Need Input Please! Low Glycemic Low Cal Diet Vs. Low Cal Inc

Metamorphasis555

Do you guys think it's true that a calorie is a calorie, or do you think that people generally lose better if all of at least most of their carbs are low glycemic/whole grain? I'm thinking about maybe trying a Biggest Loser style diet like they do on biggestloserclub.com but doing it on this site instead so it's free. That's what they recommend doing on their FAQ page is eating mainly whole grain carbs. I can see how eating that way would definitely help keep you filled up more than if you're eating a lot of refined carbs. However, do you think it gives you a metabolic advantage in any way and actually helps you to lose faster? In other words, if someone eats 1500 calories a day and consumes only low glycemic carbs will they not be healthier but also lose faster than someone that also eats 1500 calories a day but has at least a few servings a day of refined carbs?

Acg67

There is no metabolic advantage to low GI diets, they fare no better then other diets holding cals and macros constant. See;

Glycaemic index effects on fuel partitioning in humans. Obes Rev. (2006) 7:219-26.

www.captura.uchile.cl/jspui/bitstream/2250/5614/1/Diaz_EO.pdf

The purpose of this review was to examine the role of glycaemic index in fuel partitioning and body composition with emphasis on fat oxidation/storage in humans. This relationship is based on the hypothesis postulating that a higher serum glucose and insulin response induced by high-glycaemic carbohydrates promotes lower fat oxidation and higher fat storage in comparison with low-glycaemic carbohydrates. Thus, high-glycaemic index meals could contribute to the maintenance of excess weight in obese individuals and/or predispose obesity-prone subjects to weight gain. Several studies comparing the effects of meals with contrasting glycaemic carbohydrates for hours, days or weeks have failed to demonstrate any differential effect on fuel partitioning when either substrate oxidation or body composition measurements were performed. Apparently, the glycaemic index-induced serum insulin differences are not sufficient in magnitude and/or duration to modify fuel oxidation.

An 18-mo randomized trial of a low-glycemic-index diet and weight change in Brazilian women

http://www.ajcn.org/content/86/3/707.abstract

Conclusions: Long-term weight changes were not significantly different between the HGI and LGI diet groups; therefore, this study does not support a benefit of an LGI diet for weight control. Favorable changes in lipids confirmed previous results.

Reduced glycemic index and glycemic load diets do not increase the effects of energy restriction on weight loss and insulin sensitivity in obese men and women.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16177201

In summary, lowering the glycemic load and glycemic index of weight reduction diets does not provide any added benefit to energy restriction in promoting weight loss in obese subjects.

Long-term effects of 2 energy-restricted diets differing in glycemic load on dietary adherence, body composition, and metabolism in CALERIE: a 1-y randomized controlled trial

http://www.ajcn.org/content/85/4/1023.abstract?ijkey=57903af923cb2fcdc065ffd37b00a32e22f4c5cf&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

Conclusions:These findings provide more detailed evidence to suggest that diets differing substantially in glycemic load induce comparable long-term weight loss.

No effect of a diet with a reduced glycaemic index on satiety, energy intake and body weight in overweight and obese women.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17923862

CONCLUSION:

This study provides no evidence to support an effect of a reduced GI diet on satiety, energy intake or body weight in overweight/obese women. Claims that the GI of the diet per se may have specific effects on body weight may therefore be misleading.

rockerbabyy

for me, a calorie is a calorie.
ive been told by a couple doctors that i have PCOS and a low carb/south beach style diet would be best for me to lose weight. ive tried it and just cant seem to get my carbs down.. some days i do ok and stay below 150, but more often than not, i go over and as far as i can tell it hasnt hindered my weight loss at all. even last month, i half assed everything - i went over calories almost every weekly goal and didnt exercise as much as i should have and i still lost about a pound a week.
i still eat potatoes, i still eat white rice. i dont buy white bread, but when we eat out for burgers or whatever its usually on white buns. for pasta, i buy whats on sale..sometimes its whole wheat, sometimes its whole grain, sometimes its white. *shrug*

kateroot

Everything Acg said. The glycemic index means pretty much nothing for the average person.

Metamorphasis555

Thanks for your input everyone.