Low-carb diet: Can it help you lose weight?

Could a low-carb diet give you an edge in losing weight? Help you keep weight off permanently? Here's what you need to know about the low-carb diet.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Definition

A low-carb diet limits carbohydrates — such as grains, starchy vegetables and fruit — and emphasizes dietary protein and fat. Many types of low-carb diets exist, each with varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates you can eat.

Purpose

A low-carb diet is generally used to lose weight. Some low-carb diets say that they have health benefits beyond weight loss, such as reducing risk factors associated with heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.Read on...

Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Treats Serves:6-8 CarbsPerServing:2
Prep Time:30 minutes Effort:Easy Ingredients: 1 pound bacon 2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper 24 large cherry tomatoes
Leaf lettuce


How to Prepare:
Cook up bacon crisp Drain on paper towels Crumble bacon finely. Mix bacon, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper all together. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours allowing flavors to blend and mixture to become
firm.
Slice cherry tomatoes in half. Lightly scoop out fruit.
Cover platter with lettuce leaves.
Working quickly, scoop mixture into cherry tomato cavity; place on platter.

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Bologna Wrap Serves:1,10 CarbsPerServing:1
Prep Time:a little over a minute Effort:Easy

Prep Time:a little over a minute Effort:Easy 

Ingredients: 1 slice bologna 1 sliver cream cheese
2 pimento olives

How to Prepare:
Slice the 2 olives in half. Lay bologna on plate, put cream cheese
across middle of bologna, and line olive halves on top of cream
cheese. Roll up, and enjoy.

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Cheese and Sausage Balls Serves:6, CarbsPerServing:2 per serving

Prep Time:5 minutes Effort:Easy 

Ingredients: 1 cup of Atkins Bake mix or other low carb. bake mix
1/4 lb. of pork sausage1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 3 tbsp. heavy cream Hot Sauce to taste
How to Prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine bake mix,sausage,cheese and
cream. Form into 1 inch balls and place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly brown.

Cheese Ball in Ham Rolls Serves:lots

CarbsPerServing:less than 1 if you choose no carb ham
Prep Time:10 min. Effort:Easy 

Ingredients:

Cheese ball Spread:8 o.z. cream cheese, softened1 pkg. thin sliced
smoked beef (in the cheap little bags)1/2 tsp. garlic salt2-3 green
onions chopped1 tsp. worcestershire saucesandwich sliced ham (check
for carb counts)

How to Prepare:
Mix up cheese ball mixture. Spread in piece of ham and roll. I keep
the mix on hand in the fridge and roll more ham as needed. This is
great for taking lunch or a quick snack to go.

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Cheese Nachos Serves:1

CarbsPerServing:3 Prep Time:5 min
Effort:Easy

Ingredients: 1 controlled carb tortilla
shredded cheese (hard cheese is best, because most have 0 to very
low carbs)
pinch of salt to taste

How to Prepare:
cut the tortilla into 8 parts (like a pizza). Deep fry until golden
brown. drain and add salt. Arrange on baking dish add cheese and
bake 2-3 minutes until cheese melts. You can add any low carb
toppings, or enjoy as is... This is sooo good! 

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Cheese Puffs Serves:I got 90 puffs from this recipe,8,10
CarbsPerServing:16 grams total recipe
Prep Time:About 10 minutes prep, <1 hr baking
Effort:Easy

CarbsPerServing:16 grams total recipe
Prep Time:About 10 minutes prep, <1 hr baking
Effort:Easy 

Ingredients:

1 bag pork rinds, plain 2 eggs
1 c half & half 5 oz cheese*-cut up or grated1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp mustard powder**

How to Prepare: Heat oven to 350. In a food processor, grind the pork rinds. Add the eggs, onion,
garlic and mustard powders and cheese. Blend well until cheese is
broken down. Add the half & half. This will make a stiff, moist
dough.
Drop by small spoonfuls (about the size of a quarter) onto a lined
and sprayed cookie sheet, approx 3/4" apart. Bake until browned
around edges and lightly browned on top, approx. 18 min. (You can
kick up the heat a little, just keep an eye on the first batch for a
time)
*You can use any mixture of cheeses (NOT sliced sandwich cheese). Sharp cheddar would give a stronger cheese flavor.
** You may also choose to add a few dashes of cayenne powder for an extra kick!

Hint: To control portion servings of chunk cheese, I cut the entire
brick into slices before serving any of it (8oz=8 slices, 16oz=16
slices) 

Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed Serves:4 Servings,9
Carbs Per Serving:3g Per Serving Prep Time:20 Minutes
Effort:Easy

Carbs Per Serving:3g Per Serving Prep Time:20 Minutes
Effort:Easy 

Ingredients:

16 Large Cherry Tomatoes 1 6oz Can Albacore Tuna
1 Stalk Celery - chopped fine 1/2 small onion - chopped fine
6 TBS Real Mayonaise

How to Prepare:
Slice top off each cherry tomato and core out insides. Discard the
insides of the tomatoes. In a bowl, mix the tuna, mayonaise, celery
and onion. Using a spoon, fill each cherry tomato with tuna mix.

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CRAB DIP Serves:8, Carbs Per Serving:4
Prep Time:15 MINUTES
Effort:Easy 

Ingredients: 

1 CAN OR CONTAINER OF FRESH CRAB MEAT (HIGHER QUALITY IS BETTER)
1 PKG CREAM CHEESE2 TBSP LEMON JUICE
4 CLOVES GARLIC DICED
2 TBSP OLD BAY SEASONING
1 BUNCH DICED GREEN ONION

How to Prepare:
PUT ALL INGREDIENTS INTO A MICROWAVE SAFE BOWL OR CROCK POT. HEAT.
MIX. SERVE. BETTER WHEN KEPT WARM.

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cream cheese sushi
Serves:2-4
CarbsPerServing:about 3 Prep Time:10 mins
Effort:Easy 

Ingredients:
8 slices dried beef 8 oz softened cream cheese green onions (to taste)
sweetener (to taste)

How to Prepare:
rinse dried beef under warm water and pat dry. mix cream cheese,
chopped green onion, and sweetener. spread liberally on dried beef
and roll. chill. slice each roll into 4 little "sushi" pieces.
arrange on plate and garnish w/green onions.

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Crunchy Cheesy Chips Serves:you and you only Carbs Per Serving:none
Prep Time:seconds
Effort:Easy

Ingredients: 1 inch cubed cheese pieces most any variety
How to Prepare: Arrange several pieces on a small microwaveable plate and nuke for
approx 1 min, 20 seconds, on high. Time will vary depending on
cheese type and oven. Cheese will flatten out, bubble and then turn
crispy...yummmmmmm

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Deep Fried Mushrooms

Serves:Depends on how many mushrooms you use. CarbsPerServing:2.3 grams per half cup Prep Time:15 minutes
Effort:Easy

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Ingredients: Original Flavored Pork Skins
Eggs Whole Fresh Mushrooms

How to Prepare:
Crush Pork Skins until fine and powdery. Add pepper to taste. Don't
add salt, as the pork skins tend to have enough. Coat whole
mushrooms in egg and drop in the bowl of crushed pork skins. Deep
fry until golden brown

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Dreamy Creamy Deviled Eggs

Serves:6 Prep Time:1 hour
Effort:Easy

Ingredients: 12 eggs heavy mayo
canned baby shrimp, green or black olive slices for garnishpaprika
sea salt pepper

How to Prepare:
Place eggs in a large saucepan and add cold water until covered by
1". You can add salt to the water if you like.As the water starts to
heat up, stir the eggs ... this will help the yolk harden in the
center of the egg.Let eggs boil for 10 minutes.Take off the heat and
drain ... place eggs in ice water to cool, replacing ice as it
melts.Shell eggs and cut in half. Scoop out yolks into a mixing
bowl. Place egg white "face" down on an absorbent paper towel.Using
a fork, break up all yolks. Add heavy mayo until creamy. Add salt & pepper to taste. Using a whirr mixer (single bladed hand mixer), blend until all the lumps are gone.I use a pastry shooter to fill the egg whites with the deviled mixture.Top with baby shrimp, green
or black olive rings. Whatever garnish looks good to you --or--
sprinkle with paprika. 

SALADS AND DRESSINGS

Blue Cheese Salad Dressing 1 CarbsPerServing:1 g total
Effort:Easy Ingredients: 1 tablespoon sour cream 2 teaspoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons heavy cream1 tablespoon blue cheese 1 teaspoon powdered
ranch dressing mix.
How to Prepare: Mix all together and chill before serving.

NOTES : Counts for ranch dressing mix not included in totals. 

BLT Salad Carbs Per Serving:7g total Effort:Easy
Ingredients: 7 slices bacon – cooked crisp,drained and crumbled
1 cup chopped lettuce 1/8 cup chopped onion1/2 medium tomato –
chopped 1 tablespoon mayonnaise How to Prepare: Stir mayo into lettuce,onion and tomato until evenly coated. Toss in bacon.

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Beef Salad Unknown Carbs PerServing:no counts provided Effort:Easy
Ingredients: Cold Roast beef – shredded or
coarsely chopped boiled eggs
Chopped onion ( I use green onions)Chopped dill pickle
Sliced celery Mayo
How to Prepare: Mix in desired amounts keeping track of the carbs you add. Let chill. Yummy on Wasa or maybe even with pork rinds for dipping!

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 Bacon Cheeseburger Salad Carbs Per Serving:7g total 

Effort:Easy
Ingredients: 3 ounces lean ground beef crumbled,cooked and
drained
4 slices bacon – cooked crisp,drained and crumbled
1 cup chopped lettuce
1/8 cup chopped onion1/2 medium tomato – chopped
1 tablespoon mayonnaise ¼ cup cheddar cheese – (or 1 once) How to Prepare: Stir mayo into lettuce,onion and tomato until evenly coated. Toss in beef,bacon
and cheese.

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Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms Serves:6-8,
Carbs Per Serving:.3 grams per mushroom Prep Time:30 minutes

Effort:Easy

Carbs Per Serving:.3 grams per mushroom Prep Time:30 minutes
Effort:Easy Ingredients:
18 to 20 large whole mushrooms
2 1/2 links Italian Sausage (hot or mild, skin removed)
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. onion powder (optional) 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/4 cup crushed Pork Rinds 1 egg 1/4 c. grated Parmesan Cheese How to Prepare:
Remove stems from mushrooms, chop 1/2 the stems. Brown sausage,
onion, garlic and chopped stems in oil. Drain well. Cool. Mix with
crushed Pork Rinds, egg and Parmesan Cheese. Spoon filling into
mushrooms. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with
Parmesan Cheese.
NOTE: After browning sausage, we use a chopper to chop meat fine
(resembling taco meat) to make for easier stuffing. We prefer to
leave the onion out for personal taste...you make the call.

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"GREATEST SCRUMPTIOUS LOW CARB MEALS." 

Having followed a low carbohydrate diet, over several years and seeing and feeling the benefits in my own life, I am sharing these tips and recipes with readers of my blog. These are some of the most commonly reported benefits in low carb forums and support groups. (Some have preliminary scientific evidence, but more subjective improvements are harder to study.) The first two are by far the most commonly reported, and these benefits usually happen by the end of the first week, although sometimes it takes another week or two. Results are obviously going to be variable between individuals.

• Increased energy
• Cravings for sweets gone or much less
• Better mental concentration; no “brain fog”
• Improved mood; emotions more even
• ”Compulsive” or “emotional” eating gone
• Improved dental hygiene (less dental plaque; improved gum health)

Sometimes Reported

These are more variable, partly dependent upon the symptoms the person was having in the first place. Again, a low carb diet can in no way be considered a cure for these conditions. Also, rest assured I am not listing every benefit I have ever heard of - these have been mentioned often
enough to make me think that there is validity to them for some people:

• Improvement in joint or muscle pain
• Fewer headaches
• PMS improved
• Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as heartburn, improved
• Improvement in skin appearance.