Can You Lose Weight On Carbs
Nonetheless, emerging research shows that low carb diets may be just as effective. What’s more, low carb diets have been shown to increase fat loss, reduce hunger, and balance blood sugar levels.
Note that very low carb diets are often ketogenic, meaning that they significantly restrict carb intake to induce ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body uses fat for energy instead of carbs (
Generally, low carb diets restrict foods like sugar-sweetened beverages, baked goods, candies, and sweets. Some versions may also limit healthy carb sources, such as grains, starchy vegetables, high carb fruits, pasta, and legumes.
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Simultaneously, you’re meant to up your intake of protein and fat from wholesome sources like fish, meat, eggs, nuts, high fat dairy, unprocessed oils, and non-starchy vegetables.
Instead, you’re meant to eat naturally low fat foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, egg whites, legumes, and skinless poultry. Fat-reduced foods like low fat yogurt, skim milk, and lean cuts of beef and pork are also sometimes permitted.
Summary Low carb diets limit foods like grains, pasta, and legumes, whereas low fat diets restrict foods like oils, butter, nuts, seeds, and full fat dairy.
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Multiple studies have compared the effects of low carb and low fat diets on weight loss, as well as several other aspects of health.
According to an older, 6-month study in 132 people with obesity, those who followed a low carb diet lost over 3 times as much weight as those who followed a low fat, calorie-restricted diet (5).
In a small, 12-week study, adolescents with excess weight who followed a low carb diet lost an average of 21.8 pounds (9.9 kg), compared with just 9 pounds (4.1 kg) for those on a low fat diet (
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Similarly, a 2-year study gave 322 people with obesity either a low fat, low carb, or Mediterranean diet. The low carb group lost 10.4 pounds (4.7 kg), the low fat group 6.4 pounds (2.9 kg), and the Mediterranean group 9.7 pounds (4.4 kg) (
According to a review of 17 studies, participants lost significantly more weight on a low carb diet than on a low fat diet. Although the low carb diet was still more effective after 12 months, the difference between the two slowly decreased over time (
Additionally, a 2-year study in 61 people with diabetes found that low carb and low fat diets resulted in similar weight changes (
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A large meta-analysis of 48 studies also found that both low fat and low carb diets led to similar weight loss and noted that finding a diet that you can stick to may be the most important factor for successful weight management (
A small, 16-week study found that those who followed a low carb, low calorie diet for experienced greater reductions in total fat mass and belly fat than those who followed a low fat diet (
What’s more, several other studies suggest that low carb diets reduce belly fat to a greater extent than low fat diets (
Low Fat Diet Compared To Low Carb Diet
Additionally, one analysis of 14 studies found that low carb diets — and very low carb diets in particular — reduced fat mass in individuals with obesity (
Studies generally show that low carb, high protein diets decrease feelings of hunger and improve mood compared with low fat diets, potentially making them easier to maintain long term (
For instance, one study in 148 people associated a low fat diet with greater reductions in levels of peptide YY — a hormone that reduces appetite and promotes fullness — than a low carb diet (
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This may be due to the filling effects of protein and fat. Both of these macronutrients slow the emptying of your stomach to help keep you feeling full for longer (
In a small study, high protein and high fat meals increased levels of the fullness hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and decreased levels of ghrelin, a hunger hormone, to a greater extent than a high carb meal (
Low blood sugar levels can increase feelings of hunger and cause serious side effects like shakiness, fatigue, and unintentional changes in weight (
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One study in 56 people with type 2 diabetes determined that a low carb diet was more effective at controlling blood sugar, increasing weight loss, and reducing insulin needs, compared with a low fat diet (
Another small study in 31 people comparing the effects of both diets found that only the low carb diet reduced levels of circulating insulin, which led to increased insulin sensitivity (
Increased insulin sensitivity can improve your body’s ability to transport sugar from your bloodstream into your cells, resulting in enhanced blood sugar control (
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Still, while a 3-month study in 102 people with diabetes revealed a low carb diet to be more effective than a low fat diet for weight loss, there was no significant difference in terms of blood sugar levels (
Summary Research suggests that low carb diets are more effective for short-term weight loss than low fat diets, as well as that they may lead to greater reductions in body fat and hunger.
However, low carb diets are linked to greater short-term weight loss, along with increased fat loss, reduced hunger, and better blood sugar control.
Why Carbohydrates Aren't The Enemy Of Weight Loss
While more studies are needed on the long-term effects of each diet, studies show that low carb diets can be as effective for weight loss as low fat diets — and may offer several additional health benefits.
Whether you choose a low carb or low fat diet, keep in mind that sticking to an eating pattern over the long run is one of the most critical factors for success with both weight loss and overall health (Carbs have it pretty rough. Meal after meal, they do their job, tirelessly working to fuel our bodies with the energy we need to thrive, be active, and, yes, even lose weight. And how do we repay them? By cutting them out of our diets.
“Many fad diets like the Atkins Diet have vilified carbohydrates as a dietary evil and blamed them for weight gain, ” explains Georgie Fear, R.D., C.S.C.S., author of
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. These fad diets (and the slew of best-selling books that accompany them) have used cherry-picked shreds of evidence to suggest that obesity is caused solely by carbohydrates—and as convincing as they may be, they’re wrong, she says.
Carbohydrates are our body’s primary energy source, helping to power everything from brain function to our workouts. The key is making sure that the carbs we eat are from whole, nutritious foods—straight from good ol’ mother nature, says Canada-based nutrition counselor Abby Langer, R.D. These carb sources, like whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, contain fiber, which increases satiety, regulates digestion, and is consistently linked to weight loss. (Men need 38 grams a day, while women need 25.) Studies have even shown that
To reach your daily fiber (and other nutrient) needs and hit your healthy weight for good, Langer recommends incorporating about half a cup of healthy carbs into each meal. Here are your six most weight loss-friendly options.
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Of hate from the low-carb clan, but sweet potatoes, white potatoes—they’re all good. “I cannot say anything bad about potatoes. There’s nothing unhealthy about them, ” says Langer. One particular perk: Potatoes are full of resistant starch, a type of fiber that literally resists digestion, filling you up but never making its way to your bloodstream. (It’s one reason potatoes are often identified as one of the most satiating foods around!)
Carb up: Try serving up your spuds baked, and play around with healthy toppings like Greek yogurt, black beans, poached eggs, or cheese. Be creative; just don’t fry them or drown them in butter and sour cream.
Potatoes are technically starchy veggies, but the other carb-rich veggies out there—think carrots, squash, corn, and beets—deserve a shout-out too, Langer says. Starchy vegetables sometimes get a bad rap simply because they contain more carbs than non-starchy vegetables (think spinach or asparagus), but that’s not a bad thing! For example, a third of a medium carrot’s six grams of carbs come from fiber, plus a carrot packs a full day’s-worth of vitamin A.
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Carb up: Exactly how you integrate starchy veggies into your meals depends on which you prefer. Fear’s personal favorite? Kabocha squash. “I love it cubed, tossed with olive oil and salt, and roasted, ” she says. “It’s a great thing to toss on a salad to make it more filling than it would be with just leaves.” The cube, roast, and toss rule-of-thumb applies to pretty much any starchy veggie out there, whether it’s squash, beets, or parsnips.
This is a big category, and includes everything from whole-wheat bread and brown rice to ancient grains like spelt, millet, barley, oats, freekeh, bulgur, sorghum, farro, quinoa, and amaranth. Unlike refined grains, these good-for-you grains all have one thing in common: fiber—and lots of it. Replacing any white carbs in your diet with whole grains can both reduce overall calorie intake and boost your metabolism, according to 2017 research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Carb up: If you regularly eat white carbs, swap them out for their whole-grain counterparts. Or, cook up your favorite ancient grain and
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