Thanks to his athletic background, fitness coach Jeff Nippard has mastered the intricacies of nutrition through years of trial and error. In a recent Jeff Nippard Fitness Newsletter, he explored low-carb diets, revealing if they help with fat loss and reaching your physique goals.
Fat loss remains one of the most talked about topics in the fitness world — and for good reason. The obesity rate in the US has reached alarming levels. With 54 percent of adults classified as obese, fat loss and weight management have become critical priorities in the US, emphasizing the need for interventions and programs geared toward healthier living.
As a natural powerlifter and bodybuilder, Nippard’s knowledge of nutrition and exercise turned him into a guiding voice for those entrenched in the fitness niche. Although low-carb diets can certainly boost fat loss efforts, Nippard highlights that a sustainable caloric deficit is more important for reaching physique goals.
Jeff Nippard Breaks Down Low-Carb Diets for Fat Loss and Physique Goals
According to Nippard, long-term studies indicate that as long you meet your daily protein needs and stay in a calorie deficit, the number of fats and carbs you ingest won’t impact fat loss over time.
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“In a word? Nah. In a sentence? Long-term studies show that as long as you’re eating enough protein and you’re in a caloric deficit, the exact ratio of fat and carbs you eat won’t impact your fat loss over the long term.”
He admits low-carb plans can result in rapid weight loss and help with reaching physique goals, barring you can maintain the diet.
“In a longer sentence? A low-carb diet can absolutely work for rapid weight loss, (mainly because you see a big drop in water weight out the gate) and can work for physique goals like fat loss and muscle gain, as long as you can stick to it long enough.”
He also notes that restricting carbohydrate intake can affect mood and energy levels, making it more challenging to recover from workouts for some people. Similar to nutritionist Stan Efferding, Nippard asserts that the best diet is the one ‘you’ll actually stick to.’
“But restricting carbs can also mess with your mood and energy levels, and can make it harder to recover from workouts for some people. Bottom line? Fat loss comes from a sustainable caloric deficit. The best diet for you is the one you can actually stick to.”
We know low-carb diets have been used successfully both for fat loss and reaching physique goals. Former three-time Mr. Olympia Frank Zane is a shining example. He operated on a low-carb diet year-round to achieve his impeccable shape, conditioning, and aesthetics.
Bodybuilding star and health expert Lee Labrada has also weighed the effectiveness of low-carb diets. He believes it’s important to balance your nutritional intake with carbs to avoid burning muscle during workouts.
“If your muscles don’t have enough carbohydrates, then your body is going to go to sources of protein in order to get that glucose, that blood sugar that it needs to run on. Guess what? Guess where the easiest place for that glucose to come from as far as a protein store, it’s your muscles.
So long story short, if you don’t have enough carbohydrates in your diet and you’re exercising hard, you’re going to break down muscle tissue.”
Muscle-building expert and bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev can also appreciate how carbs can affect body composition. He credits low-carb diets as a useful tool for athletes aiming to get in shape for competitions.
“You know that many times guys are way off and you have one week and what do you do? You go on zero carbs, put them on twice a day on cardio, zero, zero, zero, zero, and things are going to change. Back in the 70s and 80s and maybe early 90s, the way they were doing it – I’m sure in Germany too, in Russia, zero carbs, zero fat.”
Bottom line: Jeff Nippard believes low-carb diets are effective for fat loss. However, he underlines that achieving a sustainable calorie deficit will inch you closer to your physique goals over time.
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