low carb, HIGH protein

Destiny424

I am in a plateau. I've seen a couple diaries on here with LOW carb and HIGH protein... what is the difference with those who eat low carb and high protein to those that eat high carb and low protein? i don't want to gain too much muscele

mmapags

Lowering your carb intake and increasing your protein will not cause you to gain muscle unless you are lifting heavy weights and that won't happen quickly even then. As a woman, you are unnlikely to build muscle bulk without steroids. It's just not something to be concerned about. Low carb/ high protien can put your body into ketosis and cause your body to burn off some fat. I don't see that much long term benefit to that except as a jump start to get initial weight loss started. There is a benefit to lower carb, eg 150 grams per day or less in that cravings aided by the carb to glucose to insulin cycle are reduced therby making it easier to stay on plan. Are cravings a problem for you?

lizard053

If I eat too many carbs, I'm bloated, sluggish and miserable. I just don't do well with carbs. I eat high protein as I feel good and it helps curb sugar cravings. But to do this, I also drink a lot of water. Help keep things flowing, you know?

Unless you are one of those women with unusually high testosterone you will never look huge even if you lift heavy weights. In fact, it could help slim you down even further! I've only lost a couple of pounds these last two months, but I've lost 5 or 6 inches!

bcattoes

A lot of people find protein more satiating than carbs so they find it easier to stay within their calorie goals by upping their protein. That may or may not be true for you. Low protien can cause you to lose more muscle along with fat than you would if you ate more protein. Personally, moderate carbs and moderate protein works best for me.

If you have no medical problems that could affect your kidneys, give it a try and see if it works. If not, you can try something else. If you do have medical issues that could affect your kidneys it would be wise to consult your doctor before eating high protein.

grinch031

Protein can give you a metabolic advantage (ie. burn more calories at rest) because it is less efficient to burn than both carbs and fat, and if lifting it can be used to build muscle.

And to comment on ketosis, carbs are 100% anti-ketogenic and protein is 58% anti-ketogenic. That means lowering carbs always helps get into ketosis, but raising protein could actually prevent it. That's why ketogenic diets are usually low carb, moderate protein, and high fat.