A few of my patients have come in struggling with their weight this week, following what they assumed to be a low carbohydrate diet. They were eating yogurt for breakfast, a chicken salad for lunch, and chicken and vegetables for dinner. A true low carbohydrate diet is ketogenic (it derives fuel from ketones) and is the byproduct of fatty acid metabolism.  That means your fuel is coming from fat, not protein or carbohydrate.  The presence of glucose, fructose, lactose or other sugars (or many sugar alcohols) shut fatty acid metabolism down and halt the process of weight loss and frequently increase weight gain.  Too much protein does the same thing.  A chicken salad is not ketogenic.  It may be low carb, but without adequate fat, the absence of glucose drives the body to use protein as it’s primary fuel source.  It is essential to maintain ketosis that a low carbohydrate diet moderate the protein and increase the fats to upwards of 60-70% of the total caloric intake.

Bacon is a 50/50 food. (I’m not talking about turkey bacon . . . that’s not real bacon).  Each slice of real bacon is at a minimum 3 grams (50%) fat, and 3 grams (50%) protein.  No carbs there, either.

So, if you’re struggling with your weight loss on a low carb diet . . . your first step should be “BLT” it!