Low Fat or Low Carb
Replies
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kommodevaran wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »Christopher Gardner is a vegetarian, well what a surprise
And yet the data he presents favors the low carb diet for weight loss and doesn't show any health issues with it. He has a sense of humor about it, though. He's a good speaker, too.
Edit: Just caught the pun! I'm slow this morning. Need more coffee!
I'm having coffe right now! Must be why I'm so funny haha
Isn't it sad when your humor is wasted on those of us who aren't quite awake yet? I got it eventually, just took me a minute. Never pass up a pun!0 -
On average I think that most are likely to find a low carb diet more sustainable than low fat, although on average I suspect most wouldn't sustain either (but no form of weight loss has proven to be particularly sustainable). However, that does not mean that one needs to go "low carb" for the benefits of lowering carbs somewhat to be experienced. I found, especially when I was fat and not particularly active, that simply lowering my carbs to 30-40% of total calories made a big difference, and I suspect that if I'd been careful to eat carbs with protein and fat and eaten as healthy a diet as I did that I would have gotten the same effect even at MFP's recommended 50% or something higher. In a way doing low carb (or low fat) is a way to force yourself to do things (like cut way down on high calorie treats) that you could simply choose to do. It's not a magical way around CICO.
Now, clearly, for some even things that would make no effect on me, like reducing pasta, help with sustainability. I think low carb is likely to be more helpful for people whose struggles in a diet have to do with hunger (however, I find if I eat a healthy diet I'm not hungry, regardless of carb percentage).
But what seems obvious is that people differ somewhat when it comes to the effect of macronutrient percentages, so I'd never recommend that people choose one vs. another (well, other than getting enough protein and fat). I'd say experiment, and that most people can lose on any breakdown, so what you find most satisfying is what will matter.0 -
None. I love fat. I love carbs. I love all the food.0
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starryskies89 wrote: »I think It's interesting that people say they don't do 'low carb' but cut out many major sources of carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, ect) Effectively that is low(er) carb. Why such a stigma with low carb diets? There are many ways to restrict your eating habits, vegetarian, vegan, no red meat, ect... Low carb is just one of those ways.
In short, don't hesitate to try low carb if you think it may help you! I support it fully.
I think it's interesting that you think people only cut back on carbs. People also cut back on cheeses, sauces, butter and other fats. Weird how cutting back on calorie dense foods (fats) and fillers (carbs) reduces calorie intake.
The further towards one end of the diet spectrum you get the more likely you are to fail at it. Don't hesitate to balance your macros and not feel like you have to restrict your eating (cutting carbs/fat/junk/etc.). Many of us fully support it.0 -
starryskies89 wrote: »I think It's interesting that people say they don't do 'low carb' but cut out many major sources of carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, ect) Effectively that is low(er) carb. Why such a stigma with low carb diets? There are many ways to restrict your eating habits, vegetarian, vegan, no red meat, ect... Low carb is just one of those ways.
In short, don't hesitate to try low carb if you think it may help you! I support it fully.
I think it's interesting that you think people only cut back on carbs. People also cut back on cheeses, sauces, butter and other fats. Weird how cutting back on calorie dense foods (fats) and fillers (carbs) reduces calorie intake.
The further towards one end of the diet spectrum you get the more likely you are to fail at it. Don't hesitate to balance your macros and not feel like you have to restrict your eating (cutting carbs/fat/junk/etc.). Many of us fully support it.
Everyone thinks their personal preference has a better success rate than everyone else's. Doesn't make it true. People succeed and fail with any of them.0 -
low carb hands down !!0
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starryskies89 wrote: »I think It's interesting that people say they don't do 'low carb' but cut out many major sources of carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, ect) Effectively that is low(er) carb. Why such a stigma with low carb diets? There are many ways to restrict your eating habits, vegetarian, vegan, no red meat, ect... Low carb is just one of those ways.
In short, don't hesitate to try low carb if you think it may help you! I support it fully.
I think it's interesting that you think people only cut back on carbs. People also cut back on cheeses, sauces, butter and other fats. Weird how cutting back on calorie dense foods (fats) and fillers (carbs) reduces calorie intake.
The further towards one end of the diet spectrum you get the more likely you are to fail at it. Don't hesitate to balance your macros and not feel like you have to restrict your eating (cutting carbs/fat/junk/etc.). Many of us fully support it.
Everyone thinks their personal preference has a better success rate than everyone else's. Doesn't make it true. People succeed and fail with any of them.
People are more likely to fail when their plan is closer to an extreme end of the spectrum. People fail in general because they don't stick to anything. As soon as you start cutting out things that you don't have to it's even less likely they will stick to it.0 -
starryskies89 wrote: »I think It's interesting that people say they don't do 'low carb' but cut out many major sources of carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, ect) Effectively that is low(er) carb. Why such a stigma with low carb diets? There are many ways to restrict your eating habits, vegetarian, vegan, no red meat, ect... Low carb is just one of those ways.
In short, don't hesitate to try low carb if you think it may help you! I support it fully.
I think it's interesting that you think people only cut back on carbs. People also cut back on cheeses, sauces, butter and other fats. Weird how cutting back on calorie dense foods (fats) and fillers (carbs) reduces calorie intake.
The further towards one end of the diet spectrum you get the more likely you are to fail at it. Don't hesitate to balance your macros and not feel like you have to restrict your eating (cutting carbs/fat/junk/etc.). Many of us fully support it.
Everyone thinks their personal preference has a better success rate than everyone else's. Doesn't make it true. People succeed and fail with any of them.
Realistically, the diet you can stick with (regardless if it's vegan, low carb, low fat, etc..) is the best one for you. I can't do low carb as it causes me to binge and my a1c is on the low level with borderline hypoglycemia. So in the end, we can't really suggest which is one is better without knowing how the OP reacts to these diets. This is why i prefer a moderate approach and adjusting as necessary.
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Everyone thinks their personal preference has a better success rate than everyone else's. Doesn't make it true. People succeed and fail with any of them.
I don't. I think what works differs from person to person.
That's why I don't like it when people say that low carb is better or is necessary or that low fat is better or necessary or that MFP's recommended macros are better or are necessary. People should figure out what works for them.
For me, neither. (Also, I've found that even for me the amount of carbs and fat that work best vary over time.)0 -
Neither works well for me. If those were the only 2 choices, I'd go with low carb, because I don't find most foods satisfying without fat.
Luckily, neither is required. I eat moderate amounts of all three macros. I concentrate on higher fiber carbs, but not for weight loss. I do that whether I'm trying to lose or not.0 -
So is it true to find the right number of carbs in foods, you have subtract the total fiber from the carbs and that number is the right number of carbs that is in the food?0
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krknobbe10 wrote: »So is it true to find the right number of carbs in foods, you have subtract the total fiber from the carbs and that number is the right number of carbs that is in the food?
No, not exactly. This is the general description of "net carbs" although Atkins, and maybe others, also excludes sugar alcohols, which is another type of carb that is not absorbed or only partially absorbed (depending on type).
But fiber and sugar alcohols are still carbs contained in the food. It's more about measuring how much is absorbed by the body, which varies. Some fiber is absorbed, some is not.0 -
That's net carbs. That is typically used by low carb dieters, and I would imagine for people with diabetes. It doesn't subtract the calories it contains, but the effect that food has on blood sugar level.krknobbe10 wrote: »So is it true to find the right number of carbs in foods, you have subtract the total fiber from the carbs and that number is the right number of carbs that is in the food?
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I set my carb/fat percentages equal and then focus on calories and protein. Works great and is much more mentally sustainable because I do not have to eliminate any food groups. No food is bad, too much of anything is.0
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My brother is working on his PhD in Dietetics so I'm really lucky that I have someone with concrete science to dispell the confusing (and sometimes downright WRONG) information that is out there. Its hard because we are all looking for a quick fix. Diets don't work. No matter how you slice it, it all comes down to calories in and calories out. Focus on whole grains, make sure you are getting adequate protein (you need a min amount of protein to lose weight), and try to reduce consumption of processed foods and sugar as much as possible. Don't forget to take a day off too! I take a day off every 2 weeks and eat whatever. It seems to stimulate my metabolism -- not to mention, its a much needed treat!0
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krknobbe10 wrote: »What have you found that works better for you? What foods have you ate in the past that havin been included in these low fat/low carb plans? Which plan did you like better because you had better results with when cutting fat and maintaining muscle?
Neither. Just eat a balanced diet. Eat healthy and exercise, there is your miracle for cutting fat and maintaining muscle.0 -
No you don't get to magically eat more calories because you eat high fat low carb.GaleHawkins wrote: »I don't have a choice, I have to do low carb. The upside is I'm never hungry and it's generally a lot more food than I could eat in a day if I ate to my calorie limit. It's been long enough that my tastes have changed, and a lot of the things people make a big deal of 'giving up' don't really taste good to me anyway (sugary things like frosting or candy, bread, fries). There's still plenty of vegetables and some fruit, so it's not like giving up an entire macro (another common exaggeration). Play with your macros and adjust every few weeks. What matters is you have enough protein to maintain muscle mass, beyond that it's up to you if what's left is more carbs or more fat.
I fall into the same group.
Being able to eat more calories when doing Low Carb High Fat lifestyle vs the other way around is a plus in my case.
That's not how I interpreted his post. I was thinking that he runs out of his allotted carbs (possibly diabetic or pre diabetic) before he runs out of calories... so if he eats less carbs he gets closer to eating all of allowed calories in a day.
That's how it was for me when I started. I was on 130 carbs per day as per my dietitian. I had to juggle a lot learning how to eat under my carbs but hit 1400 calories in a day. A *LOT* of nights just eating a meat with no sides because I was out of carbs, at least until I learned how to balance my meals.
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krknobbe10 wrote: »What have you found that works better for you? What foods have you ate in the past that havin been included in these low fat/low carb plans? Which plan did you like better because you had better results with when cutting fat and maintaining muscle?
What works best is the diet you can adhere to and not driving yourself crazy obsessing over the minors0 -
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No you don't get to magically eat more calories because you eat high fat low carb.GaleHawkins wrote: »I don't have a choice, I have to do low carb. The upside is I'm never hungry and it's generally a lot more food than I could eat in a day if I ate to my calorie limit. It's been long enough that my tastes have changed, and a lot of the things people make a big deal of 'giving up' don't really taste good to me anyway (sugary things like frosting or candy, bread, fries). There's still plenty of vegetables and some fruit, so it's not like giving up an entire macro (another common exaggeration). Play with your macros and adjust every few weeks. What matters is you have enough protein to maintain muscle mass, beyond that it's up to you if what's left is more carbs or more fat.
I fall into the same group.
Being able to eat more calories when doing Low Carb High Fat lifestyle vs the other way around is a plus in my case.
That's not how I interpreted his post. I was thinking that he runs out of his allotted carbs (possibly diabetic or pre diabetic) before he runs out of calories... so if he eats less carbs he gets closer to eating all of allowed calories in a day.
That's how it was for me when I started. I was on 130 carbs per day as per my dietitian. I had to juggle a lot learning how to eat under my carbs but hit 1400 calories in a day. A *LOT* of nights just eating a meat with no sides because I was out of carbs, at least until I learned how to balance my meals.
My carb limit is 130 so I am looking for foods with no carbs because when I run out of carbs, I find I still need to eat to make up for my calories needed as well as makeup for some of my exercise. What other foods do you eat that are no/low carb? I need to get more meat it seems like. Any suggestions for easy/fast/not super expensive food? I was thinking like sandwhich meat would be good but would have to look at the fat gram also and sodium.
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This is such a great conversation!!
I think dieting falls into 3 categories --
1980s (mid 80s - early 90s)
1990s (mid 90s - early 2000s)
NOW
The 1980s is LOW FAT. Fat is bad. Don't eat fat. Take fat out of food and replace it with sugar, salt, processed ingredients to add (fake, at times) flavor.
The 1990s is LOW CARB. Carbs are bad. Don't eat carbs. Remove carbs from food, subtract parts of carbs that don't count (ie fiber).
NOW is CLEAN EATING. Stop eating processed food. Only eat things that come from the earth. Eat organic.
Truthfully, the best option is what works for your body -- what makes you FEEL good (ie energy, alertness, sleeping well, etc). If you're trying to lose weight, what works for you? I personally prefer high protein, moderate fat & carbs.0 -
That's net carbs. That is typically used by low carb dieters, and I would imagine for people with diabetes. It doesn't subtract the calories it contains, but the effect that food has on blood sugar level.krknobbe10 wrote: »So is it true to find the right number of carbs in foods, you have subtract the total fiber from the carbs and that number is the right number of carbs that is in the food?
Actually, it does subtract calories. If the carbs are not absorbed, then neither are the calories. But some labels already have the calories subtracted for this reason. You need to look at total carbs and calories from carbs, if that is provided, and do the math to see if it's already been subtracted.
Even if those numbers are provided, it's tricky. I've searched online and couldn't find a definitive answer from a reputable source re: exactly how much fiber is absorbed.0 -
This is such a great conversation!!
I think dieting falls into 3 categories --
1980s (mid 80s - early 90s)
1990s (mid 90s - early 2000s)
NOW
The 1980s is LOW FAT. Fat is bad. Don't eat fat. Take fat out of food and replace it with sugar, salt, processed ingredients to add (fake, at times) flavor.
The 1990s is LOW CARB. Carbs are bad. Don't eat carbs. Remove carbs from food, subtract parts of carbs that don't count (ie fiber).
NOW is CLEAN EATING. Stop eating processed food. Only eat things that come from the earth. Eat organic.
Truthfully, the best option is what works for your body -- what makes you FEEL good (ie energy, alertness, sleeping well, etc). If you're trying to lose weight, what works for you? I personally prefer high protein, moderate fat & carbs.
Clean eating has been around for a long time. Even before Atkins, I believe, which was first published in 1972. Many hippies and flower children were clean eaters.0 -
AwesomeSauceTN wrote: »My brother is working on his PhD in Dietetics so I'm really lucky that I have someone with concrete science to dispell the confusing (and sometimes downright WRONG) information that is out there. Its hard because we are all looking for a quick fix. Diets don't work. No matter how you slice it, it all comes down to calories in and calories out. Focus on whole grains, make sure you are getting adequate protein (you need a min amount of protein to lose weight), and try to reduce consumption of processed foods and sugar as much as possible. Don't forget to take a day off too! I take a day off every 2 weeks and eat whatever. It seems to stimulate my metabolism -- not to mention, its a much needed treat!
The two bolded sentences above could not both be true. ANY way of eating where the intent is to lose weight is a diet, including counting calories.0 -
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krknobbe10 wrote: »
No you don't get to magically eat more calories because you eat high fat low carb.GaleHawkins wrote: »I don't have a choice, I have to do low carb. The upside is I'm never hungry and it's generally a lot more food than I could eat in a day if I ate to my calorie limit. It's been long enough that my tastes have changed, and a lot of the things people make a big deal of 'giving up' don't really taste good to me anyway (sugary things like frosting or candy, bread, fries). There's still plenty of vegetables and some fruit, so it's not like giving up an entire macro (another common exaggeration). Play with your macros and adjust every few weeks. What matters is you have enough protein to maintain muscle mass, beyond that it's up to you if what's left is more carbs or more fat.
I fall into the same group.
Being able to eat more calories when doing Low Carb High Fat lifestyle vs the other way around is a plus in my case.
That's not how I interpreted his post. I was thinking that he runs out of his allotted carbs (possibly diabetic or pre diabetic) before he runs out of calories... so if he eats less carbs he gets closer to eating all of allowed calories in a day.
That's how it was for me when I started. I was on 130 carbs per day as per my dietitian. I had to juggle a lot learning how to eat under my carbs but hit 1400 calories in a day. A *LOT* of nights just eating a meat with no sides because I was out of carbs, at least until I learned how to balance my meals.
My carb limit is 130 so I am looking for foods with no carbs because when I run out of carbs, I find I still need to eat to make up for my calories needed as well as makeup for some of my exercise. What other foods do you eat that are no/low carb? I need to get more meat it seems like. Any suggestions for easy/fast/not super expensive food? I was thinking like sandwhich meat would be good but would have to look at the fat gram also and sodium.
For snacks I use cheese, jerky, and almonds.
Buy fattier cuts of meat (instead of the lean ground meat as an example). Are you buying the low fat/fat free salad dressings/sour cream/cottage cheese/condiments? Those are some places to reduce your carb intake, and possible up your calories.
Meat and straight fat are your options for basically zero carbs. Add butter, oil, or mayo to your meals to up your calories without upping your carbs.
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AwesomeSauceTN wrote: »My brother is working on his PhD in Dietetics so I'm really lucky that I have someone with concrete science to dispell the confusing (and sometimes downright WRONG) information that is out there. Its hard because we are all looking for a quick fix. Diets don't work. No matter how you slice it, it all comes down to calories in and calories out. Focus on whole grains, make sure you are getting adequate protein (you need a min amount of protein to lose weight), and try to reduce consumption of processed foods and sugar as much as possible. Don't forget to take a day off too! I take a day off every 2 weeks and eat whatever. It seems to stimulate my metabolism -- not to mention, its a much needed treat!
Source of concrete science....then says to take a day off to stimulate metabolism...
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krknobbe10 wrote: »
No you don't get to magically eat more calories because you eat high fat low carb.GaleHawkins wrote: »I don't have a choice, I have to do low carb. The upside is I'm never hungry and it's generally a lot more food than I could eat in a day if I ate to my calorie limit. It's been long enough that my tastes have changed, and a lot of the things people make a big deal of 'giving up' don't really taste good to me anyway (sugary things like frosting or candy, bread, fries). There's still plenty of vegetables and some fruit, so it's not like giving up an entire macro (another common exaggeration). Play with your macros and adjust every few weeks. What matters is you have enough protein to maintain muscle mass, beyond that it's up to you if what's left is more carbs or more fat.
I fall into the same group.
Being able to eat more calories when doing Low Carb High Fat lifestyle vs the other way around is a plus in my case.
That's not how I interpreted his post. I was thinking that he runs out of his allotted carbs (possibly diabetic or pre diabetic) before he runs out of calories... so if he eats less carbs he gets closer to eating all of allowed calories in a day.
That's how it was for me when I started. I was on 130 carbs per day as per my dietitian. I had to juggle a lot learning how to eat under my carbs but hit 1400 calories in a day. A *LOT* of nights just eating a meat with no sides because I was out of carbs, at least until I learned how to balance my meals.
My carb limit is 130 so I am looking for foods with no carbs because when I run out of carbs, I find I still need to eat to make up for my calories needed as well as makeup for some of my exercise. What other foods do you eat that are no/low carb? I need to get more meat it seems like. Any suggestions for easy/fast/not super expensive food? I was thinking like sandwhich meat would be good but would have to look at the fat gram also and sodium.
For snacks I use cheese, jerky, and almonds.
Buy fattier cuts of meat (instead of the lean ground meat as an example). Are you buying the low fat/fat free salad dressings/sour cream/cottage cheese/condiments? Those are some places to reduce your carb intake, and possible up your calories.
Meat and straight fat are your options for basically zero carbs. Add butter, oil, or mayo to your meals to up your calories without upping your carbs.
I am buying all low fat/fat free condiments and sour cream and salad dressings. I sometimes use salsa as a salad dressing since it is low carb and something different when I want to switch things up. Will have to try to add butter and sour cream tho.0 -
krknobbe10 wrote: »krknobbe10 wrote: »
No you don't get to magically eat more calories because you eat high fat low carb.GaleHawkins wrote: »I don't have a choice, I have to do low carb. The upside is I'm never hungry and it's generally a lot more food than I could eat in a day if I ate to my calorie limit. It's been long enough that my tastes have changed, and a lot of the things people make a big deal of 'giving up' don't really taste good to me anyway (sugary things like frosting or candy, bread, fries). There's still plenty of vegetables and some fruit, so it's not like giving up an entire macro (another common exaggeration). Play with your macros and adjust every few weeks. What matters is you have enough protein to maintain muscle mass, beyond that it's up to you if what's left is more carbs or more fat.
I fall into the same group.
Being able to eat more calories when doing Low Carb High Fat lifestyle vs the other way around is a plus in my case.
That's not how I interpreted his post. I was thinking that he runs out of his allotted carbs (possibly diabetic or pre diabetic) before he runs out of calories... so if he eats less carbs he gets closer to eating all of allowed calories in a day.
That's how it was for me when I started. I was on 130 carbs per day as per my dietitian. I had to juggle a lot learning how to eat under my carbs but hit 1400 calories in a day. A *LOT* of nights just eating a meat with no sides because I was out of carbs, at least until I learned how to balance my meals.
My carb limit is 130 so I am looking for foods with no carbs because when I run out of carbs, I find I still need to eat to make up for my calories needed as well as makeup for some of my exercise. What other foods do you eat that are no/low carb? I need to get more meat it seems like. Any suggestions for easy/fast/not super expensive food? I was thinking like sandwhich meat would be good but would have to look at the fat gram also and sodium.
For snacks I use cheese, jerky, and almonds.
Buy fattier cuts of meat (instead of the lean ground meat as an example). Are you buying the low fat/fat free salad dressings/sour cream/cottage cheese/condiments? Those are some places to reduce your carb intake, and possible up your calories.
Meat and straight fat are your options for basically zero carbs. Add butter, oil, or mayo to your meals to up your calories without upping your carbs.
I am buying all low fat/fat free condiments and sour cream and salad dressings. I sometimes use salsa as a salad dressing since it is low carb and something different when I want to switch things up. Will have to try to add butter and sour cream tho.
Personally, I would switch to the full fat options of those things. The full fat options are typically less carbs and more fat. They may or may not be more calories.
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I don't do either. I especially don't do low-fat--I've found that eating enough fat keeps me feeling satisfied longer. In the past when I mistakenly tried low fat diets, I was ALWAYS hungry. Not now. As for carbs--I don't pay much attention to them, to be honest. I certainly don't limit them. Out of curiosity today I went back and looked at the past month, and carb intake was widely variable. I haven't found that it's affected my weight loss at all.0
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