Weight Loss: Is Following A Zero Carb Diet A Healthy Way To Lose Weight?

Zero carb diet is an extreme version of low-carb diets

You are all aware of keto diet, low-carb diet, low fat diet, etc. They are all designed in a way that they can help you lose weight quickly. This of course is along with the fact that you combine them with regular exercise including both cardio and strength training. In this article today, we are going to talk about zero carb diet, which as the name suggests, is a diet that involves excluding carbs in full entirety. It is an extreme version of low-carb diets and eliminates all carbs including whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Before we go ahead explaining how the low-carb diet works, we want to clarify that restricting your carb intake can help you shed kilos in the short term, but the lose kilos will come back as soon as you get back to regular eating routine. The diet is extremely restrictive and is difficult to be sustained for a long period of time.

Zero carb diet: Is it healthy?

Carbs are the primary source of energy for your body. They are present in grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, legumes, milk, yogurt, pasta, bread and baked foods. If you are on a zero carb diet for weight loss, then you will have to avoid these foods as much as possible.

In a zero carb diet, you will have to eat foods that are primarily rich in protein and fats. Foods like meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts and seeds are all rich source of protein and healthy fats. They can also have non-starchy vegetables like artichokes, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, broccoli, egg plant, zucchini, turnips, salad greens, onions, peppers, mushrooms, bean sprouts, asparagus and tomatoes. Avocados and coconuts are also foods you can eat in zero carb diet.

Zero carb diet includes eating non-starchy vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli
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A zero carb diet can be considered to be close to keto diet - a diet plant which talks about limiting carb consumption, eating proteins moderately, and eating good and healthy fats. The two diets encourage to get more than 70% of calories from fats. But it goes without saying that zero carb diet is more restrictive than keto diet.

If you want to follow a zero carb diet, you can include the aforementioned foods in your diet. The ones to be avoided included starchy vegetables, bread, pasta, processed and packaged foods. What's more is that you don't need to care about portion size while following zero carb diet as it already involves restricting one macronutrient.

Zero carb diet for quick weight loss: How it works

Reducing carb intake shows quick results for weight loss. Replacing carbs with protein or fat content can help you feel fuller, making you eat lesser overall calories. This further promotes weight loss. What's more is that very low carb diet can lead to rapid weight loss in the first few months because of water weight loss. Healthline mentions that this is because every gram of carbs hold around 3 gms of water in the body.

However, the diet comes with its own downsides like constipation and nutritional deficiencies. You are likely to feel starved and fatigued most of the time and experience much more cravings than before. You will feel irritated and experience more mood swings.

Zero carb diet can increase cravings
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So, while zero carb diet can help you lose weight quickly, you should avoid following it for too long. A healthier way to lose weight, perhaps, is by practicing portion control; including all essential nutrients in your diet; exercising regularly; taking less stress; sleeping well and being physically active. This is a pattern which has been recommended by health experts like Nmami Agarwal, Rujuta Diwekar and Luke Coutinho to name a very few.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.