Energy balance
Reducing total energy (calorie) intake is the primary and necessary strategy for weight management, regardless of the specific macronutrient source.
To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn. This is the primary rule. While choosing nutrient-dense foods (whole foods, complex carbs, healthy fats) is highly recommended for metabolic health and sustainability, the act of reducing total calories is the main driver of weight loss, regardless of whether you cut carbs or fats first.
An overall reduction in total energy (calorie) intake, nonspecific to the caloric source, is conventionally considered the primary weight management strategy when making dietary choices.
Why this rating
Described as 'conventionally considered' consensus, though the paper notes ongoing debate about composition.
Source
What Should I Eat and Why? The Environmental, Genetic, and Behavioral Determinants of Food Choice: Summary from a Pennington Scientific Symposium
Emily Qualls‐Creekmore et al. · Obesity · 2020
DOI 10.1002/oby.22806
More from this paper
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- Dietary composition should favor complex carbohydrates over simple sugars and be enriched in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids rather than saturated fats.Good
- Obesity is associated with decreased prefrontal cortex activity and decreases in goal-directed decision-making, which influences food intake.Good
Related findings · Energy balance
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