The Anabolic Diet was the predecessor for the Metabolic Diet and was originally written for competitive bodybuilders so they could get down to very low levels of body fat while at the same time maintaining as much of their muscle mass as possible. As such it was set up to be a very low carb diet for 5 days of the week and a higher carb diet (much more socially acceptable) on the weekends. Basically it's almost the same as the Strict Phase of the Metabolic Diet. However, the Metabolic Diet, by outlining the various ways to modify carb intake and find your carbohydrate set point, as well as having the Metabolic Index as a guide to fat loss and body composition, is a more advanced diet. I wrote The Metabolic Diet for anyone who exercises and wants to look good and perform better. As such it can be used by everyone from competitive bodybuilders to those who just want to lose some weight and or body fat and just look good, because you can adjust your carb intake to the level that works best for you, is not as rigid or restrictive as the Anabolic Diet. In fact the idea behind the Metabolic Diet is to individualize the diet by finding the lowest optimum level of dietary carbohydrates.

Although The Metabolic Diet is not necessarily a low carb diet, it can be for those who are genetically efficient fat oxidizers and as such do very well on low levels of dietary carbs. Because of the low carb overtones, there may be some resistance from people who believe that having high levels of complex carbs in the diet is the only way to go. I ran into this problem big time when I introduced the Anabolic Diet but given that The Metabolic Diet is a variable carb diet, and even in those that do well on low carbs, there are high carb intervals built into the diet, I don't expect the same response today. That's because you're encouraged to find the carb level that works best for unique metabolism.Also things have changed since I first wrote my Anabolic Diet back in 1994. Since that time low carb dieting has become more popular although hardly mainstream. As well the general population is being exposed to information about the fallacy of low fat diets and the value of fats in our diets. Bottom line is that The Metabolic Diet brings everything the Anabolic Diet has to offer and a lot more, to anyone who is interested in a healthy, trim and fit body.

Ketosis occurs when liver glycogen is depleted and continues with a daily carbohydrate intake of zero to 100 grams. Thanks to the "Metabolic Diet," we know that at around 30 grams, ketones stop appearing in the urine. At one daily carb intake, do they stop appearing in the breath? How many carbs a day should one consume to avoid "Atkins breath."

Hepatic glycogen depletion is one of the factors that lead to increased hepatic gluconeogenesis. The process, however, is complex and involves many hormones including glucagon, insulin, GH, and the catecholamines. It would be easy to write a book on all the interactions that are involved in ketogenesis and ketonemia.

While starvation and dieting, especially low carb diets, lead to ketogenesis in varying degrees, there are enough individual differences, based on a genotypic to phenotypic flow, to make it difficult to determine at what point one is in minimal ketosis or deep ketosis, the latter leading to Atkins' breath. Keep in mind that the depth of ketosis is NOT indicative of the degree of fat oxidation or lipolysis. Also, in my view, it's not necessarily even necessary to go into any severe degree of ketosis, at least as far as having significant ketonuria and as such measurable in the urine with a ketostix, in order to get the changes in body fat and body composition that accrue from using a low carb diet.

The bottom line is that you should experiment to see what your optimum carb level is so that you don't develop ketone breath. Perhaps the best way to do this is to find out the carb level that gives you the ketone breath and then slowly increase the carbs until it improves.

I have problems when I use really low carbs. I get tired and feel washed out. What should I do to prevent this? I really like the low carb diet as I look better on it with lower body fat and more muscle but I need some help. Also I had some tests done that showed a low folic acid. What can I do about this?

Not everyone is genetically suited for very low carb end of the Metabolic Diet. In fact it's important to see just where in the carb continuum you fit in. That's why I call the Metabolic Diet a variable carbohydrate diet in that you start off low and then, depending on how you feel, you introduce more carbs in a controlled and deliberate way until you arrive at the level that works for you. The book gives you a simple problem solving chart so that you can find out when and how much to increase your carb intake. For example, I would have switched you to the Moderate carb phase of the diet if the lower phase was giving you fatigue problems and then adjusted your carbs from there. Folate deficiency is somewhat common and I think all women should take some supplemental folic acid.

I'm finding your Metabolic Diet fascinating in that it's so different from what everyone else is recommending. I'm glad someone is bucking the status quo about high carb diets. However, what's the basic premise behind low carb diets in general? And how low is low? Also what's the difference between low fat and low carb diets and how do you judge low carbs? I've got so many questions and I'd appreciate it if you could take some time and explain things to me.

Low carbohydrate diets are based on the theory that many people can not consume large amounts of carbohydrate foods without having their bodies create, and store large amounts of body fat. It is a virtual opposite of the "food pyramid" prescribed by most nutrition authorities. Prohibited (or severely limited) foods are all starches and sugars, including all grains, cereals, potatoes, and foods made with them. Allowed foods are all meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, fats/oils, some dairy products (heavy cream, butter, and some cheeses), most green vegetables, and a few other relatively low carbohydrate fruits and vegetables (note: unlike other meats and fish, liver and mollusks contain carbohydrates, and therefore must be limited, see "Carbohydrate counts" in the main section of the FAQ). Unlike other diets, most low carbohydrate diets do not stress calorie restriction. You eat allowed foods until you're satisfied, and should never be hungry. The only other important requirement is to drink a large amount of water, but this is now the recommended by all health professionals for everyone, whether on any kind of "diet" or not.

How low is "low?" Low Carbohydrate is roughly defined as any diet which involves under 100g of carbohydrate for the average person. While this will be way too high for many (perhaps most) of us who have already suffered severe metabolic disruption and have considerable weight to lose, it is still low enough for some to experience the metabolic changes and benefits that are characteristic of a low-carb diet.

There are very significant differences between "low fat" and "low carb" diets. When you starve your body of calories, protein, and fat (as on the standard "low-fat/low calorie weight loss diet), it burns large amounts of both fat AND muscle to provide fuel. You lose weight, but the loss of muscle tissue not only shows physically, but it also reduces your basic metabolic rate, so you need to cut calories EVEN MORE! On a proper lowcarb diet, your body burns mostly FAT (maybe ONLY fat), and preserves your lean muscle tissue. If you do any exercise, you will even ADD lean muscle while still losing fat, thereby INCREASING your basic metabolic rate, and ENHANCING the loss of fat. Since muscle is more dense than fat, you may very well find yourself fitting much smaller size clothing than you think you should at your new weight. This is also the reason that you must check your measurements as well as your weight, since you may at times be getting leaner, while not getting any lighter (but that's a GOOD thing!).

Another difference is the lack of hunger and the absence of "cravings." According to several theories, for some people carbohydrates act very much like an addictive drug. The more they eat, the more they crave those foods. On a low carbohydrate diet, once past the initial few days, those cravings significantly diminish, or disappear completely. Also, most of these plans allow you to eat as much of the allowed foods as you need to be satisfied.

Of course there are significant differences between the Metabolic Diet and low carb diets. The Metabolic Diet is the next step from all existing diet plans in that it allows you to find the optimal carbohydrate level for your unique metabolism. No other diet allows you to do that.

Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale is one of the most influential voices on diet, performance and athletic training in the world. His innovative work in finding safe nutritional alternatives to anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs has won him praise from athletes, trainers and fitness experts around the globe. Dr. Di Pasquale was a world-class athlete for over 15 years, winning the World Championships in powerlifting in 1976 and world games in 1981.

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