What Is a Low Carb Diet?

What is a Low Carb Diet?

What is a low carb diet? With the keto diet being so popular among some, new dieters assume that a low carb diet is a keto diet. However, in actuality, a low carb diet is relative to you and your current way of eating.

For example, historically, an individual may have eaten breads, pastas, rice and grains of some sort with every meal. However, once they decided to start a low carb diet life, an individual may decide to only eat carbs on the weekend. Technically, this person would be a low carb diet because they are limiting carbs during the week and only eating carbs in moderation on the weekend.

With that said, nowadays when someone says that they are on a low carb diet, they may be referring to a stricter low carb diet like the keto diet. Or perhaps even an Atkins diet.

What Is A Low Carb Diet Graphic

So, what is a low carb diet? A low carb diet is a diet in which you reduce the number of carbohydrates consumed in your diet. The degree in which you reduce the carbohydrates in your diet and re-arrange your macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) will determine if you are on a Keto diet low carb diet or an Atkins low carb diet.

Since Low Carb Diet Life has a special interest in helping people with diabetes restore their health, we promote a stricter low carb diet with mostly healthy fats and lean meats. In this way, people on a keto diet can enjoy most of the recipes provided as well.

To Be More Specific

So, what is a low carb diet? A low carb diet is a diet in which you reduce the number of carbohydrates (carbs) that you eat. Carbs are converted to glucose to use for energy in the body. In a healthy person, any excess glucose is converted and stored in the body to use later. It is either converted to glycogen for storage in the liver or muscle cells or it is converted to fat for storage in our fat cells.

Ultimately, the goal of a low carb diet is to prevent excess fat storage from occurring as a result of excess carb consumption. In this way, you allow the body to slowly, yet progressively adjust to tapping into your fat reserves for needed glucose energy. This process is called lipolysis. When the body breaks down fat that it needs to supply the body with energy, weight loss will occur. Therefore, a more basic low carb diet does not push your body into ketosis like a strict low carb keto diet.

You can also view the following low carb diet information and related infographics:

Low Carb Diet - What to Avoid

Different Kinds of Low Carb Diets

There are different kinds of low carb diets. A person on a traditional 2,000-calorie diet will typically eat between 200 and 300 grams of carbs per day. So, a person on a low carb diet will eventually consume much less. However, you must determine your daily calorie needs first! You may need more or less than 2,000 calories per day. Since there are different kinds of low carb diets, let’s briefly discuss them.

Low Carb Diet

As stated, in the most general sense, a low carb diet is any diet that you reduce the number of carbs that you would normally eat on a regular basis. Therefore, a keto diet and an Atkins diet are both types of low carb diets. On a basic low carb diet, you will lose weight and your body will continue burning carbs for your main source of energy.

Keto Diet

The keto diet is a really strict low carb diet. In this diet, the number of carbs is reduced to the point that your body enters ketosis. Ketosis is when the body relies on fats for energy instead of carbs for energy. There are noticeable side effects that must be managed properly when entering ketosis, but their can be very beneficial results including rapid weight loss.

Atkins Diet

A true Atkins Diet is a low carb, high protein diet. Historically, this low carb diet helped you enter ketosis and then eventually brought you back out of ketosis with fewer side effects.


This concludes – What is a low carb diet?