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View Full Version : Low Carb Diets Edges Out Other Diets by 4 pounds per month


Ottawa
08-03-2006, 02:08 PM
Although careful to avoid any reference/endorsement of Low Carb, and even though their own diet "The Abs Diet" reads as a shopping list that most of us could use, they definitely have little positive to say about low carb efforts. In the Abs Diet they have condecending comments for most other diets including Atkins, South Beach, etc., yet have a short article in the August 2006 issue of Men's Health Magazine that highlights the results from a recent University of Florida Study which determined that dieters who eat less than 100 grams of carbohydrates daily lose an average of 4 pounds more per month than those whose carb intake is higher. The results were based on an analysis of 87 weight-loss studies.

"The Carb Cutoff
Lose weight by limiting carbs

Edited by: Adam Campbell
Are you in the fat-burning zone? University of Florida scientists recently determined that dieters who eat less than 100 grams of carbohydrates daily lose an average of 4 pounds more fat a month than those whose carb intake is higher. The discovery was made when researchers analyzed 87 weight-loss studies comparing a variety of carbohydrate intakes, varying from 1 per-cent to 75 percent of the total calories consumed. One likely mechanism for the benefit: "As carbohydrate intake goes down, so do levels of insulin -- a hormone that signals your body to store fat," says lead investigator James Krieger, M.S.

For reference, one slice of whole-grain bread, or 1⁄2 cup of cooked pasta or rice, packs 15 to 20 grams (g) of carbohydrates; 1 cup of high-fiber vegetables -- such as broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans -- has about 6 g; an 8-ounce glass of milk contains 12 g; and a regular 12-ounce beer contains 13 g."

On the same page (page 54), the magazine highlights "A Growing Problem" and more proof that "eating too many carbohydrates leads directly to weight gain". Using data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention for the years 1960 through 1997, it shows how American's (sorry, no Canadian data) increasing intake of carbs coincides with a rise in obesity. Our take: Granted, correllation does not imply causation, but its an interesting correlation nonetheless.
Recently they have had other articles dealing with refined carbs as one of The Villains - The Flabtastic Four (http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=weight.loss&category=abs.diet&conitem=7a3eb5a4ffd4b010VgnVCM100000cfe793cd____&page=0&pageLocation=true&print=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.menshealth.com%2Fcda%2Farticl e.do%3Fsite%3DMensHealth%26channel%3Dweight.loss%2 6category%3Dabs.diet%26conitem%3D7a3eb5a4ffd4b010V gnVCM100000cfe793cd____%26page%3D0%26pageLocation% 3Dtrue). Unfortunately they still see Saturated Fat as one of the villains but it's great seeing them come around.

Shadow
08-03-2006, 03:33 PM
Thanks Randy - what an interesting read :thumbsup:! It's amazing how many people refuse to endorse this WOE when they acknowledge the obvious advantages to it :rolleyes:....

deirdra
08-04-2006, 01:35 PM
Another way to look at it is you can lose the same amount of weight or maintain on ~450 more calories per day rather than live a life of deprivation. That has certainly been true for me!

And what always kills me about the grain-pushers is they love to recommend pasta etc. for their vitamins, most of which were added in processing - that is was "enriched" means! Thanks, but I prefer getting my nutrients from vegetables.

Ottawa
08-04-2006, 02:03 PM
A great point. I wondered at your number until I did the 4 lbs. x 3500 /30.

I've explained the "Protein Advantage" to those who are skeptical, and being able to eat more without gaining and most people just can't fathom it. It's just to ingrained that "a calorie is a calorie". The recent GI Diet with Lower carb, low fat and low calories might work for a while but I believe like most diets that require severe calorie restriction, they are doomed to fail for most people.