Calorie Counting Or Carb Counting

Two major types of diets have risen to prominence as ways to lose weight. The first, calorie counting, has a long history of proving successful for many dieters. The second, carbohydrate counting, is a more recent school of thought that has become popular since the 1970s. If you are trying to determine which type of diet will work best for you, you need to evaluate both types of diets to make an informed decision.

Background

Scientist Wilbur O. Atwater discovered food calories in the late 1890s. Atwater measured the energy supplied by food using a device called a bomb calorimeter. The idea of food energy and calories from quickly became popular, and people started counting calories in the food they ate as a way to control calories.

Carbohydrate counting started in 1972 when Dr. Robert Atkins wrote "Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution." In the book, Atkins suggested that dieters could eat rich, delicious foods such as steak, bacon, butter and cream and lose weight, as long as they avoided carbohydrates.

Identification

Calories are defined as a measure of the energy stored in food. In scientific terms, 1 calorie is the amount of energy required to cause a 1 degree centigrade rise in the temperature of 1g of water. When food labels refer to calories, they are referring to kilocalories. A pound of body weight equals about 3500 calories.

Carbohydrates are foods that contain sugars. When you consume carbohydrates, the sugars in them lead to a subsequent rise in blood glucose. Candy, sugar, baked goods, potatoes, fruits, grains, cereals and vegetables all contain carbohydrates.

Theories/Speculation

Calorie restriction is a thermodynamic equation. If you burn more calories than you eat, then you will lose weight. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you burn 500 more calories than you eat every day, you will lose 1 lb. per week. The basic premise behind calorie-restricted diets is to eat less and move more.

Weight loss from carbohydrate restriction relies on a chemical reaction in the body. "Good Calories, Bad Calories" author Gary Taubes explains that when you limit carbohydrate intake, your body releases less insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin is a storage hormone that stores food as body fat and keeps stored body fat trapped in fat cells. In its absence on a low-carbohydrate diet, your body burns fat as its primary fuel source, which leads to weight loss. Dr. Atkins refers to this state as ketosis and suggests that ketosis can lead to decreased appetite and increased energy.

Research

Many research studies have compared low-carbohydrate diets to calorie-restricted diets. A 2010 Temple University study printed in "Annals of Internal Medicine" followed two groups of dieters for two years. One group restricted carbohydrates, and the other restricted calories. Both groups lost weight, leading researchers to conclude that either type of diet leads to weight loss. A 2002 study conducted at University of Philadelphia and printed in "The New England Journal of Medicine" followed two groups of dieters for a year. One group on an Atkins-style diet, while the other restricted fat and calories. The study found that in the first three to six months of the diet, those on the Atkins-style diet lost weight at a 4 percent greater rate; however, after 12 months, there was no statistical variation between the rates of loss of both groups. A 2008 Ben Gurion University study reported in "The New England Journal of Medicine" compared low-carbohydrate, calorie-restricted and Mediterranean-style diets and found all three diets to be equally effective for weight loss.

Considerations

Because studies seem to indicate that both diets are equally effective, the best choice for a diet may be the diet that you can stick with. If you enjoy the allowed foods, then you will be more likely to continue with the diet. The USDA has developed the food pyramid to help you make nutritional choices to sustain health. Low-carbohydrate diets may not meet the food pyramid requirements; however, Dr. Atkins suggests that eating a variety of foods allowed on low-carbohydrate diets will help you avoid nutritional deficiencies. Regardless of the type of diet you choose, a return to former eating habits will most likely result in weight regain.