When it comes to diets, everyone has an opinion about which diet works best. There are plenty of people who swear that low carb diets are the best, while there are just as many people who only follow low fat diets.
So, opinions aside, is there an answer to this question that is backed up by scientific evidence? According to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, over the course of a year, you will lose just as much weight following a low carb diet as you will following a low fat diet.
Given the fact that two studies have shown that both diets generate the same results over the course of a year, why is there so much debate about which one is better? One reason is because over the course of six months, following a low carb diet will lead to losing approximately nine to thirteen more pounds than following a low fat diet for the same period of time. However, when the the diet period is extended from six months to one year, the low carb diet loses its advantage and the low fat diet catches up.
An additional finding in the multiple studies on this topic was that while low carb diets are often bashed for increasing LDL cholesterol (which is known as the “bad cholesterol”) levels, both diets actually had the same impact on LDL cholesterol levels after a year.
Because both diets can help you lose the same amount of weight over the course of a year, the key to achieving your weight loss goal is figuring out which diet is easiest for you to follow. By taking time to evaluate which diet works best for you, you will be able to stick with it over the long-term and get the best results possible.