Hormonal
Carbohydrate-restricted diets facilitate greater fat loss and weight loss maintenance in individuals with high insulin secretion or insulin resistance compared to low-fat diets, primarily by reducing hunger and preserving energy expenditure.
If you struggle with weight loss despite eating less, you may have high insulin levels. Try reducing carbohydrates (especially refined grains and sugars) without strictly counting calories. This approach may help control hunger and preserve energy expenditure, making it easier to lose fat and keep it off, especially if you have insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.
For patients with a predisposition to high insulin secretion, carbohydrate restriction may facilitate long-term reductions in body fat, perhaps by reducing hunger, maintaining energy expenditure, and promoting adherence.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple observational studies, smaller RCTs, and re-analyses of large trials (DIETFITS, DiOGenes), though the largest RCT showed no main effect.
Source
The sliding set-point: how insulin and diet interact to explain the obesity epidemic (and how to fix it)
Barbara A. Gower et al. · Current Opinion in Endocrinology Diabetes and Obesity · 2018
DOI 10.1097/med.0000000000000426
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