What Diets Work Best? A look into popular fad diets

Low Carb Vs Low Fat Vs Low Calorie...Macronutrient approach or calorie approach? 

• Macronutrients are Carbohydrates, Fats, Protiens, and Water.
• One example of a macronutrient limiting diet is the Atkins diet.

The evidence:

• High protein diets
• Preserved lean body mass (muscle mass)
• People felt more satisfied and pleasure after high protein meals
• People still lost body weight and body fat
• Low Carb
• Low carb is less than 35% total calorie intake per day
• Short term (6 months) resulted in greater weight loss however at 1 year looked exactly the same as other diets.

What really works?
Limiting your calories is better than limiting a macronutrient such as carbs.

In order to lose 1 pound per week you need to cut back your daily intake by 500 calories each day.

• 3500 calories = 1 pound

It makes no difference if you choose to reduce your calories by limiting your carbs or fat.

While in theory some of the popular fad diets sound like they would work, if they do it is because you are restricitng calories.

If it sounds too good to be true it probably is: Anything with rapid weight loss is going to be from water weight and you wont maintain the weight loss.

To find out more information on specific fad diets you can visit the American Dietetic Association's website by following the below links.  Staying away from fad diets
Diet reviews