COVER Your route to diet success
What’s best for weight loss at 50-plus… low carbs or low calories?
Weight-loss advice seems to be constantly changing, but over time two main camps have held tight: cutting down on carbohydrates or counting calories. To help you decide which might work for you, we’ve asked the experts for their opinions
LOW IN CARBS: ‘The most enjoyable and effective diet’
Cutting down on carbs won’t just help you lose weight, it could help to control your blood sugar too, reducing your risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease
“To lose weight you need to shrink your fat stores, which are under the control of insulin. Carbohydrates contain a lot of sugar that makes your blood sugar and insulin levels rise, making your body store extra fat. A low-carb diet works by keeping insulin levels lower, so your body can release and burn fat more efficiently.
“A low-carb diet is particularly efficient at reducing belly fat, because this is the area most affected by your sugar intake and sugar is a carbohydrate.
“To get the benefits you need to eat less than 130g (4½oz) of carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes per day, although some people need to go down to as little as 50g (2oz) to see results. Everybody is different so start by gradually reducing your carbohydrate intake until you find the level that is right for you.
“Instead of weighing out all your carbohydrate-heavy foods, just stick to low-carb foods. Reduce starchy foods such as potatoes, bread and rice and instead enjoy more vegetables, protein (eggs, meat, fish, nuts, pulses) and some healthy fats such as olive oil. Make sure any starchy foods you do eat are wholegrain, such as brown rice or wholegrain bread, because they release energy more slowly and influence your insulin levels less.
“Don’t worry about not getting enough fibre, you’ll get this in fruit and veg and a handful of nuts.
“After a few weeks on a low-carb diet, many people see an improvement in their mood and energy levels. And because your blood sugar levels are stable you won’t have hunger pangs which make healthy eating more difficult.”