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Low carb diet: why this is the best type of nutrition

Three years ago I switched to a low carb diet, and completely changed the ideology of my nutrition. I’ve already written about the main principles of healthy eating I set for myself. This time I want to talk more about the benefits of a low carb diet, and why I think it’s preferable for adult athletes aged 40+.

First of all, I want to start with what prompted me to change my diet

  1. I didn’t like my shape. I seemed to be gaining mass and working out regularly, but I looked like crap.
  2. I felt an extra useless weight in me. Еven as I didn’t weigh much, my maximum was 183 lbs. 
  3. I was bound to eat 5-6 times a day. It was very tiring. Plus, my stomach couldn’t handle that food.
  4. I wanted to be more functional and enduring. To achieve this it was necessary to lose several pounds.
low carb diet result
See the difference: the left photo was taken before I switched to a low carb diet, the right photo was taken two years later

But why did I choose exactly a low carb diet? 

The answer to this question is quite simple. I explored many types of nutrition and realized that diets like keto or paleo are too extreme for me. Therefore, I decided not to forgo carbohydrates completely. I began to cut carbs down gradually and brought them to a level that allowed me:

  • to train off – I lost about 22 pounds in a year;
  • to get a shredded body and see my 6 pack abs;
  • to maintain a healthy, varied, and tasty diet.

Today carbohydrates occupy about 25-30% of my diet. I focused on healthy carbs. Basically, these are products that contain the so-called “coarse fiber” – cauliflower, beans, whole grain bread, durum wheat pasta. I also eat fruits in small quantities – bananas, apples, citrus. Sometimes I can afford low-sugar sweets like dark chocolate or whole-grain cookies.

Of course, another important question remains: what does give the transition to a low carb diet? What are the real benefits?

If briefly:

I don’t gain excess belly fat and I build muscles meanwhile

I finally got the body I dreamed of. Now people really see that I’m an athlete, and not just “a guy who visits the gym”. Yes, I don’t look like a bodybuilder. But I have no such goal. I’ve been keeping my fat percentage low for years and I’m not ashamed to take my shirt off at the beach. However, as you can see, there are no secret recipes. I just started eating fewer carbs 3 years ago, and proved on my own that it’s not so difficult to achieve a decent shape. Even when you’re 40 and over.

I eat much less than before. But I feel full and I get plenty of calories

I eat only 3 times a day (excluding protein shakes). That’s enough for me. I really get fed up. But I do not feel stomach heaviness and I have no problems with digestion. In other words, I eat exactly as much as I want. And I don’t have to mock myself with endless weight gain and cutting. This’s a big advantage. After all, the older we get, the harder it’s for us to lose weight. 

I’m not pinched with hunger even if I’m sharp-set

I stopped suffering from burning hunger. Well, you know that feeling when you want to eat and you are ready to sell your soul to the devil for a sandwich. When I switched to a low carb diet with healthy carbs, I realized that I could fast for 6-7 hours without snacking. And it’s cool.

A low carb diet helps to keep my blood sugar stable night and day

One of the main advantages of a low carb diet is high insulin sensitivity and stable blood sugar level. This means that you can endure hunger for a long time and not drown it out with candy bars or other junk food. And it’s not just about hunger control. A stable sugar level is one of the key conditions of our strong health in adulthood. Don’t forget about it!

I feel vigorous and hardy, much younger than my years

Along with the extra pounds, the feeling of clumsiness also disappeared. I added endurance complexes to my workouts, and began to run regularly. It may sound funny, but I can easily climb to the top floor of a high-rise block without short wind. For many of my age mates, this is indeed a problem. In other words, the transition to a low carb diet was the starting point of my path to functionality.

I don’t waste time counting calories and weighing my meals

I don’t have to weigh food. I used to do this and was counting calories like many other athletes. But now it’s not necessary for me. I know my diet very well. And even if I eat a couple of hundred extra calories, my body will quickly burn them and they will not turn into belly fat. At the same time, а low carb diet doesn’t mean that your nutrition is monotonous and tasteless. I eat quite simply, but varied and healthy (as far as possible).

greek salad
I eat quite simply, but varied, tasty and healthy

So let’s recap everything that has been said about the low carb diet

My experience has shown that a low carb diet with a small number of healthy carbs inside is a great way to get rid of excess weight and to keep muscles. Plus, this method works great even in adulthood. With that, you don’t need to severely limit yourself in nutrition (of course, if you tried to eat healthy before) and get hung up on calorie counting. And as a bonus to a strapped and muscular body, you get a healthy metabolism, excess energy, and the feeling that you have become 5 years younger.