Low Fat vs. High Carb: Which Diet Is the Best for Weight Loss?

With so many diets to choose from, which one should you go for? Opting for a diet can be confusing as it is hard to know if a particular diet will work as well for you as it did for your friend. In fact, a diet that works for a certain individual usually does not work the same for someone else.

Your weight is not just affected by your diet, but a host of other things such as your metabolism, your genes, and your environment. However, for a diet management plan, consult a certified nutritionist.

Low carb diet:

Low fat and low carb diets have gained a lot of traction in recent times, but since you can only go for one, it is often hard to decide which one to opt for. Low-fat diets were all the rage back in the day before low-carb ones took the center stage.

However, the situation is not black and white and each diet has its own merits. For instance, healthy fats can actually help you lose weight and promote heart health, so eliminating them from your diet might not be such a good idea.

Stick to healthy fats:

However, since fat typically has nine calories per gram, while carbs only have four, it might be tempting to stick to healthy carbs such as fruits and vegetables to lose weight.

However, carbs on their own are not that filling, and might also taste bland, so a low carb diet might not be practical in the long run. Moreover, if you go for processed carbs, you will be defeating the whole purpose.

The low-down on high-carb diet:

Consuming more carbs, particularly the highly processed ones like white rice and white bread, can cause the blood sugar to rise, which causes the pancreas to secrete insulin.

The sudden insulin spike causes a rapid blood sugar drop, making you feel hungry again. To compensate for the lack of carbs in the diet, the body falls back on the carb stores from liver and muscle tissues. In doing so, water is mobilized, which means the water weight is shed.

This results in a short-lived, rapid weight loss, which slows down over time before finally reversing. The American Heart Association actually discourages the Atkins diet (a low carb diet program) as it is high in saturated fat and protein, and this can take a toll on kidneys, heart, and bones.

Moreover, healthy carb-rich foods are actually essential for the body, since they lower the risk of certain diseases.

The verdict:

This brings us to square one: which diet should you go for? Although no conclusive answer exists yet, a Stanford University research did reveal some important findings. Per the study, it all boils down to food quality and calories.

You can adjust your ratio of carbs and fats according to your taste, but you should strive for nutrient-rich foods and steer clear of unhealthy, junk, and processed foods.

Instead of imposing limits on yourself, you should determine the lowest level of either carbs or fats that you need to not feel hungry and then look for healthful sources of them. This can help you achieve your weight loss goals without undermining your health.

If you would like professional to recommend a diet plan for you, you can consult a nutritionist.

You can find and book an appointment with top Nutritionists in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore through oladoc.com. You can also call our helpline at 042-3250-044 for assistance to find the RIGHT Doctor for your health concerns.