For years, researchers have debated which diet is better suited to weight loss: low-carb or low-fat? If you want to lose weight, is it better to go low-carb and cut out rice, crackers, and bread? Or is it better to go low-fat and cut out butter, nuts, and cheese? Yeah, as it turns out, both low-carb diets and low-fat diets are similarly successful in weight loss.
What’s A Low-Carb Diet?
A low-carb diet is a diet in which the total calories from carbohydrates are low. A low-carb diet restricts carbohydrate-rich foods. These include sugar, grain, and starch-rich foods (bread, pasta, potatoes). It focuses on carbohydrate-based foods with low carbohydrate density (vegetables and fruit). By nature, a low-carb diet is rich in protein, fat, and vegetables.
What’s A Low-Carb Diet?
A low-fat diet is a diet in which the total fat calories are low compared to carbohydrates and protein. A low-fat diet is limited in fatty sources (animal fats, oils, butter, avocado, almonds, seeds). It relies on:
- Low-fat whole foods (whole grains, legumes, lean meats, bananas, vegetables)
- Low-fat dairy products (0 percent milk, low-fat yogurt, light dressings)
The low-fat diet is by nature richer in proteins and carbohydrates.
Why Use Carbs and Fat for Weight Loss?
Both carbohydrates and fats are used to minimize total energy intake. They support the energy deficit required for weight loss for a variety of reasons.
For the most part, carbohydrates and fats are both types of calories. About 1 gram of carbohydrate consumed provides 4 calories of energy. And every 1 gram of fat consumed provides 9 calories. As a result, by minimizing the number of carbohydrates or fat eaten in the diet, you can easily decrease the overall amount of calories consumed to create a calorie deficit. For, e.g., in a low-carb diet, you can omit 150 calories by eliminating 1/2 cup of oats. This includes 27 grams of carbohydrates. Alternatively, in a low-fat diet, you can also omit 150 calories by removing 30 grams of cheese.
People consider Low-fat diets a weight loss solution. It is because they are a simple way to reduce calories quickly. Fat is more calorie-dense than carbohydrates, 9 calories per gram than 4 calories per gram. Low-fat diets are very popular for weight loss. It is because even a small fat intake reduction can significantly lower total calorie intake.
Conversely, low-carb diets have also been touted as a weight-loss remedy. Some types of carbohydrates are dense sources of sugar and calories. Therefore, lowering their consumption can help reduce total calorie intake. Also, researchers showed that refined carbohydrates impact blood sugar. They also cause the pancreas to store excess energy as body fat, which harms weight loss.
People commonly use carbohydrates and fats as tools to create this energy deficit. But you should note that protein is rarely used because it is essential for:
- Muscle building
- Metabolism efficiency
- Blood sugar balancing
Low-Carb vs. Low-Fat: Which is Better for Weight Loss?
So, what’s the best way to lose weight; low-carbon or low-fat? The answer is that no single-size-fits-all solution exists. And it is important to recognize that there might be flaws in both approaches. Several studies have found that low-carb diets and low-fat diets may achieve a weight loss goal. Most recently, Stanford University conducted a year-long study with 609 adult participants. It controlled the total calorie and protein consumption of the participants. It found that a low-fat diet and low-carb diet resulted in similar weight loss in participants. This research is notable due to its large group of participants, long-term and careful monitoring. It contributes to the body of evidence that neither low-carb nor low-fat weight loss is higher when total calorie intake and protein intake are controlled.
So, What Does That Mean?
Based on these results, for weight loss, overall energy (or calorie) consumption is important. If you do not regulate, it can impede the effectiveness of both low-carb and low-fat diets.
Should someone choose a low-fat diet and limit all sources of fat in their diet? They may be less satiated and nourished because fat is important for:
- Cell metabolism and cell signalling
- The health of different body tissues
- Healthy hormone function
- Necessary nutrient absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K
Should this occur, the person may find more carbohydrate-based foods to fill the hunger void. This, in turn, may decrease the calorie deficit required for weight loss.
Alternatively, if someone chooses a low-carb diet route, they may find themselves less satisfied. Our body uses carbs as the primary energy source. If this occurs, the person may end up looking for more fat-rich foods to feel satisfied. But this may be detrimental to the goal of weight loss provided that the fats are so calorie-dense. They are twice as calorie-dense as carbs. This decreases the calorie deficit required for weight loss.
However, it is important to understand that food quality always trumps quantity. Yeah, how much you consume is important. But the quality of your food is much more important than how much you eat.
If you’re not focusing on food quality, you’re likely to miss the target. Focusing on food quality is important to ensure that you get the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. But focusing on food quality can help to improve how much you consume at the same time. Processed foods are designed to be hyper-palatable and easily addictive. This makes them easy to over-consume, whereas whole foods are nourished, filled, and satiated. Think about it, when was the last time you ate a whole box of eggs or a bag of boiled potatoes?
When it comes to weight loss, food quality is a key part of the puzzle. And how much you eat is also important. To support the goal of weight loss, you should consume real food with a calorie deficit in mind. But how you choose to create that deficit is entirely up to you. Some people will monitor portion sizes and calories well across all macronutrient groups. Others may find that limiting a specific macronutrient group, such as carbs or fats, effectively reduces their total calorie intake.
The Bottom Line
No matter your health goal, the best diet will always be the one you’re comfortable with. And you have to follow that continuously. Concentrating on whole foods will always be the most important part of the puzzle. You have to make sure that you get the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals needed for optimal health. And when it comes to weight loss, reducing calories by following a low-carb diet, a low-fat diet, or simply monitoring total consumption across all macronutrient groups depends entirely on the individual and what will work best for them.
