Menopause Low Carbohydrate Diets

Menopause signals a number of dramatic changes in a woman's life, and foremost among these might be the onset of relatively rapid weight gain. Not only does weight gain negatively affect your physical health; it doesn't do much for your self-image, either. Low-carb dieting provides an excellent way to regain weight control. To help you get back on the right track, two effective low-carb diets follow.

Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet is one of the oldest and most celebrated low-carb diets on the market, and for good reason--it works. Dr. Atkins' plan has helped thousands of people attain their ideal weight. Although many people associate the Atkins Diet with mindless consumption of unhealthy foodstuffs, the actual Atkins plan is a balanced approach to low-carb dieting that allows you to lose weight without skimping on nutrition.

The Atkins Diet is divided into four phases. During phase 1, you will keep your daily carb intake at or below 20 grams. This will allow your body to shift into ketosis, which simply means that the body will begin using fat for fuel instead of glucose. Although phase 1 is difficult, it lasts for only two weeks. During phase 2 of the plan, carb intake doubles to 40 grams per day, which is much less restrictive on both your body and your mind. Dr. Atkins urges individuals in phase 2 of the plan to first reintroduce carbs from fruit and vegetables into the diet, as they provide the most "bang-for-the-buck" nutritionally while having the most positive impact on body composition. You will remain in phase 2 until you reach your target weight. Phases 3 and 4 of the plan are merely maintenance phases designed to help you maintain your ideal weight indefinitely. During phase 3 you will set your own personal carb limit, by steadily increasing daily carb intake until you begin to regain weight. Once you find your personal threshold for carbs, you will remain slightly below this level to shed a final few pounds before entering phase 4. During the final phase, you will keep your carb intake at exactly maintenance level in order to hold weight steady for the foreseeable future.

South Beach Diet

Another popular low-carb alternative to help with weight gain from menopause is the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet is fairly simple to follow. All you must do is restrict consumption of sugar, juices, processed grains (white bread, flour, pasta), dairy, butter, and beer. Instead, focus your eating habits around moderate intake of fish, eggs, seafood, turkey, chicken, lean meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, canola and olive oils, whole-grain items and one glass of red wine per day.

This is a more basic approach to nutrition than Atkins, and while it will certainly not provide results as dramatic, it is a more livable solution while remaining relatively low-carb. Thus, if you are willing to go the distance in your fight against menopausal weight gain, Atkins is probably the more effective solution. However, if you want to take a moderate approach, the South Beach Diet certainly does not skimp on effectiveness.