Adherence
Low-carbohydrate/high-protein (LCHP) diets fail to produce significant weight loss or cardiovascular improvements in obese patients who do not maintain strict adherence, largely due to high attrition and reduced concordance over time.
If you try a low-carb diet and struggle to stick to it, don't blame yourself for lacking willpower; the diet itself may be unsustainable for your lifestyle. In this study, LCHP resulted in almost no weight loss because people stopped following it strictly. If you can't maintain strict adherence, a more structured approach like a VLCD with support might be more effective.
The attrition rate was elevated in the LCHP group... These differences were no longer significant at 9 months, with the exception of fasting glucose.
Why this rating
RCT design, but high dropout rates and baseline imbalances limit the strength of the negative finding.
Source
Randomized clinical trial of standard dietary treatment versus a low‐carbohydrate/high‐protein diet or the LighterLife Programme in the management of obesity*
Catherine Rolland et al. · Journal of Diabetes · 2009
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