Sorry, but Low-Carb and Low Fat Diets Get Pretty Much the Same Results

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Have you bought into a low-carb or low-fat diet? Which one is the better answer for people who want to lose weight? It turns out, they both work about the same. A giant new study on nutrition is the subject of this week's HCT.
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[@jamesmckean3221]

I like this message, because after years of thinking a zero-carb keto diet is the only way, I am finally trying a conventional low-fat diet and losing weight painlessly and happily.

[@tulsaTMR]

So you are telling me... if I exercise, cut out processed food, stop drinking sugary drinks, and regulate the amount of calories I put into my body.... I'll be more healthy?

[@CaptainPIanet]

Mind blowing stuff.

[@someguy2135]

Also, most people need to eat more fruits and vegetables.

[@88tongued]

Definitely!

[@vegahimsa3057]

Increase fruit and vegetable intake, reduce meat. Live longer and healthier. That advice lowers your risk of the leading causes of preventable early death and reduces your Covid-19 comorbidity risk.

[@vegahimsa3057]

@@morbd6048nothing wrong with a mask. We can also try to run away and hide from all disease instead of taking responsibility for our own health.

[@cassieoz1702]

Basically, an eating pattern that minimises hunger and allows you to stick to it (for life) without misery and feeling deprived, should be the goal. I followed low fat most if my life, was continuously hungry and reached 130kg. I finally sacked the dieticians and tried a ketogenic diet: I weigh 75kg for the last 4 years, no longer prediabetic or hypertensive (BP normalised within 7 days), HDL higher, Trigs much lower, LDL same. It suits ME. There's no one-size-fits-all so don't be afraid to experiment with what works for you.

[@jhuger]

These studies never seem to track what's really important: Did either group show a statistically significant difference in how insufferably self-righteous they were?

[@NONcomD]

James huber :D :D great comment! People for some reason go nuts about spreading their diet message:)

[@aaronsmith5864]

James huber these, these are the questions that keep me up at night

[@Trendle222]

HAHAHA exactly James! =)

[@OniAzul]

Well said brother!

[@jocojuri]

hahahaha XD Very well put!

[@moestietabarnak]

I'd like to see study that evaluate satiety, hunger, 'energy level', craving etc. I started Keto, and I found out that after a while I would skip meal without thinking about food and I lose 10kg in around 2 months, without EVER feeling starved or counting calorie. Now I'm starting IF and OMAD... Keto diet did prepare me better for that.

[@duchessconlon]

What about other measures of health besides weight loss? Like insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, thyroid function, inflammation, etc. There's little evidence to suggest that weight loss makes any difference in health outcomes in the absence of these other factors. On the other hand, there have been several studies that have shown these factors can influence health outcomes with or without weight loss. I don't think we're getting the full picture just by looking at pounds lost or gained. I would be interested to see how both diets performed on these kinds of metrics.

[@BullShitThat]

People!!! A Keto diet, is an EXTREMELY low-carb diet; *however* for the average person, 30% IS still consider a low-carb diet (but not Keto). "low-carb" does NOT necessarily mean Keto -____________-

[@RunOfTheTrill]

Note that the same thing applies to low fat. Many keto dieters consider 0-20g of carbs "low carb". But this is about 0-80kcal from carbs. An equivalent amount of fat would be less than 10g which is almost 5% of calories for most reasonable diets. However, most people consider low fat diets around 20%.

[@raj-rajesh]

@@RunOfTheTrill There is a difference. In the really low carb diet like keto diet, you are targeting ketosis to burn more fat that's why you need to consume no more than 10%carbs.. If you eat 30% carb, you will not go into ketosis because the carb is too much. On the other side, the low fat diet is not targeting anything except avoiding fats if possible(eat less meat,avoid fried foods,drink low fat milk, etc...). There is no instruction what macro percentage you need to consume. Carnivore diet is another diet which put you into ketosis because it has zero carbs.

[@Marco-jx9rr]

It is keto if you fast. Actually you can produce ketones in an high carb regimen too if you fast regularly. The keto diet (not the ketosis) that fears carbs as evil is crazy, second only to the vegan malnourishment craze.

[@paulnixon6587]

I replaced craft beer with dry gin martinis (Bombay Sapphire to be precise) and lost over 20 pounds in a couple of months. Of course I also eliminated everything with added sugars, white bread, most fried foods, etc. I also run at least a mile and half a day, usually more, and am on a high protein diet. Thanks to my doctor, Nike Run + Club and MyFitnessPal by UnderArmor! But most importantly to my empty calorie, zero carbs, zero fat martinis! Stirred, never shaken 🍸

[@davidtaliaferro]

Brought to you by Bombay gin, Nike and UnderArmour.

[@kayla7562]

@@davidtaliaferro😂😂

[@jandeeb6768]

If you ask me, the keto diet is not for most people. It is just really difficult to follow and you feel exhausted. But the Agoge diet on the other hand feels great, and it works too.

[@cincin4515]

Yet somebody else with more than 2 brain cells clunking around their skull would know that some people do better on one diet while others do better on another while a 3rd group do well on a perfectly balanced diet.

[@TvehX]

If you feel exhausted in ketosis it's almost undoubtedly due to not taking in enough electrolytes to balance the massive decrease in insulin circulation from a number of factors in the diet. But yeah, it's not for most people and it *is* hard to stick to for most if only because they're taught to avoid fats, meat, salt, and animal products their entire lives. A person who is metabolically healthy *shouldn't* need to be forcing themselves into ketosis by balancing macros. More importantly, though, is that so many people who do keto don't actually do keto. They take in massive amounts of carbs and simply eat *more* fat and protein to keep their percentages right and then are surprised when they feel awful and lose little-to-no weight.

[@OniAzul]

The key to weight loss is to find a diet that gets you into a negative energy balance and that you can stick with for the rest of your life.

[@DarkoFitCoach]

U dont need deficit for long. Just till u get the weight off. Then maintenance calories

[@fournya]

Getting 29% of your calories from fat is not a low fat diet. Typically HCLF diets keep fat as under 20% of calories, aiming ideally for 10%.

[@Roll587]

I think both fats and carbs are important. But that may be because avocado on a triscuit with cheddar cheese is THE BEST.

[@OlOleander]

WisMicYal11 MILLENIALS AVACADO TOAST REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@TehKaiser]

It’s a false dichotomy. Energy is a guaranteed commodity. It the other nutrients and effects that matter, like foods that cause cavities and gum disease.

[@thinkinoutloud.1]

@@TehKaiser notice how he talks about losing weight when he should be talking about losing fat, like fat around your heart and in your liver. Thats because the higher carb low fat people lost fat and the high fat eaters dehydrated away their water. They lost weight in water. No talk or measuring fat loss here. What a bunch of misrepresentation going on here.

[@TehKaiser]

@@thinkinoutloud.1 Stearic acid has shown results in studies where consuming it compared to other diets resulted in a loss of visceral fat. It causes mitochondria to metabolize fat more efficiently. Where you are clueless, is that higher carb people make exceedingly difficult on themselves to lose weight because insulin stops fat metabolism in favor of glucose metabolism, along with triggering more hunger more frequently. The only carbs necessary is the bare minimum to avoid brain fog.

[@thinkinoutloud.1]

@@TehKaiser it depends on what kind of carbs you eat. The whole plant foods digest slowly. No flours. I've always eaten this way. Never felt any side effects or tired, then again, I like eating a handful of nuts everyday so maybe that has kept me feeling strong and healthy. I don't know the science behind it I just know my experience and I'm skinny and strong and feel pretty good.

[@Marco-jx9rr]

I often have to argue with people of both sides. I had to learn on myself how both camps are effective but also detrimental to health on the long run for different reasons, fatty acids depletion vs thyroid and adrenals impair, etc. So as an equal macros diet such as the zone works as long as hypocaloric. Fasting works too. Combining days of low carb with days of low fat with days of equal ratio (in calories) and less energy intake, and regular fasting, this is what works at best to me. This ideological war of diets has to end!

[@alias374]

I mean... 30% calories from carbs in the low carb group? I usually agree with the finding - healthy living and calories are king, but that's just not fair to the low carb paradigm. I don't care about keto btw, I would consider 20% and lower as low carb. Maybe I'm just wrong on the definition though...

[@techiefan1986]

30% or even 20% isn't even low carb that's why this video and the study it references are bull/flawed.

[@GirlAcrossTheWorld]

Obviously the main difference between both of these diets and the standard American diet is the encouragement to eat more vegetables/fruits and less processed food/refined sugar/etc, and that probably gets you most of the way to a healthy diet no matter what else you consider. But people who believe in a specific low carb or low fat diet don't just believe that you should make fat or carbs around 30% of calories. Many low fat people believe that cutting out animal products/going vegan is the most important thing and it's the types of fat that are dangerous; most low carb people believe in a diet of 5-10% carbohydrates and staying in ketosis. In my opinion, the jury is still out until those specific claims, and not this very broad percentage based approaches, are tested. And this study doesn't appear to have monitored any other health outcome other than weight? Which I know is what a lot of people are interested in, but it's certainly not the only marker of health.

[@rogertramp]

I agree with you. I would add that making your diet into a religion can help adherence, but it also makes you impervious to new ideas. I lost a good bit of weight just cutting excess sugar and eating whole foods(plants, fruits, animals). What I generally see is people that cut sugar and processed foods out of their diet do very well. What a lot of the diet gurus seem to do is compare their diets against the standard American diet when they should be comparing them against a low sugar low processed food diet. For the last 4-5 months I have been doing keto with a few carb days. I have lost some more weight and almost have visible abs. I have been thinking of adding fruits during the summer months While I seem to be having some success with keto the jury is still out on what is the best diet for me.

[@DomSchu]

Less refined food and less calorically dense food helps you lose weight. That's all there is to it. The way you choose to do that depends on what you like and what works for you.

[@CaptmagiKono]

I think the weight loss implications of this study are interesting. However, I would like to see a study that focuses on the general health differences between people who do Low-Fat and Low-Carb diets comparatively over a year +. Obviously the main issue with this being how different people are from one another in terms of genetic and outside of diet health behaviors, would still like to see this attempted at least.

[@sammyruncorn4165]

It's in the video + there is another summarizing several other diets and their outcomes over a long time

[@annoyedaussie3942]

Well given the amount of average weight loss, on average they were still overweight or obese. I expect their health improved a little bit but not statistically significant as they say.

[@matthewdockter2424]

I needed this information today. I didn't know I needed it, so I didn't go looking for it. However, after getting this information I realize how valuable and timely it is for me. I'm glad I subscribe. I'm writing this simply because I think that, by now, the HT staff isn't doing these videos for profit. The only other thing of value you are looking to reap may very well be the confirmation I just wrote up. Thank You.

[@ExPwner]

Calorie reduction, not a crazy amount of sugar intake....surprise surprise! Weight loss! I do agree with others saying that this isn't a great low carb comparison. I'd call that moderate carb intake.

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

I wish there had been a control group where the participants had been given the general advice about vegetables and avoiding processed food, but no specific instructions to reduce carbohydrates or fats.

[@Sandreline]

No, 30% is not keto. But he never claimed to be discussing keto. The study isn't going to work if people don't adhere to it, and they're less likely to adhere to an extreme diet like keto. 30% is still low carb. Keto isn't the only form of low carb out there.

[@rahl163]

I lost 115 lbs with keto diet and intermittent fasting in 9 months, I found once i got over sugar cravings Keto diet was fairly easy to follow. Taco's wrapped in roman lettuce instead of a shell, tripple meat hamburgers with cheese sauted jalapenoes, onion, tomato and mustard no bun. Heck i even once made a keto friendly pizza with some sorta chia and flax seed dough. I could even snack with string cheese sticks, sour pickles, pork rinds, sunflower seeds. I'm just saying i could still eat many of my favorite foods, with just some modifications on the keto diet which helped to stay on it and the fasting part helped limit the number of calories i could consume in a day.

[@thalesnemo2841]

CJ No it is NOT LOW CARB !

[@thatjillgirl]

rahl163 Cool story, bro.

[@Sandreline]

"Low-carbohydrate diets are not well-defined. The American Academy of Family Physicians defines low-carbohydrate diets as diets that restrict carbohydrate intake to 20 to 60 grams per day, typically less than 20% of caloric intake. A 2016 review of low-carbohydrate diets classified diets with 50g of carbohydrate per day (less than 10% of total calories) as "very low" and diets with 40% of calories from carbohydrates as "mild" low-carbohydrate diets." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-carbohydrate_diet

[@Sandreline]

rahl163, that's great for you. But that has literally nothing to do with this discussion. The best diet for any particular person is the one that helps them successfully reduce their caloric intake. If that that's keto for you, that's awesome. But it's not some magical mystical end-all diet. Regardless, this video is not discussing keto.

[@rparl]

I've been on low-carb since being diagnosed (and treated) for stage 1 rectal cancer (now gone). I have stuck with it because I don't get the hungries now, an hour after eating.

[@MarsUltor1990]

i lost weight on keto,and as for me,I will always choose low-carb/keto over any other diets.Why?Because of my eating preferences,I come from a family of butchers(great-granda,granda,and my dad all were butchers)and in my family we all eat meat daily,especially chicken and pork. I would rather quit sugar and carbs instead of meat.

[@pedrolopa2]

I'd love to see carnivore vs plant based (whole foods) studies

[@aNaturalist]

Yes, especially with long term blood test results.

[@HurricaneSparky]

I lost weight cutting sugar and started following the Athlean-X channel run by Jeff Cavaliere, and he constantly preaches that you need to clean up your nutrition before hitting the gym. Your body needs carbs and fats, but there's good foods to get those from. People don't need to rigidly cut their diets down to lose weight or get a better physique.

[@tracyandrirs8863]

HurricaneSparky believe it or not the only nutrients the body needs are proteins and fats. The liver kicks out it's own glucose when the body needs it. At any given time the body can run on a little over a tsp of sugar in it's blood and do just fine. We will, however, die if we do not ingest protein and fat. Many people are surviving right now on a meat only diet.

[@NexusNine]

Your body actually doesn't need carbs. This has been proven. And cutting carbs isn't just for weight loss, it's also very effective in controlling Type 2 Diabetes.

[@melTiceTiger]

I'd like for them to do a study like this on intermittent fasting. There has been a LOT of talk recently about it, but there's not a lot of long-term evidence to support or deny it's healthiness. What are your thoughts on it?

[@katiemaedit]

For me, a diet like that would not be sustainable. I'm trying to get a healthier diet and get my weight down. The biggest consideration for me is is this sustainable? Also, Can I go out to most restaurants and eat this way? Can I travel and eat this way?. I see a lot of people taking on these more restrictive diets and they will lose weight, initially, and then they just can't stick to it.

[@jeanttbs]

@@katiemaeditIntermitent fasting makes it so much easier to live. You can be more flexible with what you eat while minimizing time spent cooking. The only problem with adhering to it is the first few weeks while your body learns a new hunger schedule.

[@bibekadhikari4357]

@@jeanttbs for me... Intermittent fasting and OMAD worked wonders... I got thinner, my wallet got thicker... What more does one need 🤣🤣

[@sammyruncorn4165]

@@jeanttbs Well some (not all) developed an eating disorder because of that :(.

[@aNaturalist]

Valter Longo, PhD a longevity researcher said on the Rich Roll podcast that studies of centenarians (people that live to 100 +) usually eat within a 12 hour feeding window. He also added that there seems to be no benefit to the 8 hour feeding window for longevity, but in his book The Longevity Diet he mentions that for weight loss, smaller than a 12 hour window can be helpful.

[@thatjillgirl]

Good grief, all you keto people claiming this isn't a low carb diet. ANY diet is going to seem "not low carb" if you're using a specifically keto diet as the basis of comparison. This is supposed to be low carb or low fat compared to an AVERAGE diet. And compared to an average American diet, this is indeed low carb.

[@CharlieRasch]

Also it didn't take into account people who were diabetic or pre-diabetic or suffering from obesity.

[@GuidoPerdomo]

low Carb is 20-50 a day. When you say low carb, that's what's implied. maybe the title of the video is wrong, maybe he should've said reducing carb intake or fat intake. But yeah, that was not a low carb diet. far from it.

[@thatjillgirl]

Charlie Rasch The study was ALL people who were overweight or obese (BMI 28-40), and it did measure the participant's insulin sensitivity.

[@thatjillgirl]

Guido Perdomo I guess? When I hear that someone is on a "low carb diet," I don't assume they mean keto. I assume they're just cutting down on their grain/starch/sugar intake. Generally when people mean a ketogenic diet, they will call it a ketogenic diet, not a "low carb diet."

[@rogertramp]

Exactly. "Low carb" is a relative term. Keto is a brand of low carb.

[@SaucerJess]

Going on a ketogenic diet has increased my energy and given me less migraines after my brain injury 💙

[@Peachcreekmedia]

Really in the end it's what you can tolerate long term.

[@GR100ALT]

It's pretty obvious at this point that the best diet is a well-balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, legumes, and nuts & seeds (unless allergic) is the best way to go.

[@BTheBlindRef]

Don't be insane. You can't write books and get rich selling that crap!

[@CaptainPIanet]

Very small amounts of meats or none are still within this realm as well. The key is to hit your marcros

[@Trendle222]

Lmao!!

[@christianlibertarian5488]

10 thumbs up on this one. Excellent study design, which basically showed paying attention to what you eat helps you lose weight. Down side is that both groups lost only 11-13 lbs in a year.

[@mintee8638]

I wish there was research about very low carb and very low fat, as probably a large part of the dispute is getting the right ratios (like for colors RGB, do it for a diet of carbs, protein, and fat (CPF). One can then compare that with the basics of good sleep vs bad sleep, low sugar vs more sugar, exercise vs little exercise).

[@artfrontgalleries1818]

I am a 70 year old male. I certainly can't run a 100 yards in 11 seconds but I think I'm ok walking around 2 Miles (5 K) most days. Everyone I know thinks i'm thin, shinny or anorexic. My BMI says I am "overweight" to borderline obese. where do I start to take this seriously?

[@22darius22]

30% calories from carbs is not “low carb” for anyone even moderately associated with modern day ketogenic/low carb diets. Are you pushing bad information for views and likes? Seems the headline of the video is purposefully misleading as is your conclusion.

[@mpoharper]

I would go back to prediabetes with that much carb. I lost weight and keep it off easily with keto

[@TheAvsouto]

Well. I've been done keto with no caloric restrictions for about 9 months and I've already lost 38 kilos. I just stopping eating any carbs that are not vegetables and started to lose weight. I eat 500 grams of meat and fat every day with little amounts of vegetables like onions, garlic, lettuce and sometimes carrots(a little bit). My diet is 98% from animal protein and fat and all my blood exams improve. I was a 114 kilos pre-diabetic with 400 of triglycerides. Now I am an almost thin people with 76 kilos and 100 of triglycerides.

[@jaakizamazin]

The average carbohydrate intake in the low carb group was 130g /day after 12 months. In addition, the low carb group saw a greater reduction in triglycerides and a larger increase in HDL-C which is recognized as a surrogate (i.e- improved Trig:HDL-C ratio) for a shift from pattern B (small dense LDL) to pattern A (buoyant LDL). Taking this all into consideration, one must at least acknowledge that while many diets are capable of producing weight loss, the thing which matters the most to people (disease risk) seems to slightly favor the lower carb diet. Interesting despite the fact that carbs were still fairly moderate by most standards.

[@ItsLoriK]

All I know is for myself I got fat with low fat in my 30s. I've lost almost 100 lbs in under a year being sedentary at 45 by eating under 60 total carbs daily.

[@edward.chyrek]

Do you just eat Cucumbers all day? Cucumbers 🥒 are like 8 calories each

[@ItsLoriK]

@@edward.chyrek I didn't eat cucumbers before & don't now. I don't really look at calories though. Granted, I don't want to eat 3000 a day or anything. However, I only check out my 3 macros daily using the Cronometer app.

[@lindass5966]

@@edward.chyrek carbs not calories

[@GardiG]

Am I the only one who noticed the major flaw in this study: that the “low carb” benchmark used in this study (30%) is nowhere near that recommended for keto (5%)?

[@Kello1231]

Low fat diets, specifically keto, have higher weight stability post-diet. They don't just gain back the weight afterwards because the hormonal pathways affected see more permanent change (ghrelin, leptin).

[@Kello1231]

See work by Volek, Phinney.

[@kgal1298]

LMAO I somehow ended up in a vegan high carb group and a keto group on Facebook and based on the posts I see they both get results, but most of them can't hang onto the results because they restrict too much this is all over just watching them post crap over a year I don't even know why I haven't left the groups I think probably because it's fascinating to watch.

[@SeasOfCheese929]

Kate I’ve personally found keto easy to stick to, but that’s just me.

[@KateNotKatelynn]

I think eating mostly whole plant foods is easiest to stay healthy and not have to restrict calories

[@kgal1298]

Yeah I just noticed a lot of them fall of keto, that's why I think stats on people gaining weight back for most diets are so high anytime you remove a major macro from your diet long term it starts to get to you mentally or so it seems.

[@tabaks]

You start by saying both are bullsht and 5 minutes later keto and carb zombies start posting replies to your post. Pathetic puppies.

[@kgal1298]

I know people will always hold on to their diet beliefs if it worked for them. Overall it is about calories in and out unless you have a stupid high activity level or something that burns more calories so yeah of course if you eat either of those after binging all the time you will lose weight. You can be active and fat I don't know why people think there is some miracle science to weight loss it's harder for some people more than others and just taking a step to do it no matter what you choose is a good move, but don't expect others to follow you. It gets so ridiculous on KZbin sometimes with diet.

[@ricksseniorlife]

The best diet is the one you can stick to? I can stick to cereal, milk, and toast for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly with diet soda for lunch, and pizza and beer or Kentucky fried chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner, and Ice cream and cookies for dessert . NOW THATS A DIET I CAN STICK TO!!!

[@austinhickerson7311]

You ever try peanut butter and marshmallow fluff lol? If not it's a must try for lunch. Sometimes a little honey on top is even better haha.

[@SeasOfCheese929]

30% calories from carbs is hardly low carb. I’d love to see what would happen with a 5% carb / 20% protein / 75% fat group.

[@JBSouls]

my guess would be that they wouldn't be able to keep that up for a year without cheating often. I've been there and I have never felt better than on a extremely LC diet (keto for the most part - no hunger, yay!) BUT cutting carbs to a really low amount might involve too much food control / calculating for a regular test subject.. and we all know people tend to be lazy ;)

[@odizzido]

I have some good diet advice. Don't eat nothing but doughnuts for breakfast, dinner, and lunch.

[@rengigihearts]

The study itself seems poorly designed, at least to how it was summarized in this video. A year is too little of a time frame for a nutritional study given we have storages of nutrients that will compensate for the sudden change in diet until our body adjusts to the new change. Were the test subjects knowledgable of what is classified as carbohydrates and fats, did they receive any nutrition education? Since vegetables are carbs, a high carb diet is one with lots of vegetables and fruits (which we obviously want for their micro and macronutrients). What was their perception of a carbohydrate? A lot of people (even health professionals) still villainize fats and carbohydrates and don't bother being specific on what they mean. Some doctors tell their obese patients "stop eating carbohydrates and fat" and move on to the next patient. The diet that you can stick to sounds like an excuse for lazy behavior- if one cares for their health there should be a will and effort to improve their diet and seek professional help from people who know what they are talking about. Diets can be tailored to certain people because "diet" isn't just what you hear and see on the media. If your blood pressure, blood glucose, or serum cholesterol are high well there is a diet for you that can assuage and manage those values. If you have kidney failure, liver failure, kidney stones, fatty liver disease, etc well there are diet recommendations to help your condition from worsening. Treating nutrition as a pseudoscience is dangerous. There are chemicals in foods, those chemicals react with your body, the excess or insufficient of some chemicals can harm or hurt you and they interact with other chemicals which ultimately affect the quality of biological systems. That's nutrition right there. *Also what where the socioeconomic backgrounds of the people that were studied? Obesity and nutrition quality is greatly linked with socioeconomic status.

[@stevelk1329]

Not sure if this was asked - so many comments and replies. Did the low-fat dieters also reduce their carbohydrates based on staying away from processed foods and added sugar? Thanks. Good podcasts.

[@DeadLikeYou]

Was there any difference in adhearance? I know that low-carb and low-fat have similar results, but if one is harder to follow than the other, you can reasonably claim that it has less impact and is less effective even though if you do follow it you get the same results. I have heard that one of the upsides of a low carb (and high fat) diet is that its easier to follow; I am curious if there was any difference in how the subject's compliance rate was.

[@LawfulGoodSock]

Are you talking like atkins/keto diets? Or just lower carb diets? Because both of the approaches mentioned in the study seem like relatively minor restrictions compared to the hardcore restrictive fad diets that make the rounds.

[@DeadLikeYou]

I was talking about keto, yes. it is a low carb diet. it restricts cards to about 20 g a day, so its similar to the diet mentioned in the video.

[@covertoperator2957]

Hi, so this study was definitely not measuring the compliance rates of diets, but the diet suggested was not about Keto. If you look at the stats in the video, participants in the low-carb diet still consumed a significant amount of carbs compared to a keto diet. However, researchers did check in on subjects to make sure they were sticking to their diet. If you'd like the stats on how many were, you can buy the study from JAMA at the link below. However, the free abstract does mention "There were 18 adverse events or serious adverse events that were evenly distributed across the 2 diet groups." Which probably includes anything from hospital visits to 'I want to drop out of the study, I can't keep up with it.' jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2673150

[@andrew24601]

People with BMIs of 28-40 only lost an average of 11-13lbs over a YEAR? I wouldn't call THAT statistically significant either, as someone who went from a BMI of 38 to a BMI of 23 over the course of less than two years, losing 70lbs total. I mean, sure, any weight loss is great, but I can't imagine it making much of a difference if you're above a BMI of 30. I have a hard time believing they really adhered to those diets, in all honestly. I'm not trying to sound like an asshole. I've been very heavy, and looking back, there was an incredible amount of ignorance and lying to myself going on. I'm probably biased, but, while this study was very well designed, it leaves me unimpressed.

[@katiemaedit]

Well, if people lose 11 or 12 lb and they keep it off that is a good outcome. If people lose a large amount of weight and then gain it back and then more that is overall worse for them. I have seeing studies showing that quick weight loss is in the longer-term less sustainable.

[@IceKateByMoonLight]

I agree.

[@willkelly86]

I would like to have seen a crossover arm (ie a group that started with one diet than switched partway through) in this study to determine if one diet worked better at the individual level (even it the hypothesized methods of determining this were not supported) or if either diet would work equally for everyone. anyone. Also, most low carb and low fat diets advocate for much less than 30% of their calories coming from the avoided macronutrient, it would be nice if there were an arm that assigned to a more extreme version of each diet to better determine magnitude.

[@elsa9532]

Tone of the show seems to be changing? Feels a little condescending, which is sad because I love the show

[@JamesLacher]

If they cut calories on average 500 a day. Shouldn't they have averaged 50lbs of weight loss over a year. Calories aren't what the body processes. It's FOOD.

[@manedurphy]

i don’t feel that a 13 pound loss over 12 months is a good sign that participants were being strict with their diets. i really think that in order to get true results that reflect the purpose of the study, you would have to seek highly motivated individuals looking to change their lives while having daily supervision and communication to overcome the temptation of having a “slip up”.

[@rokadamlje5365]

Basically eat less = lose weight. But, what about long term health, less carbs or less fat?

[@thalesnemo2841]

Rok Adamlje Nonsense! The energy balance hypothesis has been debunked! It how the energy is used or not by the body !

[@rokadamlje5365]

Sure, thats why starving children in africa have such big bellies.

[@BTheBlindRef]

you are joking right? You do know that the big bellies are not fat, but are caused by fluid accumulation in the abdomen related to the breakdown of tissues in the body related to malnutrition, right?

[@rokadamlje5365]

Of course, counter sarcasm to that fairy Tales of Nemo comment.

[@wesleygaitan]

Less fat. Carbs are important for testosterone

[@frfr3977]

Low carb has the added benefit of depleting glycogen stores and bloat, giving you a nice dried out look. If you diet to the same bodyfat, your going to look leaner on a low carb diet. If you diet to say, 9% bodyfat on a low fat/low calorie diet, then switch to a low carb diet at maintenance calories, you will appear to get even leaner. Probably the best way to take advantage of this effect. You could take it further and go zero carb/carnivore diet and manipulate sodium and hydration levels to further dry out and appear even leaner.

[@Crazycolorz5]

I'm curious about endpoints other than weight loss. For example, shifts in insulin sensitivity which may be a contributor to diabetes (and resultant obesity) down the line. Though clearly looking for cardiovascular endpoints would be a bit out of the scope of a one-year study, it still would be ideal.

[@hugo-garcia]

The only ultra big problem here : 30% carbs is not low carb diet. Is a surgery with 30% risk of death considered a "low death surgery " ? Would you go o an airplane with 30% chance of accident ? You decide.

[@Petra-hc2pn]

I agree with 30% carbs not being low carb diet. But 10 % carbs is considered low carb diet but I still wouldn't go on an airplane with 10% chance of accident. 😊

[@rahl163]

Fad, hype or whatever, keto and intermittent fasting helped me lose 115 lbs in 9 months.

[@NONcomD]

You shed pounds in a fashionable manner

[@bramvanduijn8086]

I'm happy for you. It is still not a valid argument either way because you are a sample size of 1.

[@ScottOstr]

No hunger makes it extremely easy to stick with. 👍👊

[@JohnnyElihue]

LOVE this video. I would have really liked to have seen a general sustained fitness test performed before and at the end of the study. I wanted to see how this affected overall energy production and expenditure, how satiated each percipient felt on an objective scale ect... It would have been a good indicator of which diet produces the more "efficient" energy expenditure. Which substrate (Fat, or Carbs) metabolizes better over the long term.

[@annoyedaussie3942]

Neither diet was low in anything, only encouraged lower intake of both simple carbohydrates and fats for things like frying. So it was more of a study on asking people to please eat a bit healthier and we will help and monitor you. Cutting out a donut or chips is cutting both and this is actually what was encouraged most.

[@Magnulus76]

We don't yet fully understand it yet, but the microbiome has alot to do with weight loss. Eating more whole plant foods is better in this regard, than eating junk food.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

Cooking is a 'process'. So everything you cook, is also a processed food. Anything which undergoes pasteurization, is ALSO a 'processed food'. Homogenized milk is also a processed food. Waiting for that milk to separate into skim milk and cream? A process which changes the natural state of the food. In fact, even washing your veggies is 'processing'. Cereals are ALL processed foods. So are all breads. By the time you eliminate all the 'processed foods', there's not much left to eat.

[@hippopajamas]

That is a almost ridiculously thorough study! I love it!

[@drivetounderstand8579]

At 2:27 we see that that low carb group was not on a keto diet, which restricts you to about 5% carbs. So this info is of little use to those of us on keto diets. But to his credit he does have that determinedly upbeat KZbinr lilt in his voice.

[@Longjohnsilver58]

It shows that the single thing most wrong with the standard McDonalds diet is the combining of high fat and high sugar. Hmmm…. Perhaps watching that is the key. Eat steak, lose the potato. Eat the potato, lose the steak.

[@optimisticallyskeptical1842]

Ha, they likely ate fewer calories because they were cooking all their own meals and didn't want to spend more time cooking way more than they could reasonably eat.

[@redsnake69]

A link to the study in the description would have been nice. From this video (and comments) I understand this: 1. Sugar and flours (in bread, basta, tortillas and others) probably makes you hungrier, as people consumed less calories without counting calories. 2. The low carb diet was not ketogenic, which requires an intake of 15% of carbs. However it was relatively and fairly low carb (compared with the standard american diet). 3. A gradual adaptation period is extremely important. 4. There was a lot of fiber in both diets (from veggies). 5. Fruit consumption was not recommended in any diet, so it seems to me that both diets could have been low fructose diets. 6. You don't have to avoid fats nor eat tons of fats to get benefits, apparently.

[@EricRini]

It sounds to me like they didn't lose meaningfully different amounts of weight because they weren't given meaningfully different diets. The high-fat dieters were not doing strict keto macros and the low-fat dieters were being told to avoid refined carbohydrates and added sugars which are a staple of low-fat "diet" foods. What they did was give two groups the same hybrid diet and get the same result. Congratulations?

[@qb4428]

Wow, it's almost as if thermodynamics is a thing.

[@Methylglyoxal]

blah

[@themariokartlick]

95% of people still don’t understand that, as far as weight gain/loss is concerned, calories in/calories out accounts for >95% of the results. The math behind losing weight is not hard.

[@codediporpal]

Yeah but unconscious behavior just as important as thermodynamics . I've never measured my dogs food, and yet she's still within one pound of her weight from 5 years ago. That is statically impossible if it was all about thermodynamics. Or perhaps you're suggesting my dog noticed she was gaining weight and decided to exercise more?

[@pauljmey]

Well, apparently you don't know how to recognize a design selected to get this outcome. Gardner was somewhat embarrassed by the success of low carb in his AtoZ trial.

[@lohphat]

I lost 30lbs and kept it off on the keto diet after being diagnosed pre-diabetic. Three months, and 30 lbs. later, normal blood sugar levels. The difference between keto and low-fat is the by being off sugar and glucose reduced the cravings of those foods which cause the insulin response which causes fat accumulation. I did NOT have to count calories because the lack of sugar reduced my cravings and appetite. I ate all the fat, meat, and green veggies I wanted until I felt full. I was losing 8 lbs+ a month. By switching to ketones as your body’s primary Eng ergo source instead of glucose, it allows you to reach 18h, then 24Hr, then multi-day fasting targets which shed the pounds even faster. I don’t think a low-fat diet enables the ability to fast as the hunger caused by carbs gets in the way. Low-fat diets are harder because the cravings are still there and usually entail stricter calorie counting. While the outcomes may be similar, the keto diet is EASIER to follow and gets results FASTER.

[@mg123451]

Bro? Low fat is 15% to 3% fat not 30%.you lose weight like crazy on a real low fat diet.

[@techiefan1986]

Fat doesn't raise blood glucose levels and helps maintain the metabolism, protein is necessary to grow and maintain muscle weight, carbs are not necessary unless you are about to run a marathon.. For weight loss I see much better effect by cutting out carbs vs protein or fat.

[@heartminer5487]

low fat diet group in the study: 29% fat calories+48% carb calories low carb diet group in the study: 30% carb calories+45% fat calories Now anybody knows the study is meaningless because neither of the diets is either low fat or low carb in the common sense. They are both pretty much SAD diet.

[@ravenswoods177]

Here's a thought. Humans wouldn't have made it very long if we only benefited from one specific diet. Obviously, junk food and crap is NOT good. I love this channel!

[@Caladcholg]

If it's a Christopher Gardner study, we now have enough of a behavioral pattern to know which way the study was designed to lean! so rejoice, anti-sugar advocates, keto is still the way to go.

[@loganwolv3393]

Honestly carbs are easier to overeat (to due their "addiction") than carbs due to the different satiation but in a study it's pretty difficult for a study to just make everyone forget that it's a study so that's why the 2 diets came in so close to each other i think.

[@regalsoundproductions255]

30% carb is not really a low carb diet. Try 5 to 10% carbs at the most, has worked fantastic for me.

[@ex-muslimlibertarianatheis9008]

This isn't comparing a high fat keto to a high carb diet. Keto diet has a 5% carb only, not 30%. Taking out that extra 25% of carb makes huge differences in the body. It triggers ketosis. Ketone bodies, which are essential for utilizing body fats for energy. And it's also great for psychological reasons. Scientists even think it may be the answer to Alzheimers. Ketone bodies are also affective in preventing epilepsy. And are a key factor for brain development in new born, because babies are always in ketosis.

[@mojosbigsticks]

Is anyone doing research into how to help people diet in the first place? Fat people know what they have to do, they know the health risks, but they still keep eating. That would be useful research.

[@siyavuyabeja3881]

I don’t believe anything people say about low fat diets. I just don’t want to hear it.

[@Zoonofski]

Yeh I wouldn't really count 30% of your calories from carbohydrates as low carb, that is really moderate carb, would have been more interesting and meaningful if it was a proper ketogenic diet or carnivore diet.

[@James0u812]

Limiting both groups by decreasing the added sugar and refine flour in both groups lowered the carb intake for the low fat group. Not a good study.

[@joelpineda2042]

For weight loss sure. For fat loss while u keep muscle. Low carb is best. PERIOD.

[@fire7side]

Having tried both, and lost weight on both, I feel a low fat is superior because it allows more food choices. I was literally dreaming about beans and bread on the low carb diet. On a low fat, I eat lean meat, veggies, my own sourdough bread, noodles, rice, oatmeal, fruits, potatoes, sauces, a little cheese, and a small amount of olive oil. I don't have any cravings, and my food bill is cheaper.

[@Longjohnsilver58]

Best diet is the one you will stick to. Right on. There appears to be a conclusion that is being overlooked and that is separating fats from carbs, which was what these people did by restricting one over the other. If you want to do low fat and eat a potato, then go for it. If you want to do a low carb diet and eat a steak, then that’s fine too, just don’t eat the two of them together.

[@ianbryant]

29% calories from fat is not a low fat diet. I feel much better on 10% calories from fat than I do on 29%. You just have to eat a lot of starchy things like bread, oatmeal and potatoes to make up the difference in calories. And the low carb group percentage of calories from carbs is also way too high. This study sucks ass.

[@eissanemat]

30% of calories from carb is not considered low carb. What kind of study is this?!

[@-biki-]

This is not a study about Keto. Yes, Keto is in right now. No, the study is not as cool as your Keto fandom. You are special and v smart for thinking Keto thoughts. The study is not as smart as you are. Congrats. \o/

[@GuidoPerdomo]

low carb works because it triggers ketosis, which is the main thing that you seek when you go on a keto diet plan. if ketosis doesn't come out of your diet, then it's not low carb. it's not what I clicked the video for at least. I'm pretty sure when someone says low-carb, something in the lines of keto come up.

[@magewoubbie5426]

30% of calories from carbohydrate is not low carb. Even remotely.

[@mrpotatohead6264]

In the end, we're all different. Some people excel on keto and even carnivore diets, and good for them. I'm not part of that group, I do really well healthwise and weightwise on a high carb diet with protein and less fat. I'm also much happier. I've tried keto and carnivore keto and never ever again 😆 no thanks

[@RainAngel111]

I bought your book today, waiting for it to be delivered.

[@khandarwilliam5439]

How about their health?

[@aSm8full]

Khandar William They are healthy and have no underlying conditions as mentioned from the study.

[@lindsaystoican2427]

Did these people eat 20 net carbs or less a day. That is the key to low carb.

[@vegahimsa3057]

Of course the macros are not important. When people hear low carb, they eat meat. When they hear low carb, they don't know what that means. If you want to survive: high fruit and vegetables intake, low saturated fat... Which means low meat.

[@aSm8full]

Aside from Clinical Nutritionist and Super athletes Nutritionist, Nutritionist have complicated diet so unnecessarily it became one of the vaguest fields in health sciences, yet the most popular. They have convinced the population that a normal healthy person who doesn't have any underlining condition and not even obese must monitor his diet so diligently and that he/she is responsible for most of the physiological processes in his/her body to avoid drastic outcomes that are usually displayed as if they will happen in the very next day if you don't listen to their advice. Their whole field can be summarized with those three advices. 1- eat less 2- exercise 3- diversify your diet to avoid micronutrients deficiency And that's it, you don't need to read a book to tell when and what to eat otherwise you will get fat and die of cancer or other drastic outcomes.

[@TheMkkr]

There's essential fat and protein for the human body, but there's no such thing as essential carbs.

[@lindsaystoican2427]

I've tried both low carb and low fat. Low carb I lost 80 pounds on with no intentional exercise and low fat only about 15 pounds with exercise everyday.

[@roderickclerk5904]

You need to know that low carb diets can make you loose a ton of water weight and weight from intramuscular fluids, because carbs (in the form of glucose) through the transport of insulin (which is why you need insulin) are bonded to water and sent to your muscles. This is why virtually no athletes in power sports like football, soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc are on low carbs diets. MMA fighters only do low carb to viciously rid they’re body of water to meet a weigh in. They refeed as soon as they’re off the scale. But it does look like you lost a good amount more body fat on the low carb diet. It’s more to with diet allowing you to stay on a consistent hypo caloric state versus the other. Carbs are easy to over feed on due to cakes, cookies, etc.

[@lindsaystoican2427]

@@roderickclerk5904 I am well aware of the water weight that you lose. You lose water weight because your fat cells store water and when you start burning the fat for energy you pee out or sweat out the water. I have been on the Atkins diet for around 10 years now off and on again. I was simply saying that the low carb way worked for my and low fat and counting calories didn't. I went from a size 16 to a size 8. I didn't lose muscle because I have a physically demanding job. I have a slow thyroid. The low carb diet and going gluten free was the key to my weight loss. This worked for me.

[@sonicsubjunkie]

Personally the only diet that works is low calorie.

[@laurenkelly5413]

Hi, does anyone have access to this paper or the name of the study?

[@BorealSelfReliance]

High Fat low carb 4 life

[@gamesaq]

How the hell is 30% carbs "low carb"? No wonder the study is flawed. Look at the studies with a true LCHF diet of 10% of less carbs vs a high carb diet. There are statistical significance in those studies especially on insulin sensitivity, blood glucose, fatty liver, HDL, triglycerides, reversal of type 2 diabetes, metabolic diseases, etc. Some me a study on that efficiency on a high carb diet equal to a true low carb diet

[@SmilingJack100]

There are a lot of "keto" fanboys in the comments.

[@MrLuckytrucker21]

That's because it works!

[@diphyllum8180]

They're not statistically different in terms of weight loss, but how are their inflammatory markers at the end o the trial?