Low-fat? Low-carb? With a gazillion diet books and plans out there, it's enough to make any confused dieter give up and crawl into bed with a bowl of ice cream. Luckily, a landmark study just put four diets to the test. Read on to find out which one helped people shed pounds--and keep them off.
Surprise: People lost about the same amount of weight on all four diets. The real key to lasting weight loss? Counting calories.
Researchers at Harvard University followed 811 overweight adults for two years and put them on one of four diet plans: two low-fat diets and two high-fat diets with varying amounts of protein and carbs. All four plans limited artery-clogging saturated fat and featured plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole-grain foods.
In six months, volunteers lost an average of 13 pounds, no matter which diet they were following. After two years, they had kept off an average of 9 pounds, lost 1 to 3 inches in the waist and had healthier hearts. And no matter what diet they were on, volunteers reported similar levels of fullness and satisfaction.
"To lose weight, it comes down to how much you put in your mouth -- it's not a question of eating a particular type of diet," says lead researcher Frank Sacks, a professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at Harvard. Bottom line: Pick one that you'll stick with, whether it's Weight Watchers or South Beach.
If you want to drop pounds the healthy way, sign up for Glamour's free Exactly What to Eat to Lose Weight plan. There's no gimmicks or guesswork--just 30 days of easy, slimming meals.
Which diet has worked best for you? Are you a calorie-counter? Do you limit carbs? Do you only eat purple foods? (Seriously--that's a real diet!)
