There are considerations to take into account with regard to body changes and a low carb diet before deciding if this is the right diet for you. If you are diabetic there are benefits to a low carb diet as you will be taking in much less sugar and as a result your blood sugar levels will drop and you may need less insulin.

The way a low carb diet works is that instead of energy being created from sugars found in carbohydrates it's created from fat. This results in weight loss as your body burns fat.

One downside to this is that there are different types of fat and many people may not take this into consideration and replace healthy carbohydrate based foods with unhealthy fats found in cakes, biscuits, fries and crisps believing that it's ok to eat those foods as they will burn the fat anyway.

You may experience muscle loss if you go on a low carb diet for long periods as the body burns lean muscle in place of carbohydrates. It's also posible that you will end up storing fat deposits with an increase in consumption of fatty foods

 The main risk to this is that a diet high in saturated fat will increase the chances of heart disease due to higher levels of cholesterol in the body. You must educate yourself into knowing the different types of fat if you are to follow a low carb diet.

Healthy fats are the monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocado, brazil nuts, walnuts and dark chocolate. These fats lower the bad cholesterol in the blood and help you to lose weight.

One good tip that I use is to make a very healthy weight loss salad dressing from the juice of half a lemon, a tablespoon of virgin olive oil, a crushed clove of garlic and a touch of white balsamic vinegar.

I then drizzle this over a plate of salad leaves to accompany lunch or dinner.

Avoid saturated and trans fats typically found in foods such as full milk, butter, and meats such as beef. Trans fats are found in most processed foods including cheese, pizza, cakes and biscuits.

 During a low carb diet the body goes into a state of ketosis which is the point at which the body switches from creating energy from carbohydrates to fat deposits.

This critical point is an intake of less than 100 grams of carbs and can result in side effects such as bad breath and a lack of energy. This is caused by a change in the enzymes produced and the fact that fat is harder to convert into energy than the sugars from carbohydrates.

One side effect of going on a low carb diet for long periods of time is that you may suffer from hair loss as carbohydrates are a main source of vitamin B. This vitamin is essential in preventing hair loss.

Vitamin B also creates melanin which gives hair it's colour and slows down the process of going grey. It also helps with skin repair. Many skin creams and hair conditioners contain vitamin B, however it's best taken in the body as food

 Another risk to take into consideration is that your body may not get sufficient nutrients on a low carbohydrate diet. This is because many fruits and some vegetables are not allowed.

It's advisable especially in the first 2 weeks of a low carb diet such as the Atkins or South Beach diet when your intake of carbohydrates is very low is to take a multi vitamin and mineral supplement.

Fruits including bananas and apples have a high carbohydrate content and aren't allowed, but you can eat berries including blueberries which are a superfood and packed full of vitamins. Try adding a few tablespoons of blueberries to your breakfast cereal with skimmed milk.

Vegetables not allowed include potatoes, carrots, peas, beetroot and sweetcorn as these contain high levels of carbohydrates. You can however eat plenty of green vegetables including spinach, cabbage and watercress.

You can get plenty of fibre from these vegetables so make sure you include them in your diet. Fibre is essential in carrying toxins out of the body and a lack of it could be very damaging.

 In the short term a low carbohydrate diet can lead to a very successful and quick weight loss and this is great but if you stay on it to long your body will start to suffer side effects.

If you're obese this a quick way to lose weight,but one disadvantage of a low carb diet is as soon as you increase your intake of carbohydrates again you may start to gain the weight you have lost and its not healthy to permanently stay on a low carb diet.

Cutting your carbs very low for just a few days will kill your cravings for sweets... but it may also kill your appetite. In the end you actually consume much less calories overall, because you're not hungry often and you're not getting hit with sugar cravings. So a low carb diet will turn into a low calorie diet over time.

The same applies to low fat diets. If done well, you will find yourself eating more fiber rich foods to help you feel full longer. And foods which are naturally higher in fiber are also naturally lower in carbohydrates and calories.

It all comes down to eating healthily and sensibly. Choose healthy fats and healthy carbs and eliminate simple starches and sugars, and you will lose weight.

Find out how you can lose up to 14lb in 2 weeks quickly and safely without eliminating any food group from your diet