Is it better to be on a high carb,low fat diet or a low carb,high fat diet?

Options
2»

Replies

  • forgtmenot
    forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
    Options
    I used to be high protein low carb. I lost weight but I was often hungry. I now eat a high carb plant based diet. I try to limit my fats but I often go over my goal. I've lost weight using both methods but feel more energized and clear headed on the plant based high carb diet and I'm really rarely hungry.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited October 2015
    Options
    I am good on ~100 grams of carbs. Better for me if that comes in the form of multigrain bread, baby potatoes, lentils, beans, and the veg I like (and a very few fruits, like raspberries and bananas. I have IBS, so I can't eat most fruits without paying for it). The more fiber in my carbs, the better. Rice sometimes, but potatoes are better, calorie-wise.

    I love pasta, but it doesn't fill me up, and it's bad for my guts. (Brown pasta usually uses inulin fiber, which is terrible for my guts. And it doesn't taste great imo.)

    I've done lower carb than that in the past, worked then, not so well now for hunger, not sure why.

    Veg: fiber where I can get it. Asparagus, newly rediscovered broccoli (my lowest calorie days are when I have broccoli for some reason), green beans, brussel sprouts. Tomatoes and red or orange peppers for antioxidants. Zucchini. Lots of onions and garlic.

    Re fats, I am probably moderate-high. I like butter and oil, 2% Greek yogurt, cheese, 10% cream in my coffee, avocados, nuts, fatty fish like mackerel, sirloin steaks. (Trying to eat more chicken and pork to cut down my sat fats.)

    Lots of protein is an absolute must to keep hunger down, for me. I've tried veggie-only days and wind up eating 1.5 times my maintenance calories.
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
    Options
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    For me, it is low carb high fat.

    I crave carbs and sugars. I can't moderate them successfully but elimination seems to work fantastically. My sugar cravings are basically eliminated which is quite amazing. Sugar was big for me. If I didn't have sugars every few hours I felt poorly. It's quite freeing to no long crave sugar.

    I have autoimmune issues and sugar increases my inflammation. I am much healthier without sugar, and in much less pain.

    I have insulin resistance in the form of prediabetes. Eating low carb keeps my blood sugars in check quite well.

    (And by sugar, I mean foods that convert to sugar - glucose - in the blood)

    LCHF all the way. ;)

    yeah, it is weird, for some foods I can include them in reduced amounts and stick to my diet (I'm particularly good with beer), but others like popcorn and crisps (potato chips in USA) I can't even have any or I won't be able to stop - so total prohibition of some things works better for me.

  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    Options
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Why does it have to be one of those? I do moderate carbs and fat and protein. It's whatever diet appeals most to you and makes it easier for you to be satisfied at a sensible calorie level.

    I agree 100% I love a certain type of food (beef, chicken, shrimp fish) that has a lot or fat and protein and no or low carbs. I typically have 80-120 grams of fat a day and 150-180 grams of protein a day as long as it fits in my calorie goal.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Options
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    For me, it is low carb high fat.

    I crave carbs and sugars. I can't moderate them successfully but elimination seems to work fantastically. My sugar cravings are basically eliminated which is quite amazing. Sugar was big for me. If I didn't have sugars every few hours I felt poorly. It's quite freeing to no long crave sugar.

    I have autoimmune issues and sugar increases my inflammation. I am much healthier without sugar, and in much less pain.

    I have insulin resistance in the form of prediabetes. Eating low carb keeps my blood sugars in check quite well.

    (And by sugar, I mean foods that convert to sugar - glucose - in the blood)

    LCHF all the way. ;)

    It's interesting how people with autoimmune issues have different responses. I have three autoimmune conditions, and I have absolutely no inflammatory response to sugar or starch.

    We both have celiac and ... do you have Hashimoto's too? I think I've seen you post that you do, but I could be mistaken.

    While I don't tend to overdo my sugar consumption, I don't find that going over the sugar goal on MFP from eating fruit, veggies, dairy, and my nightly cookies causes me problems with my psoriatic arthritis or my other conditions.
  • darrellhawk5
    darrellhawk5 Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    It would also depend on goals, a ketogenic diet (act of cutting carbs and replacing with fat) is excellent if your goal is to lose weight/recomp but it isn't for the faint of heart. The cravings, lack of energy, and severe decrease in motivation the first week or two is terrible. Although I ran a strict CKD (Cycled ketogenic diet) and it worked very well for me, I lost approx 13lb in a little over a month with no additional cardio. I then transferred to a traditional diet as of last month, and lost around 5-6lb but I am now back-tracking as I lost too much and I feel a bit flat in comparison.

    Anyways, to sum it up - if your goal isn't competition/photoshoot/health don't bother, it is more beneficial to short-term weight loss but not for optimal muscle gain.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Options
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Unless you have a medical reason to watch carbs or fats, it's personal preference

    This^

    No medical issues for me so I don't do low carb.

    Low carb will not be a lifestyle change for m, if it will be for you, then carry on. I don't want to get to goal and have no idea how to keep the weight off, so my method of weight loss is to manage portions.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    Options
    It depends on the person.

    Fiber hangs out longest in the stomach. It will keep many people full for longer periods than other things. Yet, many people find that fats or proteins work better for them. I'm fairly typical and find that fiber works best for me.

    I eat a low-fat diet by design and a high-carb one because that's how it worked out. Going low-fat and not liking protein foods very much, high-carb is kind of a given. So, for me, high-carb is best.

    As far as health goes, most people will be best served with a good balance. For weight loss, it doesn't matter. You can lose weight on any diet, as the members of this board prove daily. :)
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Options
    PeachyCarol wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    For me, it is low carb high fat.

    I crave carbs and sugars. I can't moderate them successfully but elimination seems to work fantastically. My sugar cravings are basically eliminated which is quite amazing. Sugar was big for me. If I didn't have sugars every few hours I felt poorly. It's quite freeing to no long crave sugar.

    I have autoimmune issues and sugar increases my inflammation. I am much healthier without sugar, and in much less pain.

    I have insulin resistance in the form of prediabetes. Eating low carb keeps my blood sugars in check quite well.

    (And by sugar, I mean foods that convert to sugar - glucose - in the blood)

    LCHF all the way. ;)

    It's interesting how people with autoimmune issues have different responses. I have three autoimmune conditions, and I have absolutely no inflammatory response to sugar or starch.

    We both have celiac and ... do you have Hashimoto's too? I think I've seen you post that you do, but I could be mistaken.

    While I don't tend to overdo my sugar consumption, I don't find that going over the sugar goal on MFP from eating fruit, veggies, dairy, and my nightly cookies causes me problems with my psoriatic arthritis or my other conditions.

    I think you are much better at moderating sugars than I have been over the last 10+ years. I think I over did the sugars, on a fairly constistent basis, and maybe that's why I had more issues with my autoimmune stuff.

    And yes, I do have hashi's too, as well as ITP and possibly something like MCTD but it has calmed down a lot. My autoimmune arthritis in my upper body, caused by whatever unknown reason, is basically gone now. Thankfully it was inflammatory so there has been no long term damage.
    hamlet1222 wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    For me, it is low carb high fat.

    I crave carbs and sugars. I can't moderate them successfully but elimination seems to work fantastically. My sugar cravings are basically eliminated which is quite amazing. Sugar was big for me. If I didn't have sugars every few hours I felt poorly. It's quite freeing to no long crave sugar.

    I have autoimmune issues and sugar increases my inflammation. I am much healthier without sugar, and in much less pain.

    I have insulin resistance in the form of prediabetes. Eating low carb keeps my blood sugars in check quite well.

    (And by sugar, I mean foods that convert to sugar - glucose - in the blood)

    LCHF all the way. ;)

    yeah, it is weird, for some foods I can include them in reduced amounts and stick to my diet (I'm particularly good with beer), but others like popcorn and crisps (potato chips in USA) I can't even have any or I won't be able to stop - so total prohibition of some things works better for me.

    Sometimes it's best not to poke the sleeping bear. ;)
  • jodidari
    jodidari Posts: 95 Member
    Options
    auddii wrote: »
    Carb level is mostly a personal preference. Fats are required for proper nutrient absorption for fat soluble vitamins. Plus, fats can greatly help the digestive tract.

    I would recommend setting your protein and fat goals based on your weight (I do 0.35g fat per lb at goal weight and 0.6-0.8g protein ber lb at goal weight). Then, set the carb level based on your personal goals, allergies, and reaction to carbs.

    This was really helpful
  • jodidari
    jodidari Posts: 95 Member
    edited October 2015
    Options
    forgtmenot wrote: »
    I used to be high protein low carb. I lost weight but I was often hungry. I now eat a high carb plant based diet. I try to limit my fats but I often go over my goal. I've lost weight using both methods but feel more energized and clear headed on the plant based high carb diet and I'm really rarely hungry.

    I think too much carbs (wheat,rice,potatoes) has resulted in me bloating up real bad and i want to lose weight, that's how i started to look into low carb diets. I know that this has made me tired alot but the bloating has also decreased. I find it easy to go under my fat intake goal during the week. However, I'm still not sure if picking high carb/high fat is a good idea for me. I'll just try to watch my intake and see if it works
  • gaelicstorm26
    gaelicstorm26 Posts: 589 Member
    Options
    Pick a WOE that you can stick with.

    I do have medical concerns so I have to lower carbs. Because of that I increase my fat intake. Personally, I'd rather skip some potatoes or eat less rice than eat lower fat cheeses. That's just me! Honestly...if I wasn't Type II I wouldn't limit carbs at all. I still eat a fair amount of carbs and I've lost 44 lbs since the beginning of July 2015. And I increase my carb intake based on my activity level.

    Regarding Hashi's and autoimmune discussions...I've had Hashi's since I was 11 (I'm now 33) and I've never noticed feeling any different by eating any way. The only thing that helps me is medication and exercise and really monitoring my vitamin D levels.
  • WastedGetsSmaller
    WastedGetsSmaller Posts: 41 Member
    Options
    I do high carb low fat and it works for me, but like others have said, unless it's for a medical reason it's down to personal preference :) It's always better to do what you feel good doing so that you can make it a permanent change. I love carbs and I'm a vegan so I could never happily live on a low carb diet. Try out a few different things and see what works for you. Good luck xo

Categories