Low Fat Vs. Low Carb Diet: Which One’s More Effective Weight Loss Solution?

 There has always been an argument among health enthusiasts if a low-fat diet is better for your health or a low-carb one. And for the purpose of losing weight and burning fat, most people lean toward a low-fat diet. But guess what, the latest research shows that a low carb diet may also be very effective for the purpose. Moreover, the food low in carbs has many other benefits too, including a reduced appetite and controlled blood sugar levels.

So, should you go for a low-fat diet to lose weight? Or is a low-carb diet for you? Let’s try to figure this out.

How Both Diets Work?

You should understand that while both these diets are formed to help you manage your weight, their structure varies significantly. Let’s see how.

Low-Carb Diet

As the name suggests, a low-carb diet is an eating structure in which we limit our intake of carbs. These limitations, you should know, can be of varying degrees. These include:

• Very Low Carb Diet: Carbs are less than 10 percent of the total calorie intake for the day. For instance, for a 2000-calorie diet, the carb intake will be 20 to 50 grams only.

• Low Carb Diet: Not more than 26 percent of the total calorie intake for the day, or up to 130 grams for a 2000-calorie diet.

• Moderate Carb Diet: 26 to 44 percent of the total calorie intake of the day.

When on a low-carb diet, you need to restrict consuming foods such as sugar-based beverages, candies, baked goods, and in some cases grains, pasta, and high carb fruits too.

Low-Fat Diet

When following a low-fat diet, you need to restrict your fat intake to not more than 30 percent of your total calorie intake. In this, you stop consuming foods such as oil, butter, nuts, seeds, etc. that are high in fat. Rather, you consume foods that are low in fat, such as vegetable, fruits, whole grains, etc. 

What’s Better for You?

As per the doctors of the California medical clinic, as well as various studies, a diet low in carbs is more efficient in helping you lose weight than a low-fat diet. But this is only for the short term.

In a 6-month study conducted on 130 individuals suffering from obesity, it was found that the people who followed a low-carb diet lost three times more weight as compared to those who were on a low-fat diet. Similarly, in another 2-year study, it was found that among 322 participants, those who were given a low-carb diet lost more weight as compared to those who were given a low-fat or a Mediterranean diet.

However, the research suggests that in the long run, both diets show almost similar effects. Though the initial effects of a low-carb diet are more prominent, with time, the differences lower.

Another thing you should be aware of is that a low-carb diet can help you reduce your appetite and control blood sugar levels. This helps you decrease your feeling of hunger, and thus, is easier to maintain for longer as compared to a low-fat diet.

Now, the bottom line is that both these diet patterns are very effective in helping you lose weight. However, the studies suggest that a low-carb diet can have greater short term effects. Furthermore, this particular diet is linked with other health benefits too. And these include more fat loss, low appetite, and better blood sugar levels. Considering all this, a diet low in carb is a great weight loss solution. But in the end, it all goes to how well you can stick to the diet in the long run.