One of the most widely held beliefs among the weight loss community is that low carb diets are the key to a fast slim-down.

Just think of all of the "low carb" diets available...

-- Atkins -- South Beach -- Zone

...just to name a few.

But why do so many weight loss professionals promote carbohydrate restriction?

Four words... it appears to work.

Those who restrict carbohydrates, often do lose weight quickly. And for individuals who are desperate to lose weight this quick slim-down seems like the "light at the end of the tunnel". It appears to them that they have found the "holy grail" of weight loss in cutting carbs.

But have they only been fooled?

The answer is a resounding yes!

The truth is that your body depends on GOOD carbohydrates for the majority of its functions and when there is an absence of GOOD carbohydrates (As there is with carb restricted diets) your body will actually manufacture its own in order to maintain tissues that absolutely need them! Because the manufacturing of carbohydrates takes additional energy your body will burn an excess amount of calories... something that promoters of low carb diets call the "Metabolic Advantage".

Along with the excess use of energy by the body to produce carbohydrates, people who are on low carbohydrate diets are also eating fewer calories because they are consuming far fewer BAD carbohydrates than they typically would on a day to day basis...

-- French fries

-- Boxed cereals

-- Soda (diet or regular)

-- White Bread

-- Refined Pastas

-- Salad Dressings

-- White sugar

It's this combination of an increased use of energy by the body to manufacture carbs and fewer calories from refined carbs going into the body that makes low carb diets produce quick weight loss...

...giving the illusion that the diet is actually working, when really it's only a set up for massive failure!

So what's the problem?

The problem is that most carb restricted diets make no distinction between good carbs and bad carbs. These diets simply teach the elimination of most carbs from your caloric intake. This is a huge mistake because eliminating good carbs from your diet causes the body to go into survival mode, meaning that it will store and ration the food you consume.

As a result, when a person who has been on such a diet begins to eat normal again, the body will store increased quantities of the food they eat as fat!

Your body needs good carbs like whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Vital organs such as your brain, kidneys and liver absolutely will not function without carbohydrates and when these carbs are cut out of your diet for any extended period the affects can be extremely dangerous! At some point you will have to consume good carbs or you will seriously impact your health!

There's no need to partake in low carb diets to lose weight. There are other alternatives that produce faster, healthier and longer lasting weight loss!