What Happens When You Cut Carbs (2024)

FAQs

What Happens When You Cut Carbs? ›

Your Blood Sugar Levels Might Dip

Severe carb limits can cause your body to break down fat into ketones for energy. This is called ketosis. Ketosis can cause side effects such as bad breath, headache, fatigue and weakness. It's not clear what kind of possible long-term health risks a low-carb diet may pose.

"Eating refined carbs like bread, rice, pasta and cookies [in excess] will increase our belly fat. If we want to lose it, we should focus on eating nutrient- and fiber-rich carbs such as vegetables and low-glycemic fruits," says Djordjevic.

Symptoms of carbohydrate withdrawal or keto induction are constipation, headache, halitosis, muscle cramps, bloating, diarrhea, general weakness, and rash [30,31].

Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth, where salivary amylase starts the breakdown. After breaking down throughout the digestive system, monosaccharides are absorbed into the bloodstream. As carbohydrates are consumed, the blood sugar levels increase, stimulating the pancreas to secrete insulin.

When you completely cut carbohydrates out of your diet, you could put yourself at risk for nutrient deficiencies if you don't replace those nutrients with other food sources. For example, Koff points out that about 70% of Americans don't get enough magnesium, an important mineral that cells need to "turn off" stress.

Adopting a low-carb diet is one way to help blood sugar (and mood) stabilize. Excess sugar forces our pancreas to produce more and more insulin, a hormone that lowers our blood sugar. If we keep pumping out too much insulin, over time this process can make us resistant to insulin.

She revealed that white bread, high-sugar cereals, sodas, and ultra-processed snacks are some of the ones to steer clear of.

Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.

Why do I feel better after cutting carbs? ›

Reducing your intake of calorie-dense carbs automatically reduces the amount of calories you're consuming on a daily basis, which forces your body to burn fat stored around your midsection for energy, rather than the sugars it takes from carbohydrates.

It typically takes 2–4 days to enter ketosis if you eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. However, some people may take longer depending on factors like physical activity level, age, metabolism, and carb, fat, and protein intake.

People who begin a low-carb diet with less fat generally lose weight more slowly than those who started with more. After the first couple weeks on a low-carb diet, people may lose between a half-pound and 2 pounds a week, which is considered a sustainable rate of weight loss.

Symptoms. Swallowing cooking starch can cause a blockage in the intestines and stomach pain. If the starch is inhaled, it may cause wheezing, rapid breathing, shallow breathing, and chest pain. If the starch contacts the eyes, it may cause redness, tearing, and burning.

But if you consume too much sugar, which many people do, it may eventually be stored as fat in your body through the process of lipogenesis, making it harder for you to maintain a healthy weight.

So how long does it take for excess carbohydrates to turn to body fat? Once a meal is consumed, your body either uses the calories as fuel, or stores the calories in fat cells to be used a later time. Within four to eight hours from the beginning of a meal, your body begins to store consumed calories as fat.

Understanding carbohydrates role

“Carbohydrates are required for calorie metabolism, meaning carbs are necessary for breaking down calories and fats in our body after we eat them,” said McCune. “Carbs are also required for detoxification so the liver is able to do its job to detoxify our body because of carbs.

If a person follows the 75% fat /20% carb/5% fat keto diet, average results may look like this: Weeks 1–2: rapid weight reduction phase due to water loss – up to ten pounds. Weeks 2–4: standard weight reduction – between one and two pounds per week. After the first month – slow weight loss – around one pound per week.

Most people report problems like achiness, headaches, nausea, and constipation, likely due to the sudden change in diet. It typically takes around a week for these side effects to typically resolve, as long as the person on the diet remains strict about their limited carbohydrate intake.