A study found that people who eat a mostly plant-based, low-carb diet are more successful at preventing weight regain.
The most successful low-carb diet studied included plant-based protein, fat, and less refined carbohydrates.
The study shows that the key is not only the amount of carbohydrates a person consumes, but also their type and quality.
Previous research suggests that more than half of the weight lost on a low-carb diet is regained within two years, and nearly all within five years.
For people hoping to keep the pounds at bay with a low-carb diet, a new study by Harvard researchers T.H. The Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) in Boston, Massachusetts can help. The amount of weight a person regains has been found to be influenced by the nature and quality of the low-carb diet.
People whose low-carb diets emphasized high-quality protein, fat, and carbohydrates from whole grains and other healthy plant foods were likely to gain the least weight.
Conversely, people who ate more animal protein and fat, as well as refined carbohydrates, were more likely to regain weight.
The study's findings are based on data from three large US studies, the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). The studies extended cumulatively from 1986 to 2018 with a total of 123,332 participants. Their average age was 45 years and 83% of the participants were women.
Their food consumption was assessed for adherence to one of five types of low-carbohydrate diets:
general or total low carbohydrate diet (TLCD)
animal low-carbohydrate diet (ALCD) with an emphasis on animal proteins and fats
plant-based low-carbohydrate diet (VLCD) with an emphasis on plant-based proteins and fats
a healthy low-carbohydrate diet (HLCD) including less refined carbohydrates and a focus on plant-based protein and healthy fats
an unhealthy low-carbohydrate diet (ULCD), which contains less healthy carbohydrates along with more animal protein and unhealthy fats.
The researchers found that people who were obese and more strictly followed a healthy low-carb diet gained 1.63 kg less weight compared to people who did not make any changes to their diet.
Why is it hard to keep weight off?
Dr. Qi Sun, lead author of the study and associate professor at HSPH, said, "It is well appreciated that maintaining body weight after significant weight loss is challenging."
“It's not necessarily for lack of will. Instead, after significant weight loss, there are changes in many hormones and systems, and together these changes lead to a decrease in resting metabolic rate, increased appetite, increased energy intake, and ultimately weight regain," said Dr. Sun.
"It is typical for most long-term weight loss attempts that the greatest weight loss is achieved in about six months, followed by sustained regaining of weight."
—Dr. Qi Sun
Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology nutritionist who was not involved in the study, mentioned another obvious reason for weight regain:
"Maintaining weight after losing weight can be difficult because weight loss plans often involve depriving yourself." Going without may be acceptable for a short period of time, but difficult to maintain permanently.
As a cardiology clinician, Routhenstein is by no means reluctant to prescribe low-carb weight-loss regimens.
"I don't recommend low-carb diets for weight loss because low-carb diets can pose heart-related risks, such as increased calcium in the coronary arteries, potential atrial fibrillation, and nutrient deficiencies."
—Michelle Routhenstein
Another reason why we tend to gain weight again is the "set point theory". It suggests that a person's body may have a preset weight to which it ultimately gravitates.
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