Unlike the Atkins and the South Beach diet, high carb diet, as the name suggests, is all about consuming food rich in carbohydrates. Read this article to know more about high carbohydrate diet.
There is an increased obsession about finding a diet that helps one to lose weight without starvation. This has led to the development of many diet plans, but sadly, only some of them work. Some diets are just not possible to stick to, because they make you feel hungry and listless all the time. Any diet like the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet are very hard to maintain as they allow you to eat so little carbs. So, it was pleasantly surprising to find a diet that was all about eating foods high in carbohydrates. Researches have shown that a high carb diet is not only great for athletes, but also helps a person to lose weight.
High Carbohydrate Diet Plan
The basic theory of a high carbohydrate diet is that consumption of carbohydrates causes serotonin levels to rise which increases metabolism and hence aids in weight loss. A typical meal plan to lose weight by following a high carbohydrate diet is given below.
| Meal | Foods | Total Carbohydrates (grams) |
| Breakfast | 1 whole grain bagel, 2 tablespoons light cream cheese, 1 glass orange fresh juice, 1 cup nonfat latte | 90 |
| Snack | ¼ cup roasted soynuts | 7 |
| Lunch | 1 cup pasta, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 grilled chicken breast with marinara sauce | 70 |
| Snack | 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt, 1 banana | 55 |
| Dinner | 1 bowl green salad, 2 tablespoons vinaigrette, 1 tuna fillet, 1 large baked potato, 2 tablespoons butter | 70 |
| Snack | 1 cup skim milk, 2 saltine crackers, 2 tablespoons peanut butter | 32 |
It has also been found that those people who are obese or overweight are more likely to stick to a high carb diet than a diet that does not allow them to eat carbohydrates. This in turn makes them more likely to be motivated and lose weight in the long run. Many people falsely believe that a diet rich in carbohydrates, makes them gain a ton of weight. So, they go to an extreme and eliminate foods like potato, root vegetables, white rice, pasta and beans from their diet. This not only increases their cravings for these foods but they also lose out on important dietary nutrition and fiber. It was found in a study of people who followed a high carbohydrate diet that dieters lost an average of 6 kg over a period of 12 weeks.
High Carb Vegetables List
Here is a list of high carbohydrate foods.
| Vegetable | Portion | Carbohydrates (grams) |
| White Potato | ½ cup | 15.4 |
| Sweet potato | 1 medium | 22.4 |
| Butternut squash | ½ cup | 10.8 |
| Acorn squash | ½ cup | 14.9 |
| Leeks | 1 stalk | 12.6 |
| Corn | ½ cup | 16.0 |
| Brussels sprouts | 6 | 10.9 |
| Artichoke | 1 | 13.4 |
| Garbanzo beans | ½ cup | 30 |
| Carrots | 1 small | 7.3 |
| Peas | ½ cup | 9.9 |
| Snow Peas | ½ cup | 9.8 |
| Pumpkin | ½ cup | 9.9 |
| Water chestnuts | ½ cup | 8.7 |
| Shallots | ½ cup | 6.7 |
| Dried Mushrooms | 2 tablespoons | 8.9 |
These are some vegetables that are high in carbohydrates. Be sure to incorporate them in your diet if you are following a high carbohydrate diet.
Although high carb diet for weight loss have shown a lot of promise, there are some disadvantages of this diet. A diet that is high in carbohydrates and low in proteins have been found to be linked with an increased risk of breast cancer and pancreatic cancer. The most important thing to remember if you are following a high carbohydrate diet is that you need to cut down on the consumption of fats. You also need to follow a proper exercise regimen in conjunction with this diet to lose weight. If you consume a high amount of carbohydrates as well as fats, and you do not have a very high metabolism then your body is going to store all the excess weight.
If you are looking to lose weight fast and are not sure which diet to choose, carefully evaluate which diet is more suitable for your body. A high carbohydrate diet is ideal for athletes and for people who do a lot of physical activity. High carbs diet can help you in losing weight, but you need to make sure that you consult your doctor before going on it.
