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When it comes to losing weight, nutrition professionals often counsel clients to focus on the total amount of calories, rather than the ratio of specific nutrients, in their diet. In contrast to the low-carb diet proponents, these nutritionists proclaim, "Count calories, not carbs!" And, to a great extent, this advice is sound.

In a broad sense, weight management is governed by the law of thermodynamics: if you consume more calories than you expend, you'll gain weight. It doesn't matter whether the calories come from protein, carbohydrate or fat: eat too much and you're sure to pack on the pounds. Consequently, it's not the macronutrient profile of your diet that causes weight gain; it's an over consumption of calories.

The truth is, however, some nutrients do have the potential to make you fatter than others. Dietary fat, for example, is easily converted into stored bodyfat. This has been demonstrated in numerous research studies: given the same caloric intake, eating fat - specifically saturated fat - results in a greater deposition of fat into adipocytes than either protein or carbs . All other things being equal, fat begets fat

On the other hand, of all the macronutrients, protein is least likely to cause fat storage. Consider that a large percentage of calories from protein are burned off in the digestion process-a phenomenon called the thermic effect of food. Of all the macronutrients, protein has the highest thermic effect, burning off approximately 25 percent of the calories consumed. In comparison, only 15 percent of the calories from carbs are burned off in digestion; fat has virtually no thermic effect whatsoever (which is one of the biggest reasons why it tends to promote fat storage).

Moreover, unlike carbs, protein doesn't significantly stimulate insulin. Insulin is a storage hormone. While its primary purpose is to neutralize blood sugar, it also is responsible for shuttling fat into adipocytes (fat cells). When carbohydrates are ingested, the pancreas secretes insulin to clear blood sugar from the circulatory system. Depending on the quantities and types of carbs consumed, insulin levels can fluctuate wildly, heightening the possibility of fat storage. Conversely, because the effect of protein on insulin secretion is negligible, the mechanisms for fat storage are therefore diminished with its consumption.

What's more, protein tends to curb appetite . This is largely a hormonal function. When protein is consumed, a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) is secreted. Through an action that is not completely understood, CCK acts on the body's hunger mechanisms, quelling the urge to eat . Given the law of thermodynamics, these appetite-suppressing effects will, in and of itself, help to promote weight loss.

Lastly, protein has an indirect effect on regulating metabolic rate during times of caloric restriction. When you diet, glucose (sugar) becomes in short supply. This has a negative impact on the brain and central nervous system, which rely on glucose as their main source of energy. Sensing a threat to its survival, the body's internal feedback system begins to break down protein stores into glucose (through a process called gluconeogenesis). Since skeletal muscle is not necessary for sustenance (as opposed to the internal organs and other protein-based tissues), it is the first thing to be cannibalized for glucose . Why is this important? Well, muscle is metabolically active. For each pound of muscle, your body burns about 50 calories a day at rest. Accordingly, when muscle tissue is lost, metabolism slows by a similar amount.

Protein is the only nutrient that can attenuate diet-induced muscle loss . While protein can be turned into carbs or fat, the reverse it not true-no other nutrient can be converted to protein. Thus, a sufficient protein intake is essential to the preservation of muscle.

In final analysis, all calories are not alike. Although energy balance is the overriding determinant in gaining or losing weight, the types of nutrients that you eat will have an effect on fat storage. Given the same caloric intake, protein causes the least amount of fat deposition while dietary fat causes the most. With this in mind, a higher protein, lower fat diet is generally your best bet for weight loss.

Realize, though, that overeating will inevitably result in weight gain, regardless of your macronutrient composition. People tend to place far too much emphasis on what they eat at the expense of how much they eat. A calorie isn't always a calorie, but too many of them will surely make you fat!

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