After 15 years in clinical practice, I’ve noticed a pattern. Patients come to me having tried low-carb diets—sometimes with initial success—but feeling stuck, restricted, or worried that something isn’t quite right despite improved numbers on paper.

Michael was one of these patients. He came to my clinic at age 42, frustrated and confused. Six months earlier, his doctor had told him he was pre-diabetic. Michael did what many people do—he researched online, found countless success stories about low-carb diets, and committed fully.

“I lost 25 pounds,” he told me. “My blood sugar numbers look better. But I feel like I’m walking on eggshells. If I eat an apple or some rice, the weight comes right back. And honestly? I miss fruit. I miss bread. I don’t feel free.”

When the Numbers Look Good But Something Feels Off

Michael’s experience echoed what I’d seen with other patients. Sarah, for instance, had followed a strict ketogenic diet for over a year. She lost weight and her fasting blood sugar dropped from pre-diabetic to normal. But her cholesterol had increased significantly, she felt exhausted all the time, and when she tried eating even half a sandwich, her blood sugar spiked dramatically.

Tom, a 55-year-old CFO, put it perfectly: “I thought I was fixing the problem. But the moment I stop being perfect with my diet, everything falls apart.”

This is the paradox I’ve observed again and again: removing carbohydrates can lower blood sugar readings, but it doesn’t necessarily restore the body’s ability to handle carbohydrates. It’s like saying someone’s fear of flying is cured because they stopped getting on airplanes.

What often happens is that the underlying issue—insulin resistance—isn’t actually being addressed. The body becomes less able to process carbohydrates normally over time. This creates a trap: you have to stay stricter and stricter to maintain results, and any slip feels like failure.

I’ve also noticed that people who lose weight quickly on these diets, especially without adequate exercise, often lose muscle along with fat. When weight comes back, which happens more often than people like to admit, the body tends to regain more fat than muscle. This can leave people metabolically worse off than when they started.

The issue isn’t willpower. For many people, very low-carb diets simply create a cycle of restriction and rebound rather than lasting metabolic health.

What I Recommend Instead

Here’s what I’ve found actually works for long-term metabolic health—and this approach has helped hundreds of my patients:

Focus on whole, unprocessed foods, especially plants:

• Vegetables of all kinds, as much as you want
• Fruits in reasonable amounts (yes, fruit is healthy)
• Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and whole wheat bread
• Legumes such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas
• Nuts and seeds in moderation
• Some eggs, fish, and chicken if you eat animal products—just consider making plants the main focus of your meals

The beauty of this approach is that you’re not avoiding entire food groups. And when it comes to plant-based foods, you can eat until you’re satisfied without constantly calculating and worrying.

I’ve seen patients’ cholesterol drop 20-30 points within weeks of switching to this way of eating. Pre-diabetic blood sugar levels often normalize in 10-14 days. And unlike with restrictive low-carb diets, these improvements tend to stick because the body is actually healing, not just compensating.

Michael’s Transformation

After we talked, Michael decided to try this different approach. He started eating oatmeal with berries for breakfast. He had rice and beans with vegetables for lunch. He still ate chicken and fish occasionally, but he made plants the star of his meals.

Three months later, he came back to see me with a completely different energy. “I’m at my perfect weight,” he told me, “and I feel different this time. I’m not obsessing about food. I have more energy and I’m actually enjoying playing soccer with my kids again!”

That’s what real healing looks like. Not about willpower. Not about restriction. Just the body remembering how to do what it was designed to do.

A Different Path Forward

If you’re like Michael, Sarah, or Tom—if low-carb feels like a prison rather than freedom, if you’re constantly worried about “messing up,” if something doesn’t feel right despite good numbers on paper—I hope this article encourages you to try something different.

In my years of practice, the patients who achieve lasting health are the ones eating whole, plant-based foods. Not because they’re following the latest trend, but because their bodies are actually healing.

True health isn’t about fearing food. It’s about nourishing your body with foods that help it function the way it’s meant to.

Until next time, wishing you freedom, balance, and good health!

Some resources to check out after reading this article:

The Dangers of Low Carb Diets:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOH7FEkvOmA

Debunking the Case for Keto:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtLNHvC4aUw&list=PLFW5Ge5mN-YfH-Athni-laUIOWtTQ2pn2&index=2