Low-carb, all-protein, Atkins, call these types of diets whatever you want, but they're all pretty much the same. Next time you pass a bookstore, look in the window, chances are you'll see at least one book on this topic. Each one suggests restricting your intake of carbohydrates and sugar while allowing for the ingestion of red meat, butter, bacon and other saturated fats, yet somehow you'll lose 20-40 pounds in the first month.

This type of diet continues to attract millions of people because it makes weight loss appear quick and easy. In fact, one of these books landed on the New York Times best-seller list. But does that mean this diet is an effective and healthful way of dealing with our overweight population? Absolutely not!

Just because people were enticed to buy this book through savvy and powerful marketing does not mean it will bring you a new body.

Most people are frustrated with the overflow of information regarding diet and nutrition. While one person says one thing works, there is another study that says the opposite. Unless you devote much of your life to studying nutrition, it's hard to know what is going to be effective, or possibly do you harm.

It's important to understand that carbohydrates are your body's preferred fuel source. They are broken down and stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen, and glycogen equals fuel!

This is an extremely important concept to understand, considering glycogen is used to provide energy for all of your daily activities. That includes everything from blinking an eye to working out.

When glycogen is not replaced with carbs, it is possible you will enter a state known as ketosis. The creators of these low-carb diets fail to address that extended periods of ketosis can increase your risk for kidney stones. I have consulted with people who have had kidney stones from a diet lacking carbohydrates. As these victims described what it felt like to pass a kidney stone, it hurt me just listening.

The most common side effect of these diets are people feeling irritable or light-headed and lacking mental concentration. This alone should indicate there is something wrong. Your body is not supposed to feel this way simply from eating food.

Still, people continue to stay on these diets because they lose weight. Yes, that's right, get on a scale after a week on the low-carb diet and that little machine will indicate a loss of pounds. But it's important to understand why this weight loss occurs.

Glycogen, your primary source for energy, attracts water. In fact, your muscles are mostly made up of water. When you limit your carbohydrate intake, you hold onto less glycogen. Therefore, the initial weight loss you experience is solely due to water loss from your muscles. This can account for 4-10 pounds in the first week. Rapid water loss is the trick behind these diets. They make it appear quick and easy, while in reality it is a temporary solution. When you eventually proceed with a regular diet, the water weight will come right back.

When you are not getting glucose (stored glycogen) from carbs, your body looks elsewhere to find it. The protein you eat and more importantly your muscle tissue will be broken down to obtain the glucose it needs. Since muscle is the site where fat is burned, you have just turned your fat-burning machine into a fat-storing machine. This all equates to a slowed metabolism.

The bulk of the American diet is made up by calorie-dense carbohydrates _ breads, pasta, potatoes, cereal, rice, etc. When limiting your intake of carbohydrates, you are pretty much going on a calorie restricted diet. It is a fact that calorie deprivation leads to metabolic slow-down to protect your body from starvation.

Have you ever heard someone say that after going off a diet, he or she ended up gaining back all the weight and even more? Well, the reason for this disappointment involves the process I've just explained.

People unknowingly slow their metabolisms through no fault of their own. They are victims of an industry that thrives on deceiving people. The more times you go on one of these calorie restricted or all-protein diets, the worse your metabolism will become.

Carbohydrates are not the enemy, they are essential nutrient. A nutrient is something your body needs to survive. There is obviously something wrong with a diet that asks you to eliminate a vital nutrient from your life. Next month I will continue this article by explaining how you can use protein to enhance fat loss without sacrificing your metabolism.

-Casey Einhorn