Question for the Keto people....

I keep reading that Keto is low carb, high fat so I am wondering why not low carb and low fat? Just wondering why keto is high fat instead of low carb and low fat. Is this better than low carb, low fat and why?

Thanks so much!
Lisa

Replies

  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
    Eat what you want - at a deficit - and move on.
  • ejdp254
    ejdp254 Posts: 342 Member
    The high fat is to provide the fuel that would have been provided by the carbs. The low carb is so the body is forced to use its own fuel - your excess body fat to make up for the calorie deficit .
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    I keep reading that Keto is low carb, high fat so I am wondering why not low carb and low fat? Just wondering why keto is high fat instead of low carb and low fat. Is this better than low carb, low fat and why?

    Thanks so much!
    Lisa

    From what I understand about keto, since energy is no longer coming from carbs, it has to come from somewhere else and fats are the next best thing for the body to get energy from. Besides, fats are good for us and they do regulate hormones in us ladies. Plus, I find full fat foods to be way yummier now!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    The high fat is to provide the fuel that would have been provided by the carbs. The low carb is so the body is forced to use its own fuel - your excess body fat to make up for the calorie deficit .

    Those two statements are inconsistent with each other. If "low carb" forces the body to fuel from internal fat stores, then there should be no reason to eat "high fat...to provide...fuel".
  • Sarahnade42x
    Sarahnade42x Posts: 308 Member
    Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?
  • scottkjar
    scottkjar Posts: 346 Member
    If you cut Fat and Carb, you have only Protein left. So a low-carb low-fat diet would pretty much be an all-protein diet. There are only a few foods that are all protein, so you would end up eating the same three or four things all the time.
  • orangejulius
    orangejulius Posts: 9 Member
    You can find a lot of great information on the Keto in a Nutshell Google document.

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiHSPoto_YqsNTDvL-g60nytMnyH-CJcCbiAx1IEUYM/edit?pli=1
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    Because that's a good way to hurt yourself?
  • Sarahnade42x
    Sarahnade42x Posts: 308 Member
    Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    Because that's a good way to hurt yourself?

    So is an all protein diet.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    Because that's a good way to hurt yourself?

    Kinda like being in long term ketosis.
  • orangejulius
    orangejulius Posts: 9 Member
    Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    Because that's a good way to hurt yourself?

    So is an all protein diet.

    Keto isn't an "all protein diet".
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    I keep reading that Keto is low carb, high fat so I am wondering why not low carb and low fat? Just wondering why keto is high fat instead of low carb and low fat. Is this better than low carb, low fat and why?

    Thanks so much!
    Lisa

    From what I understand about keto, since energy is no longer coming from carbs, it has to come from somewhere else and fats are the next best thing for the body to get energy from. Besides, fats are good for us and they do regulate hormones in us ladies. Plus, I find full fat foods to be way yummier now!

    Thank you! Makes sense to me now.
  • Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    Yaaay alcohol!! :happy:
  • Sarahnade42x
    Sarahnade42x Posts: 308 Member
    Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    Because that's a good way to hurt yourself?

    So is an all protein diet.

    Keto isn't an "all protein diet".

    This post is about low carb, low fat, which would be an "all protein diet" unless you really like alcohol.
  • hararayne
    hararayne Posts: 261 Member
    Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    Yaaay alcohol!! :happy:

    :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    Because that's a good way to hurt yourself?

    Kinda like being in long term ketosis.

    Which is why you GRADUALLY reintroduce SOME carbs back into your diet. Logic and common sense tells us that.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    Because that's a good way to hurt yourself?

    So is an all protein diet.

    Keto isn't an "all protein diet".

    This post is about low carb, low fat, which would be an "all protein diet" unless you really like alcohol.

    Actually this post was a question regarding low carb and why it's NOT low fat too. Only two people, myself included, answered the question.
  • Filmlotus
    Filmlotus Posts: 54 Member
    There are great books out there explaining it but basically Ladymiseryali already said it - you need to get your calories from somewhere, and fat is the least likely to spike your insulin levels.

    You split your percentage of macros up differently on a keto diet. On a food pyramid diet, you would usually see 60% carb or more, 20% protein, 20% fat. On a ketogenic diet, its split roughly like this: 5-10% carb, 25-30% protein, 60-80% fat. You can have a bit higher depending on your activity and size. It emphasizes moderate amount of protein, not high, since too much protein can still be made into glycogen (as carb does) through a process called gluconeogenesis.

    The rest of the macros in your day comes from fat, mostly medium to short chain fats, monounsaturated, some saturated, more omega 3 than omega 6. It doesn't mean gobble up any ol' fat, it means selecting a healthy range of healthy essential fat, such as from avocados and coconuts. Fat helps with the production of hormones, so the fact people think it's bad and all the same is a giant mistake.

    The statement about low carb being hard on bowel movement is biased. If you eat enough greens, vegetables and drink enough water regularly, you will not have this problem. Mind you, there is constipation, irritable bowel and all kinds of diseases in the high carb diet too. So don't be blind to that. Keto diet is actually a diet first used to treat children with epilepsy, it isn't a fad diet or extreme. It's actually a diet that is practiced around the world and for hundreds of thousands of years. So please, get it out of your head that it is bad. It works wonders for certain people with insulin resistance, seizures, epilepsy, ADD and diabetes. So please do your research before dismissing it.
  • Sarahnade42x
    Sarahnade42x Posts: 308 Member
    Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    Because that's a good way to hurt yourself?

    So is an all protein diet.

    Keto isn't an "all protein diet".

    This post is about low carb, low fat, which would be an "all protein diet" unless you really like alcohol.

    Actually this post was a question regarding low carb and why it's NOT low fat too. Only two people, myself included, answered the question.
    :huh:
    She's asking why the diet isn't both low carb and low fat, which makes that the subject of this post. All I did was comment on the absurdity of progressively cutting out entire food groups -- people don't do it because it's unreasonable, unsustainable and unhealthy. (And I'm specifically referring to this hypothetical low fat/low carb alternative and not your keto diet, despite how I feel about that, so relax.)
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    There are great books out there explaining it but basically Ladymiseryali already said it - you need to get your calories from somewhere, and fat is the least likely to spike your insulin levels.

    You split your percentage of macros up differently on a keto diet. On a food pyramid diet, you would usually see 60% carb or more, 20% protein, 20% fat. On a ketogenic diet, its split roughly like this: 5-10% carb, 25-30% protein, 60-80% fat. You can have a bit higher depending on your activity and size. It emphasizes moderate amount of protein, not high, since too much protein can still be made into glycogen (as carb does) through a process called gluconeogenesis.

    The rest of the macros in your day comes from fat, mostly medium to short chain fats, monounsaturated, some saturated, more omega 3 than omega 6. It doesn't mean gobble up any ol' fat, it means selecting a healthy range of healthy essential fat, such as from avocados and coconuts. Fat helps with the production of hormones, so the fact people think it's bad and all the same is a giant mistake.

    The statement about low carb being hard on bowel movement is biased. If you eat enough greens, vegetables and drink enough water regularly, you will not have this problem. Mind you, there is constipation, irritable bowel and all kinds of diseases in the high carb diet too. So don't be blind to that. Keto diet is actually a diet first used to treat children with epilepsy, it isn't a fad diet or extreme. It's actually a diet that is practiced around the world and for hundreds of thousands of years. So please, get it out of your head that it is bad. It works wonders for certain people with insulin resistance, seizures, epilepsy, ADD and diabetes. So please do your research before dismissing it.

    Thanks so much!
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
    Because while keeping yourself in Ketosis is stupid, eating low carb AND low fat is even stupider.
    Good luck using the toilet on a low carb low fat diet, let alone having the energy to do much of anything.
    A calorie is a calorie.
    Eat what you want - at a deficit - and move on.

    Thanks for NOT answering her question and just inserting your biased opinion.....:huh:

    I absolutely did answer the question.
    You will have little energy and have trouble using the bathroom if you eat low carb and low fat.
    Silly you!
  • GuyIncognito123
    GuyIncognito123 Posts: 263 Member
    Because while keeping yourself in Ketosis is stupid, eating low carb AND low fat is even stupider.
    Good luck using the toilet on a low carb low fat diet, let alone having the energy to do much of anything.
    A calorie is a calorie.
    Eat what you want - at a deficit - and move on.

    Thanks for NOT answering her question and just inserting your biased opinion.....:huh:

    I absolutely did answer the question.
    You will have little energy and have trouble using the bathroom if you eat low carb and low fat.
    Silly you!

    Are you speaking from experience?
    When entering a low calorie low carb diet you have lots of energy but shouldn't be working out (since you have low cals).
    As for going to the bathroom, I haven't had a problem yet. Speaking from experience.
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
    Because while keeping yourself in Ketosis is stupid, eating low carb AND low fat is even stupider.
    Good luck using the toilet on a low carb low fat diet, let alone having the energy to do much of anything.
    A calorie is a calorie.
    Eat what you want - at a deficit - and move on.

    Thanks for NOT answering her question and just inserting your biased opinion.....:huh:

    I absolutely did answer the question.
    You will have little energy and have trouble using the bathroom if you eat low carb and low fat.
    Silly you!

    Are you speaking from experience?
    When entering a low calorie low carb diet you have lots of energy but shouldn't be working out (since you have low cals).
    As for going to the bathroom, I haven't had a problem yet. Speaking from experience.

    She is referring to low CARB and low FAT.
    Those are the two sources of energy that the body uses.
    While low carb itself may not completely deprive you of energy, low carb paired with low fat will.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    There are great books out there explaining it but basically Ladymiseryali already said it - you need to get your calories from somewhere, and fat is the least likely to spike your insulin levels.

    You split your percentage of macros up differently on a keto diet. On a food pyramid diet, you would usually see 60% carb or more, 20% protein, 20% fat. On a ketogenic diet, its split roughly like this: 5-10% carb, 25-30% protein, 60-80% fat. You can have a bit higher depending on your activity and size. It emphasizes moderate amount of protein, not high, since too much protein can still be made into glycogen (as carb does) through a process called gluconeogenesis.

    The rest of the macros in your day comes from fat, mostly medium to short chain fats, monounsaturated, some saturated, more omega 3 than omega 6. It doesn't mean gobble up any ol' fat, it means selecting a healthy range of healthy essential fat, such as from avocados and coconuts. Fat helps with the production of hormones, so the fact people think it's bad and all the same is a giant mistake.

    The statement about low carb being hard on bowel movement is biased. If you eat enough greens, vegetables and drink enough water regularly, you will not have this problem. Mind you, there is constipation, irritable bowel and all kinds of diseases in the high carb diet too. So don't be blind to that. Keto diet is actually a diet first used to treat children with epilepsy, it isn't a fad diet or extreme. It's actually a diet that is practiced around the world and for hundreds of thousands of years. So please, get it out of your head that it is bad. It works wonders for certain people with insulin resistance, seizures, epilepsy, ADD and diabetes. So please do your research before dismissing it.

    Thanks so much!


    Gluconeogenesis =/= glycogenesis
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Can you give me the correct info then? Not being snarky, just wondering why she is wrong. Thank you!
  • Filmlotus
    Filmlotus Posts: 54 Member
    Definition: Gluconeogenesis is the process of synthesizing glucose in the body from non-carbohydrate sources.

    All our body's cells can use glucose, and a few are dependent on it. People consuming an average diet get plenty of glucose from their diet. Starches (plentiful in grains including flour, potatoes, etc) are essentially long chains of glucose. In addition naturally-occuring sugars as add as added sugars are plentiful in the diets of most people. However, if carbohydrate is not being consumed, the body will make glucose from other sources.

    Source: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/glossary/g/gluconeogenesis.htm

    Gluconeogenesis (GNG) is a metabolic process of making glucose, a necessary body fuel, from noncarbohydrate sources such as protein (amino acids), lactate from the muscles and the glycerol component of fatty acids...
    The main advantage of this process is that it helps the body maintain steady blood sugar levels when foods containing carbohydrates or stored sugars (glycogen reserves) are unavailable.

    Source: http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/gluconeogenesis.html


    Glycogenesis is the process of glycogen synthesis, in which glucose molecules are added to chains of glycogen for storage.

    I guess I got the order mixed up, if you really want to be pedantic about it, glycogen is synthesized into glucose. I missed a step. But it isn't wrong as you say. So don't paint out "low carbers" as "shocking" and dumb.
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Thank you!
  • Ainar
    Ainar Posts: 858 Member
    I keep reading that Keto is low carb, high fat so I am wondering why not low carb and low fat? Just wondering why keto is high fat instead of low carb and low fat. Is this better than low carb, low fat and why?

    Thanks so much!
    Lisa
    Because normally people bodies use carbs for energy. If you go very low carbs it uses fat for energy instead. If you you ate no carbs and no fat you will feel extremely weak and feel sick cos there are no carbs and fat for energy. Your body can take some energy from protein alone but it is not that easy for body to do and not optimal. So you basically will feel sick and weak. That's why either low fat and high carbs or low carbs and high fat - cos you need either carbs or fat for energy, you cant do good on protein alone.
  • Why aren't people doing a low carb, low fat, low protein diet?

    You could call it the Aspartame and Water diet, or Aaw... It would be all the rage and make you a billionaire!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I keep reading that Keto is low carb, high fat so I am wondering why not low carb and low fat? Just wondering why keto is high fat instead of low carb and low fat. Is this better than low carb, low fat and why?

    Low carb and low fat would be high protein, but there's a limit to the amount of protein we use usefully - above 35% of calories is often described as "excessive protein".

    So if you put a (high) ceiling of protein of 200 grams or 800 calories and added 30 grams of fat to get all the necessary essential fats & fat soluble vitamins you would be at 1070 calories and well short of what many are looking for.

    In terms of keto, ketogenic diets require modest / low protein to ensure high levels of ketones aren't impaired by glucose production from surplus protein.