Many people interested in losing weight will look to diet plans that either limit the amount of calories they eat or restrict the intake of carbohydrates. When comparing carb diets to calorie diets, weight loss success stories are plentiful on both sides, but so are setbacks. The best eating plan is a healthy one that you can stick with for life.
Carbohydrates and Calories
Carbohydrates comprise about 40 percent of the energy supply for your body, and promote gastrointestinal health by supporting digestion, absorption and elimination.
A calorie is a measurement unit representing the energy provided by food in the form of carbohydrate, protein and fat.
Carbohydrate Diet
Counting grams of carbohydrates ingested, sometimes referred to as carb-counting, is one way of controlling a daily diet to promote weight loss and maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Calorie Diet
Calorie-counting diets are eating plans with a defined daily caloric intake determined by body size, activity levels and weight goals.
Examples
The South Beach Diet and the Atkins Diet are popular diet plans based on limiting the amounts and types of carbohydrates eaten.
Calorie-restricted diets are a formal version of a diet plan based on a scientific formula for calculating calorie restriction using body mass and base metabolic rates. The goal is to consume a reduced number of calories per day in order to lose weight.
Considerations
Carbohydrates and calories are directly related in the diet, according to the American Diabetes Association. Carbohydrate and protein have 4 calories per gram, and fat has 9 calories per gram.
Research Insight
The New York Times reported in February 2009 that a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests it does not matter if dieters count carbohydrates, protein or fat. The research concluded that, by restricting carbohydrates, you are also restricting calories in your diet.
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