HMMM, I think I tried THIS and gained all the weight back I had worked so hard to get rid of in the first place!

~Shelly

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Key to Losing Weight and Keeping It Off

If you want to lose weight quickly, eat a high-protein diet. But if you want to keep it off, eat carbohydrates. While the high-protein, low-carb diets may help shed pounds fast, you need to do just the opposite to keep the weight off for good. Of course, it has to be a diet rich in the right kind of carbohydrates. Think fruits and whole grains. Forget white bread and white potatoes.

According to a new study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, those lost pounds are more likely to stay off for good when you eat a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains such as wheat bread, barley, and brown rice, with smaller portions of lean meats, poultry, and fish. In addition to keeping your weight steady, eating these foods will make you healthy and strong. Why carbs? USDA nutritionist Shanthy Bowman, who was the lead author of this study, told HealthScoutNews that to maintain your weight, you need to keep the calories you eat and the calories you burn in balance. Carbohydrates contain fewer calories than foods that are rich in protein or fat. So by eating carbs, you can eat more food and take in less calories at the same time.

The study:
The researchers culled data from the USDA's Continuing Survey of Food Intakes By Individuals 1994-1996, which includes self-reported food consumption information from 10,014 adults nationwide who weren't on diets. For the study, the researchers divided these people into four groups, based on the amount of carbohydrates they ate daily, ranging from less than 30 percent to more than 55 percent.

The results:
Those whose diets consisted of more than 55 percent carbohydrates ate about 200 calories less per day while eating the same amount of food as the others. This group's average daily calorie intake was 1,840, compared with the 2,031 calories eaten daily by those whose diets were less than 30 percent carbohydrates. And that's not all. In addition to eating a more nutritious diet, the high-carb group also boasted the lowest body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight to height.

I don't think I'd get too yet. This report appears to make the assumption that a calorie is a calorie, wherever it comes from and in the summary you've written at least, doesn't talk about our bodies response to insulin, blood sugar etc.

Also - a low BMI merely measures weight against height. You can have a lower BMI than someone else but higher body fat, if the other person has more muscle.

So I can't get excited about either of these claims - I'll keep lowcarbing and stay slim I think!

Jay,

I didn't write this. I found it online and was disagreeing with it (hence my opening sentence)...

Sorry Shelly, yes I'd got that, I suppose what I meant was the bit you'd posted - which I guess is a report on some long scientific study which I haven't read - I can see you don't agree with it and neither do I.
What I really meant to say was that since they seem to be basing their assumptions on false premises, I think we can safely ignore them - I'm not even going to get upset by it, because they seem not to have got hold of some of the ideas which we LCers have come to regard as quite basic.
Apologies if I didn't make this very clear

They just don't give up, do they?

Karla

Thanks JayKay! I just thought you might have thought I had written that garbage.

It's funny- now the media is admitting that yes, lowcarb works, our bad, BUT it won't work long term...so you must adopt a low-fat "sensible" diet after you lose the weight. HUH? Isn't that why a large majority of us gained weight in the first place?

I have been completely acid reflux free for the last three weeks and have taken no medication for it (prior to lowcarbing again I had it EVERY DAY). I'll be sticking with lowcarb, thank-you...

~Shelly

Quote:

The researchers culled data from the USDA's Continuing Survey of Food Intakes By Individuals 1994-1996, which includes self-reported food consumption information from 10,014 adults nationwide who weren't on diets.

It's well known self-reported food consumption type of surveys are totally worthless

This would just sabatage someone who is addicted to carbs, cravings are the last thing I would want!