in the first place).
Low carb intelligence
Adjusting your diet according to your results; understanding
that a common definition of insanity (and/or stupidity)
is to continue to do the same things over and over again,
while expecting a different result.
Low carb stupidity#7
Believing that you don’t need exercise because all
you need to do is cut carbs.
Low carb intelligence
Knowing that dieting is the worst way to lose fat and that
exercise is the best way to lose fat (Burn The Fat, don’t
starve the fat).
Low carb stupidity #8
Using the argument; “There’s no such thing
as an essential carbohydrate” as justification for
low carb dieting.
Low carb intelligence
Realizing that textbook definitions of “essential”
can be taken out of context to promote a fad diet and that
just because there’s technically no “essential”
carbohydrates (as there are essential amino acids and fatty
acids) doesn’t mean carbohydrates aren’t “essential”
in other respects.
Low carb stupidity #9
Using the argument, “You have to eat fat to lose
fat” as justification for a high fat, low carb diet,
without explaining it or putting it in context (exactly
how much fat and what kind of fat?)
Low carb intelligence
Understanding the importance of essential and omega three
fats (the good fats), but not taking any single nutritional
principle to an extreme (such as, “If a little fat
is good for you then a lot is even better.”)
Low carb stupidity #10
Saying, “All carbs are bad” or “All carbs
are fattening.”
Low carb intelligence
Avoiding generalizations, and instead, having multiple
distinctions about carbohydrates (and other foods) so you
can make better choices. For example:
Low GI vs. high GI carbs
Simple vs. complex carbs
Starchy vs. fibrous carbs
Natural vs. refined carbs
High calorie density vs. low calorie density carbs
Low carb stupidity #11
Not clarifying your definition of low carbs.
Low carb intelligence
Realizing that there are “very low” carb diets,
“low” carb diets, and “moderate”
carb diets and that you cant lump them all together. (Some
people consider The Zone Diet, at 40% of calories from carbs,
a low carb diet, others consider 40% carbs quite high).
Low carb stupidity #12
Believing that carrots are fattening because they’re
high on the glycemic index and because a popular fad diet
book says so.
Low carb intelligence
Have we lost all vestiges of common sense? With an average
carrot clocking in at 31 calories and 7.3 grams of carbs,
do you really think that this orange-colored, nutrient-dense,
low-calorie, all-natural, straight-out-of-the-ground root
vegetable is going to make you fat? (if so, you are in "carbohydrate
kindergarten.")
Low carb stupidity… Lucky #13
Eating lots of processed and packaged low carb foods (including
those protein “candy bars”)… and thinking
you’re “being good” and “following
your diet.”
Low carb intelligence
Realizing that natural, unrefined foods are one of the
keys to lifelong weight control and that anything man made
and refined is NOT an ideal “diet” food –
including the highly processed low carb foods that are all
the rage this year. (Doesn’t this bandwagon reek of
the late 80’s and early 90’s “no fat”
craze, when all those ”fat free” foods were
being passed off as healthy diet food, but were really highly
processed and full of pure sugar?)
--End of Stupidities--
Forgive me for the obvious sarcasm, but sometimes I just
can’t help myself and I end up going into rant mode…
I think the last time this happened was in my newsletter
#22 almost a year ago… remember that one… the
one where I wrote about the ad for the candy bar that increases
your bench press by 50 pounds? Yeah... I heard those bars
are especially effective when you combine them with low
carb potato chips (weren't those low fat potato chips a
few years ago??? Oh nevermind... it's all soooo confusing!)
Anyway, to learn the truth about low carb dieting and the
Atkins diet, take a look at my article titled 10
Lies About The Atkins Diet - And the shocking truth
the low carb gurus don't want you to know about
For information on a more balanced method of fat loss which
is also individualized, all-natural and maintainable for
life… and which teaches you a new, safer, more moderate
and more effective “twist” to the old low carb
diet, visit my fat loss website at http://www.burnthefat.com/
>>
Click here for Tom's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program
About the Author
Tom Venuto is an NSCA-certified personal trainer, certified
strength and conditioning specialist, lifetime natural bodybuilder,
and author of the #1 best-selling e-book "Burn the
Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM). Tom has written over
170 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN Magazine,
Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine,
Olympian’s News (in Italian), Exercise for Men and
Men’s Exercise. For information on Tom's "Burn
The Fa Feed the Musclet" e-book, click
here.
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