Login or Register

Will High Fat Low Carb Diets Help You Lose Weight?

May 29, 2011 | By Ashley Jacob
Will High Fat Low Carb Diets Help You Lose Weight?
Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images

Although most dieters are used to following a low-fat, high-carb diet to lose weight, this approach is often unsuccessful. Reducing your fat intake is the most common recommendation to lose weight, but doing the opposite could actually help you achieve your target weight more easily. Low-carb, high-fat diets are more effective than low-fat diets to help people lose weight, according to a study published in the May 2004 issue of "Annals of Internal Medicine." In this study, overweight volunteers assigned to the low-carb, high-fat diet lost 20.7 lbs. of body fat, compared to 10.6 lbs. in the low-fat group, in a period of 24 weeks.

Fat for Satiety and Energy

To be successful with your low-carb eating plan, it is important that you increase your fat intake. As you reduce your carb intake by avoiding or reducing your consumption of breads, pasta, potatoes, sugar and fruits, your body will switch from relying on carbohydrates as its main source of energy to using fat. Eating enough fat will help make the transition easier for your body to ensure that you have all the energy you need. Moreover, fat will keep you feel satisfied with your low-carb diet. Not only does fat add a lot of enjoyable flavors to a meal, but it also promotes satiety, which means that you will be able to spontaneously reduce your calorie intake and lose weight without having to deprive yourself, as explained in the January 2008 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

Too Much Fat

If you go overboard with your fat consumption, it is possible that you will experience a plateau with your weight loss. If every you are not able to lose weight, the first thing to do is to look at your carb intake to ensure that you are staying within your recommended target. If your carb intake is appropriate, you may be eating too many calories from either protein and fat. For some people, the satiety signals may not work perfectly and some low-carb dieters may still be overeating. For most low-carb dieters, including 4 to 6 oz. of protein from poultry, fish or meat and 1 to 2 tbsp. of butter, cream, olive oil or coconut oil at each meal is the right amount to promote weight loss.

Fat and Your Health

Low-fat diets are often recommended as the healthiest diet, but for many people, a low-carb, high-fat diet works best. The best way to determine the best approach for you is to give it a try. Consult your doctor first because your medications may require to be adjusted. Ask to have some blood work done before going low-carb and 3 to 6 months later to see how your diet influence your health. Many dieters following a low-carb, high-fat diet are able to not only lose weight, but also reduce their triglycerides and blood sugar levels and increase their protective HDL cholesterol levels, according to studies published in May 2004 of "Annals of Internal Medicine" and May 2008 of "Nutrition & Metabolism."

Fat in Your Low-Carb Diet

If you want to reach and maintain your goal weight more easily with your low-carb diet, opt for full-fat products, such as full-fat cheese, full-fat mayonnaise, full-fat salad dressings as well as fatty meats, including bacon and sausages. Avoid foods marketed as being low-fat or fat-free, because they often contain more carbohydrate per serving and are not as satiating. Each of your meals should also include extra fat that you can use for cooking your foods, such as coconut oil, olive oil or butter. You can also use olive oil to prepare a vinaigrette for your salad or to drizzle over your vegetables or add a dollop of butter to your non-starchy vegetables. Avocado, cream, nuts and nut butter are also good options to get enough fat on your low-carb diet.

References

Article reviewed by Tad Cronn Last updated on: May 29, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments