High Protein / Low Carb?

randa_behnam

Just want to know if a high protein low carb diet is the way to go? my friend is doing this and has lost tons of weight but shes doing no cardio and just loads of weight training plus having zero carbs in her diet inclding no ketchup!

Iv been trying to reduce my carb intake for a week now and i feel less lathargic already but im also doing some cardio. I want to slim and tone. My partner says he could see almost 2 inches difference off my legs already. i just want to know if this method of eating is actually good for you.

Im not planning on going down the atkins route because im still eating veg and some carbs, im just limiting my carbs after lunch.

samb

bump!

randa_behnam

What does bump mean? i keep seeing it

seemichellerun

If you're doing heavy weight training, then yes, more protein/less carbs is the way to go. I don't think cutting out carbs all together is a good idea for the long haul however. Also, an excessively high protein diet for a prolonged period of time can be harmful as well. The trick is to find the right balance so your muscles are getting the fuel they need without overkill.

LadyT02182011

Hi!
I am personally going the low carb route. I found that it's the way of living that works best for me overall. Atkins has actually started incorporating veggies in their diet even in the induction phase. You should do more research on it. Each persons' body responds differently to certain foods. What may not work for some, works extremely well for others. Just keep doing what you're doing. If exercise is added into your plan, then that makes it all the better. You can lose a lot of inches on the low carb way of living.

TropicalKitty

Do what works best for you. I'm one of those people that thrives on a lower carb type diet - I'm awesome with fatty proteins and dense crunchy veggies. My head is clearer, I have more energy... Some people are the opposite - a low carb style life leaves them feeling ill. So, if you are feeling great then keep it up. The biggest thing is making sure you get the proper nutrients and your body is functioning well.

Charrisse

I did the South Beach diet a few yrs back and lost 30 lbs in 2 months.
I certainly felt so much better doing it.
Now I follow what would probably be considered phase 3 of the SB diet for th emost part. I eat few carbs and limit simple sugars. If I eat a bread I try to stick to just 1 serving a day, and make it a whole grain.. that sort of thing. Occasionally Ill have a dessert.
I do feel much better this way, the difference was very tell tale.

ajbeans

What does bump mean? i keep seeing it

Bump means someone wants to keep an eye on the thread. Replying automatically subscribes you to future responses.

Low carb is ok, but no carb isn't good. Carbs are fuel for your body, and you need them to be healthy. Also, you have to keep in mind your long-term goals. Cutting out carbs is great for a quick weight loss, but it's not sustainable for the long-term because when you add the carbs back in, you'll regain the weight. (My parents have done this 3 times now.) Carbs are not evil -- they're good for you! You just need to make sure you're eating complex carbs instead of simple carbs (whole grains rather than white bread, etc.) and make sure you're getting a good amount of protein to go along with it.

LarryPGH

What does bump mean? i keep seeing it

It means either that the person is trying to keep this thread near the top of the "recent posts" list (so that there's a greater chance that folks will see it and reply to it), or that they want to add a post to the thread so that it's listed in their "my topics" list (so that they'll be able to find it when they want to come back and see what's on the thread).

supermariocycling

No. Not good. You might as well throw the protein in the garbage. For each gram of protein to be used by your body, it needs 4 grams of carbos. When your protein is high, it is only filling your stomach, but not being used by your body (so its not fueling muscles/muscle growth without the carbs present). It stresses your digestive system (but you may not feel it) and other organs. A balanced low-fat diet with real food and a variety of exercise (cardio and strength) is the way to go. "They" say 30% calories from fat, but from many health experts, that is too high. Use this site, set your weight loss goal (1 to 1.5 pounds lost per week is safe and managable without stressing out) and you will get there. It will take longer than your friends method, but you will be at your goal when she is still pounding the weights eating a rigid diet and you'll be used to a healthy diet, fun exercise, and enjoying your accomplishment. Think of this, the extra weight that you want to lose--how long did it take to put on? It may take that long to burn it off. Don't expect overnight success, but demand success in the end. GOOD LUCK!

campi_mama

I do lots of cardio (Insanity). I am also nursing (just to give you and idea of MY needs). I do higher protein/ lower carbs and that seems to work well. When I eat carbs, they are quality complex carbs...like beans or sweet potato. I also eat fruit. I think you should concentrate on eating foods that are good for you (good fats, good carbs, lean protein, & colorful fruits and veggies).
Hope that helps!

Ashia1317

I'm doing the same thing. I did South Beach two years ago and did AMAZING on it!!! So I kind of started doing it again this year, only I've modified it a bit. I watch my starches, white-floured stuff. I try to stay away from bread and pasta, but limit to special occasions only. I make a lot of salads, lean meats, and veggies for my meals. Breakfast can be a bit of a challenge because I love cereal - so I usually eat oatmeal+almonds during winter or Egg white omelets with turkey bacon. I love protein shakes, but usually eat them with a light meal. Most of all, I try to REALLY watch processed stuff - that's where I get in to trouble.

Just like what you said, I feel TONS better. Carbs kill me. The Low carb way is not for everyone, but I find it really helps me. I have energy, I found a lot of stuff I like to eat, and it helps with watching my sodium too.

I do cardio and free weights for my work outs.

babygtbck14

Low carb works! I just wish I could stick with it. It is really hard to do, but once you get over the feeling that you MUST have sugar it gets easier. I lost 30 pounds the low carb way but quickly put it back on after starting to eat them again. Have you looked into the South Beach Diet? It is a little less restrictive then the Atkins way..More veggies are involved. I did find that if you really stick with eggs, and other forms of protein, without eating carbs in the very beginning you really drop weight fast. It is really hard though because like you said you can't even have ketchup..too much sugar in it.

4theking

The short answer to your question is yes, that is the way to go. How many gms carbs are you consuming?

4theking

No. Not good. You might as well throw the protein in the garbage. For each gram of protein to be used by your body, it needs 4 grams of carbos. When your protein is high, it is only filling your stomach, but not being used by your body (so its not fueling muscles/muscle growth without the carbs present).

Where did you get this info? In the absence of carbs protein can and will be converted to glucose and will be used by your body like carbs. This process known as gluconeogenesis, does take more energy, thus your net caloric intake is actually less.

lodro

No. Not good. You might as well throw the protein in the garbage. For each gram of protein to be used by your body, it needs 4 grams of carbos. When your protein is high, it is only filling your stomach, but not being used by your body (so its not fueling muscles/muscle growth without the carbs present). It stresses your digestive system (but you may not feel it) and other organs. A balanced low-fat diet with real food and a variety of exercise (cardio and strength) is the way to go. "They" say 30% calories from fat, but from many health experts, that is too high. Use this site, set your weight loss goal (1 to 1.5 pounds lost per week is safe and managable without stressing out) and you will get there. It will take longer than your friends method, but you will be at your goal when she is still pounding the weights eating a rigid diet and you'll be used to a healthy diet, fun exercise, and enjoying your accomplishment. Think of this, the extra weight that you want to lose--how long did it take to put on? It may take that long to burn it off. Don't expect overnight success, but demand success in the end. GOOD LUCK!

http://www.drbriffa.com/2010/11/26/higher-protein-lower-carbohydrate-diets-win-in-the-war-on-weight/

http://www.drbriffa.com/2010/06/25/study-reminds-us-of-the-superior-performance-of-low-carb-diets-over-low-fat-ones-for-weight-loss/

bosanka

I have refused for a long time to do anything like this / i used to be on ww , and i used to co unt kcls etc but somehow refused to count carbs/protein .. thinking that's a " diet " i don't want to be on a diet..

it is the way to go. I don't know if i could be on a 0 gram of carbs - how can you be on 0 carbs ? if you are eating veggies you get carbs .. if you have even a protein drink and protein bar - you still get a few carbs .. so you can't really be on a 0 carb unless all you eat is eggwhites ? ?

My carbs - before i started watching them - were above 200 gm a day ! my protein was bets. 40-50-maybe 60 gm a day

since i lowered the carbs- my goal is to be below 120 gm - which is i think not " extreme " but still lower than what i u sed to be on .. - increase the protein to about 100 gm a day

i'm full- i don't feel so " hungry " all the time , i don't eat sweets and don't crave them !

i dont' know but it looks like this will be the way to go ..

supermariocycling

@ lodro. Thanks for the articles. The person who posted this asked if high protein/low carb is the way to go. My answer was solid. Its not the way to go. The links you provide show studies of which diets work the best for weight loss. High protein/low carb will drop the weight faster almost every time. I don't argue that. However, is that the way to go? I don't think so. Usually people on these diets go for the obvious high protein food: meat (and some cheeses). Not good. High in cholesterol, low in nutrients, rough on your system and colon. To make up for the nutrients, the high protein diets have you on a vitamin supplement regimine. Its ok to get some vitamins/minerals from supplements, but they are always best from the source--the food. If high protein seekers ate bunch of beans/legumes for protein they'd probably get sick. The best 'diet' is not a diet at all, eat how we evolved--tons of veggies, fruit for quick fuel (which also satisfies sweet cravings), complex carbs for sustained energy (brown rice, ancient grains, whole wheats--which also provide a lot of protein), no to very little processed carbs, very little white carbs (white bread/rice/potatoes), legumes , and if you have to, fish/other meats (but non processed) for protein, some nuts/seeds which have protein and necessary oils (omega). Contrary to popular belief (and the latest caveman diet trend), we did not evolve on meat (no refridgeration, lack of technology to hunt, no mass farming to feed herds, etc). No, I am not an animal rights activist. Civilizations of the past, and even our grandparents, ate meat sparingly, and on "occasions" and when they could afford it. Our digestive systems are not equipped to digest high protein diet meat quantities without something going wrong--eventually. You can eat masses and masses of vegetables which are LOW in calories, but nutrient dense. The weight will fall off, naturally.

Low carb diets end up low calorie diets because you eat less--and what you do eat (mainly protein) goes in one end and out the other because most of the calories in the protein/meat aren't counting because they don't digest/get processed without 4x the carbs. Its a high cholesterol-kidney-stone-causing-low-nutrient math equation that ends up low cal, low nutrition.

0mega60

can i get invited to this group..?..hee

cacrat

So this discussion will boil down to what you meant by "way to go". Yes, in the short term, eating very little carbs can put your body into ketosis and you will burn your body fat (there is a lot I'm leaving out, but that's the basics). However, like supermario said, it may not be the best over the long term. What are your goals? Short term? Long term? How much do you exercise? There are a lot of questions that go into this high protein or high carb diet. It will all depend on your goals, and needs.

knittnponder

For me personally, too many carbs mean I gain weight, feel sluggish and have a bit of a mental "fog".

Too few carbs and I have no energy and can't complete my workouts or even keep up with the day to day stuff.

To figure out roughly how many I need to feel my best I cut carbs back to almost nothing for several days. It only takes me about three before I start feeling the effects of the super low carb drain. I began to slowly up my carb intake until I was feeling good and strong but not gaining weight. For me it lands at right around 100 carbs a day, higher when I'm working out harder. Some days I get more and some days I get less but I try to keep it roughly around there with plenty of protein as I need a lot of that to feel good too. I do try to eat mainly whole, unprocessed foods and don't do refined sugar or artificial sweeteners.

But then my goals aren't strictly weight loss. I want to be healthy and feel good and this is the way I feel my best. Hopefully over time the weight will gradually come off but I will pay attention to my diet and tweak it as necessary.

Good luck figuring out what works for you!

supermariocycling

Ok, I sounded a bit ranty. Sorry about that. Knittnponder summed it up--too many carbs=sluggish; too few=low energy.

Whoever has a few extra pounds to lose probably got there by consuming too many calories made up of excess carbs, protein, and fat--most of which was probably processed. Basically, overeating. Tracking it without changing things for a week or two will show what needs to be reduced.

For me, I can't believe how many little snacky crappy things I end up with at the end of the week! They gotta go.

randa_behnam

Thanks Guys, alot if advice there.

Im not cutting out carbs, i know i need them as part of a healthy lifestyle, i would just like to cut down on my daily intake. The worst thing i coud do is cut our carbs completely then suddenly crave them so much i stuff my face.

I dont eat unhealthy and dont eat processed food, I do treat myself now and again but only to what my calorie intake allows. i guess i could be more strict but somtimes i do go over my 1200 allowance but never more than by 200. all my dinners are cooked from scratched with plenty of veg. (dont get me wrong, im young and i like to go to dinner with my partner and friends to a nice restaurant) i use my tredmil and weights 3-4 times a week and im noticing the difference. I think im on the right track, iv increased my protein, and reduced my carbs especially after lunch time so i dont feel so sluggish and when i have a nice dinner of meat and veg or fish or eggs, i feel full and still have the energy to get some power walking in.

I dont want a crash diet because i know they dont work. Weightwatchers for me didnt work, i was hungry all the time. Iv tried alot of differnt things and calorie counting and carb reduction works best for me. I wont lie, In my lifestyle im not very active because i have an office job where im glued to my chair for the whole day. other than the exercise i make myself do at home, the most im on my feet is when im cooking dinner and cleaning up. I work in a business estate so im surrounded by cars and lorries and its not easy to walk around at lunch time and we do not have the facilities in my office to "freshen up" so the last thing i want to do is come back to my desk smelling of BO. if i didnt live so far away i would happily walk to work but thats not the case.

Yesterday i had a bagel for lunch and a packet of crisps, and i felt like i was going to fall asleep at my desk! the day before i had some chicken and salad and i felt more full and was much more alert for the rest of the day.

I guess everyone needs to find something that works best for them and this works best for me.

Thanks again for all the great advice.

princesschikee

Carbs are a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle. The type of carb is the key. Complex carbs are what give you energy for long periods of time as opposed to simple carbs that you find in junk food that give you a huge crash. Fruits contain simple carbs, but they are great when combined with proper amounts of protein and complex carbs as a general rule. After a heavy weightlifting session, protein and simple carbs help to refuel the muscles.
A great program that helped me to get to my goal is www.burnthefat.com. This program explains how important carbs, protein, and fat are. It also explains that you should eat 5 small meals a day and that in order to change the way your body looks you need to lift weights.

princesschikee

Forgot to mention that I taper my carbs. My macronutrients are 40-30-30. I get most of my complex carbs in the morning and the early part of the day and have very few at dinner. I also do not eat anything 3 hours before bedtime.

2bfitforever

Forgot to mention that I taper my carbs. My macronutrients are 40-30-30. I get most of my complex carbs in the morning and the early part of the day and have very few at dinner. I also do not eat anything 3 hours before bedtime.

Is the 40% your protein?

princesschikee

No, 40% is my Carbs. I'm 112 lbs and typically average 145 g of carbs, 100 g of protein and 45 g of fat. for the most part. Depending on your workouts, should determine your macros. I'm a heavy lifter so I take in more protein.

jammyone

Low carb is a good idea but high protein is not.

High carb diets often mean a lot of muscle wastage due to your body always needing a supply of energy from glucose which means whenever you try to exercise you will only burn muscle because it needs glucose and the best way of doing it to convert protein stores (muscle) into it. Also carbs tend to cause an insulin spike; complex or simple.

High protein diets will make the body acidic and like the carb diet give a decency on always having energy there otherwise you will get muscle breakdown. I actually think a high protein diet is WORSE than a high carb diet due the amount of amonia that will be produced as a waste product when protein is converted into glucose (with about 60% efficiency btw).

That really only leaves the one macro nutrient left which is fat. Supplying your body with fat sets your metabolism to burn fat, once the fat you've eaten is all used up your body will then start using your fat stores to supply it's needs, leaving the protein you've eaten for repair. I eat a minimum of 55% fat, with a maximum of 10% carbs but really I'm aiming for 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbs. I really believe this causes the least catabolism and maximum fat loss.

2bfitforever

Forgot to mention that I taper my carbs. My macronutrients are 40-30-30. I get most of my complex carbs in the morning and the early part of the day and have very few at dinner. I also do not eat anything 3 hours before bedtime.

Is the 40% your protein?

Thanks! I just starting out and trying to find my right mix.

BeatTheBattle

Low carb long term again is something that even professional bodybuilders don't tend to use when cutting for a competition. Yes they make sure they strictly eat clean but they also carb cycle.

A friend of mine is carb cycling to get to a boxing weight and his typical carb cycle is (whilst keeping protein / fat intake relatively stable throughout the week):

Mon: Low Carb
Tue: Normal
Wed: Low Carb
Thurs: High Carb
Fri: Low Carb
Sat: Normal
Sun: High Carb

He does say the low carb after his high carb days are very difficult but he has seen results. It makes it easier knowing he has another high carb day in a few days and he doesnt have to go without for weeks at a time. He tends to trim down to 5-7% BF maintaining lean muscle, so it does work. Just don't deprive yourself for long periods of time. Let yourself have one or two days a week where you up your carb intake.

Or something similar. PLay around with the number

Danthewatcher

I'm loving this thread.

So today, a study was published.
Although the study is specifically about cancer, I thought I'd share...

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/high-carbohydrate-diet-tied-to-cancer-20110616-1g4o9.html

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Low-carb-high-protein-diet-cut-cancer-risk/articleshow/8862864.cms

I've recently adjusted to 40 - 30 - 30.
Then this hits the stands...

Although it's still to early for me to say anything at all about it, I am looking forward to the results the change might or might not bring.

Thoughts on the articles?