LOW-CARB VERSUS LOW-FAT... DOES IT MATTER FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

The fiery debate regarding the ‘best’ diet for weight loss was stoked again this year when a scientific study explored the difference between low-carb and low-fat diets in terms of their weight loss results. But instead of having to read a long, wordy, scientific journal article, I’ll try and summarise what we know!

I’ll start with a brief overview of the study for you… and it will be brief, I promise! The study observed participants over 12 months, during which they were told to consume either a ‘low-carb’ or ‘low-fat’ diet and they were given support from dieticians throughout the 12 months to help achieve this. The goal was not to maximise weight loss instead just to stick to the diet and see how weight loss was impacted by the different diets.

As it turns out, there was no significant difference in the average weight lost between the two groups, but both groups did generally lose weight. It is also worth noting that a lot of the other health markers that were measured were also not significantly different between the low-carb and low-fat diet groups.

An important takeaway from this study in my view is that over 12 months on average participants lost approximately 12 lbs, which isn’t a huge amount of weight to lose in a year, but it is weight loss nonetheless, and some lost a lot more than that as well! This happened in a period when creating a calorie deficit and maximising weight loss was not the primary focus, and it occurred irrespective of whether they consumed low-carb or low-fat diets. The common factor was that they were instructed to consume high-quality whole foods and drinks, with a goal of maximising vegetable intake, whilst minimising intake of added sugars, refined flours and trans fats.

Creating a calorie deficit is easier as a result of making these dietary and behaviour changes even if you aren’t counting calories, because you will be consuming lower calorie foods and still feeling full which should reduce your snacking tendencies and overall calorie intake.

The results of this study, and the growing body of scientific evidence indicate that ultimately neither a low-carb nor a low-fat diet are necessarily better at helping you to lose weight. The best diet you can consume for weight loss is the one that creates a calorie deficit and that you can sustain. Load your plate up with plenty of vegetables, aim for half of your plate to be vegetables, as these are in most cases low in calories, filling, and give you the micronutrients you require in order to support general health and wellbeing.

Aim to consume a source of protein with every meal along with high protein snacks, which should help to keep you feeling fuller for longer and reduce your overall unhealthy snacking! A lot of our Slender products can help you achieve this, including the Slender Blend which contains 23 grams of protein per serving at meal times, and the Slender Bar for snacking which contains 12 grams of protein per bar!

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