There is no one diet that fits all and it is important that you determine what diet is most appropriate for you, taking into account your weight-loss goals and overall lifestyle. Any type of diet, whether based on restricting carbs, fat or calories, can be effective, at least in the short term, according to a study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in January 2005. However, to make your goal weight easier to maintain for the rest of your life, you should choose the approach that you are the most likely to stick with in the long term.
Weight Loss Results
Any diet can help you lose weight, but it appears that low-carb diets could be more effective compared to calorie-restricted diets. For example, in a study published in May 2004 in "Annals of Internal Medicine," overweight participants were randomized to either a low-carb diet, with a carb intake below 20 grams for the first phase and an increase of 5 g in the subsequent week to promote gradual weight loss, or to a low-fat diet restricting the calories by 500 to 1,000 calories a day. At the end of the 24-week study, participants in the low-carb group lost 28.0 pounds, which was significantly greater than the weight loss observed in the calorie-restricted 15.9 pounds.
Satiety and Hunger
Low-carb diets tend to be slightly higher in protein and higher in fat, two nutrients that are more satiating than carbohydrates. By making you feel fuller for longer periods of time, low-carb diets can help you lose weight without having to worry about your calorie intake. According to a study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in January 2008, following a low-carb diet that provided 30 percent of the calories as protein resulted in a spontaneous decrease in the calorie intake and consequently led to easy weight loss. On the other hand, simply reducing your calorie intake can leave you feeling hungry and increase the temptation of giving in to foods that are either not part of your diet or larger servings that will make you exceed your calorie target.
Amount of Work Involved in Counting
Following a diet requires spending time establishing a meal plan and ensuring that it corresponds to your nutritional goals and weight-loss objectives. Counting calories can be time-consuming. It involves measuring every food you eat, whether it is the amount of margarine and jam you put on your slice of bread, the amount of juice you drink or the weight of your serving of chicken. Then, you need to use a food database and food labels to figure out how many calories are in each of these servings of foods and add it up. Counting your calorie intake requires you to take into consideration each and every food you eat. Although a low-carb diet may also require you to do some counting, you only need to focus on carbohydrate-containing foods. You do not have to worry about low-carb foods, such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, nonstarchy vegetables, butter, avocado and oils. You only need to consider the carbohydrate content of grains, fruits, milk, yogurt and sugar-containing foods. If you avoid most carbohydrate-rich foods, your work to estimate your daily carb intake will be made even easier.
Food Choices
If you do not mind living without bread, rice, lasagna, spaghetti, bagels, potatoes, pizza, muffins, cookies, cakes, fruits, soft drinks and desserts, low-carb diets can be a good option for you. Low-carb diets are mostly based on nonstarchy vegetables, protein from meat, fish, seafood, poultry, eggs and cheese, as well as fats from oils, butter, mayo, nuts and seeds. On the other hand, low-calorie diets can allow you to have any type of foods as long as you limit portion sizes to make your calorie intake fit within your daily calorie budget.
References
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction; Michael L. Dansinger, et al.; January 2005
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; A Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet versus a Low-Fat Diet To Treat Obesity and Hyperlipidemia; William S. Yancy Jr., et al.; May 2004
- MayoClinic.com: Low-Carb Diet
- "The New Atkins for a New You"; Eric C. Westman, et al.; 2010
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effects of a High-Protein Ketogenic Diet on Hunger, Appetite, and Weight Loss in Obese Men Feeding Ad Libitum; Alexandra M. Johnstone, et al.; January 2008
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