Oklahoma Carb Counter News

A: In two ways.
One, by restricting carbohydrates - particularly processed, sugary and starchy foods like breads, pasta, cereal - you eliminate a lot of empty calories from your diet. When you replace those foods with protein sources like meat, you will feel full and consume fewer calories. While Atkins does not stress portion control, that's often why it works.

On a more technical level, when you strictly limit carbohydrates (glucose), the body will turn to another source for energy - namely fat. Starving the body of glucose triggers a process called ketosis: The body scavenges for glucose and begins consuming its own tissues, including fat and muscle. This, in turn, produces ketones; they can be toxic if accumulated, so they are eliminated. In practical terms, that means you have to pee a lot. That's how you lose weight. In fact, almost all the weight you lose at the outset of the diet will be water.