Getting on a diet may matter more than which one. When deciding to cut down on your calories, you probably spend a lot of time analyzing which diet would best fit your needs. But a new study released this week has found that decision may not be as important as you might think. “The team divided about 200 obese adults into two groups at random. Members of one group were allowed to choose either a low-carb or a low-fat plan. They were also allowed to switch diets after three months if they desired. Those in the comparison group were randomly assigned to one of the diets, regardless of their food preferences, and didn’t get an option to switch plans at any point. For 48 weeks, the participants used books and printed handouts as well as telephone and group counseling to follow their respective diets. After nearly a year of dieting, those in the choice group had lost an average of 12.5 pounds, while those in the comparison group had lost an average of almost 15 pounds.” While the researchers aren’t sure why choosing your own diet didn’t seem to help weight loss, they think that people pick diets with food they prefer, which they’re also more likely to eat more of. As one member of the team pointed out, “the findings are a reminder that to really lose weight, you have to make changes to your diet, and they may not always be changes you like.