If you’re looking for a good way to lose excess weight without starving yourself the LCHF diet plan is what you are looking for!
How many diets have you tried so far and given up because they were too demanding? Do you think no diet is easy to follow?
Maybe there’s finally an easier way to lose weight.
I would like to introduce you the LCHF diet!
Although it’s called a diet, it’s more about a diet plan that aims to cut out your diet of carbohydrates and include healthy fats.
What is LCHF Diet?
Don’t let these letters confuse you.
The LCHF abbreviation comes from the term Low Carb High Fat and and it is quite self explanatory.
It’s also known as the Banting diet after The Englishman William Banting, who made it popular.
Specifically, this diet excludes sugar-rich foods, pasta and bread from use, and includes a lot of healthy fats. You don’t need to count your calories and reduce portion sizes, just to eat within the allowed foods.
The LCHF diet insist on proteins, healthy unsaturated fats and lots of vegetables.
It’s possible that you’ll be baffled by how a fat-rich diet is good for your weight, since the first rule they’ve taught us is to stay away from fatty foods.
It turns out we were taught wrong!
In fact, they didn’t teach us how to distinguish the good from the bad fats.
Good fats actually contribute to a healthy and fast metabolism. When you take sugars out of your diet, the body can burn accumulated fat deposits more efficiently. This is due to the fact that lower blood sugar intake means lower levels of insulin in the blood, a hormone responsible for fat build-up. And if you’re a woman, then you’ll also be on the way of getting rid of cellulite.
The food you eat should be raw, or at least less processed. We shouldn’t even talk about you must avoid industrially processed foods if you want the LCHF diet to work, right?
As for the plan itself, the idea is to eat when you feel hungry until you’re fed up. Of course, you should have enough control and be aware when you’ve really satisfied your appetite.
We said the LCHF diet is a healthy way to lose weight. And in order for any diet to be healthy, it must not completely (and certainly not suddenly) exclude the entire food group. Therefore, the LCHF menu allows you to eat 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day.
LCHF Diet Benefits
The first and the most important benefits is easy weight loss. What’s particularly good is that the LCHF diet helps you get rid of your belly fat.
With a LCHF diet, you’re less likely to have your lost fat back. Studies show that people who consumed less than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day achieved significant weight loss in the long run, and later more easily maintained weight.
In addition to weight loss, LCHF diet has a positive effect on your health. This diet can help you fight diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy…
As for diabetes, the key is to control blood sugar levels, and that’s exactly what the LCHF diet does.
Healthy fats control levels of bad cholesterol in the blood, and increase levels of good cholesterol. They also prevent inflammation in the body that can complicate existing diseases.
However, you wouldn’t immediately think that fewer carbohydrates in your diet could have beneficial effects on neurological diseases. Some studies have shown that the LCHF diet improves cognitive function and can slowdown nerve decay In patients suffering from nerve damage.
Also, the LCHF diet improves digestion and eases possible stomach problems (diarrhea, cramps, bloating, etc.).
There have also been cases where this diet has contributed to shinier skin, less headaches and greater fertility in both women and men.
LCHF Diet Experiences
When it comes to experiences with this diet, users most often compare it to the Atkins diet or keto diet. Basically, all of them are based on a diet program with as few carbohydrates as possible.
Technically, these two diets can somehow be considered part of the LCHF diet, because they belong to a diet without carbohydrates, so you can borrow some recipes from them.
Although Low Carb High Fat diet may sound difficult, dieters say that the body easily adapts to it. And the best part is you don’t have to stick to this diet very strictly.
You don’t have to include all the foods allowed in your diet. You don’t have to include all the food groups.
All you have to do is cut down your carbohydrate intake and you’re already on the right track.
Now, sometimes people can’t get through the day on just 20 grams of carbohydrates (especially at the beginning), so you can adjust regimen to your needs. People can lose weight even on 50-100 grams of carbohydrates a day.
Because it’s so flexible, the LCHF diet is more popular than a keto or Atkins diet.
LCHF Diet Rules
Well, since it’s that good, it’s time to find out how to switch to a LCHF diet.
Let’s set the basic rules.
Don’t even think about starting this diet (especially without prior consultation with a doctor or nutritionist) if you’re taking regular medications (especially for diabetes or high blood pressure; this also includes taking insulin) or breastfeeding your baby.
If implemented according to the rules, the LCHF diet is perfectly safe for everyone else.
And the rules are that you should limit carbohydrates to an optimal amount of 20 gr.
In other words, avoid foods that have sugar. This includes artificial and natural sweeteners that you may be using for tea or coffee instead of sugar.
No pasta comes into consideration, but neither rice, cereals, potatoes, beetroot, peas, honey, energy drinks and refined oils (sunflower, soy, corn, margarine).
As for fruit, you can eat it but you should limit its use because it contains sugar. If you really like to eat fruit on a daily basis, look for one that has a little fructose, such as blueberries and other berries.
Alcohol is also not recommended, especially beer, cocktails and wine, although you can drink a glass of wine occasionally.
Vegetables are generally allowed, but certain vegetables should be used in moderation. For example, onions should not be eaten more than half a bulb per meal. You should also limit yourself to one big tomato, one carrot or one pepper per meal.
LCHF Allowed Foods
So what are the foods that contain a lot of good fats and little or no carbohydrates?
There’s enough of them and every group of foods is covered.
Animal Products
You can eat almost all animal products because they are rich in protein.
You can eat meat (red, chicken, beef, etc.), and eggs and full-fat dairy products (everything from cream, cheese and yogurt to butter).
As for fish, LCHF diet allows all fish species, but specifically advises eating as many oily fish as possible, such as salmon, tuna, sardines and trout. Fish are also great because of fish oil, which contains a lot of unsaturated fats.
You can also use natural oils – olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil are particularly recommended.
Fruits,Vegetables, Nuts
Vegetables are mostly allowed, unless it contains too much carbohydrates. This means you can eat virtually all greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, peppers, eggplant, cucumber, spinach, cauliflower, mushrooms, and other vegetables.
We already said LCHF allowed fruits are blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and other berries, but also avocado. You are also allowed to eat nuts (because they contain many healthy fats), so opt specifically for almonds, walnuts, peanuts, but also pumpkin seeds.
Finally, you are allowed all dry and fresh spices, so you can use them to make your dishes tasty and diverse. Besides, many spices and herbs can positively affect weight loss.
What Drinks Can You Drink On A Low Carb Diet?
Drinking water is perfect, and the same goes for coffee or tea, preferable without sweeteners.
A moderate amount of milk or cream in coffee or tea is OK (beware of coffee lattes!). An occasional glass of wine is also OK.
The Foods You Strictly Cannot Eat On A LCHF Diet
While on a LCHF diet, the menu should not include sugar, processed foods and you should also refrain from all sugar-sweetened beverages. Below, we’ll list a few specific foods that you should limit or avoid when following a diet plan.
Sugar – white refined, unrefined, brown, unprocessed cane …
Syrups such as maple, corn, honey, agave nectar… All foods containing fructose, glucose, maltose, dextrose and lactose
Refined grains – wheat, rice, quinoa, bread, pasta, muffins, corn and all products containing corn (popcorn included).
Processed foods – crackers, chips, pretzels, all kinds of candies, all desserts like biscuits, pies, ice cream, pancakes, breakfast cereals, granola bars, most protein bars or meal substitutes, canned/boxed soups, all prepackaged meals, foods containing artificial ingredients such as artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, etc.), color and aroma.
Sweetened and caloric beverages – carbonated drinks, fruit juices, alcohol, substitutes for milk and dairy products (soy, almond, coconut)
Now you know which foods are allowed and which are prohibited, so you can create your own menu with no calorie count or limits on portion size.
If you are a beginner, here’s a simple 7-day meal plan…
The Easiest 7-Day LCHF Meal Plan for Weight Loss
As usual when we talk about diets, we’re here to ease your first days of diet. A LCHF diet is a return of real, unprocessed foods.
If you like to cook, you’ll find delicious dishes below that you can cook for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For lunch, toss on a tuna salad with avocado and some vegetables of your choice (of course no carbohydrates).
On the first day dinner can be a salmon roasted in butter with grilled Brussels sprouts as a side dish.
If breakfast was lighter, the LCHF lunch will be more abundant, so treat yourself to a turkey burger. Add some cheddar cheese and carbohydrate-free vegetables of your choice.
For dinner, rejoice yourself with a steak and roasted red peppers.
For LCHF lunch, you can eat grilled shrimps with a few pieces of mozzarella and 1-2 tomatoes.
Finish your day 3 with zucchini noodles with pesto sauce and chicken meatballs.
For lunch, you can eat chicken curry with cream and carbohydrate-free vegetables.
For dinner, you can eat a “pizza” with cauliflower instead real pizza base. You can put cheese and vegetables from the allowed food list.
For lunch, you can make yourself a chicken soup with vegetables.
For dinner, you can have eggplant lasagna.
For lunch eat some meat, so you can have turkey with avocado and cheese, together with flaxseed crackers.
For dinner prepare a trout with grilled cauliflower.
For lunch, prepare a mushroom-stuffed chicken breasts.
And lastly, LCHF dinner can be a large green salad, with avocado, shrimps and pumpkin seeds.
It’s good to connect with the LCHF community and exchange recipes so you don’t get bored with a uniform diet.
Helpful Tips For Preparing LCHF Meals
You’re not so sure you want to cook that much? Here are some helpful tips to make it easier for you.
Cook Food In Large Quantities
Cook two meal portions and save the other for lunch the next day. That way you’ll only cook once a day!
Freeze leftovers
Most LCHF dishes can freeze, so you can just heat them up later. Maybe you won’t even have to cook every day?
Repeat favorite dishes
Are you crazy about scrambled eggs? You like steaks? You can eat them every day.
Possible Low Carb High Fat Diet Side Effects
Despite being considered good for general health, any diet can have negative effects.
First, we have already noted that this diet is not for chronic patients suffering from diabetes and heart disease, and also for breastfeeding or pregnant women. Needless to say, it’s not exactly designed for children either.
Although it is good for athletes, this diet could reduce the performance of professional athletes. Even in non-athletes, when you start to stick to this diet, it’s possible that you’ll run out of energy in the first 7-10 days. All of this is a logical consequence of reduced sugar and starch intake.
Also, if you are sensitive to cholesterol, your body may react to this diet.
It will likely take your body up to a week to fully adapt to LCHF diet. So don’t panic if you feel what’s commonly called KETO flu.
What’s KETO Flu?
It’s a common and temporary condition, which you can feel when you first switch to a low-carb diet.
Why does that happen? There are several reasons.
First, your body takes several weeks to adjust to use energy from your fat deposits. Before this diet, your body got energy mostly from the fast carbs.
Second, you may need additional hydration and electrolytes, since at the begging you mostly lose excess water weight (carbs cause water retention).
During this initial phase, you may wonder if you have a viral infection. You will experience known flu-like symptoms such as lethargy, headache, confusion, irritability, nausea…
Don’t panic, it won’t last long. In fact, you can treat this condition mostly in the same way as real flu. Drink plenty of water and replenish your electrolyte supplies by taking a pinch of salt.
Other common and equally temporary side effects during this phase include:
- Muscle cramps
- Ketone breath (your breath smells like acetone)
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Rapid heart rate
- Palpitations
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
All of this may seem pretty scary, but you shouldn’t be worried.
In fact, we’re writing extensively about KETO flu so that you know what to expect and not get upset if it happens.
There are too many people who try the Low Carb High Fat diet and think there will be immediate effects. Since they’re not aware of the KETO flu, they think something’s gone wrong. That’s why they give up the diet before they feel incredible health benefits even before weight loss begins.
How long this phase lasts and how serious it can be depends on your body.
In some people it can be so unpleasant that it interferes with their work and daily activities.
In others it can be very mild and have little or no impact. And there are those who never experience KETO flu.
It should be said that side effects are mostly related to the period of adaptation. Typically, these side effects last for up to a week.
How Long Does It Take To See Results From A Low Carb Diet?
The good news is that some positive effects are likely to be immediately apparent. You’ll probably notice fast weight loss in the first few weeks.
Low Carb High Fat Diet Is Best For Losing Your Belly Fat!
What’s most exciting about the LCHF diet is that it reduces belly fat first.
If you’ve tried other weight loss diets before, you’ve probably noticed how hard is to burn deep visceral fat in the middle part of your body. Belly fat often disappears last.
This gives the LCHF diet an advantage over other diets you’ve tried before.
After a while you will reach weight loss plateau. This occurs when you achieve a healthy body weight for your gender, age and body type.
How long it will last depends on how much your excess weight was at the beginning of your diet. It can take weeks, but it can take months.
Another nice thing you’ll notice is that you’re not always hungry anymore. This is because the foods you eat now have a naturally higher protein content. Protein prolongs the feeling of satiety, so you won’t be tempted to snack between meals anymore. On the following link you can read about how many meals you should eat per day.
But the best thing about a low-carbohydrate diet is that its beneficial effect goes beyond what you can measure on the scale or see in the mirror.
The Most Common Mistakes of Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) Diet
If this is your second attempt to follow a LCHF diet, you may have made the beginner mistakes that made you suffering last time.
Whether this is your first, second or third attempt, here are some common mistakes you need to beware of:
Low Carb High Fat Diet Conclusion
A low-carb diet plan is a pattern that limits the consumption of carbohydrates from foods such as sugar and starch. Instead, the emphasis is placed on healthy fats and protein foods rich in important nutrients.
Is a LCHF diet healthy? Numerous studies have found that following a nutritious, low-carbohydrate diet leads to improved blood sugar levels, body weight control, heart health, better brain function, and more.
There are several types of low-carb diets, and each differs based on the amount of carbohydrates that can be consumed.
You may be wondering how many carbohydrates can I eat during the LCHF diet? Depending on the type of plan, the difference can be quite considerable. However, most low-carbohydrate diets limit carbohydrate intake to less than 30% of total daily calorie intake.
Although there are some risks to a low-carbohydrate diet, it can be a good choice for those who want to reduce appetite, lose weight and improve overall health.
Have you tried the low carb high fat diet? Did you lose weight? Do you have any advice or recommendation? Please comment and share your LCHF diet experience with other readers!
