Low-Fat Diet Fail: Why Low-Carb High-Protein Diets Like Medifast Are More Effective for Weight Loss

One of the supreme ironies of recent times is that the low-fat diet trend has made Americans fatter. In what dieticians have dubbed the "Snackwell phenomenon," many reduced-fat processed foods are now loaded with more simple carbohydrates like sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

When you take the fat out of milk,
what do you have left?
Sugar!

The result: Obesity rates have doubled since the 1970s when this "healthy-eating" trend started.

The connection between obesity and low-fat diets did not surprise some nutrition experts. "One of the most unfortunate unintended consequences of the fat-free crusade was the idea that if it wasn't fat, it wouldn't make you fat," Dr. Walter Willett told PBS a decade ago. "I even had colleagues who were telling the public that you can't get fat eating carbohydrates."

"Farmers have known for thousands of years that you can make animals fat by feeding them grains, as long as you don't let them run around too much -- and it turns out that applies to humans," added the Harvard School of Public Health professor and author of  Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy (emphasis added).

Aside from the fact that most low-fat dieters compensate by eating too many carbohydrates, they are also notoriously famished most of the time. Fat is one of the best ways to satiate hunger, followed by protein.

That's one of the reasons the Medifast diet worked so well for me. The Medifast 5&1 program allowed me to consume enough fat and protein to make me feel full, while limiting the high glycemic carbs that left me feeling hungry all the time. Before Medifast, I was like a novice cook trying to fill a colander with water.

Even today, as I successfully maintain a healthy body weight after losing 35 pounds on Medifast, I reach for such high-protein, good-fat foods as hard-boiled eggs, nuts, hummus and avocados instead of cookies, bread, chips and pasta when I feel hungry.

If I have a hamburger, I eat only half the bun or wrap it in lettuce. If I have pasta, I mix it with spaghetti squash at home or eat far less than what is served at restaurants.

For me, empty carbs have become a condiment, a supporting actor in my healthier diet, which now stars proteins; fats and better carbs like vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for no extra cost -- through the co-branded website of a Medifast TSFL health coach. Medifast does not recommend purchasing its products from third party vendors, but if you choose to do so, you can find them on both Amazon and eBay.

Medifast replacement meals on Amazon

Similar posts: 

How Medifast Helped Me Develop Better Habits

Medifast Centers Vs. DIY Medifast

Irrational Numbers: Doing the Math on Medifast Popcorn

Medifast Vs. Lean Cuisine Diet

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Fit Kitty

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