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No doubt you've heard of low-carbing, of how it's supposedly better than low-fat diets or calorie-counting. You might've realized that it is, but chances are you've dismissed it because you've thought it impossible to eat under 20g of carbs a day, as carbs are in practically everything. It's true they're only almost completely absent in the most basic forms of meat, cheese, eggs, and very simple vegetables like lettuce.

If you approach the diet that way, of course it's not going to sound so delectable. You're certainly not about to commit to eating beef patties with melted cheese for every meal of every day. And the whole carb-counting thing? You don't want to mix math and the pleasure of eating. But listen: if you stick mainly to the basic meat/cheese/lettuce/egg plan and only stray to eat other vegetables and a few nuts, it'll be a cinch. Most veggies and nuts are fairly low in carbs, and if your nut or vegetable of choice contains fiber, you get to subtract the fiber from the carbs to get your final carb count. Now. Dismiss all other foods besides these from your mind and then recall how much you enjoy a good mustard-smeared hot dog, because when you low-carb you'll be allowed an unlimited amount of these. You can totally do this diet.

I followed this lifestyle for about a year, so I know all the best low-carb food variations. It's actually kind of fun thinking them all up. For example, my favorite meal was always the big bowl of lettuce doused in oil (which is, thank God, 0 carbs), sprinkled with cheese, dotted with tomatoes and bits of turkey, maybe with a few peanuts. You can make yourself a big chicken, tuna or egg salad, because mayonnaise is just a single carb per serving. You can go out to eat and get yourself a big burger if you just take off that worthless white bun the meat and cheese and veggies are all good. At restaurants, just beware of sugary sauces and condiments in your meat and salads. Remember that ketchup is not low-carb, though mustard is carb-free.

What else can you cook up or order? Go crazy, have a big butter-slathered lobster or a steak, because you most certainly can yes, butter contains no carbs whatsoever. Screw crumbly carb-filled taco shells and make yourself a bowl of beef, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce. Have yourself a turkey, cheese, mayo and mustard sandwichjust wrap it in some crunchy lettuce leaves instead of bread. Want something less heavy-duty for breakfast? Have a few slices of ham, spread some cream cheese on top. And we haven't even gotten started on the endless egg possibilities. This diet is so delicious and filling and simple that it's actually ridiculous.

Think it sounds doable yet? Think you could eat this way long enough to lose a bit of weight? You probably could. It's really a breeze once you get started and start realizing the endless meal possibilities. So stock up on diet soda and fill up your meat drawer, because this diet is it, it's the only sane way to lose weight. You can binge all you want on the carb-free stuff because there's no calorie-counting. And honestly, you're going to stop craving the sugar after just a few days. You're going to feel so much more relaxed and focused without that disgusting stuff pumping through your veins, not to mention the wonders it's going to do for your skin. So what're you waiting for? Eat unlimited amounts of simple, rich foods. Give low-carbing a try. Better yet, make it a lifestyle.

Learn more about this author, Amanda Keller.
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