I've been hearing for some time now, that people believe the whole low carb craze is over - it's simply lost its fame if not died off completely. That could not be further from the truth! The fact is, these low diet plans such as Atkins and South Beath can still be seen in some of the top magazines, identified as some of the best weight loss plans with lots of proven results. Even doctors have begun to admit that there are benefits for this kind of diet, if it is done correctly.

If you put a limit on how many carbs you eat, then your body will be forced to burn something else for energy - fat. There is a technical word for this that you may have heard, it is "ketosis." If you have managed to convince your body to burn the fat rather than carbohydrates, your body will make a by-product called ketones, that can be easily detected in your urine. A big part of some of the low-carb diets, like Atkins for example, has to do with being very detailed and technical about this. You are supposed to use testing strips such as Ketostix, to be able to tell for sure that you have started burning fat by seeing the level of urinary ketones. By using these test strips you can somewhat scientifically judge if you need go up or down in the amount of carbs you are eating. Perhaps most importantly, you can tell if you have gone too far if the test strips darken towards the darkest purple, which can be dangerous to your health.

Many people steered clear of the low carb diets when Dr. Atkins himself passed away and the media gave low carb diets a bad rap but that is all passing and the tried and true diets are still around and working their magic on millions of people. There are plenty of success stories to be found both online and offline.

Following a low carb diet plan can help you drop some significant weight. I myself find that I don't have to give up any food that I truly enjoy; rather, I just need to control when and how much I eat of them, compared with the rest of my dietary intake. Also I was surprised to find low-carb or at least lower-carb versions of many of my favorites, whether in packaged form or in easy-to-find recipes. I was like lots of people who had tried lots of diet plans lots of times - but I found it was easy to lose weight by controlling carbohydrates. I got filled up quickly with the foods on the plan, and I started seeing results quickly. The combination of those two benefits I believe would give anyone high motivation to keep on going, keep succeeding, and finally reach your desired goal.

I am one of those people who had zero results with any kind of diet. My brother gave me one of the Atkins books, and what was my first impression? Well, I have always been a 'meat lover,' and I figured if I could eat just about all the meat I want, I would at least not feel deprived! That helped me stick with the plan for long enough to lose almost eight inches from my waist, and about forty pounds, all in the space of less than three months.

It should be mentioned that it is always a good idea to check with your doctor before starting out on a new weight loss plan. Also be sure you stay FAR away from any diet that wants you to cut out carbohydrates completely. There is no question that this would be dangerous to your health. You should take the time to do some research, as there are quite a few low carb diet plans available, each one just different enough to possibly be more appropriate for your individual needs. The fact is that it is more likely you will stick to a plan if you feel like your hunger is satisfied by what you are allowed to eat, especially if you start seeing results fairly quickly. So yes, those low-carb diet plans are alive and well. Need to shed some pounds? Then you owe it to yourself to check out one of the many options.