Low Fat v Low Carb Diet which put you in a better mood? - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

Dr. Callery · 11-10-2009, 05:31 AM

Here's a new study that came out today. This reprint is from WebMD. What do you think?

Diet Moodiness: Low-Fat vs. Low-Carb
Study Shows Initial Weight Loss Boosts Mood on Both Diets but Didn't Last on Low-Carb Diet
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 9, 2009 -- If you're looking to lose extra pounds and weighing the options of a low-fat diet vs. a low-carbohydrate diet, you might want to consider the moody findings of a new diet study.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, shows a short-term improvement in the moods of people who went on low-fat and low-carb diets.

But those mood gains didn't last in the long run for people on low-carb diets.

The study included 106 overweight and obese adults (average age: 50) in Adelaide, Australia. They were randomly split into two groups. One group was assigned to go on a low-fat diet for a year. The other group was assigned to go on a low-carbohydrate diet for a year.

Here's a quick look at those two diets:

Low-fat diet: 46% of calories from carbohydrates, 24% of calories from protein, and 30% of calories from fat (less than 8% from saturated fat).

Low-carb diet: 4% of calories from carbohydrates, 35% of calories from protein, and 61% of calories from fat.

People in both groups got the same daily calorie budget. They also met regularly with a dietitian and completed mood surveys several times during the yearlong study.

By the end of that year, people in both groups had lost the same amount of weight -- about 30 pounds.

At first, mood improved for people in both groups. That was no surprise; the researchers had expected to see that bounce in mood as people started to shed extra pounds.

But better moods didn't last for people on the low-carb diet. By year's end, their mood was right back where it had been before dieting and losing weight.

However, the mood improvements lasted for people on the low-fat diet.

It's not clear why the mood benefits faded for people in the low-carb group.

But the researchers suggest that the low-carbohydrate diet may have been too hard and too different from how people used to eat.

The low-carb diet may have been "so far removed" from normal eating patterns that it became a lot of work and a social burden, note the researchers, who included Grant Brinkworth, PhD, of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Adelaide, Australia.

"Although, in the short term, participants may have been able to meet the challenges presented by this dietary pattern, over the longer term, it may have increased participant isolation, leading to the negative impact on mood state that may provide a possible explanation for the effects that were observed," Brinkworth and colleagues write.

Here's the link: Diet Moodiness: Low-Fat vs. Low-Carb

Shetaz0028 · 11-10-2009, 11:28 AM

I can support this myself from both. I know when I did Adkins I had wicked headaches all the time and actually got stupid. I could not even remember my name. As soon as I went off it and ate a "normal" meal I felt great.

I do wonder why Adkins is so popular though. I mean seriously a diet from someone that was overweight and not fit?

Aomiel · 11-10-2009, 12:15 PM

I guess I'm the abnormal then. Low fat diets always made me cranky and irritable. I lost 70 lb on a low carb diet and have kept it off for 6 years. I had enormous energy and never had a problem with mood shifts...despite the fact that I am a carb addict when eating without 'restraint'.

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cali4ialuv · 11-10-2009, 01:03 PM

I for one have been very successful with a low-carb lifestyle. I limit myself to no more than 50 carbs a day. I've maintained my weight for some time. It's a way of living. It works for me, because it allows me to eat whenever I'm hungry. I like to snack. (Mostly at night.) I grab string cheese, peanut butter on a spoon, peanuts, deviled eggs, meat/cheese wraps and I'm set. I love meat and veggies. I fill up on both during meals. I almost never eat potatoes, rice, pasta, white flour, sugar, or salt. I do eat a few slices of wheat bread a week. Again, this works for me. I was never successful counting calories, but don't put anything in my mouth without looking at the carb intake. Sorry to ramble!

CarrieP · 11-10-2009, 01:23 PM

It seems like the findings are pretty expected, at least from everything I've heard before and from my own experience. Carbs, or more specifically, white carbs/sugar are known to set off chemical reactions in the body, kind of euphoric. So depriving someone of them so severely would cause a bad mood for sure. I think we've all hopefully learned 'everything in moderation', and that way our moods won't be so high and low.

DPaul · 11-10-2009, 11:05 PM

I'm not a nutritionalist but the two regimes do not seem to really be low-fat vs low-carb but rather an relatively balanced, almost normal diet vs an ultra-low carb, high-fat diet so I'd support the idea that the "low-carb" regime was too far removed from most peoples standard diets.

Its interesting to note that yet again the weight loss was due to reduced calorie intake and not how those calories were derived.

Snow-Belle · 11-11-2009, 06:26 PM

I actully do very well on a high protein, low carb diet.

I think it varies from person to person.

The WORST diet I have did was a no/low fat diet as pushed by Dr Dean Ornish quite a few years ago. My hair fell out, my skin looked like crap, I had headaches all the time and was MEAN as a snake! What's worse is that despite my low-calorie intake and exercising like crazy I didn't lose much weight.

I have never been so MISERABLE as when I was on a low-fat Diet.

I actually don't personally know anyone that has lasted long on a low fat diet...and everyone I've ever known that has tried them has HATED every minute of it.

Now I'm pretty much on a low carb diet (I have reactive hypoglycemia as a result of GBS) and I have NEVER felt better in my life!!!!!!!

High carbs do increase the serotonin level-which is why a lot of overweight people (such as myself) did 'self-medicate' with food...and why a LOT of people are 'addicted' to carbs (myself included). I just can't do carbs in moderation...more power to all those with TONS of will power and self control that can, but I'm not one of them.

I've discovered I can live quite happily without cracker and chips and bread and rice and potatoes...I get my carbs from fresh fruit and steamed veggies...

dswofford · 11-11-2009, 07:21 PM

I have to wonder about the social aspect of it. How many dinners have I had where I sat at the table longer for dessert and continue to socialize. Do I feel like I am not participating completely if I don't eat the food, yet I drink more ice tea or coffee?

If the conversation is not centered around how yummy the dessert is, it might not be too bad. I would think that as the diet progressed and I got used to the change of ammount of carbs, I would adjust mentally as well. Eventually I would start to accept that I no longer have the same "relationship" with carbs.

I believe more studies would need to be conducted before it could be determined if it is truely a social burden rather than the chemical changes a person can experience while eating carbs. Who knows, maybe it's both.

That's what I think.

lealphachienne · 11-26-2009, 11:13 AM

Moderation, moderation, moderation is the key....we need to lead a balanced life....extremes in either direction is not good for long term. We need glucose for our brains to function.....plus the serotonin boosts from having the balanced combination of carbohydrates.

Corrine · 11-26-2009, 11:38 AM

Not all carbs are created equal!

Not only do I find carbs from starchy sources (crackers, breads, cereals etc.) VERY addictive, they had a bad influence on my overall weightloss and made me feel very sleepy and lethargic.

Now, carbs from vegetables and fruit are a different matter.