I've got a question about low carb dieting.

Recently, I was reading men's health and they had a sample meal plan for a low carb diet. For curiousity's sake, I put the foods into fitday and came up with about 1800 calories for a day. So my question is, do low carb diets work because they reduce insulin response, keep blood sugar levels low, and empty glycogen from the body (some of the claims of low carb dieting) or does it just happen to work because the dieter has a calorie deficit? Would a dieter do just as well on a calorie deficit from reducing fat?

That's part of it, the reduced insulin response. Their claim to fame though (the diets), is the point at which the body switches from using carbs for energy to fat stores for energy.

George has a journal of the Anabolic diet somewhere in the journals section of the forums, It's a pretty good read if your interested in them.
I think Mannish also has some experience with a lower carb ratio. So If your lucky one of them will stick their heads in.

I personally think that each form of dieting has it's merits; It's like a taking an airplane vs a train ride. Both will get you where your going, but they are very different rides.

Remember, whichever diet you choose, the key to it working is consistency and dedication!:tu:

I do eat "Anabolic Diet" style, but I'd call it more carb cycling than low carb. I probably eat more carbs on the weekend than I was averaging during the weeks with a more moderate carb diet.

OT's comment on fat metabolism is right on, though. It will take a bit for the body to shift to burning fat as a primary fuel, but once it happens your body in addition to relying on dietary fat will supposedly more readily metabolism body fat once it can be released into the blood.

Controlling insulin also controls the amount of additional fat being stored.

I think different people will respond to different macro ratios in different ways. Experiment around a bit. Find something that 1) works for you, 2) That you can stick to, and that 3) is healthy.

Are you talking about the TNT Diet that Men's Health is promoting? There was an interview on t-nation.com about that not too long ago, and it looks like a bit more flexible Anabolic Diet style diet with strategic carb ups.