A low-carb diet or a low-fat diet are the two most trusted solutions to lose weight. But the question that arises is that – which one is better? If you are also seeking to answer this question, you have come to the right place. In this article, you’ll read about the comparison between cutting carbs and cutting fats from your plate.
Low-Fat Diet or Low-Carb Diet
As its name suggests, a low-carb diet is a type of diet that is low in carbohydrates. Under a low-carb diet, there is –
1. Ketogenic Diet
In the standard version of the keto diet, a person’s calorie intake includes 70 percent from fats, 20 percent from proteins, and the remaining 10 percent from carbs.
2. Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet is a type of low-carb diet in which the consumption of carbs is limited to 20 grams per day for the first 2 weeks, then increasing it slowly week by week till you reach the maximum limit, which is 50 grams of carbs per day.
A low-fat diet tends to reduce the intake of fats which is a significant cause of weight gain in an average human body. A standard low-fat diet will include whole grains, low-fat versions of dairy such as skimmed milk and low-fat yogurt, fruits, vegetables, and lentils.
The Comparison
Many studies have compared the low-carb diet and low-fat diet to find out which one is more effective. Even though the studies have made the comparison even more tricky, a few results help in picking out one.
According to several studies done over long periods, a low-carb diet dominated the low-fat diet in the weight loss arena. Here are several reasons why.
1. Less Hunger, More Loss
How can you lose weight? By either consuming less or burning more, correct? Here we are talking about your diet intake; eating less is the only solution. But it is difficult to control your hands to feed your tongue. That’s where your diet plan comes into power.
A study on various individuals proved that a low-carb diet reduces the appetite and hunger of an overeating body. This is the effect of a low-carb diet on the Peptide YY – a hormone that promotes fullness.
This can be the high amount of protein present in the low-carb diet, which kills your hunger and stops your hands from grabbing more food.
2. It Kills Fat
Yes, a low-carb diet helps lose fat better than a low-fat diet. Don’t believe us? Here is a study to prove it.
A study on various obese individuals for a period of 16 weeks showed that the low-carb diet leads to a more significant amount of fat loss than the low-fat diet.
Not just this, another study that was done for a more extended period (1 full year) proved the same thing again.
In short, a low-carb diet is a little faster than a low-fat diet in getting rid of that fat chubby belly.
3. Easier To Follow
Another psychological reason for the success of a low-carb diet can be its lack of complexity. A diet without carbs is straightforward to follow.
Most people find it a headache to remove carbs from their plates. But it doesn’t have to be that much difficult.
Most of our carbohydrates come from processed foods. If you are unaware of this term, processed foods are those food items that come in a box. It is called ‘processed’ because it has been already baked, cooked, fried, etc., to prepare ready-to-eat stuff. By understanding what processed foods are, think about all the packet stuff included in your diet and try skipping it. Simple, right?
Another simple rule is to add protein and veggies to your plate to cover the nutrients of the carbs that you are skipping. Apart from this, you should also exclude starchy potatoes from your plate.
4. Blood Sugar Control
The blood sugar level is also influential in the weight loss journey. Low blood sugar levels can cause fatigue and dizziness, leading to unwanted weight gain.
- Many studies have found out that for obese patients with type-2 diabetes, a diet very low on carbs can eliminate medicines from their lives.
- A study was done on 56 obese individuals who had type-2 diabetes. They were fed a low-carb diet or a low-fat diet for a reasonable time. The result of the study was that these patients showed balanced blood sugar levels backed up by weight loss and fat loss.
- Another study of 31 individuals found out that only a low-carb diet reduced the circulating levels of insulin in the body, which led to increased insulin sensitivity.
Other Studies
- There are a lot of other studies too that show the dominating nature of the low-carb diet over the low-fat diet. The research was carried out in 2003 to find out the effects of a low-carb diet on 30 adolescents and their risk of getting any cardiovascular disease. This research showed that the adolescents on a low-carb diet were 21.8 pounds, nearly double the amount of loss in a low-fat diet. There was even a reduction in the levels of non-HDL Cholesterol.
- A study of 2004 involved 28 individuals, both males, and females, to test the comparison between the popular low-fat diet and low-carb diet. Females were tested with a low-fat diet and males with a low-fat or low-carb diet. Their calorie intake was restricted too. The result of this study was that men with a low-carb diet lost the most weight, which was as much as three times compared to the low-fat group. Most men lost abdominal fat more than any other type of body fat.
- A very famous study of 2007 which was done by Gardener and was published in The Journal of The American Medical Association tested 311 females with 4 types of diets, namely –
- Low-Carb Atkins Diet
- Low-Fat Vegetarian Diet
- The Zone Diet
- The Learn Diet
The conclusion of this study showed that the females who followed the low-carb Atkins diet lost the most amount of weight compared to the other 3 types of diets.
- The study of Dyson, which was done in 2007 and was published in Diabetic Medicine, tested 26 people in total. 13 had diabetes, and the other 13 were not. Half of them followed a healthy, low-carb diet or a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. The study lasted for 3 months.The group of people who followed a low-carb diet lost 15.2 pounds compared to the low-fat diet group who lost 4.6 pounds. There was a three times gap of lost weight between the two groups.
- Another study of 2008 was carried out by Keogh and was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In this study, 117 individuals with belly fat followed either a low-carb diet or a low-fat diet for 8 proper weeks. The result? The low-carb diet won again. The low-carb group lost 7.9% of body weight compared to 6.5% of the low-fat group.
You May Also Like To Read:
Complete Guide to Reducing Belly Fat?
500 Calorie Diet Plan for Weight Loss
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Conclusion
To conclude, although most of the studies prove that a low-carb diet is more efficient than a low-fat diet, the end decision should always be yours. Everybody is unique in their ways. Try all the options available and stick to the diet which your body accepts.
Do you have any prior experience with these diets? Do share in the comment box below.
