Is a Low Carb Diet Menu All You Need to Lose Weight?

1. Most people do not stick with their low carb diet menu long enough to make permanent changes in their weight.

2. A low carb diet menu on its own is not as effective as it could be with the addition of consistent exercise.

Let's look at both of these answers in more depth so you have a very clear understanding of what it takes to lose weight with a low carb diet menu.

In order to be effective at weight loss and long term weight management, all health and diet plans must be sustainable long term. A well designed low carb diet menu will be sustainable long term for those who have the desire to get healthy and the commitment to stick with the plan no matter what else may come up in daily life.

There are a variety of reasons that so many people drift away from their low carb diet menu:

* They chose a plan that was too restrictive.

* Their initial expectations were unrealistic.

* They simply were not ready for the lifestyle change required for long term low carb success.

In order to make low carb work you have to really commit to a low carb lifestyle. This means being completely ready for change on a mental and emotional level and not just throwing out the bread and pasta currently in the kitchen. You can re-purchase the bread and pasta but there is no store price for commitment and readiness for life change.

So, the first step to sticking with a low carb diet menu long term is to commit yourself to the change and determine that you are entirely ready to switch to a low carb lifestyle. The second step is to find a low carb diet menu that is not overly restrictive.

Most of the low carb diet books currently on the market require an induction phase which cuts carbohydrates completely out of the diet. While this is only for a short period of time (typically 2 weeks), it is a stumbling point for many people who cannot make it through that overly restrictive initial phase of the plan.

1. Skip the induction phase and start out with the second phase of your chosen low carb diet plan.

2. Find a free low carb diet menu online that doesn't require the purchase of expensive books and complicated phases.

While skipping the induction phase of a low carb diet plan found in a popular book will solve the problem for many people, these books are often still too confusing or restrictive for many people. If you find yourself in that situation, consider creating your own low carb diet menu from plans found online for free.

For instance, start out by finding carb-free substitutes for many of the high carb or sugary foods that you routinely eat. Get used to that change in your life then switch from refined carbs to smaller portions of 100% whole grain carbs. This will allow you to gradually adopt a low carb diet menu which fits your life and is easy to adjust to.

The next step is to set realistic expectations about what can be accomplished with a low carb diet menu.

Just following a low carb diet menu alone will make substantial changes in both the way you look and the way you feel, but if you want more dramatic changes you will have to combine your menu with a consistent exercise schedule.

Exercise will deliver faster results and will help give a slimmer appearance to your body, which allows you to expect a bit more of your results. If you expect rapid weight loss and noticeable results without adding exercise, you are likely to get discouraged and give up before lasting change can occur.

Read more about low carb diet and check my low fat diet plan.