The fact is that weight loss and long-term weight control is a product of a simple equation: Caloric intake minus caloric expenditure.

There are many, many approaches that allow you to reduce your calorie intake. How about the Atkins Diet (no carbs, therefore fewer total calories), or the Mayo Diet, or the Jellybean Diet?

As long as the diet allows you to permanently reduce calorie intake, it’s a winner.

However, if the diet is just temporary, the result will be equally brief, and the weight will come back.

Hundreds of studies over the past half century have clearly proven the superiority of a very low fat approach to weight loss. There are two primary reasons for this.

First, fat is more calorie-dense than the other types of food – carbs and proteins. Each gram of fat has 9 calories, while each gram of carb or protein has 4 calories. So by cutting out the fat, you’re reducing the calorie-density of your diet, and almost certainly reducing calorie expenditure.

Second, the research shows that low-fat is simply easier to sustain over a period of years than a low-carb diet. Chances are you know a few people who “eat healthy all the time” i.e., no junk food, no fast food, lots of fruits and vegetables. And you probably don’t know anyone who has lasted more than a year on a low-carb regimen.

This is why we train our students to enjoy, understand and prepare very low-fat foods.