Dieters

Dieters

counting

calories

Not only the calories you consume, but the amount of carbohydrates in those calories can determine how effective your diet is, according to Virginia Tech Researcher Dr. Janet Walberg, who says, “Overall, a high carbohydrate diet is better than a low one. ”

In a low carbohydrate diet, there are fewer active thyroid hormones and more potentially dangerous acids called ketones in the blood.

More body protein is broken down in the early stages of a low carbohydrate diet-not good because the dieter wants to lose fat rather than proteins, which have to be replaced.

In a study of very overweight women (more than 30 pounds), Walberg found those on low carbohydrate diets lost weight somewhat more rapidly, but concluded the loss was due to water loss and protein breakdown.

Often in very low calorie diets like Walberg’s (530 calories per day), the body adapts by slowing down metabolism. Walberg found that, with a good exercise program, weight loss had been more than what was expected. Subjects lost an average of four pounds per week and improved in aerobic endurance over the course of the study.

Walberg has completed two other studies on weight loss strategies in the past year. In one, comparing dieters on exercise programs of high intensity, low intensity and no exercise, she found both group of exercisers lost more fat than those on diets alone. No significant differences existed between exercise groups.

In another study comparing paired and unpaired subjects enrolled in a diet and exercise program, Walberg found that those using the buddy system showed more fat loss and attended more sessions.