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Laura Dolson
Low Carb Diets Blog

By Laura Dolson, About.com Guide to Low Carb Diets

What is a “No-Carb Diet”?

Sunday April 23, 2006
Fairly frequently I hear people talking about going on a “no-carb” diet, or asking me about it. What does this mean? Is it possible? Is it a good idea? I’ve recently updated my FAQ on the subject.

Related FAQs:
Comments
January 2, 2009 at 1:40 pm
(1) Phyllis Bohren says:

I need a NO carb, no sugar, no cafein diet. Doctor’s orders. Lots of protein is prescribed. Help! Thanks.

January 6, 2009 at 10:08 pm
(2) lowcarbdiets says:

Phyllis, I would ask this question in the Forum where you can get more feedback than here in comments. I also would get very clear on exactly what your doctor was ordering. Sometimes when people say “no carb” they mean “no high-carb foods”, and would think that, for example, vegetables and nuts would be OK.

Best wishes, and I hope to see you in the Forum!

January 9, 2009 at 7:44 pm
(3) Fredia says:

If its not from an animal then it has carbs….lol but its the truth. All protein no bread, sweets, no salad dressing, mayo etc. I was on this diet lost a ton of weight but veered off of it and now going back on it. My sugar level balanced out (low-blood sugar) felt great when I was on this diet. It will work but you have to have a ton of will power.

January 9, 2009 at 9:56 pm
(4) lowcarbdiets says:

Not quite true, Fredia. Olive oil has zero carbs. :-) Actually, a lot of plant food has very little carbohydrate, and some animal foods (e.g. oysters, and even eggs) have a little. The trick is to put it all together in a way that works for you. The Forum really is a good place to talk about it.

January 14, 2009 at 4:41 pm
(5) jeng says:

Try the Fat Flush diet – it’s no carb, no caffiene, no sugar, no wheat, no dairy, no preservatives or artifical sweetners.
It works!

February 23, 2009 at 9:20 pm
(6) Me says:

What is the fat flush diet?

April 29, 2009 at 7:44 pm
(7) Kelsey says:

No carb diets are a stupid idea. carbs are the main source of energy for the body. The body burns fat after carbs, true, but it will burn protein if your body gets desperate. that is in extreme. ]

breakfast is meant to be the biggest meal of the day for a reason. it prepares you for the energy needed throughout the day. carbs is an important part of that.

take up aerobics if you want to lose weight. go swimming and tone your body. not go on a no carbs diet.

April 29, 2009 at 8:15 pm
(8) lowcarbdiets says:

Kelsey, carbs are the main food for bodies that are not “keto-adapted” — in other words, bodies that are used to running on carbs. But after a few weeks on a carb-restricted diet, the body uses fat for energy just fine, and needs very little glucose.

May 4, 2009 at 4:46 pm
(9) JonB says:

There are individuals that have an enzyme deficiency that makes eating carbohydrates potentially deadly, so it is well documented that the body runs just fine on an extremely low-carb diet. That being said, not getting enough vitamins and minerals (or too many) can also be deadly over time. The fat-soluble vitamins (including A and E) are very common in animal tissue and can be toxic at high levels.
Most people would benefit greatly from just eliminating added sugar from their diets. Try to avoid foods with added sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, cane juice, honey, maltose, apple juice (mostly sugar, not really nutritious), fructose, molasses, glucose, and sucrose. Try to not just substitute artificial sweeteners, as they just maintain the ‘habit’ of eating sweetened foods, and may be bad for you in and of themselves. The starches, complex carbohydrates, and other sugars (most notably from dairy products) will help maintain energy and won’t hurt the diet.

May 11, 2009 at 2:51 am
(10) tranghUS says:

I am on this no carbs, no sugar diet for about a mont now. I lost nearly 8 pounds all naturally (I don’t exercise and sometimes just walk for 10 mins a day). My sister asked me how I can loose all that fat when I was eating very high calories and protein. I told her about the diet. It works for her too. Hey you always can use splenda if you miss the sweetness and if you miss hamburger, buy one, smell it and throw the burger away, eat the ham. I’m enjoying the diet because it works and I can eat a lot without counting calories. Imagine, just replace the sugar and carb by the foods of your choice. That’s simple. It’s ur call to make. It really works for me. Doesn’t hurt to try! Good luck.

May 12, 2009 at 12:54 pm
(11) Donna says:

I had previously tried every fad diet out there and was at a point of total frustration when a friend of mine made a bet that he could stick to the low carb diet longer than I. Being the competitive person I am I went to a bookstore and found this awesome pocket carb diary which had a list of all foods and carb content in the back of the book. Each page made you complete what you ate and how many carbs you consumed in a day. It also asked about exercise and water consumption. At the end of each week you were to register your weight. I was amazed that after the initial adjustment period of one week I did not feel hungry. I lost 65 pounds in 4 months without exercising. It was truly amazing. Strangly enough it is when you put something in your mouth that is high in carbs that your body craves it for the rest of the day. Avoid the carbs and avoid the hunger – and yes… there are plenty of options out there… I ate more food then I ever did on any other diet – another tip – do not see it as a diet but a way of life – diets come to an end – but good eating habits last forever. Good Luck – Smiles

May 26, 2009 at 6:49 pm
(12) HelpingtheHubby says:

Hey Donna… do you recall the name of this book. It sounds like something that would be really helpful for my Hubby. I have never been one who needed to lose weight, a few pounds here or there… But I was turned on to a No Sugar / No Carb Diet… and I am trying to find what I can do to help my hubby on this. We are both on the Diet together… So he is not alone and I am not eating things in front of him that he misses and can’t enjoy. I have more self control in the food arena. If you could get me the name of that book it sounds great!

May 28, 2009 at 8:22 am
(13) Anita says:

I have been on the no carbs diet, It’s the best diet I have ever been on. I have been on the diet for 13 weeks I have lost 10 kgs.

May 28, 2009 at 3:55 pm
(14) charlotte says:

i need a no carb and no caffeine diet to make me in perfect shape for summer. help!

June 17, 2009 at 12:35 pm
(15) Reba says:

Be careful about calling a “no carb” diet healthy. You are generally eating more foods that are high in fat which is not good in the long run for your heart. I know that it works however, when you choose not to eat vegetables and fruit – is that a good thing? And what is wrong with exercise. Losing weight and bragging about not doing any exercise is a bit severe. If you can, get out and walk every day. It is not only good for you but you feel so much better after. Moderation folks!

June 18, 2009 at 8:51 pm
(16) AngelLovesTony says:

I was on a no carb diet for a while, eating protein. Yes, it worked for a while until one day it dawned unto me that my heart has weakened by cholesterol from all the protein that I took.
Wishful thinking to hope for weight loss without exercise. Now I stick to exercising and eating a balanced diet, and if I’m trying to lose some pounds, just go for a smaller portion and avoid sugar in food and drinks.

July 7, 2009 at 1:35 pm
(17) Richard says:

Carbohydrates in the form of glucose can be synthesized in the body from other sources. Once a person is switched to a Low-to-No carb diet, this process initiates and becomes easier for the body to accomplish.

Protein, as far as sciences knows thus far, cannot be synthesized inside the body.

Low-t-No carb diets rely on the fact that the body is in a ketogenic state (ketone producing) that utilizes fat as the preferred energy source. In a non-ketogenic state, it is carbs that are the main source.

That being said, being ketogenic is not “normal” for most humans and therefore is not “safe” for some.

July 20, 2009 at 5:02 pm
(18) jellybean says:

use low carbs, low fat products and protein enriched (natural) foods such as tuna, chicken and oats/cereal – such as porridge for breakfast. Little and often, and drink a pint of water before meal times. Don’t eat carbs after work, replace your white bread with wholemeal or brown!

July 25, 2009 at 10:18 pm
(19) Alina says:

Well, I have a skin disorder(not serious tough, its just annoying) and I read elsewhere that it could be caused by the body not being able to digest certain foods.I’ve tryed lots of other treatments and none seem to work thus I have turned to diet. So though I wouldn’t mind losing a few pounds, I mainly want to try this diet to see if it produces any results if not, its back to te drawing board . . .

August 3, 2009 at 3:38 pm
(20) Aimee says:

I have been on the NO carb diet for a week now. I have lost 8 pounds which was primarily water weight. The first 3 days were fine-I don’t have a problem not eating carbs. I tested my Ketone level and it was between moderate and large which is very indicative that my body was adjusting to the diet! (My husband bought Ketone strips at the pharmacy-they are little plastic strips with a square pad at one end you pee on to test the level of Ketones in your body-somebody explained the Ketone level stuff above.)
After the third day and still now, however, I have been really dizzy (especially at night.) I know I’ll get over it – my body is just going through shock as it is learning to burn fat instead of carbs-but I was curious if anyone else experienced this and how long it lasted.

August 3, 2009 at 9:00 pm
(21) Corina says:

I have been on the no carb diet for two weeks. On the third and fourth day, I felt dizzy and faint. I was fine after that. I hope that helps

August 5, 2009 at 3:42 am
(22) Aimee says:

Thanks Corina- I’ve been on it 8 days now and am still dizzy. I don’t eat very much during the day (just snack on cheese slices) and at dinner have been having stuff like steak, cheeseburgers without the bun, or chicken and a broccoli, cream, and cheese mixture my husband makes. I’ve been drinking lots of water. However, my dizziness remains as well as headaches later at night (I tend to go to bed around 3am and get up around 1 or 2pm.-Maybe my sleeping pattern needs to change not only because it just is a crazy pattern to have but also because it could be inducing my headaches and dizziness?)

August 31, 2009 at 4:01 pm
(23) Pat Power says:

My Husbands doctor has told him that he is not to have sweets,bread,rice or any starch, caffine or dairy can someone please tell me if there are any receipes that I can find

September 7, 2009 at 1:35 am
(24) luli says:

i have been on this no carb diet for 6 days now and lost 6 pounds already sometimes is really hard im not really a meat person i just notice is really hard to sleep at night and the headache the only good thing is that im drinking water like crazy i hope this keep working my goal is to lose 50 pounds more

September 7, 2009 at 1:40 am
(25) abigailkrouse says:

the “no-carb” diet has helped me so much! it made me feel so much better( also because i excerzised!). it made me less self consious all around. i was actually able to talk to people without feeling that they were staring at “fat”. It is a good diet, if you do it correctly! don’t get me wrong, but you need to have the WILL POWER!!!!!

September 8, 2009 at 11:02 pm
(26) Nancy D says:

I guess the problem is what suits one person won’t always suit another and the issue is to find the right “diet” but make it a weight loss program that is a change in lifestyle and eating habits rather than just an all out diet. I know people that a low carb diet was exceptional for them and others where it just wasn’t the right choice.

September 23, 2009 at 11:58 am
(27) SarahW says:

For those who are dizzy try drinking some broth or something of the sort. I did a lo carb diet and lost 20 lbs before having to stop it for some other issues but the doctor who ran the program said drinking broth helped due to the salt intake. You may be putting your electrolytes out of wack by drinking so much water.

September 24, 2009 at 2:32 am
(28) ilovemyhusband says:

I’ve been on a no carb, no sugar, no dairy diet for 3 weeks now and I feel great! I started because I had gained so much weight from taking birth control, however after the 2nd week I noticed that my regular daily breakouts had stopped and I hadn’t had a bump in days…so that was motivating to say the least! But the results were shocking I started losing within 4 days. Sweet! This no carb healthyness ended up being the best idea yet. This is for sure, the way to go if your looking for results and better health. I think its still important to get your heart rate up for at least 30 mins a day and listen to your body(like if ur feeling dizzy or sick, maybe this isn’t the diet for you)…

Never risk your health just to look good… no matter how tempting it may be! LOL

November 1, 2009 at 2:10 pm
(29) Gene Logan says:

I have never dieted a day in my life but wanted to loos a few pounds on my stomach for my 40th birthday (vanity). Although relatively slim i still had a modest gut i wanted to get rid of. I cut out 95% of carb, all sugars and sweets, and ate mostly lean meat and green leafy vegetables (small portions every 2 or 3 hours faithfully). I supplimented fiber and multivitams.

I didn’t know what to expect or even bother to weigh myself but i stuck to it. 30 days later I looked up and my gut was completely gone…I was shocked, stunned and amazed. Not only did i loose my gut i started loosing fat everywhere. 60 days later people thought i was dieing of cancer.

Loosing weight is easy! The only problem i had was super monster sugar cravings.

Good luck to all.

November 17, 2009 at 8:19 pm
(30) Kaz says:

Serious over production of bacteria (candida) caused bloating and upset stomach (IBS) plus increased asthma symptoms due to mucoous menbranes being affected by the bacteria – recommended a LOW CARB diet but asked to keep off all carbs for 2 weeks AMAZING felt lighter and well for the first time in years, did have some dizziness and sleep problems and a sugar craving ( i actually did the no carbs for 3 weeks and now i am feeling very blue and tired and this is due to the body processing the protein differently and low blood sugar)…..so beware and just follow a LOW carb diet and get plenty of excercise and remember everthing in moderation

November 19, 2009 at 3:45 pm
(31) Emily says:

So what happens to your body if you complete cut out the carbs and don’t eat any carbs isn’t there an long term effect on your body

November 30, 2009 at 8:08 pm
(32) mac says:

for some valuable info on this
http://zerocarbpath.blogspot.com/

December 7, 2009 at 10:43 am
(33) tryin4myself says:

i need help losing weight.. im very new at this and need form help and advise on how to do this no carb diet i need to lose 50 pounds by the end of jan.. can any one help me ???

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