How to Evaluate a Low Carb Diet Meal Plan

There are lots of different low carb diet meal plans out there—Atkins, Protein Power, Medifast, South Beach and many others. How do you know which ones are healthiest and how do you know which one is best for you? Here are some tips to help you evaluate a low carb diet meal plan.

Does It Have a Quick Start?

Most low carb diet meal plans have a quick start option. The first week or two of the plan, you restrict your carbs pretty severely. This causes water to shift out of your tissues and into your bloodstream, and to be eliminated through your kidneys. This produces a rapid initial weight loss of several pounds which encourages you and helps you stick to the plan. It also detoxifies your body and prepares it for healthier eating.

Does It Have a Maintenance Plan?

Once you’ve lost the initial weight, a good low carb diet meal plan will help you transition to good lifetime eating with a maintenance plan. The maintenance plan will include good carbohydrates that you can have in moderation as opposed to refined sugars and starches.

Does It Include Snacks?

Most people lose weight best if they eat six small meals instead of three large ones. Does your low carb diet meal plan follow that pattern? There may be three meals and three snacks, but you the low carb diet meal plan should allow you to eat six times a day.

Does It Include Behavior Modification?

We aren’t overweight because we eat when we’re hungry. We’re overweight because we eat for emotional reasons, or at parties, or when we go out with friends. The low carb diet meal plan you choose should include ways to plan for eating out and parties. It should give you tips for handling emotional eating and triggers.

Does It Encourage Exercise?

Okay, this isn’t strictly a meal plan issue, but exercise is part of a good low carb plan. Exercise helps you burn extra calories and it increases your metabolism so that you burn your food more efficiently.

Does It Include Healthy Carbs and Healthy Fats?

You want your carbs to count, and you don’t want to be eating saturated and trans fats. Your low carb diet meal plan should have lots of vegetables and moderate amounts of fruits and whole grains. It should emphasize monosaturated fats and omega-3 oils.