A calorie is not a calorie

Low-Carb Diets Lead to Automatic Calorie Restriction

Since the year 2002, over 20 randomized controlled trials have compared low-carb and low-fat diets.

The studies consistently show that low-carb diets lead to more weight loss, often 2-3 times as much.

One of the main reasons for this is that low-carb diets lead to drastically reduced appetite. People start eating less calories without trying (18, 19).

But even when calories are matched between groups, the low-carb groups usually lose more weight, although it doesn't always reach statistical significance (20, 21, 22).

The biggest reason for this is probably that low-carb diets also cause significant water loss. Excess bloat tends to go away in the first week or two (23).

Another reason is that low-carb diets tend to include more protein than low-fat diets. Protein takes energy to metabolize and the body expends energy turning protein into glucose (24).

BOTTOM LINE:Low-carb diets consistently lead to more weight loss than low-fat diets, even when calories are matched between groups.

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