Any high carb low fat vegans on here??

bobbybromley

Hi everyone,

I've been transitioning to vegan for a couple of months now and would like to try out the high carb low fat diet. Has anyone used this and been successful? And what did you eat day to day?
Please send me your tips and advice!!
Need to lose about 30lbs eurggghhhh

Yi5hedr3

That would be ALL Vegans. Too bad....

suzan06

My husband does, for medical reasons. He does eat egg whites, so not totally vegan, but very low fat.

Breakfast: 2 eggs whites and a bowl of oatmeal with raisins or apples and cinnamon

Snacks at work: apple or some other fruit, and raw veggies to munch on, maybe a piece of whole wheat bread or a vegan muffin with applesauce instead of oil.

Lunch: usually leftovers from dinner, if we don't have any we keep single servings of homemade veggie soup and chili in the freezer for lunches.

Dinner: varies obviously, but the meal plan this week is:
-black bean tacos on corn tortillas
-Pizza, whole wheat crust and no cheese, just veggie toppings
-veggie burgers (made with rice or oatmeal and beans)
-Root veggie risotto
-Stirfry with bok choy, tofu, and rice

So we try to hit at least one bean meal a week, usually tofu once a week, and the rest grains and veggies. The kids and I add cheese and fat to some stuff, like the stir fry, I make 2 batches of tofu, one has some oil. We put cheese on our pizza, etc.

The 2 main resources H uses are books by Dr. Essylstein and Dean Ornish. Both have quite a few recipes in the back. Neither are strictly vegan but if you take out all cheese, fat dairy, and meat, well, you are left wiht pretty much vegan

Unknown

This content has been removed.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/45-happy-herbivores

A link to the happy herbivores group for you, they will no doubt have loads of recipes that are vegan for you

zucchinisaurus

I've been vegan since August 2014 and recently switched to High Carb Low Fat vegan. I eat around 1,200 calories a day. I don't limit carbs but aim to eat no less than 80% carbs a day and no more than 10% fat and 10% protein. I have lost 21 pounds so far!

I eat lots of fruits and veggies, quinoa, pasta, rice, potatoes, beans, tend to avoid nuts and seeds and things like avocado but do have them on occasion in small amounts!

DaddieCat

Can someone explain to me the logic/reasoning behind the high carb, low fat vegan diet? I've been vegan for a long, long time and never, until recently have I heard of this macro split. I'd like to understand the reasoning behind it as it keeps coming up in people that i meet who have recently become vegan.

A quick google search does not turn up any reputable information and only links to fad diet sites. I'm not trying to put it down, or anything like that... I'd just like to understand it more as it seems to be pretty prevalent but no one I've met who does it seems to have a good understanding themselves.

janejellyroll

BecomingBane wrote: »

Can someone explain to me the logic/reasoning behind the high carb, low fat vegan diet? I've been vegan for a long, long time and never, until recently have I heard of this macro split. I'd like to understand the reasoning behind it as it keeps coming up in people that i meet who have recently become vegan.

A quick google search does not turn up any reputable information and only links to fad diet sites. I'm not trying to put it down, or anything like that... I'd just like to understand it more as it seems to be pretty prevalent but no one I've met who does it seems to have a good understanding themselves.

If you're looking for something that goes beyond the Youtube fad diet logic, check out Dr. McDougall's website or books. He recommends a high carbohydrate and low fat vegan diet. I'm not convinced by his reasoning (I don't eat low fat myself), but you'll get more of a foundation that what you'll see from the average high carb/low fat video blog.

DaddieCat

janejellyroll wrote: »

BecomingBane wrote: »

Can someone explain to me the logic/reasoning behind the high carb, low fat vegan diet? I've been vegan for a long, long time and never, until recently have I heard of this macro split. I'd like to understand the reasoning behind it as it keeps coming up in people that i meet who have recently become vegan.

A quick google search does not turn up any reputable information and only links to fad diet sites. I'm not trying to put it down, or anything like that... I'd just like to understand it more as it seems to be pretty prevalent but no one I've met who does it seems to have a good understanding themselves.

If you're looking for something that goes beyond the Youtube fad diet logic, check out Dr. McDougall's website or books. He recommends a high carbohydrate and low fat vegan diet. I'm not convinced by his reasoning (I don't eat low fat myself), but you'll get more of a foundation that what you'll see from the average high carb/low fat video blog.

Thanks, the the only response I've gotten from posting that question in 6 or seven different message boards or sites. I'll have to look into it... not because I want to do it, but because I'd like to understand the claims behind it. I don't personally believe in low fat as I find it treats me better with moderate to high fat, but I'm curious since it keeps coming up.

Traveler120

BecomingBane wrote: »

Can someone explain to me the logic/reasoning behind the high carb, low fat vegan diet? I've been vegan for a long, long time and never, until recently have I heard of this macro split. I'd like to understand the reasoning behind it as it keeps coming up in people that i meet who have recently become vegan.

A quick google search does not turn up any reputable information and only links to fad diet sites. I'm not trying to put it down, or anything like that... I'd just like to understand it more as it seems to be pretty prevalent but no one I've met who does it seems to have a good understanding themselves.

I'm not vegan but do eat a low fat plant-based diet. The high carb part is automatic and by default, because most plant foods are high carb. Even the most protein rich plant foods like beans and lentils are 75% carbs.

The low fat recommendation I believe is driven by the works of folks like Dr. Esselstyn (heart disease), Dr. Neal Barnard (pcrm.org) who works with diabetes patients. They both recommend low fat vegan/plant based diets to treat or reverse both diseases. Dr. Kim Williams (president of American College of Cardiology) also recommends vegan/plant-based diets for heart disease patients. He used it to reverse his own high cholesterol.

I found Dr. Esselstyn's explanation for low fat on his website's FAQs: http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/faq/

Q - Why does the diet eliminate oil entirely?

NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.

Q - Nuts – What about nuts? I hear so many different opinions?

As nuts are a rich source of saturated fats, my preference is no nuts for heart disease patients. That also eliminates peanuts and peanut butter even though peanuts are officially a legume. For those with established heart disease to add more saturated fat that is in nuts is inappropriate. For people with no heart disease who want to eat nuts and avocado and are able to achieve a cholesterol of 150 and LDL of 80 or under without cholesterol lowering drugs, some nuts and avocado are acceptable. Chestnuts are the one nut, very low in fat, it is ok to eat.

Q - Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.) Are seeds ok to eat?

1 -2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds or chia seeds daily for omega 3 are appropriate for everyone to eat including heart patients, if they wish. Some seeds baked in bread or crackers is acceptable. Just don’t eat handfuls.

As for diabetes, the rationale for low fat vegan diets appear to relate to increase in insulin sensitivity. Couldn't find a link but you can search for Dr. Neal Barnard or pcrm.org or nutritionfacts.org.

So it seems according to them, those with high cholesterol, risk of heart disease or diabetes would benefit from going very low fat but if not, they can go a bit higher with nuts and oils. I had high cholesterol and decided to try a low fat plant based diet about 5 months ago and as of a month ago, my total cholesterol dropped from a high of 287 to 168 mg/dl (should be under 200). My LDL went from a high of 201 to 108 mg/dl (should be under 100). Triglycerides are 71 and HDL is 46. So it definitely worked for me. At the time of those highs a couple years back, I was about 140 lbs which is only 15 lbs heavier than I am now, so the biggest difference was my diet which previously had eggs every day, meat at most meals, even though it was usually lean meat, and I also cooked with olive oil which I've drastically reduced.

DaddieCat

Traveler120 wrote: »

BecomingBane wrote: »

Can someone explain to me the logic/reasoning behind the high carb, low fat vegan diet? I've been vegan for a long, long time and never, until recently have I heard of this macro split. I'd like to understand the reasoning behind it as it keeps coming up in people that i meet who have recently become vegan.

A quick google search does not turn up any reputable information and only links to fad diet sites. I'm not trying to put it down, or anything like that... I'd just like to understand it more as it seems to be pretty prevalent but no one I've met who does it seems to have a good understanding themselves.

I'm not vegan but do eat a low fat plant-based diet. The high carb part is automatic and by default, because most plant foods are high carb. Even the most protein rich plant foods like beans and lentils are 75% carbs.

The low fat recommendation I believe is driven by the works of folks like Dr. Esselstyn (heart disease), Dr. Neal Barnard (pcrm.org) who works with diabetes patients. They both recommend low fat vegan/plant based diets to treat or reverse both diseases. Dr. Kim Williams (president of American College of Cardiology) also recommends vegan/plant-based diets for heart disease patients. He used it to reverse his own high cholesterol.

I found Dr. Esselstyn's explanation for low fat on his website's FAQs: http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/faq/

Q - Why does the diet eliminate oil entirely?

NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.

Q - Nuts – What about nuts? I hear so many different opinions?

As nuts are a rich source of saturated fats, my preference is no nuts for heart disease patients. That also eliminates peanuts and peanut butter even though peanuts are officially a legume. For those with established heart disease to add more saturated fat that is in nuts is inappropriate. For people with no heart disease who want to eat nuts and avocado and are able to achieve a cholesterol of 150 and LDL of 80 or under without cholesterol lowering drugs, some nuts and avocado are acceptable. Chestnuts are the one nut, very low in fat, it is ok to eat.

Q - Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.) Are seeds ok to eat?

1 -2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds or chia seeds daily for omega 3 are appropriate for everyone to eat including heart patients, if they wish. Some seeds baked in bread or crackers is acceptable. Just don’t eat handfuls.

As for diabetes, the rationale for low fat vegan diets appear to relate to increase in insulin sensitivity. Couldn't find a link but you can search for Dr. Neal Barnard or pcrm.org or nutritionfacts.org.

So it seems according to them, those with high cholesterol, risk of heart disease or diabetes would benefit from going very low fat but if not, they can go a bit higher with nuts and oils. I had high cholesterol and decided to try a low fat plant based diet about 5 months ago and as of a month ago, my total cholesterol dropped from a high of 287 to 168 mg/dl (should be under 200). My LDL went from a high of 201 to 108 mg/dl (should be under 100). Triglycerides are 71 and HDL is 46. So it definitely worked for me. At the time of those highs a couple years back, I was about 140 lbs which is only 15 lbs heavier than I am now, so the biggest difference was my diet which previously had eggs every day, meat at most meals, even though it was usually lean meat, and I also cooked with olive oil which I've drastically reduced.

I've seen studies that contradict this. Most studies that I've read show no effect of low fat on cholesterol or heart disease. To counter that, most studies that I've read show that exercise does, in fact, lower both risks. Not trying to disprove this diet, but I've seen contradictory evidence to both of those claims from reputable studies which indicated that genetics and sodium intake were far more of a factor than food ever was or could be. Additionally eggs have been shown in studies to have no effect on overall blood cholesterol levels. I'm not advocating eggs since I am vegan, but current studies seem to contradict the findings of these doctors posted above.

This study seems to show that eggs and moderate carbs were beneficial to inflammation and more so than any egg substitute. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193328741300069X

These studies indicate that plant based diets in general will lower blood serum cholestorol levels due to plant sterols. http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v67/n7/abs/ejcn201392a.html and http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1743-7075-10-58.pdf (while this one did test using low fat, but indicates that it's not a good indicator of Metabolic syndrome issues as it becomes difficult to diagnose due to lowered blood serum cholesterols affected by the plant based diet, which might mask a true diagnosis) and this meta-study seems to find no conclusion that plant sterols affect cardio vascular disease at all or blood serum levels. http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/33/4/444.short


Both this study http://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(04)00026-3/abstract and this one http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s001250051620#page-1 seem to think that it's not the amount of fat, but quality of fat that lowers insulin resistance and both seem to advocate a diet high in monounsaturated fats as opposed to other types to account for both insulin sensitivity and healthy cholesterol levels.

Dr. Esselstyn seems to be basing most of his work on the long debunked China Study and T. Colin Campbell's flawed assumptions there.

This study http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/6/1298.short shows that obese women lost more weight and were healthier as far as blood serum levels were concerned on a high protein, lower carb diet as opposed to high carbs which had less success with weight loss and less success on blood serum levels, but again tested under low fat conditions in the diets.

I'm happy for your success, but still trying to find out the actual reasoning behind this diet since it seems to be very prevalent. OP and many others whom I've spoken to are not seemingly concerned with cholesterol or heart related issues nor afflicted by them and most instances that I see are regarding weight loss alone.

Again, my point is not to debunk this diet, but to understand, via scientific means, it's goals and methods.

*Edited for clarity and spelling errors.

Traveler120

BecomingBane wrote: »

Traveler120 wrote: »

BecomingBane wrote: »

Can someone explain to me the logic/reasoning behind the high carb, low fat vegan diet? I've been vegan for a long, long time and never, until recently have I heard of this macro split. I'd like to understand the reasoning behind it as it keeps coming up in people that i meet who have recently become vegan.

A quick google search does not turn up any reputable information and only links to fad diet sites. I'm not trying to put it down, or anything like that... I'd just like to understand it more as it seems to be pretty prevalent but no one I've met who does it seems to have a good understanding themselves.

I'm not vegan but do eat a low fat plant-based diet. The high carb part is automatic and by default, because most plant foods are high carb. Even the most protein rich plant foods like beans and lentils are 75% carbs.

The low fat recommendation I believe is driven by the works of folks like Dr. Esselstyn (heart disease), Dr. Neal Barnard (pcrm.org) who works with diabetes patients. They both recommend low fat vegan/plant based diets to treat or reverse both diseases. Dr. Kim Williams (president of American College of Cardiology) also recommends vegan/plant-based diets for heart disease patients. He used it to reverse his own high cholesterol.

I found Dr. Esselstyn's explanation for low fat on his website's FAQs: http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/faq/

Q - Why does the diet eliminate oil entirely?

NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.

Q - Nuts – What about nuts? I hear so many different opinions?

As nuts are a rich source of saturated fats, my preference is no nuts for heart disease patients. That also eliminates peanuts and peanut butter even though peanuts are officially a legume. For those with established heart disease to add more saturated fat that is in nuts is inappropriate. For people with no heart disease who want to eat nuts and avocado and are able to achieve a cholesterol of 150 and LDL of 80 or under without cholesterol lowering drugs, some nuts and avocado are acceptable. Chestnuts are the one nut, very low in fat, it is ok to eat.

Q - Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.) Are seeds ok to eat?

1 -2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds or chia seeds daily for omega 3 are appropriate for everyone to eat including heart patients, if they wish. Some seeds baked in bread or crackers is acceptable. Just don’t eat handfuls.

As for diabetes, the rationale for low fat vegan diets appear to relate to increase in insulin sensitivity. Couldn't find a link but you can search for Dr. Neal Barnard or pcrm.org or nutritionfacts.org.

So it seems according to them, those with high cholesterol, risk of heart disease or diabetes would benefit from going very low fat but if not, they can go a bit higher with nuts and oils. I had high cholesterol and decided to try a low fat plant based diet about 5 months ago and as of a month ago, my total cholesterol dropped from a high of 287 to 168 mg/dl (should be under 200). My LDL went from a high of 201 to 108 mg/dl (should be under 100). Triglycerides are 71 and HDL is 46. So it definitely worked for me. At the time of those highs a couple years back, I was about 140 lbs which is only 15 lbs heavier than I am now, so the biggest difference was my diet which previously had eggs every day, meat at most meals, even though it was usually lean meat, and I also cooked with olive oil which I've drastically reduced.

Dr. Esselstyn seems to be basing most of his work on the long debunked China Study and T. Colin Campbell's flawed assumptions there.

Or perhaps he's basing it on the actual results of his studies on his heart disease patients and the before and after images of their arteries that show reversal of heart disease?

This study http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/6/1298.short shows that obese women lost more weight and were healthier as far as blood serum levels were concerned on a high protein, lower carb diet as opposed to high carbs which had less success with weight loss and less success on blood serum levels, but again tested under low fat conditions in the diets.

Let's not derail this thread into a low carb vs low fat debate. Everybody knows that weight loss boils down to creating a calorie deficit. ALL diets work IF CI is less than CO. Doesn't matter if you're vegan or on the twinkie diet.

I'm happy for your success, but still trying to find out the actual reasoning behind this diet since it seems to be very prevalent. OP and many others whom I've spoken to are not seemingly concerned with cholesterol or heart related issues nor afflicted by them and most instances that I see are regarding weight loss alone.

She's chosen a diet where she gets to eat a wide variety of veggies, fruits, grains, legumes, tubers, some nuts and seeds and has chosen to keep fat low. Many, including myself have done well both weight-wise and health-wise on this diet. And to make matters even more interesting, reputable doctors are successfully using it on heart disease and diabetes patients, which to me suggests that it's also preventive. As a vegan yourself, I don't know what you're finding so objectionable.

DaddieCat

Traveler120 wrote: »

BecomingBane wrote: »

Traveler120 wrote: »

BecomingBane wrote: »

Can someone explain to me the logic/reasoning behind the high carb, low fat vegan diet? I've been vegan for a long, long time and never, until recently have I heard of this macro split. I'd like to understand the reasoning behind it as it keeps coming up in people that i meet who have recently become vegan.

A quick google search does not turn up any reputable information and only links to fad diet sites. I'm not trying to put it down, or anything like that... I'd just like to understand it more as it seems to be pretty prevalent but no one I've met who does it seems to have a good understanding themselves.

I'm not vegan but do eat a low fat plant-based diet. The high carb part is automatic and by default, because most plant foods are high carb. Even the most protein rich plant foods like beans and lentils are 75% carbs.

The low fat recommendation I believe is driven by the works of folks like Dr. Esselstyn (heart disease), Dr. Neal Barnard (pcrm.org) who works with diabetes patients. They both recommend low fat vegan/plant based diets to treat or reverse both diseases. Dr. Kim Williams (president of American College of Cardiology) also recommends vegan/plant-based diets for heart disease patients. He used it to reverse his own high cholesterol.

I found Dr. Esselstyn's explanation for low fat on his website's FAQs: http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/faq/

Q - Why does the diet eliminate oil entirely?

NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.

Q - Nuts – What about nuts? I hear so many different opinions?

As nuts are a rich source of saturated fats, my preference is no nuts for heart disease patients. That also eliminates peanuts and peanut butter even though peanuts are officially a legume. For those with established heart disease to add more saturated fat that is in nuts is inappropriate. For people with no heart disease who want to eat nuts and avocado and are able to achieve a cholesterol of 150 and LDL of 80 or under without cholesterol lowering drugs, some nuts and avocado are acceptable. Chestnuts are the one nut, very low in fat, it is ok to eat.

Q - Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.) Are seeds ok to eat?

1 -2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds or chia seeds daily for omega 3 are appropriate for everyone to eat including heart patients, if they wish. Some seeds baked in bread or crackers is acceptable. Just don’t eat handfuls.

As for diabetes, the rationale for low fat vegan diets appear to relate to increase in insulin sensitivity. Couldn't find a link but you can search for Dr. Neal Barnard or pcrm.org or nutritionfacts.org.

So it seems according to them, those with high cholesterol, risk of heart disease or diabetes would benefit from going very low fat but if not, they can go a bit higher with nuts and oils. I had high cholesterol and decided to try a low fat plant based diet about 5 months ago and as of a month ago, my total cholesterol dropped from a high of 287 to 168 mg/dl (should be under 200). My LDL went from a high of 201 to 108 mg/dl (should be under 100). Triglycerides are 71 and HDL is 46. So it definitely worked for me. At the time of those highs a couple years back, I was about 140 lbs which is only 15 lbs heavier than I am now, so the biggest difference was my diet which previously had eggs every day, meat at most meals, even though it was usually lean meat, and I also cooked with olive oil which I've drastically reduced.

Dr. Esselstyn seems to be basing most of his work on the long debunked China Study and T. Colin Campbell's flawed assumptions there.

Or perhaps he's basing it on the actual results of his studies on his heart disease patients and the before and after images of their arteries that show reversal of heart disease?

This study http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/6/1298.short shows that obese women lost more weight and were healthier as far as blood serum levels were concerned on a high protein, lower carb diet as opposed to high carbs which had less success with weight loss and less success on blood serum levels, but again tested under low fat conditions in the diets.

Let's not derail this thread into a low carb vs low fat debate. Everybody knows that weight loss boils down to creating a calorie deficit. ALL diets work IF CI is less than CO. Doesn't matter if you're vegan or on the twinkie diet.

I'm happy for your success, but still trying to find out the actual reasoning behind this diet since it seems to be very prevalent. OP and many others whom I've spoken to are not seemingly concerned with cholesterol or heart related issues nor afflicted by them and most instances that I see are regarding weight loss alone.

She's chosen a diet where she gets to eat a wide variety of veggies, fruits, grains, legumes, tubers, some nuts and seeds and has chosen to keep fat low. Many, including myself have done well both weight-wise and health-wise on this diet. And to make matters even more interesting, reputable doctors are successfully using it on heart disease and diabetes patients, which to me suggests that it's also preventive. As a vegan, I don't know what you're finding so objectionable.

I didn't say I was finding it objectionable... just trying to understand it since many, and I do mean many, studies seem to contradict the findings of the two doctors that you posted as sources. You accuse me of derailing the thread, but again, we aren't talking about diabetes or heart disease, but weight loss. My responses were solely in response to your post and the doctors involved.

I understand your reasoning behind heart health and diabetes, but that wasn't what OP was referring to. I was questioning it as a weight loss diet, which as you pointed out is reliant on CICO.

You can take my comments personally and argue if you'd like, but I'd rather carry that on outside of this post, so feel free to message me if that's where you're going. I'm not looking to argue, debunk, or criticize, just to understand the validity of this diet in regards to its weight loss claims outside of heart health (which many studies disagree with), diabetes concerns (which seem supported to an extent but not for the reasons you seem to be pointing to), and other than CICO as we all know that restrictive diets of any kind, including veganism, lend themselves to creating caloric deficits based on the restriction alone.

I'm not objecting to this diet, by any means, simply trying to understand its claims because, as I stated above, googling seems to only return disreputable, fad-diet responses and sites as opposed to anything important to an individual in a meaningful way.

Traveler120

To the OP, your question on tips to lose the 30 lbs, it's the usual - eat primarily whole, unprocessed foods and avoid vegan junk food. As to what I eat day to day, my staples are potatoes, rice, flat bread, quinoa, polenta, lots of black beans and red lentils for protein. That's at least 75% carbs. I also do lots of spinach, cauliflower, broccoli and other veggies and fruits, plus some cashews, almonds, chia/flax seeds. When cooking I've gotten used to not adding oil and that's how I keep things low fat. I love sweets so ice cream and chocolate once a week are a must. I eat about 1700 calories/day and rather than cut calories for a deficit, I prefer to increase either exercise volume, intensity or both to continue losing. I've lost about 27 lbs and I'm now 125 lbs. Happy with that but slowly working on another 5-10. Good luck.