The end to the carbohydrate myth
Since we know that low-carb diets don't work and aren't safe, then why are there so many of these types of diets out there? I'm still in shock of the number of trainers I run into who believe low-carb eating is necessary for weight loss. True, you'll lose weight, but not the right type of weight. I'd like to see follow-up studies to those done on low-carb eating. It's funny that people refer to the results of these studies as justification that low-carb eating helps you lose weight.
Sure it does!
Nobody denies that!
It's just that the weight loss isn't long-term.
Low-carb eating causes water loss and muscle loss, not fat loss. So as a person starts to return to normal eating habits, the weight comes right back on. In fact, research has found that those who've lost 66 lbs. and kept it off for 5 years ate more carbs, not less. (Participants ate an average of 1,306 calories for women and 1,685 calories for men).2 Ask any low-carb dieter if they've been able to keep their weight off for a year, let alone 5 years.
I bet there aren't many.
Low-carb diet systems do make a good point, though. Through my years of training, I've found that many exercisers do eat too many unhealthy carbs. If you remember, the recommended intake for carbs should be 55-65% of your total calories.1 I've found that a lot of people eat a lot more than this recommended intake. Think about it; here's a typical day for a lot of people.
You wake up and eat cereal and a bagel for breakfast (mostly carbs). You eat a sandwich with chips and an apple for lunch (again, mostly carbs). You come home and eat lasagna and bread (carbs again). You can see that by eating this way, more than 55-65% of your calories would be carbs. Because of such high intakes, your protein intake isn't where it should be, and as you know, protein is a "must-have" for weight loss. (Be sure to check out ColumbusSports.com, this Saturday, as I am set to publish on article on the importance of protein for weight loss.) So it's not that people should eat low-carb diets, it's that they should just control the balance in their eating habits for the day.
What is definitely true is that people need to choose a lot lower-glycemic carbs. You know, the type of carbs that minimize storage of excess fat. Foods like a lot of the candies, chips, and the "whites" don't fall under this low-glycemic category. So what are some good low-glycemic to low, intermediate-glycemic chooses?
Broccoli
Cherries
Peaches
Low-fat or skim milk
Whole-wheat spaghetti
Pumpernickel bread
Whole-wheat bread (this isn't low-glycemic, but it's better than refined, white bread)
Brown rice
Mushrooms
Peas
Carrots
Strawberries
Apples
Bananas
Oatmeal
All-Bran cereal
Sweet potatoes
Peanuts
Peas
Tomato soup
These are just some; surprisingly, there are many more. Just search "low-glycemic foods" on the Internet, and you'll be sure to find lists of them. You may be surprised at what you thought was low-glycemic isn't. For example, peanut M&Ms are low-glycemic, but does that mean they're a good choice for regular snacking? Of course not! They're essentially useless calories because they don't have the important nutrients that other foods higher on the glycemic index have (i.e., whole-wheat bread); plus, they're full of those nasty simple sugars. The general rule of thumb, though, stick with low-glycemic.
So remember, instead of eating low-carb, eat a balanced diet having the right percentage of carbs, with the majority of those carbs being low on the glycemic index. That's where the real long-term fat loss starts from.
References:
1 Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. (2003). Nutrition concepts and controversies, (9th ed). Belmont, Ca.: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
2 Shick, S., Wing, R., Klem, M., McGuire, M., Hill, J., Seagle, H. (1998). Persons successful at long-term weight loss and maintenance continue to consume a low-energy, low-fat diet. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 98(4), 408-413.
Featured on Chicago Sun-Times!
Hi Fred. I'm sorry you feel that way, and your strongly worded comment is exactly what I'm talking about. I have done my research (i.e. a Bachelor's in exercise science plus some of the sources I've provided). The fact that you provide a link to a website that is dedicated to low-carb eating tells me nothing. Of course that website is going to be biased towards low-carb eating, it's a low-carb eating website. To say you can group the effects of all carbs under one category is completely untrue. Visiting an unbiased website like the American Diabetes Association website will tell you plenty on how carbs can be classified differently with respect to insulin, fat gain, and obviously diabetes. Carbs aren’t just carbs. The glycemic index of carbs is also a huge factor in determining which carbs are best, not just whether they’re simple or complex. The truth is, yes, there is a ton of research out there supporting low-carb eating, but there’s also a ton of research out there supporting the adverse effects of low-carb eating. It's already been proven that ketosis results from low-carb eating; are you telling me that ketosis is something that you confidently recommend to your clients? I sure hope not. Plus, some of the links in the website you gave me even state that the prevention of lean muscle loss was a low-carb diet coupled with a high protein diet. On top of that, they said that further studies needed to be done to see if it was true that lean muscle can be healthfully supported on a low-carb diet. Low-carb means that adversely, protein is more responsible for energy; that's why a high intake of protein has to be accompanied with it. Finally, I say what I observe from my own training experience. If you want to lean more towards the results of studies, that's your call, but from personal experience, people that come to me on low-carb diets are the biggest yo-yoers I see. Those that just cut back their carb intake a little bit are the ones that have long-term success (and by cut back, I mean eating at a level that’s recommended by our very own FDA). Say what you want about this post, and I'll take your strongly-worded attack as your passion for low-carb eating, but I don't just "spout" things off. I do my research, cite my sources, and am confident that the information I provide to my readers is accurate, good-hearted, and the right information to help my readers "safely" achieve their fitness results. Thanks for reading my post, though.
Posted by: Dan | June 23, 2008 at 04:24 PM
This article contains so much misinformation it is unbelievable. Low carb diets have been time and time again shown to reduce fat and spare lean tissue far better than high carbohydrate diets.
All carbs - simple or complex must be broken down into simple sugars to be digested. So it doesn't matter if you eat honey or whole wheat bread in the end it's the same thing to your body.
This statement "Low-carb eating causes water loss and muscle loss, not fat loss." is irresponsible. Do you not read any research? You have no idea what you are talking about WRT low carb dieting. Shame on you for spouting such misinformation. Why not read Dr. Jeff Volek's work to start. You can find more info at the Nutrition and Metabolism Society website.
http://nmsociety.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=46
Posted by: Fred Hahn | June 23, 2008 at 02:49 PM