Weight loss diet myths
Here, we will first talk about some common research findings and then go into the key points of personalized weight loss diets. From the current mainstream perspective on weight loss, the idea is that as long as the calorie restriction is the same, the weight loss results will be the same. Whether you eat a low-carb, ketogenic, or low-fat diet, the weight loss results will not be too bad.
For example, the following research summarizes a bunch of studies that show that any diet can help you lose weight: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2518210.
It contains the results of about 7,000 research subjects on different diets. The very low-carbohydrate diet group lost 8.73 kg after six months and an average of 7.25 kg after 12 months of follow-up. The low-fat diet group lost 7.99 kg after six months and 7.2 kg after 12 months. Seven kilograms, which means that the low-fat and low-sugar groups lost about 7.25 kilograms throughout the year. Therefore, the conclusion of the study suggests that you should choose a weight loss diet that you like and can follow in the long term. I think this conclusion is fine, but because everyone's genes and living environment are different, there should be a way to find the most personalized diet.
Insulin determines your weight loss results.
First of all, it is also about the ratio of major nutrients. Let's first look at the following study.
Research source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2005.79
She divided obese girls into two groups: those with insulin resistance and those with normal insulin. The two groups were put on a weight-loss diet with either a low-carb or low-fat diet. The results showed that the group with normal insulin lost 6.8 kg on a low-carb diet and 13. 5 kg. On the contrary, the insulin-resistant group lost 13.4 kg on a low-carb diet and 8.5 kg on a low-fat diet. What's amazing is that according to their diet records, the amount of calories consumed on a low-fat diet was the same as on a low-carb diet, and the amount of calories burned through exercise was also similar.
So how come the weight loss in the two groups differs by more than five kilograms? They attribute this difference to the transcription factor FOXC2, which is affected by insulin and the amount of fat ingested. Both groups that lost the most weight had a higher FOXC2 gene expression. Of course, this study is not very large or long, but the results show us that if you have insulin resistance, you may be better off with a low-carb diet, and if you don't have insulin resistance, you may be better off with a low-fat diet.
Without counting calories, low-carb is more effective than low-fat for weight loss. What I just said is all about counting calories. If you don't know how to count macronutrients, calories, etc., or if you just don't want to do that, then I would highly recommend that you lose weight using the low-carb approach. As you can see, the following research synthesis also compares low-carb or low-fat.
Research source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16476868
However, the low-sugar group was not restricted in terms of how many calories they could eat, and they were simply allowed to eat the right foods. The results showed that within one year, under the condition of unrestricted calorie intake, the low-sugar diet was more effective at weight loss than the low-fat diet. The main reason for this was that the low-sugar diet was a very filling way to eat, making it more difficult for us to eat too much.
If I were to summarize the main nutrients, I would recommend the following:
• First, no matter which weight loss diet you follow, you should eat enough protein, which can help you lose weight and prevent weight regain
• Second, eat more vegetables
• Third, if you don't count calories, eat low-glycemic
• Fourth, if you have insulin resistance, try a low-glycemic diet
• Fifth, if you like to count nutrients, try the carbon cycle drink
After you have understood these main nutrients, you can try other supplementary methods. For example, intermittent fasting is a good way to reduce fat. For example, 16/8 fasting means eating the amount you should eat for the whole day in an 8-hour eating window.
This supplementary method will be very suitable for people who don't get full easily. I like to shorten my eating time and eat until I'm full in one go. Intermittent fasting can also help improve blood sugar and insulin levels, so if you have insulin problems, you can also try intermittent fasting. Put simply, it means not eating all the time so that insulin is not secreted too frequently.