Carb Counting - The Weight Loss Strategy That REALLY Works

Carb Counting - The Weight Loss Strategy That REALLY Works

Susan M. Mumm, MA
Licensed Professional Counselor

If you are not familiar with the “Low Carb” approach to weight loss and appropriate weight maintenance, let me tell you it will go against most of what you have been taught about weight loss. Dr. Robert Aitkin's low-carb theory of weight control is diametrically opposed to the traditional low-fat approach. I like to humorously sum up the difference between the two approaches as follows: “The low-carb approach to weight control says you can eat a pound of butter every day, as long as you spread it on only one piece of whole wheat bread!” When Dr. Atkins developed his “Atkins Diet”, he broke with all the status quo assumptions about weight loss and claimed that the over-consumption of carbohydrates, not fat, are what cause obesity.

The typical American diet is designed for rampant obesity, which is what we have in this country. The majority of Americans consume way more carbs than they can possible burn off. Most people, on a daily basis eat the amount of carbs that farmers ate decades ago, but the farmers burned those huge meals off working twelve hour days in the fields. Most Americans sit in their offices all day, then in front of the TV at night, and the excess carbs are converted to fat.

This article will discuss the various ways Americans are over-consuming carbs, and introduce you to the idea of carb counting. Please also see the User Friendly Carb Counting Chart available for download on this site.

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