A low-fat, low-carbohydrate diet is a good choice for weight loss. It is particularly good for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes because it addresses both the intake of carbohydrates as well as fats. If you are limiting both fat and carbohydrates, you will need to look for lean sources of protein and dairy upon which to build your diet.
History
Diets have quite possibly been around as long as people have been eating, although as scientists have learned more about metabolism, those diets have changed. Low fat will be in favor for a while and then it will be low carbohydrate. Diets such as Atkins stress low carbs with no worry about fat, while the Zone Diet gives you a specific percentage of each meal that should be fat or carb or protein. The food pyramid stresses a low-fat, low carbohydrate diet by recommending lots of vegetables per day as well as whole grains and lean protein. While complex carbohydrates are recommended, MyPyramid.gov recommends few simple sugars and saturated fats.
Considerations
Before beginning any diet plan, look at the way you eat, suggests the health care providers at MayoClinic.com. They advise getting your physician involved in your decision and assessing your goals as well as finding a reputable diet group with which to work. If you eat ice cream and pizza, you might feel deprived on a strict low-carb, low-fat diet. If you are looking to make lifestyle changes, this type of diet will jump-start your new eating. Try keeping a food diary for a few days before beginning the plan to see how much fat and carbohydrates you are already consuming and then cut back from there.
Solution
Some commercial diets feature a low-carbohydrate, low-fat eating plan. Dean Ornish's Life Choice Diet is plant-based and used for heart patients. The South Beach Diet does allow some fat and carbohydrate but stresses that they need to be healthy. Visit a nutritionist or diabetes educator to create a low carbohydrate, low-fat plan that will benefit your health and that you can stick with.
Benefits
A low-fat, low-carbohydrate diet will help you lose weight and feel healthier. Low fat will keep your heart healthier and fewer carbohydrates will help your body to regulate insulin. Losing just 10 lb. can cut your cholesterol numbers by 10 percent, drop your heart attack risk by 50 percent and your risk of diabetes by 60 percent, according to cardiologist and talk show host Mehmet Oz. Additionally, he said dropping just 10 lb. cuts your risk for cancer, osteoarthritis and dementia.
Warning
Check the actual fat content of a diet before beginning it. Many low-carb diets replace the sugar with high fat protein sources as well as added fat such as butter and whole milk. Try to look for unsaturated fats to add to your diet to punch up meals.
Check with your health care provider before beginning any weight-loss program.
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