Low Carb vs Low Fat?

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Question... If what you are doing is working, why do you want to change it?

I guess I am impatient and want faster results.. even though that wouldn't be healthy because I'm already losing what's recommended.. So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm a nerd and need to stop being impatient.. haha but I am just curious. Also, I love love love fruits, but they tend to be high in carbs..

Just a thought for you OP... the quicker it comes off, the quicker it comes back on when you start eating "normally" again. A small deficit, without really restricting much of anything, would be best. It will get you there slower, but it will be sustainable and the results will stick. Patience is so important in this journey.

And start strength training too!

Again...this doesn't work for all of us. A "cookie cutter" approach isn't always going to work for everyone.

That might be true; however, overly restrictive diets are less effective for many more people than this "cookie cutter" approach.

magerum

I've found low-nothing seems to work well. Eat all the food! Find a macro nutrient balance that works for you and stick with it.

CoderGal

I'm not a fan of 'low' anything or restrictive diets. I'd rather eat foods I like in moderation, throw in some fruits and veggies, make sure I'm getting enough protein and exercise. Simple and sustainable for me.

I am the same

Ditto!

I ditto the ditto!

Did I just ditto the ditto that was dittoed? I think so.

CoderGal

Question... If what you are doing is working, why do you want to change it?

I guess I am impatient and want faster results.. even though that wouldn't be healthy because I'm already losing what's recommended.. So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm a nerd and need to stop being impatient.. haha but I am just curious. Also, I love love love fruits, but they tend to be high in carbs..

Just a thought for you OP... the quicker it comes off, the quicker it comes back on when you start eating "normally" again. A small deficit, without really restricting much of anything, would be best. It will get you there slower, but it will be sustainable and the results will stick. Patience is so important in this journey.

And start strength training too!

Again...this doesn't work for all of us. A "cookie cutter" approach isn't always going to work for everyone.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/715411-you-are-not-different?hl=special+snowflake

you are not different.

:laugh: :flowerforyou:

gp79

Moderation = excuse

JesterMFP

Moderation = excuse

Not everyone needs an excuse for eating the food they enjoy.

kimmywodrich

So I have been doing a low carb/high protein diet and have gotten some pretty awesome results from it. Recently, I've had a lot of people mention that low fat is "healthier" due to the amount of fats in many meats... Thoughts?

Yup, been there and done that. Diets like those are not sustainable and I found they hurt me in the long run, delayed my success.

These were the diets I tried and failed and did the diet yo-yo with for 15 years:

Low fat high carb, Slim-Fast, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Organic, Weston Price Diet, The Schwarzbein Principle, Eat Fat Lose Fat, The Ultimate PH Solution, The Makers Diet, A friends diet from a personal trainer/dietician

I finally just got sick of it all and made up my own diet with healthy foods I enjoy and smaller portions. I ate my meals from small desert plates and bowls. I stopped eating in the evenings (not that when you eat matters.) I started calling what I did mini-meals and mini-fasts and I lost 40 lbs. Then I found Eat Stop Eat and learned why it worked and everything took off for me at that point.

Eat what you want, eat what you like, mostly healthy. Don’t deprive yourself of foods you love unless there is a serious health risk. Depriving yourself of food you love and creating extensive good food and bad food lists at some point borders on a mental disorder. It will drive you insane.

Can you explain your experience with EatStopEat? I've been doing research and I may try it!

CoderGal

So I have been doing a low carb/high protein diet and have gotten some pretty awesome results from it. Recently, I've had a lot of people mention that low fat is "healthier" due to the amount of fats in many meats... Thoughts?

Yup, been there and done that. Diets like those are not sustainable and I found they hurt me in the long run, delayed my success.

These were the diets I tried and failed and did the diet yo-yo with for 15 years:

Low fat high carb, Slim-Fast, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Organic, Weston Price Diet, The Schwarzbein Principle, Eat Fat Lose Fat, The Ultimate PH Solution, The Makers Diet, A friends diet from a personal trainer/dietician

I finally just got sick of it all and made up my own diet with healthy foods I enjoy and smaller portions. I ate my meals from small desert plates and bowls. I stopped eating in the evenings (not that when you eat matters.) I started calling what I did mini-meals and mini-fasts and I lost 40 lbs. Then I found Eat Stop Eat and learned why it worked and everything took off for me at that point.

Eat what you want, eat what you like, mostly healthy. Don’t deprive yourself of foods you love unless there is a serious health risk. Depriving yourself of food you love and creating extensive good food and bad food lists at some point borders on a mental disorder. It will drive you insane.

Can you explain your experience with EatStopEat? I've been doing research and I may try it!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/781231-what-are-yourthought-on-intermittent-fasting
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/784066-questions-about-intermittent-fasting

I read the first one and grew tired of a bunch of ignorant people saying stupid things on both sides without any real explinations or science and decided to try it myself after reading that first thread 5 days ago. I've been doing 8hr window 16 hr fast. No reason at all other then curiosity. Quite the dramatic change from what I was doing. It started as just a thing I could try while my bf was on vacation but I'm actually growing rather attached to it. You may want to read up on these little enemies though:

http://phys.org/news170688849.html

This is the only temporary downfall I've had with it so far over my short time I've had with it. Basically, your body keeps track of when food is available, and if you decide to stop eating during those times, the body tells you there's food. I've been feeling hungry at odd hours and I absolutely hate the hungry feeling. But after the short 5 days I've had with fasting the hunger feelings have gone away. I've been netting 1700 calories before and during IF.

Does it do any magic make the fat fall off you tricks? Haven't seen a smidge of a difference yet measurement wise or weight wise. I think my mind is playing tricks on me though because I 'feel' skinnier, and it seems to have that affect on everyone since people will say it after a very short period of time without measuring themselves. But I still recommend people try it who are willing for other reasons. The science of the benefits behind it, convenience, my energy levels while already marked as hyper seem to have increased, I have a better sense of what my body needs I think....

And that brings me to the only difference I've felt other then the effects time on ghrelin (see phys link above). After hardly drinking any water for a month really realizing I had stopped, as soon as I started IF every night at about 9oclock I've become incredibly thirsty...and then it dawns on me that I haven't drank anything. Thanks IF, for keeping me hydrated.

As for research what I've found negative with IF is explained in these links:
http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/women-and-intermittent-fasting/

jeninabilan

Thanks for all of the amazing feedback guys! I am a VERY extreme/all or nothing person.. If you tell me I can have "some" pasta, I will eat all of it.. lol So for me, it's very important to set rules and boundaries and not allow myself to have "everything I want". Its not that I think I'm "different" physically or biologically, it's that I know my strength and weaknesses mentally and emotionally and the whole everything in moderation thing does NOT work for me.. I wish it did! hehe

kimmywodrich

That's really great, thank you so much for all the information! I'm going to keep doing research, but it seems like this is something I can maintain. I should be able to kick out binges with it! Fingers crossed : )

Bakkasan

Do what works for you. Study up if you want to make your own informed decision.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov - there are dozens of positive studies about LC. From metabolic advantages, treatment of diabetes 2 and metabolic syndrome, positive effect of cholesterol DESPITE the negativity on mfp. I just hope medical publications can be accepted as possibly being correct.

Even you anti low carbers. Take a look. You might be surprised.

jeninabilan

Do what works for you. Study up if you want to make your own informed decision.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov - there are dozens of positive studies about LC. From metabolic advantages, treatment of diabetes 2 and metabolic syndrome, positive effect of cholesterol DESPITE the negativity on mfp. I just hope medical publications can be accepted as possibly being correct.

Even you anti low carbers. Take a look. You might be surprised.

Thanks so much hun! I do have type 2 diabetes in my family, so I am definitely trying to be healthy for that reason as well

CoderGal

Do what works for you. Study up if you want to make your own informed decision.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov - there are dozens of positive studies about LC. From metabolic advantages, treatment of diabetes 2 and metabolic syndrome, positive effect of cholesterol DESPITE the negativity on mfp. I just hope medical publications can be accepted as possibly being correct.

Even you anti low carbers. Take a look. You might be surprised.

As you're reading these though keep in mind of what circumstances they're based on. Many studies that prove one thing can be used to prove the opposite. It just takes one variable to be added or something else to be changed. Same goes for the negative ones. I can't help but think the negative effects on women when doing IF is due to something else...like the fact they cut their calories to low...or their diet...or something unrelated to the timing window. I say this as a person who use to pass out if I didn't eat breakfast. Then this year suddenly I stopped feeling dizzy...after a lot of diet changes. And then I added more protein to every meal and I just never felt dizzy anymore...and then I stopped having breakfast and never passed out lol.

It's like me saying adding protein will fix everyones dizzyness problems....it could fix some I'm sure...but the amount of other variables involved like what else I was absorbing/eating etc surely had an effect as well. All the things have to add up...Always ask questions and look at the other side

....so for example when you start getting into studies saying raspberry ketoenes make you lose weight...Start looking for missing premises. Did they include everything?
You're not a rat.
You're diet is not one of a rat.
Your metabolism is not like a rat.
You are likely free to move from room to room and do not have to be sedentary like some of the rats in these tests which may or may not be mentioned.
If you are obese, your plan is not to stay obese
Any of these variables have the ability to change the outcome.....and so raspberry ketoenes become over priced garbage.

tonydd03

Just finished a great book. Why We Get Fat and what to do about it: Gary Taubes. Gives a lot of evidence for low carb/paleo style diet. So far low carb has worked for me and I feel a lot better in general and still eat quite a bit.

SideSteel

Do what works for you. Study up if you want to make your own informed decision.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov - there are dozens of positive studies about LC. From metabolic advantages, treatment of diabetes 2 and metabolic syndrome, positive effect of cholesterol DESPITE the negativity on mfp. I just hope medical publications can be accepted as possibly being correct.

Even you anti low carbers. Take a look. You might be surprised.

I have no issue with people who want to low carb, but how about you provide links to actual studies that show a metabolic advantage to low carb dieting when calories and protein are held constant?

Sarah_Wins

Question... If what you are doing is working, why do you want to change it?

I guess I am impatient and want faster results.. even though that wouldn't be healthy because I'm already losing what's recommended.. So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm a nerd and need to stop being impatient.. haha but I am just curious. Also, I love love love fruits, but they tend to be high in carbs..

You're not gonna get any faster than low carb. That's how I got my results in 10 months.

DaBigChief

If it works for you - keep doin it. Add in a solid workout plan and your golden. By the way 100 lbs kept off for 2 years and happily sustaining a clean no 'simple' carb diet. Complex carbs taken in moderation. - Not all carbs are equal.

Sarauk2sf

Do what works for you. Study up if you want to make your own informed decision.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov - there are dozens of positive studies about LC. From metabolic advantages, treatment of diabetes 2 and metabolic syndrome, positive effect of cholesterol DESPITE the negativity on mfp. I just hope medical publications can be accepted as possibly being correct.

Even you anti low carbers. Take a look. You might be surprised.

Could you link the actual studies that show the metabolic advantages.

Sarauk2sf

Just finished a great book. Why We Get Fat and what to do about it: Gary Taubes. Gives a lot of evidence for low carb/paleo style diet. So far low carb has worked for me and I feel a lot better in general and still eat quite a bit.

Could you cite the actual evidence shown in peer reviewed studies.

Bakkasan

I have no issue with people who want to low carb, but how about you provide links to actual studies that show a metabolic advantage to low carb dieting when calories and protein are held constant?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22735432
CONCLUSION:

Among overweight and obese young adults compared with pre-weight-loss energy expenditure, isocaloric feeding following 10% to 15% weight loss resulted in decreases in REE and TEE that were greatest with the low-fat diet, intermediate with the low-glycemic index diet, and least with the very low-carbohydrate diet.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15598683 (this one is funny, they blame the non low carb group for not reporting properly)

These results confirm that short-term weight loss is greater in obese women on a low-carbohydrate diet than in those on a low-fat diet even when reported food intake is similar. The differential weight loss is not explained by differences in REE, TEF, or physical activity and likely reflects under reporting of food consumption by the low-fat dieters.


Your turn, do your own research. I have 20 of these articles bookmarked. And I don't do rat studies, only human. As fun as it is to throw that around as an argument and all.