Calories mean nothing for weight loss
Yet another study claims that calories are the key to weight loss.
This study, put out by the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine was interesting in a number of respects, but not for the claim that calories have something to do with weight loss.
The Study
The study put groups of people on four different diets and followed them for over 2 years.
The diets were supposedly representative of a high carbohydrate and a low carbohydrate diets, but here is what they were:
|
|
Fats
|
Protein
|
Carbohydrate
|
|
Diet 1
|
20%
|
15%
|
65%
|
|
Diet 2
|
20%
|
25%
|
55%
|
|
Diet 3
|
40%
|
15%
|
45%
|
|
Diet 4
|
40%
|
25%
|
35%
|
As you can see, there is no low carbohydrate diet among the group (certainly anyone on a diet such as Atkins wouldn’t be represented). The four diets contained fats, were high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables and were low in cholesterol.
Not a low-carb diet in the group.
Results of the Study
The people in the study lost and average of thirteen (13) pounds when weighed at six months, but all groups saw a lot of their weight creep back up after a year. After two years, the average weight loss was only around nine (9) pounds.
The researchers decided that the results of the study were this: only calories count.
How crazy is that? If they had really wanted to test a low-carbohydrate diet, they would have tried an Atkins diet, or the sugar-free diet I suggest. Those diets keep your blood sugar low and, therefore, keep you from adding weight. Calories mean nothing when you are talking about weight loss.
The Real Results of the Study
The real results of the study were buried deeper in the study and here they are:
Dieters who got regular counseling saw better results. Those who attended most meetings shed more pounds than those who did not — 22 pounds compared with the average 9 pound loss.
The dieters who had support did much better than those that didn’t. Support is a big key to weight loss. Any weight loss program you decide to join should have strong support. The support, by the way, can come in the form of online help or a support group you form yourself.
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