Research

Macro partitioning

In overweight/obese adults, a low-carbohydrate diet (26% of calories) without calorie restriction produces significantly greater weight loss and BMI reduction than a calorie-restricted diet (1200-1500 kcal) with standard carbohydrate intake (55-65%).

If you are overweight or obese, try reducing your carbohydrate intake to about 26% of your total calories (roughly 50-60g of carbs per day for many adults) without worrying about counting calories. Eat more fat and protein. You do not need to restrict your total energy intake to lose weight effectively; in fact, you may eat more calories than on a standard low-calorie diet and still lose more weight. This approach was shown to be superior to standard calorie restriction over 12 weeks.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The reduction of carbohydrate intake without restricting caloric intake is more potent to achieve weight loss over 12 weeks when compared to a calorie-restricted diet in overweight/obese adults.
Jia Sun et al. · BMC Medicine · 2023

Why this rating

Multi-center, randomized controlled trial with adequate power (85%) and clear randomization, though limited to 12 weeks.

Source

The effect of dietary carbohydrate and calorie restriction on weight and metabolic health in overweight/obese individuals: a multi-center randomized controlled trial

Jia Sun et al. · BMC Medicine · 2023

rct · n=302Cited 52×
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