Weight Loss

Low-fat diets (LFD) are those in which fat intake should make up 20-35% of total caloric intake — the exact USDA recommendation. Very low-fat diets (VLFD), such as vegan and vegetarian diets, are defined as providing 10-20% of total daily calorie intake from fat. However, limited research exists on the efficacy of these diets to create sustainable fat loss over long periods. Keto diets consist of 60-80% of calorie intake from fats and limiting carbohydrate consumption to less than 10% of daily intake. While keto diets have been shown to aid in weight loss/fat loss, studies have shown the primary mechanism behind weight loss is due to hunger suppression. A high-fat diet can suppress appetite since it is highly satiating, leading to decreased caloric consumption. Additionally, many studies have shown that calorically matched diets with identical protein levels aid in fat loss just as successfully as a keto diet.