Slim Down by Cutting Calories

Many of us have heard that one diet is better than another diet. Some people swear by the South Beach diet while others think the Atkins diet is the way to go. According to the findings of a recent study, any diet that requires the cutting of calories will help you lose weight. Whether or not you’ll keep the weight off is a different story. However, it is comforting to know that reducing your intake of calories will lead to a slimmer figure.

This startling realization implies that regardless of the amount of fat, protein or carbs you take in, you should lose weight as long as you are consuming fewer calories. This is one of the few studies that have taken the time to compare these diets to one another. The New England Journal of Medicine published this study and it was conducted by Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS LOST).

There were 811 overweight test subjects were used for this study. They were randomly assigned to one of four pre-determined diets. The study ran for two years. The first diet involved taking in a low amount of fat and an average amount of protein. It was comprised of 65 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent fat and 15 percent protein. The second diet had test subjects taking in a low amount of fat and a high amount of protein. This was comprised of 55 percent carbohydrates, 25 percent protein and 20 percent fat. The third diet that was randomly assigned to those partaking in the study was a high-fat and average protein diet. It was broken down into 45 percent carbohydrates, 40 percent fat and 15 percent protein. The last diet was a high-fat and high-protein diet. This was made up of 40 percent fat, 35 percent carbohydrates and 25 percent protein.

All four of these diets had similar foods for the participants to choose from. All of these choices were low in saturated fat and cholesterol. These heart healthy options were also high in fiber. In addition to being told to exercise for one hour and a half per week, the study subjects were also asked to be a part of group and individual meetings. These meetings, which lasted for two years, were conducted by counselors. These counselors assigned daily calorie intake goals to all of the participants.

Once the initial six months had passed, it was recorded that the participants had all lost around seven percent of their weight. After two years had passed, almost everyone gained back some of this weight. Overall, they lost around the same amount of weight.

What does this mean for you? It means that no one diet is significantly better than another. Your best bet is to pick a diet that you can work with, incorporate some moderate exercise and make sure you aren’t sleep deprived. It has been shown that sleep deprivation can cause weight loss and health issues. If you follow all of these steps and reduce your caloric intake, you should be on the road to a slimmer life.