A recently published article took on a brewing battle between diets: low carb versus low fat. Which is best for weight loss? They took 106 overweight and obese people and put them on a reduced calorie (1433 – 1672 calories) very low carbohydrate diet (4% of calories) or low fat diet for a year and measured weight loss, well-being, mood and memory. Sixty-five people stuck with the diet over a year and lost an average of about 30 lbs each. There were no significant between group differences in weight lost.
Despite the equal weight loss between groups, the people on the very low carbohydrate diet were more likely to have experienced an unfavorable mood. Now, the take home message here, if misconstrued by the media, might be to eat your carbohydrates and ditch the fat but, here’s the key: both diets were calorie restricted. Just cutting down on fat and eating bread and pasta like it’s going out of style will get you no where, I promise. And, keep in mind that they ate a very low carbohydrate diet – just 4% of calories (a maximum of about 16 grams of carbohydrate – the amount in a very small apple). I’d be downright grouchy and confused too if I ate just 16 grams of carbs a day. So, yes, you can go on either very low carb or low fat (or actually do a low carbohydrate vs. very low carbohydrate) diet and see results…… if, you stick with it and in the case of the low fat diet, you better be counting your calories too.
This study differs from many low carbohydrate studies (including the Atkins Diet) because some low carb approaches don’t restrict calories which can make things a bit easier – just eat when you want but opt for low to no carb foods.
So here’s my take-home message: a person’s diet should depend in part on the research and largely on what they are willing to do that fits into their lifestyle. Low carb, low fat, counting calories, people vary tremendously in what they can realistically stick with. And having a come to truth meeting with yourself first will pay off in the end.
Ms. Spano,I am far from an expert, but as far as I know, low carb dieting can cause unfavorable shifts in serotonin levels, which will cause issues in susceptible people, but folks who aren't as susceptible will have no issue after a brief adjustment period. (I'm also guessing that the types of protein being consumed and competition between various amino acids fro transport can also cause various issues in those susceptible to issues).This would seem to add another angle into the "finding a diet that depends on research but also fits one's lifestyle", namely finding a diet that agrees with your physiology, so to speak.I hope that you and your family have a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving!
Great point! Sixteen grams of carbs a day is too extreme (and simply impractical) for the vast majority of Americans. Cutting back (or cutting out) the bread and pasta and substituting nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits is a batter way of "carb control." Thanks, Marie!