(This is re-post of an article written earlier by Colorado Springs Personal Trainer Edward Scaduto of Precision Fitness. It has been modified and updated. It’s covers an important topic for all those in search of better health and weight management.)

Have you been to the book store and looked in the Diet and Nutrition section lately? There are a plethora of Diet books that promise easy weight loss and of course the latest and greatest way to a slimmer mid-section. The problem is, if you’re not working with a Colorado Springs Precision Fitness Trainer, you won’t have the knowledge to choose which diet book works for you and which one may be a waste of time and money.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine confirms what many of us in the fitness field have known for quite some time. A low carb or Mediterranean diet is a healthy and more effective way to lose weight and achieve greater cardiovascular benefit.

Here’s what the Wall Street Journal said about this study:

The study, which tracked 322 Israelis for two years, surprisingly found that a low-carb diet, often associated in the U.S. with high levels of meat consumption — was better than a low-fat diet in boosting blood levels of “good” cholesterol, or high-density lipoproteins associated with cardiovascular health benefits. It also determined that the Mediterranean diet, which includes wine, olive oil, whole grains and fruits, was better than the low-fat diet in controlling glucose levels.

The number of studies that prove a low carb diet is more effective for weight loss is really adding up. Take this study for instance: the low carb dieters lost 12.3 lbs., the Mediterranean dieters lost 10.2 lbs.,  and the low fat dieters lost 7.3 lbs. Though the numbers aren’t astounding, five pounds is a considerable amount and can make most anyone feel or look better.

The real kicker here is that all three groups ate about the same amount of calories. How can this be? According to Colorado Springs Personal Trainer, Edward Scaduto, “It simply takes energy to make energy. This process in your body is called the Thermic Effect of Food or TEF”. TEF is the amount of energy it takes your body to break down the food that you digest into smaller pieces that your body can use. Your body expends more energy to break down protein and vegetables than it does carbohydrates and fats that you consume. Thus, your body burns more calories  from digesting certain type of food items. The more calories you burn the easier it is to manage your body weight.

So what if I told you that you can lose an extra 5 pounds without eating  less calories but through eating more whole and lean protein, fresh vegetables and fruits and healthy fats, would you be interested? I thought so …

My goal as the owner of Colorado Springs Precision Fitness and also as a personal trainer is to educate our clients through the fitness maze and empower them to make choices to meet their personal goals. If you have any questions related to the topic of weight loss, nutrition or fitness contact Edward Scaduto of Precision Fitness, Colorado Springs Premier Personal Training program at info@precisionfitnesstrainer.com.