What is the Purpose of a Low-Carb Diet? [HINT: It's NOT Ketosis]

Can you really lose 15 pounds in two weeks
eating a Low-Carb, High-Fat (LCHF) Diet?

Okay. You've decided to give the ketogenic way of life a try.

You heard good things about Atkins and dietary ketosis and you want to give it a whirl.

Maybe, you think that a lower fat, more protein-controlled Protein Power low-carb plan might be more suitable to your taste. Or perhaps, you are thinking about trying some other low-carb program.

No matter which carbohydrate restriction diet you're considering, it is a good idea to take a moment and ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the purpose of going on a low-carb diet?
• Why am I doing this?
• And what do I hope to gain?

Before you take the plunge into the world of ketogenic living, you need to know why you want to do low carb, and what you expect to get by restricting carbs.

What is the Difference Between Purpose and Goals?

A lot of people confuse purpose with goals.

A goal is the ultimate outcome you hope to achieve once you have completed a diet program. That end-goal could be to:

• achieve a certain clothing size
• reach a particular number on the scale
• experience an increase in energy
• correct elevated triglycerides
• enjoy improved overall health and well-being
• get rid of uncontrollable cravings
• get rid of heartburn or digestive issues
• be able to fit into your favorite pair of jeans again

Maybe, you want to participate in physical activities you couldn't do before, such as hiking or biking. Me? I'd like to be able to get down on the floor again and play with my grand daughter.

None of those things are purpose.

Purpose is the driving force, belief, or motivation that powers your actions in the present. It is not about the ultimate result. It's more like the beginning of a long journey of discovery. It's not the destination.

It is the frame of reference your subconscious mind turns to when evaluating what is currently going on, and the foundation belief your mind uses to assign value to things.

What we value or find important is what we react to.

We always act according to value. So, the importance of what's happening at any given moment comes from purpose. It doesn't come from goals.

What is the Purpose of a Low-Carb Diet?

A low-carb diet has many advantages over a standard low-fat, low-calorie diet, but keto isn't magical.

If you don't have insulinemia (elevated basal insulin level), unstable blood glucose, or metabolic syndrome -- and not all overweight or obese individuals do -- then a ketogenic diet won't work any better than any other weight-loss diet because the purpose of a low-carb diet isn't weight loss.

It isn't even about getting into the state of ketosis.

The purpose of a low-carb diet is to lower your hunger and cravings, making it easier for you to eat at a caloric deficit. This is what Dr. Atkins designed his weight-loss diet to do. 

Keto can increase your energy, and make it easy to stick to a diet plan, but all of those things like weight loss are a by-product of what happens when you restrict carbohydrates. As such, ketosis can be a dramatic help when it comes to shedding excess body fat, but those nice extras are not the diet's purpose.

Another purpose of a low-carb diet is to correct any metabolic issues you might have. When you fix what's biologically wrong with the body, the body can then function appropriately.

Why Choose to Go Keto Then?

Why choose keto if it isn't magic?
Why restrict carbohydrates at all?

Many people come to the low-carb table because they've heard about the dramatic results that many keto dieters receive from restricting carbohydrates. They want to get a little bit of that ketosis magic for themselves and believe it will always be that way.

What could be better?

Low-carb success stories tell you that you can eat:

• bacon and eggs for breakfast
• cheeseburgers (without the bun) and salad for lunch
• pork chops, ribs, steak, or roast beef for dinner

You can have:

• heavy cream in your coffee
• nuts and cheese for snacks
• and even use full-fat dressings on your salad

These perks are attractive to those who have been trying to shed the pounds by limiting fat and calories. However, you always have to keep the purpose of a low-carb diet in mind.

In fact, it's essential.

The reason why carbohydrate restriction works so well isn't because you are in a state of ketosis. Ketosis is merely a by-product of cutting way down on carbs.

Ketones result from fat metabolism. They are the body's way of economizing fuel when glucose is in short supply. Ketosis is about moving to an alternative fuel source.

To shed those unwanted pounds and lumps, you have to eat less food than your body needs to function.

This is true for any diet, but on a low-carb diet, that can initially be quite a lot of food, a lot of fatty foods, and a lot of calories that you don't have to count.

As time goes on and your body reduces in size, you won't be able to eat like that any more.

As your low-carb journey continues, your dietary choices have to move toward a lower-fat, lower-calorie diet because that is what it takes to continue shedding the fat.

In fact, many people who have yo-yo dieted for years -- any diet, not just low-carb diets -- have a metabolic rate that is so low or functioning so poorly that they can't eat high fat and high calorie even from the very beginning of a low-carb diet.

That doesn't mean a low-carb diet is a bad choice for you if you have that problem. Low carb has benefits that other weight-loss diets doesn't have.

What Do You Hope to Gain By Switching to a Low Carb Lifestyle?

Change always requires you to give up some parts of your self that you might find painful to let go of. In the world of diets, that usually means certain foods or lifestyle choices that have been near and dear to you.

Once you have a low-carb diet's purpose rooted firmly in your mind, it's time to take a look at what you hope to GAIN by switching to a low-carb lifestyle.

Eating lots of carbohydrates can be a mindless activity for some, but more often than not, it's driven by biology or suggestion. We eat high-carb foods because of the comfort they provide, because we've been brainwashed to believe that whole grains are good for everyone.

We also eat carby foods out of habit -- from accepting the suggestion that bread and pasta and rice are necessary for a healthy diet.

What do you hope to gain
 from switching to a low-carb lifestyle?

The truth is:

Society is saturated with carbohydrate foods at breakfast, lunch, and dinner because that's what makes manufacturers the most money. It's not because they are essential for a healthy diet.

For a lot of people, a low-carb diet offers a way to relearn the truth about:

• biology
• weight loss
• health
• and balanced diets

Low carb also offers biological benefits, such as:

• reduced hunger and cravings for sugars and starches
• stable blood sugars
• increased stamina
• an increased feeling of well-being
• food choices that are easier to live with

And a host of other benefits. And yes, a low-carb diet offers a way to lose those undesirable pounds.

However, losing body fat is only a very small part of keto. It is only one small factor or by-product of moving to a healthy low-carb lifestyle.

If you can wrap your brain around the idea that the purpose of a low-carb diet is about balancing your hormonal state, rather than weight loss, you'll have a much easier time making the switch because low-carb is a way of life.

A new way of life.

It is NOT a diet!