Energy balance
Maintaining weight loss on a low carbohydrate diet (20% of energy) significantly increases total energy expenditure compared to a high carbohydrate diet (60% of energy), with the effect being most pronounced in individuals with high pre-weight loss insulin secretion.
If you are trying to keep weight off, switching to a lower carbohydrate diet (around 20% of calories from carbs) may give your metabolism a boost, helping you burn more calories than if you ate a higher carbohydrate diet. This benefit is especially strong if you have high insulin levels. The key is maintaining your weight loss while adjusting your macros, not just counting calories.
In the intention-to-treat analysis (n=162, P=0.002), total energy expenditure differed significantly by diet... with a linear trend of 52 kcal/d (95% confidence interval 23 to 82) for every 10% decrease in the contribution of carbohydrate to total energy intake... Among participants in the highest third of insulin concentration 30 minutes after oral glucose, the difference between low versus high carbohydrate diet was 308 kcal/d (101 to 514) in the intention-to-treat analysis and 478 kcal/d (232 to 724) in the per protocol analysis.
Why this rating
High-quality randomized controlled trial with controlled feeding, large sample size (n=164), long duration (20 weeks), and objective measurement (doubly labeled water).
Source
Effects of a low carbohydrate diet on energy expenditure during weight loss maintenance: randomized trial
Cara B. Ebbeling et al. · BMJ · 2018
DOI 10.1136/bmj.k4583
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