The short answer is:  It depends.

It depends on your lifestyle, your goals, and your own personal metabolic response.

Have I confused you enough?

I know low carb diets are all of the rage right now and you may have heard a lot about the Ketogenic diet.  I do believe that nutritional program does have merit especially for those who suffer from chronic health issues like diabetes, high rates of inflammation, compulsive overeating, and epilepsy but that doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

The best way to find out is to implement and test.

Is this sustainable or is it just another fad?

Should I eat a Low Carb diet if I want to lose body fat?

Again the answer is not one sized fits all but I would err on the side of eating Lower Carb for those who want to lose body fat than higher carbs.

Sedentary people who sit all day do not need high carbohydrate diets.  The answer would be different for construction worker or manual labors.  Even people who are moderately active (standing or milling around) do not need a high carbohydrate plan.

Sugar Burners vs Fat Burners

If we eat excess carbohydrates we won’t burn fat for fuel. We will become sugar burners.  Our goal is to be fat burners and not sugar burners.  The American diet with all of it’s refined carbohydrates (snack foods, pastries, and yes lots of health foods) promote sugar burning.

There’s also something called Insulin resistance which means that if our blood sugar remains chronically elevated our cells will become resistant to insulin which will cause fat gain.  The signs of an Insulin Resistant body are: Weight going right to the middle.  Your arms and legs may be thinner but you find yourself with a larger midsection.

So what should I do?

You’re going to hate me saying this AGAIN but it depends.

My best  general advice is to time your carbs around your workout for the day or when you’re going to be most active which would translate to the morning and after your strength training workouts.

Your diet should be centered around: Protein, Fruits, and Vegetables.  If you’re vegetarian/vegan, then I recommend: Pea Protein, Whole Grains with Protein like Quinoa, Fruits, and Vegetables.

Fat Loss is Highly Individual

Fat Loss is not one sized fit all.  If you’ve been a chronic dieter, then your metabolic thermostat may be turned down so it may take you longer to see your desired results.  If you’re older and going through hormonal transitions, then it may also take longer to see results.

Please stop going for these quick and dirty plans that will do nothing but eat away at your muscle mass and cause you to gain body fat over time!

With that said, the easiest way to start seeing body fat losses is to drop refined carbohydrates and increase the vegetables and protein intake!