If you're trying to choose a diet to lose some weight, you'll quickly run across what seems like a perennial dilemma: Should you go with a low-fat diet or a low-carb diet? Both diets have pros and cons, so in the end, you should choose whatever diet you'll be most likely to stick to over time.
Significance
Your body needs carbs, fat and protein each day, but the question of the best proportions for each lies at the heart of the low-fat vs. low-carb debate. According to Harvard Medical School, low-carb adherents believe that reducing carbohydrate consumption can reduce your insulin levels and blood sugar, making you feel less hungry and allowing your body to burn fat more effectively. A low-fat diet, meanwhile, cuts calories more effectively because each gram of fat has about twice as many calories as a gram of carbohydrate.
Features
If you decide to follow a low-fat diet to lose weight or improve your health, you should choose only foods that have fewer than 3 g of fat per serving, according to the Ohio State University Medical Center. Use very limited oil, butter and margarine in cooking and as seasoning on salads and vegetables, eat only very lean cuts of meat, poultry and fish, and avoid fried foods.
Types
On a low-carb diet, meanwhile, you'll be avoiding many forms of carbohydrates, especially grains, beans and root vegetables such as potatoes, according to the University of Michigan. You'll replace these foods with lots of protein-based foods such as meat, fish and poultry, and with low-carb vegetables, such as greens and broccoli.
Warning
Both the low-fat and the low-carb diets can leave you deficient in certain nutrients. If you follow a low-fat diet, you can wind up deficient in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, so you may need to take a supplement to make certain you get enough of those vitamins, according to the Ohio State University Medical Center. If you follow a low-carb diet, meanwhile, you risk not consuming enough fiber because you'll be giving up whole grains and beans, according to the University of Michigan, so you should choose high-fiber vegetables as often as you can.
Research
Surprisingly, medical research indicates that both diets work about the same when it comes to weight loss. According to Harvard Medical School, low-carb dieters seem to lose weight faster, but low-fat disciples catch up over time, so both groups wind up even. So when it comes to choosing a weight-loss approach, it will depend on which diet appeals to you more. Just remember to discuss any planned diet with your doctor first.
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