signalsCarb Tapering For Fat Loss
January 27th 2007 14:59
I hadn't heard of carb tapering until I read about it in one of my magazines as a way to drop weight (and fat) faster. Basically, the idea is that you eat higher-GI carbs earlier on in the day and have a low (or lower) carb meal at night, like a steak and a salad, or grilled chicken with vegetables. I got very good results when I tried this - in fact I lost about 7 lbs of body fat in the first six weeks. Then throw in Thanksgiving dinners (due to Matt's family, etc, I had three) and all those Christmas cookies that magically appear right after, and my plan kind of went out the window. Plus, it seemed like at Matt's we were always celebrating someone's birthday with cookie cake. Yikes!
I think I'm going to go back to this, because currently I do it the opposite way, with cereal in the evening. I've been doing better, though, and I had the most delicious low carb meal last night at a restaurant called the Green Hills Grille. I'm also sure that this could be made at home. I had the California Chop Chop Salad which consisted of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, scallions, and chopped smoked turkey, and the dressing (which I had on the side) was lemon shallot vinaigrette.
So, anyway, what do I think about low carb diets in general? It can be a great way to lose fat fast, but the rebound effect is scary. The only way to maintain the fat loss is to continue eating a low carb diet, otherwise you will blow up like a balloon when you reintroduce carbs. It's also likely that you won't have enough energy to train. Of course - this is only my opinion, and there are plenty of proponents of a typical Atkins-like diet. The best success I've had is with carb tapering and eating whole grain cereal, bread, tortillas etc.
One tip - if you're reducing your carbs and you're female, you can always get your delicious desserts by wearing yummy perfumes. This is what I do, and I have one called Maple Pecan Streusel that smells divine. That is usually enough for me right there!
Claire S.
So, anyway, what do I think about low carb diets in general? It can be a great way to lose fat fast, but the rebound effect is scary. The only way to maintain the fat loss is to continue eating a low carb diet, otherwise you will blow up like a balloon when you reintroduce carbs. It's also likely that you won't have enough energy to train. Of course - this is only my opinion, and there are plenty of proponents of a typical Atkins-like diet. The best success I've had is with carb tapering and eating whole grain cereal, bread, tortillas etc.
One tip - if you're reducing your carbs and you're female, you can always get your delicious desserts by wearing yummy perfumes. This is what I do, and I have one called Maple Pecan Streusel that smells divine. That is usually enough for me right there!
Claire S.
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