Over the years, countless fad weight loss diets of all kinds have touted the weight loss benefits and effectiveness of restricting all carbohydrates while consuming a diet high that is only high in protein, or restricting fat and allowing carbohydrates, or cutting out all sugar while allowing anything else.

However, a newly published clinical study is indicating that the real (and only) variable related to safely and effectively losing weight is counting the total number of calories consumed, regardless of their source. In other words, the study concluded that a 1,500-calorie-per-day diet will result in roughly the same amount of weight loss whether those 1,500 calories were derived from protein, carbohydrates or fat. (Caveat: consuming too much fat will still raise your risk of certain diseases, including heart disease.)

The Results from Four Different Approaches to Weight Loss…

The study was conducted by Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and included several hundred participants whose BMI levels were categorized as obese or overweight. Each participant was placed on one of four diets:

• Low Carb, High Fat, High Protein

• Low Carb, High Fat, Average Protein

• High Carb, Low Fat, High Protein

• High Carb, Low Fat, Average Protein

All of the diets were calorie-restricted, meaning that participants consumed roughly 750 fewer calories per day than the would normally.

…with the Same Results

The participants’ levels of weight loss were measured at six months and two years after the initiation of the study. The average level of weight loss at six months was 14 pounds (including 9 pounds of fat and 5 pounds of lean muscle mass). After two years, the average participant had lost 8 pounds. Each subject also lost an average of 3 pounds of abdominal fat.

However, the results also showed that the type of diet had no significant bearing on how much weight a participant lost, both at the six-month and two-year markers.

Adherence is the Most Important Factor

According to George Bray, one of the researchers behind the diet, the overriding factor that determined the results of each of the four diets was “adherence,” defined as a participant’s ability to stick to the diet, and especially its caloric portion. Bray said the subjects who “adhered better” were also the ones who “lost more weight.”

According to Bray, the reason why average weight loss levels were so low was because many of the participants failed to adhere to the caloric portions of their diets. Many of the subjects dropped out of the program well before the study ended, further reducing the average amount of weight lost per person.

Bray also noted that the differing requirements for High Protein and Low Protein were rarely met exactly by the subjects, with most participants eating 20% of their calories in protein rather than the suggested 15% (Average Protein) or 25% (High Protein).

However, the researchers don’t believe that these minor discrepancies in protein adherence skewed the results of the study.

Common Sense Still Applies

The findings of the study conducted by Pennington Biomedical Research Center should not lead dieters to believe that safe, effective weight loss could be achieved simply by eating 1,500 calories worth of potato chips each day, for example. Although dietary weight loss may indeed rely on nothing more than a comparison of your daily caloric intake to your daily caloric expenditure, a balanced diet is still required for optimal functioning of the body and mind.

A balanced diet is one that consists of approximately 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat, with plenty of vitamins and minerals coming from healthy sources such as lean meats, nuts, beans and seeds, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Eating these types of foods on a calorie-restricted basis will result in weight loss while warding off diseases and maintaining ideal bodily functioning.

Weight Loss Diets: The Bottom Line

A new study indicates that weight loss primarily depends on your ability to restrict your overall daily intake of calories, not whether those calories come from carbohydrates, protein or fat.

Stanford University professor Christopher Gardner, who was not involved in the aforementioned research, agrees with the findings of the study and says that weight loss seekers should choose the calorie-restricted diet that seems most appealing and realistic to them, regardless of whether it’s based on fat restrictions, carb restrictions or some combination.

The full text of the study can be found in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.