The Best Diet For Fat-Loss...

Trying to figure out your nutrition can be difficult - I get it.

Nutrition is a topic that tends to get over complicated. Not to mention the fact that there is a never ending supply of misinformation being spread by people trying to make a quick dollar. It can all be overwhelming, and it seems that the more you research the muddier the water starts to get.

A quick online search for "the best diet" and you'll have 20 different sources telling you why their method of eating is superior. 

Advocates for keto will try telling you that carbs will make you fat...

High-carb believers will tell you that fat will make you fat...

Vegan zealots will tell you that meat is making you fat...

Carnivore believers will tell you that vegetables are making you fat...

Those who use intermittent fasting will tell you that eating at certain times will make you fat...


But what if I were to tell you that they are all full of shit and none of that matters?

​Research has shown (and continues to show) that as long as calories and protein intake are equal there is no difference in fat loss (1,2,3,4).

Yep, you read that right. But let me go ahead and say it again... High carb, low carb, vegan, it doesn't matter. When calories and protein are equal between groups, the rate of fat loss is the same.

It's all about energy balance, aka calories in vs. calories out.

---

It's thermodynamics, and physics doesn't care if you're eating high carb or low carb.

So what does that mean for you? It means that you have to find what works best for you and and how you enjoy eating. Consistency is key when it comes to making any real progress, so you have to find what enables you to be the most consistent. If you absolutely love carbs, then switching to a high fat/low carb diet just doesn't make sense. What are the chances of you being consistent in something if you hate it? Dieting already sucks enough as it is, so why make it harder on yourself if you don't need to? The best diet is the one that you will be able to follow consistently. This means that a low carb approach might be an awesome approach for some, but for others it's a terrible option.

​Don't get caught up in the hype of these fad diets. I hate to break it to you, but if it sounds too good to be true.... IT IS. There are no magical diets. They are all simply a method of controlling calories. The only way that one diet is superior to another is if it is easier for you to adhere to.

Find what works for you, be consistent, and results will follow.

-Clayton

References

1. Johnston CS, Tjonn SL, Swan PD, White A, Hutchins H, Sears B. Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 May;83(5):1055-61. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/83.5.1055. PMID: 16685046.
2. Hoffer LJ, Bistrian BR, Young VR, Blackburn GL, Matthews DE. Metabolic effects of very low calorie weight reduction diets. J Clin Invest. 1984;73(3):750-758. doi:10.1172/JCI111268
   
3. Surwit RS, Feinglos MN, McCaskill CC, Clay SL, Babyak MA, Brownlow BS, Plaisted CS, Lin PH. Metabolic and behavioral effects of a high-sucrose diet during weight loss. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Apr;65(4):908-15. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/65.4.908. PMID: 9094871.
   
4. ​Hall KD, Chen KY, Guo J, Lam YY, Leibel RL, Mayer LE, Reitman ML, Rosenbaum M, Smith SR, Walsh BT, Ravussin E. Energy expenditure and body composition changes after an isocaloric ketogenic diet in overweight and obese men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Aug;104(2):324-33. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.133561. Epub 2016 Jul 6. PMID: 27385608; PMCID: PMC4962163.