What No-Carbs Does To Your Body

Have you ever wondered what eating no carbs does to your body?

I have, and decided to try eating no carbohydrates(on non-workout days) for a month. Let me tell you, a lot changed in my body.

The first week, I felt like trash. Going from regularly eating a healthy portion of carbohydrates to eating almost none is hard. Some people call it the low-carb flu or keto flu because some people experience headaches, fatigue, and nausea. For me, it was just fatigue, four days of no carbs had me feeling sleepy, but after an hour nap and a few carrots, the fatigue was easily managed. After the first week, my energy levels returned to normal, if not better.

Don't let anyone fool you; no-carb diets are difficult. Most of the best foods are carbohydrates or at least are eaten with a side dish of carbohydrates.

There are many different types of carbs and a lot of different kinds of low-carb diets out there. There are incredibly restrictive carnivore or keto diets, and then there are many people out there simply trying to limit their carbohydrate intake.

Before we get into the results of what no carbs do to your body, let's talk about carbohydrates:

1. Carbohydrates are perfectly healthy

There is nothing inherently unhealthy about carbohydrates. Vegetables are carbs, and every diet should include veggies.

2. Carbohydrates are necessary if you want to build muscle

You always hear about the role protein plays in muscle growth, but people don't talk about how important carbohydrates are to muscle growth. Most people who want to gain muscle on a low-carb diet cycle in carbs on their workout days. That's why even on this no-carb diet, when I trained hard in the gym that day, I would eat between 50-100 grams of carbohydrates post-workout.

3. You do not need to cut carbs to lose weight

Weight loss is a product of a calorie deficit. Cutting carbs can create an environment where it is easier to maintain a calorie deficit for many people. In addition, you may feel more full on a low-carb diet due to your increased intake of healthy fats.

4. Not all carbs are created equal

Eating a whole sweet potato after a workout is still appropriate for a low-carb diet. There are 27g of carbohydrates in your average sweet potato, yet starchy carbs like sweet potatoes are necessary for building muscle efficiently. French fries, beer, and pizza…not so much.

Now that we got that out of the way, I will hopefully not receive any hate mail for speaking ill of everyone's favorite macronutrient. Let me explain the pros and cons of a no-carb diet.

If your goal is weight loss, a no-carb diet is an excellent tool in your arsenal. Replacing your daily carbohydrates with satiating fat and protein can do wonders for weight loss.

THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF A NO-CARB DIET ON YOUR BODY

Less hunger and cravings (after a week or two)

Initially, cutting carbs can be challenging. However, after about two weeks, the sugar cravings fall off quite a bit. As mentioned earlier, high fat and protein curb your appetite.

As opposed to a calorie-restrictive diet high in carbohydrates which can leave you feeling less than satisfied.

Insulin sensitivity

I won't touch too much on hormones in this article because I want your attention on a calorie deficit, but there are some benefits hormonally for cutting down the carbs. In short, eating fewer carbohydrates throughout the day can theoretically decrease your risk of diabetes by improving your regulation of the hormone insulin.

There is a lot of debate about this, and I'm not here to solve it. Although I believe there is sufficient evidence to support eating all your carbohydrates with less frequency throughout the day to avoid constantly releasing insulin into your body. Try only eating carbs in one or two meals per day.

All the lean protein you can eat

I am an omnivore who loves meat. Meat, fish, and chicken are all my favorite foods. A no-carb diet allows me to eat pretty much as much of it as I want. Red meat is something I try to limit, but I could eat chicken and salmon every day until I die happy.

Lean protein is relatively low-calorie and quite filling. It is hard to eat your way into a calorie surplus with lean protein alone.

Increased energy levels

Not initially. Although after a few weeks of a low-carb diet, most people generally report increased energy throughout the day. This is likely because they don't crash after every meal.

Think about it like this, if you had half a pizza for lunch, how would you feel after?

Now imagine if you ate a chicken breast and an avocado, how do you think you'd feel?

It is no different than a child on Halloween eating a bunch of candy, feeling energized, and then crashing. Staying low carb during the day helps you avoid post-meal lethargy.

THE POTENTIAL ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS OF NO CARBS ON YOUR BODY

Weight gain

You can gain weight on a no-carb diet too, and people don't realize how calorically dense foods like nuts, granola, and avocados are. It is easy to eat no carbs and be in a calorie surplus. Peanut butter is usually one of the more guilty parties.

Stomach issues

Switching to a high protein diet can do a number on your tummy. Make sure to eat sufficient fiber, around 25 grams for women and about 35 grams for men. If you have trouble consuming that much fiber on a low-carb diet, you can take a fiber supplement to keep things regular. Otherwise, you may have some gut issues and constipation.

You basically can't eat junk food

Not eating junk food is probably a good thing for most people, but I like to have a little sweetness in my life and on my plate. All the best junk foods are carbohydrates, that is a scientific fact. Your sweet tooth won't go away, and low-carb desserts are few and far between.

Implementing a cheat day once a week is a great way to make a low-carb diet more sustainable long term. Registered dieticians refer to this as “strategic overfeeding”, but be careful you still need to maintain a calorie deficit over the week to see weight loss results.

Low carb or Keto flu

As I mentioned earlier, switching from a diet high in carbohydrates to a no-carb diet can be quite the shock to the system—the best way to combat the low-carb flu… carrots. Carrots have enough sugar to get you through your low-carb funk. Or wait it out, you will adjust, even if it is unpleasant.

In my opinion, the pros of a low-carb diet outway the cons, but that is only MY opinion. The reality is whether or not you decide to reduce your carbohydrate intake or not is entirely up to you. Your diet is a very personal thing, and you need to pick a diet that conforms well to your lifestyle and food preferences.

After a year plus of pandemic living, I will say that I did my no-carb month and lost 7lbs and felt full while doing it. The 7lb loss results from the calorie deficit I created, but the full feeling I attribute to the high protein and fat content in my diet.