There’s no question that losing weight can be boiled down to the simple formula of burning more calories than you eat, but if you want to lose weight quicker and for longer, a new study from the University of Illinois has found two food groups and a sustainable method that can accelerate the process. As observed by the study, those who increased their protein and engaged in high fiber diets, on a calorie-controlled diet, saw greater results. And, one year on from the trials, dieters who went this route had lost 12.9% of their bodyweight whereas the rest of the study population had lost only around 2%.
Participants were given educational training on nutrition, enabling them to curate their own weight-loss plan. The program was designed this way so that individuals would be more likely to stick to their diets, and had the ability to be flexible and make changes in order to sustain their weight loss efforts. Scientists then analysed the choices made by those on the study, and correlated the outcomes.
What were the results?
With an intake of around 1,500 calories per day, ”The levels of fiber density at 3, 6, and 12 months also showed significant inverse correlation with weights at the respective timepoints,” explained the report. “Indicating that participants with higher fiber density diets resulted in greater weight loss.” When scientists evaluated the participants one year on from the trials, they found that the subjects that increased protein and fiber intake had lost 12.9% of their bodyweight compared with the other cohorts who has lost approximately 3% from their starting position.
In order to lose weight safely, exports believe that maintaining lean muscle mass is essential. “Preservation of lean body mass during weight loss becomes important to improve overall health, particularly for people who successfully lose >10% of baseline weight,” discussed the report. “Increasing protein intake while decreasing calories must be implemented to achieve the preservation of lean body mass. Focusing only on calorie reduction without increasing protein intake during weight loss results in a negative nitrogen balance.” Increasing protein intake should also be of special concern for those on weight loss drugs in order to prevent frailty. And, it is already known that the more muscle you have, the more fat you will burn.
For those who are currently on a diet and need some much-needed motivation, experts found that picking up some knowledge on nutrition and losing weight early on, rather than having a less committed approach in the early days, leads to longer term success. “…participants who were able to develop sustainable dietary changes within the first three months kept losing weight in the subsequent months, whereas those who had difficulty implementing sustainable dietary patterns early on rarely succeeded in changing their diet in the later months,” explained Manabu T. Nakamura in comments made to sciencedaily.com.
