Low Carbs + High Protein = Worth It?

Sunshine_Girlie

I was looking around, using 'search', but maybe I wasn't typing in the right keywords. I am doing meal replacements twice a day and am incorporating one meal a day with high protein [trying to] and a snack or two. My question is, do you really find it effective to stay low carb with high protein? I do realize my shakes are not carb free, but I am laying off the breads. I am trying to eat at least one serving of fruit and plenty of veggies daily. I am trying to lose the weight mainly and then I plan to stick with one shake to maintain--when I get to that stage. Do you think I am setting myself up for failure? How can I improve?

If you look at my diary, you will notice I have a week empty. I wasn't able to use a computer during that time. Don't hold that against me, please. It would look almost identical to any other day.

pmich08

Whatever works for you is worth it.
Personally I get pissed off if I don't eat enough carbs and I am awful to be around.
I find that as long as I am under calories after my workout I lose weight steadily.

LovingMe19

Low carb is pointless. Been there, done that.

ashnm88

Your body needs carbs, like it needs everything else.

All you need to know about carbs and what they do for you: http://www.helpwithcooking.com/nutrition-information/carbohydrates.html

essjay75

Done it-unless I'm living in a cave, it doesn't work for me. Can't concentrate, irritable, no energy for workouts.....all that stuff 'they' say is true for me. I've stopped 'refined' carbs...or 'white' carbs...

FairyMiss

low carb works great for some , not so much for others, give it a try see how you like it, see how it works for you.

and no it is not pointless to those that respond to it

aingersoll07

I have had alot of success of low carb/high protein diets. Especially South Beach. Sometimes it's important to add some in during the day for energy. I get very tired if i don't have them at all. But limiting them has always worked for me, especially around my core!

tidmutt

I've found I can lose weight on high carb or low carb but I find I have less issues with cravings and eat less if I follow a LC plan. I figured it out by tracking my intake and experimenting with different approaches. You really need to find what works for you.

@mrsgomez19, perhaps LC was pointless for you, doesn't mean it is for the OP or others.

SunnyDelight275

I think it all depends on how sensitive you are to carbs. I know that my body does not react well to starchy carbs and sends my insulin level spiking. I am on a high protein-low carb diet and have been successful in the past (prior to getting on this site). I used to actually eat like a body-builder prior to competition (extreme low carb, high protein, low fat, no sugar) but found it to be impossible to maintain. Now my rule of thumb is high protein, low carb, low sugar, low saturated fat, NO processed food. It's a work in process in order to figure out what my body responds to. Cutting out processed food helps a lot. If I were you, I would monitor my progress every two weeks. Record how your body feels, what your mood is like, how hard you can workout, etc.) If you find that something doesn't work, tweak it.

tidmutt

Done it-unless I'm living in a cave, it doesn't work for me. Can't concentrate, irritable, no energy for workouts.....all that stuff 'they' say is true for me. I've stopped 'refined' carbs...or 'white' carbs...

I found the same thing for the first week or two, then I felt better and have been primarily LC for 10 months. It doesn't work for everyone, some people seem to require more carbs to feel good, but you also need to give it some time. When I switch back to eating more carbs I don't feel any better and I find a bunch of gastrointestinal issues return. That is just my n=1 experience.

LorinaLynn

If you're sensitive to carbs or have medical issues affected by them, it's worth it. For the average person, it doesn't much matter.

I aim to get more than 100g of protein a day, but I never limit my carbs. Even the refined white ones that are supposed to be so bad. (Garlic bread and potatoes with dinner tonight! :drinker: )

I'm not a fan of meal replacements. I love eating too much to be satisfied with a shake. Plus, there was a time in my life when I had to have them (jaw problems) and the thought of downing a shake now sets off my gag reflex.

MercenaryNoetic26

It depends on what you're doing (working out) and what your goals are. I know that sounds generic, but before you try something like this, can you answer the "why"? Are you replacing 2 out of 6 meals? Or 2 out of 3?

If 2 out of 6, then okay, but 2 out of 3 meals as your shakes is NO bueno. Shakes are supplements, not replacements (unless you're anorexic and they're trying really hard to put some calories in you).

Sunshine_Girlie

It depends on what you're doing (working out) and what your goals are. I know that sounds generic, but before you try something like this, can you answer the "why"? Are you replacing 2 out of 6 meals? Or 2 out of 3?

If 2 out of 6, then okay, but 2 out of 3 meals as your shakes is NO bueno. Shakes are supplements, not replacements (unless you're anorexic and they're trying really hard to put some calories in you).

I have different snacks [2-3] throughout the day [not sure what some people consider a snack anymore]. I am at the point that I am not very hungry, so I am making myself eat something. I am not anorexic by any means, but it's the best I can do right now. I haven't lost that much weight recently, but it's like my stomach as shrunk. I am not taking any pills to reduce my appetite, but it seems as if these shakes are doing that on its own. I could be wrong.

KavemanKarg

I find low carb, medium protein, high fat, works far better.

If you are not eating carbs or fat, you are not going to have a ready source of energy.

Almost every low carb diet replaces carb calories with fat.

doughnutwretch

I focus on maintaining a caloric deficit and hitting my protein and fat goals and fill in the rest with carbs. I've seen steady losses and my energy levels are solid.

bonkers5975

It depends on you, dear. If you really want to try lc, cut out all carbs that come from sugar and refined products like white flour. See how you feel. If you want, go from there and cut wheat. Many people have sensitivities to wheat that cause them to hold weight.

I do primal/paleo, and it's great. The food is wholesome and filling (no cups of bacon grease or steak every night at dinner, but tons of healthy protien and colorful veggies and fruits.)

And LC does not mean NO carbs. Yes, we need carbs. But we need them from the right sources. Oh, and btw, if you aren't getting enough carbs, your body actually MAKES them (up to point, what you need for healthy brain function. After all, how would we have survived as a race in a world where grains and legumes were not readily available??) I keep it between 50 and 100 g most days.

And I'm finally losing again. But I am eating no sugar or artificial sweetners, no low fat products, nothing that's been messed with. I eat real food.

Best of luck to you. I hope you have great successes!

Silverkittycat

It might work for you, you'll have to experiment. When I keep my carbs under 70-100 or so I do become irritable at times, and have too much energy - I only slept 4-6 hours a night. I've always eaten a very high fat diet and don't restrict calories, and I did feel pretty well other than that, but I lost weight too quickly. I'm pretty small and can't afford the loss. Of course I had to run to the doctor and make sure I wasn't insulin resistant. I'm not, but the weight loss really scared me. :embarassed:

Your stomach is probably smaller due to it, I lose a couple pounds of water weight every time my carbs get low, perfectly normal but it doesn't continue or equate to fat loss. Which is fine if I'm 2 days away from wearing a bikini at the beach but it just didn't work as a healthy diet for me.

Oh, personally I'm not big on shakes or meal replacements, but that's just me.
Good luck finding out what works well for you.

iwantniceabs

honestly, I would be less concerned with your carb intake (although it still matters somewhat) and more focused on getting a lot of protein. Protein will give you a fuller feeling, which will help you with any cravings and keep you from eating out of habit instead of hunger. If you're getting 100g or more of protein each day, you probably won't be wanting as many carbs. At least that's been my experience Play around with it, see what works for you!

ImNotStarving

I have also had success with low carb/high fat... I'm still figuring it all out, but I'm steadily losing weight and I feel 100 times better than I did losing it the low calorie/low fat way. That's just me though... and I do what works for me The hardest part for me was the first week... after that, I started feeling better than ever.

Sunshine_Girlie

I have also had success with low carb/high fat... I'm still figuring it all out, but I'm steadily losing weight and I feel 100 times better than I did losing it the low calorie/low fat way. That's just me though... and I do what works for me The hardest part for me was the first week... after that, I started feeling better than ever.

What exactly are you eating for the high fat deal? How much fat do you consume?

auctoritas

I have also had success with low carb/high fat... I'm still figuring it all out, but I'm steadily losing weight and I feel 100 times better than I did losing it the low calorie/low fat way. That's just me though... and I do what works for me The hardest part for me was the first week... after that, I started feeling better than ever.

What exactly are you eating for the high fat deal? How much fat do you consume?

I'm also on a vlc high fat/moderate protein diet. I aim to consume 60-70% of my daily allotment as fat, 25-30% protein, and under 20g carbs/day. Some of my fat comes in the form of coconut oil (which I'm lax about logging lol), olive oil, and animal fats in the form of heavy whipping cream (lowest in carbs), butter, cheese, bacon grease, and cheap, fatty cuts of meat.

I feel a lot better than I did before, for sure, and the weight keeps coming off. I'm not losing at some of the crazy speeds I've seen other people at, but a steady clip of 1.5-2lbs/week, which is good enough for me. It's still a caloric deficit thing, of course, but the high fat/moderate protein curbs hunger really well, so rather than being ravenous before mealtimes, I eat maybe twice a day and am usually sated for quite a long time.

I don't like the idea of high protein diets because they still tend to limit fats, and the body needs fat for energy if it doesn't have carbs.

drusso1491

i didn't read all the responses so sorry if this is repeating what other people said but low carb/high protein diets can actually be pretty dangerous and counter productive... the body's preferred energy source is carbs, and not only does it fuel physical activities the brain/CNS uses it for functions as well.... carbs actually efficiently burn and use fat and protein and they are protein sparing ( your body wont go to protein to convert to energy - which results in ketosis.. ketones are acidic to the body and if youve ever been in ketosis before you WILL know it ( extremely moody, cranky , tired etc.)
- in a nutshell eat carbs...theyre WAY too important to our body to restrict them to a great amount... its actually recommended that the bulk of calories come from carbs (anywhere from %50-%70) what matters most is if your calories in < calories out youll loose weight

auctoritas

i didn't read all the responses so sorry if this is repeating what other people said but low carb/high protein diets can actually be pretty dangerous and counter productive... the body's preferred energy source is carbs, and not only does it fuel physical activities the brain/CNS uses it for functions as well.... carbs actually efficiently burn and use fat and protein and they are protein sparing ( your body wont go to protein to convert to energy - which results in ketosis.. ketones are acidic to the body and if youve ever been in ketosis before you WILL know it ( extremely moody, cranky , tired etc.)
- in a nutshell eat carbs...theyre WAY too important to our body to restrict them to a great amount... its actually recommended that the bulk of calories come from carbs (anywhere from %50-%70) what matters most is if your calories in < calories out youll loose weight

Except that obesity rates in the US didn't start rising until health officials introduced carbs as good and fat as bad. Heart disease rates sky rocketed at that point as well.

The moodiness is from induction - the short span of time where your body is readjusting to using ketones as fuel rather than carbs. It's normal, and it passes quickly - usually within a week for most, 3 weeks in extreme cases. The only side effect I have now from being in constant ketosis is dry mouth, which just encourages me to drink more, so it's more of a positive to me. Keto occurs when you eat fewer than 20-30g carbs/day, though some people can go as high as 50 if they only get cabs from veggies and have been established in keto for a while. Ketones are only dangerous in diabetics, who can lapse into ketoacidosis, which is something otherwise healthy people don't have to worry about. A low carb diet can also help restore insulin sensitivity and prevent diabetes if you were heading that way from over-consumption of carbs, as well as improve cholesterol.

I've heard conflicting information as to the brain's use of ketones. I know that the brain can, at the very least, meet 70% of it's energy requirements via ketones. The mitochondria can convert it to ATP, and it actually burns cleaner than carbs. As for the other 30%, I'm not sure. Your body either can use ketones or it can strip proteins and convert it into carbs. Carbs are not at all necessary if you balance your other macros accordingly. Plenty of cultures in the world, past and present, have lived without carbs.

Obviously it's not for everyone, standard one size does not fit all warning that every diet should include. It does also boil down to calories in calories out for weight loss, but I think the other health benefits are worth giving up bread and grains (which I find ridiculously boring now anyway compared to a steak slathered in garlic butter and a huge caesar salad - mixed greens, not romaine thx. But that's me.)

Rain_Howard

i didn't read all the responses so sorry if this is repeating what other people said but low carb/high protein diets can actually be pretty dangerous and counter productive... the body's preferred energy source is carbs, and not only does it fuel physical activities the brain/CNS uses it for functions as well.... carbs actually efficiently burn and use fat and protein and they are protein sparing ( your body wont go to protein to convert to energy - which results in ketosis.. ketones are acidic to the body and if youve ever been in ketosis before you WILL know it ( extremely moody, cranky , tired etc.)
- in a nutshell eat carbs...theyre WAY too important to our body to restrict them to a great amount... its actually recommended that the bulk of calories come from carbs (anywhere from %50-%70) what matters most is if your calories in < calories out youll loose weight

What he said. In my experience low carb diets work well for people who have a large amount of weight to lose. If you don't have a large amount of weight to drop they can be counter productive.

With many sources of carbs it isn't so much the carbs that are the issue but everything else in the item. Breads and pasta can have tons of filler and other junk in them. Try it, if it works for you, great, if not, change something until you find a balance that does work for you.
Except that obesity rates in the US didn't start rising until health officials introduced carbs as good and fat as bad. Heart disease rates sky rocketed at that point as well.

The moodiness is from induction - the short span of time where your body is readjusting to using ketones as fuel rather than carbs. It's normal, and it passes quickly - usually within a week for most, 3 weeks in extreme cases. The only side effect I have now from being in constant ketosis is dry mouth, which just encourages me to drink more, so it's more of a positive to me. Keto occurs when you eat fewer than 20-30g carbs/day, though some people can go as high as 50 if they only get cabs from veggies and have been established in keto for a while. Ketones are only dangerous in diabetics, who can lapse into ketoacidosis, which is something otherwise healthy people don't have to worry about. A low carb diet can also help restore insulin sensitivity and prevent diabetes if you were heading that way from over-consumption of carbs, as well as improve cholesterol.

I've heard conflicting information as to the brain's use of ketones. I know that the brain can, at the very least, meet 70% of it's energy requirements via ketones. The mitochondria can convert it to ATP, and it actually burns cleaner than carbs. As for the other 30%, I'm not sure. Your body either can use ketones or it can strip proteins and convert it into carbs. Carbs are not at all necessary if you balance your other macros accordingly. Plenty of cultures in the world, past and present, have lived without carbs.

Obviously it's not for everyone, standard one size does not fit all warning that every diet should include. It does also boil down to calories in calories out for weight loss, but I think the other health benefits are worth giving up bread and grains (which I find ridiculously boring now anyway compared to a steak slathered in garlic butter and a huge caesar salad - mixed greens, not romaine thx. But that's me.)

ImNotStarving

I'm also on a vlc high fat/moderate protein diet. I aim to consume 60-70% of my daily allotment as fat, 25-30% protein, and under 20g carbs/day. Some of my fat comes in the form of coconut oil (which I'm lax about logging lol), olive oil, and animal fats in the form of heavy whipping cream (lowest in carbs), butter, cheese, bacon grease, and cheap, fatty cuts of meat.

I feel a lot better than I did before, for sure, and the weight keeps coming off. I'm not losing at some of the crazy speeds I've seen other people at, but a steady clip of 1.5-2lbs/week, which is good enough for me. It's still a caloric deficit thing, of course, but the high fat/moderate protein curbs hunger really well, so rather than being ravenous before mealtimes, I eat maybe twice a day and am usually sated for quite a long time.

I don't like the idea of high protein diets because they still tend to limit fats, and the body needs fat for energy if it doesn't have carbs.

I could have written this entire thing myself, so I am not even going to answer the question because my response would be the same - LOL! I have never engaged in a low cal vs. low carb debate on these forums however, and I don't intend to start now My belief is that you do what works for you, and I'll do what works for me.

dls06

Healthy carb and protein works for me. :drinker:

noneya2010

low carb works great for some , not so much for others, give it a try see how you like it, see how it works for you.

and no it is not pointless to those that respond to it

I agree. Low carb works very well for some and not for others. For me personally (and my entire family), low carb works best. However, rather than stay away from all carbs, I'm having great success now staying away from starchy carbs/ones from processed or junk foods and sticking to natural carbs. So whereas I used to not eat fruit because it has carbs, I now am eating fruit and not finding it hindering my weight loss at all. I actually try to do 1 day with a little bit higher carb (between 80-100) and then the next day I try to limit carbs more severely to about 1/2 that amount.

UponThisRock

It's fine if you prefer to eat that way, it's not magic.

That said, I think MFP encourages low protein.