"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Can a low-carb food plan help keep weight off?

Your entire life you will have been bombarded with details about which food plan is best to enable you to shed some pounds. Like many other people, you've probably tried a food plan or a dozen, nevertheless it took just a little trial and error to determine which one works for you. Now, you might be on the hard part. You've finally lost weight, but how do you do it? Keep it closed? That's the million dollar query, right?

In a ___ A new study I BMJ, researchers sought to find out whether a low-carbohydrate food plan could help with the dreaded weight regain that happens when an individual loses weight. We know that when an individual loses weight, their energy expenditure, or metabolism, decreases. As yet, we have no idea whether a specific food plan composition will affect the metabolic adaptations that inevitably occur.

gave BMJ Study researchers studied 164 adults who were obese or obese—those with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher—between August 2014 and May 2017.

  • High carbohydrate content (60% carbohydrate food plan)
  • Moderate carbohydrate content (40% carbohydrate food plan)
  • Low carbohydrate content (20% carbohydrate food plan)

The investigators then measured several aspects throughout the participants' weight reduction maintenance phase. The results were very interesting. Here's what they found:

  • Individuals eating low-carbohydrates had significantly higher total energy expenditure (TEE) than individuals within the medium or high-carbohydrate groups.
  • Ghrelin, a hormone that makes you're feeling hungry and takes longer to feel full, was lower within the low-carb group.
  • Leptin, a hormone that makes one feel full sooner, was lowest within the low-carb group.

Overall, the study shows that, within the short term, a low-carbohydrate food plan could make weight reduction easier for people attempting to shed some pounds, in comparison with a moderate- and high-carbohydrate food plan.

So, you've lost weight. Should you turn to a low-carb food plan? The jury remains to be out. Although the outcomes clearly show that a low-carbohydrate food plan works best when it comes to weight maintenance, the study was only conducted over 20 weeks. What if the study is prolonged by one 12 months, or two years? Will we still see such a transparent difference in TEE after an extended time period? I feel we must always wait to see these results.

In the meantime, it is perhaps a very good idea to review the carbohydrate content of your food plan should you're struggling to take care of weight reduction. If your carbohydrate content is moderate or high, you might want to think about reducing your carbohydrate intake. However, do not forget that there isn't any “one size fits all”. Just because one person responds to a low-carb food plan, doesn't mean you'll too. Listen to your body's cues. You and your body's cues are crucial a part of the equation.

If you proceed to struggle, seek the advice of with an obesity treatment physician who can enable you to develop a plan to get you fit. You can discover a board-certified obesity medicine physician in your area on the American Board of Obesity Medicine. website.

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