Ways to Cut Carbs From Your Diet

by Leta Shy 1

The cookies and cakes of the season may have you feeling like you're on carb overload. And since a lower-carb diet can help you shed a few pounds, you may be thinking that going on a Dukan diet may be your best bet when the New Year rolls around. But you don't have to eliminate carbs altogether. Here are a few ways to cut carbs the healthy way.

1. Practice the twice a week rule: If you can't imagine a life without bread, you don't have to give it all up. A new study found that just limiting carbs for two days a week is beneficial if you want to lose weight. Women on the study who cut carbs twice a week but ate regularly the rest of the time lost four more pounds than women on a Mediterranean-style diet. Good news if you don't want to feel like you're on a "diet" all the time!

Read on for more simple ways to cut carbs.

2. Fill your plate with more veggies: Those mashed potatoes may look tempting, but if you fill half your plate with them, you won't be helping your low-carb cause. Instead, practice a rule of filling half your plate with low-carb veggies, like a heaping helping of salad, to fill you (and your plate) up without relying on carbs.
3. Have low-carb snacks at the ready: Can't stop eating those pretzels? Take some time to cut up low-carb vegetables like celery and broccoli at the beginning of the week so you can snack on a few with hummus when hunger strikes. Or try one of these easy to throw together low-carb snack ideas.