Low Carb Diets still need to be Calorie Controlled

May 8, 2004

Those who have chosen the latest Low Carb diet craze still need to count calories the old fashioned way in order to lose weight. Many dieters hoping for low carb weight loss without regard for their total calorific intake are fooling themselves research shows.

Reaching for high-fat low-carb foods like bacon fills your arteries with animal fat. Just taking the bun off of a cheeseburger isn’t enough.

Most doctors (76%) interviewed say that a poor calorie-counting attitude can hurt a dieter’s chances for long-term weight loss success, according a recent survey conducted by West Palm Beach diet company, Slim-Fast.

On March 12, 2004 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a scientific statement that weight control is mainly a function of caloric balance. That is, calories in must be less than calories out when trying to lose weight. The main message from the FDA is focusing on "calories count".

People on low carb diets need to count calories first to lose weight and follow the FDA’s advice.

The report issued by the FDA’s Obesity Working Group includes recommendations calling for more accurate food labeling, consumer education on healthy eating and weight management, and for restaurants to provide calorie and nutrition information.

“People are willing to believe what defies science – the notion that cutting carbs without cutting calories will generate lasting weight loss” behavioral psychologist Dr. John Foreyt of Baylor College of Medicine said.

However, low-carb diets aren’t famous for their fiber content. Many fiber-rich foods also have carbohydrates, according to Mike Adams, a researcher and nutritionist for the non-profit Consumer Wellness Research Center. “When people turn to a low carbohydrate diet, they frequently rely on foods that are very low in a naturally occurring fiber – foods like meats, nuts, cow’s milk and cheeses, all of which contain virtually no fiber,” he said.

Insoluble fiber is indigestible in the human body.

“This is why many low-carb dieters turn to hot oat bran cereal as a replacement for oatmeal, he said.
Market researchers at NPD Group who studied a group of 11,000 adults show that most low carbers are still eating an average of 128 refined (net) carbs a day – considerably higher than the 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day some low-carb diets recommend. .