LOW CARB MACRO'S + FAT INTAKE :/

wackyfunster

I am registered dietitan and I'm not going to get into the whole discussion about low carb diets (they can be pretty controversial)...I would say that if you choose to follow a low carb diet, don't forget your non starchy vegetables! It is very important to still have plenty of spinach, broccoli, kale, celery, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers etc. to help provide essential nutrients. These are practically calorie and carb free and will help your body healthy by contributing vitamins and fiber to your diet. You will feel better, trust me. Good luck!

This is good advice for anyone on any diet!

cthon98

This is true. It can similarly cause ketosis. I tried to lower my carbs while pregnant because a friend of mine did this and said it was okay and healthy, but my dr ended up telling me I was experiencing a release and increase of ketones in my system and ketosis. It depends, but for some people it doesn't work out.

you say "can cause ketosis" like that's a bad thing. It's not. It's not harmful in any way.

msshiraz

I have done every low carb diet out there- and I believe in the concept- it works, but I also know there are good fats and bad ones.
On low carb for months- and went to dr for routine bloodwork- I had high cholesterol!! Not too bad, just outside the normal range- I had to contribute this to all the saturated fats- specific too, salad dressings.

I do best with low carb, lean meats, not no beef, just maybe 1-2X a week, chicken, fish and lots and lots of veggies. I have my carbs before I work out- bananas with oatmeal- I try to keep the carbs all natural- doesn't always happen but it is what makes me lose weight and feel amazing!

cthon98

Also, I'd recommend shooting for ~50g carbs/day as a minimum to prevent muscle breakdown due to glucogenesis (your body needs glucose for your brain, and will break down muscle to get it if you don't have significant carb intake in your diet).

I'm sure I'll get 20 people who have been unsuccessful at losing weight telling me that I am wrong about all of this, but whatever.

As a side note, for 99% of people, low-carb dieting does not provide any weight loss benefit vs. just increasing the proportion of caloric intake that comes from protein. It starts being relevant at very low body fat percentages, but for most people the real benefits are that it makes it easier to increase protein intake, and as a result provides better satiety.

How about someone who has been very successful telling you you're wrong about all this?

Firstly, the brain doesn't need as much glucose as you seem to think it needs. A person in ketosis can power their brain almost entirely by ketones. The only time it's even going to look to muscle for something to break down is if you're in severe fasting and you don't have enough body fat or dietary fat for it to break down for that. Before that, glucogenesis is the breakdown of amino acids themselves, not specifically muscle.

Next, most low carb diets that I've seen are low carb, high fat, not low carb high protein. Protein is fine and all, but it's not the key point here. It's also not where the satiety comes from.

Also seriously, 99% of people it doesn't offer benefit? Tell that to me and the 33 pounds I've lost quite easily low carbing it. Tell that to a large community on /r/keto. Tell that to the still sizeable keto community on MFP.

Feel free to take a browse through my diary and tell me how I'm doing it wrong, though.

wackyfunster

Also, I'd recommend shooting for ~50g carbs/day as a minimum to prevent muscle breakdown due to glucogenesis (your body needs glucose for your brain, and will break down muscle to get it if you don't have significant carb intake in your diet).

I'm sure I'll get 20 people who have been unsuccessful at losing weight telling me that I am wrong about all of this, but whatever.

As a side note, for 99% of people, low-carb dieting does not provide any weight loss benefit vs. just increasing the proportion of caloric intake that comes from protein. It starts being relevant at very low body fat percentages, but for most people the real benefits are that it makes it easier to increase protein intake, and as a result provides better satiety.

How about someone who has been very successful telling you you're wrong about all this?

Firstly, the brain doesn't need as much glucose as you seem to think it needs. A person in ketosis can power their brain almost entirely by ketones. The only time it's even going to look to muscle for something to break down is if you're in severe fasting and you don't have enough body fat or dietary fat for it to break down for that. Before that, glucogenesis is the breakdown of amino acids themselves, not specifically muscle.

Next, most low carb diets that I've seen are low carb, high fat, not low carb high protein. Protein is fine and all, but it's not the key point here. It's also not where the satiety comes from.

Also seriously, 99% of people it doesn't offer benefit? Tell that to me and the 33 pounds I've lost quite easily low carbing it. Tell that to a large community on /r/keto. Tell that to the still sizeable keto community on MFP.

Feel free to take a browse through my diary and tell me how I'm doing it wrong, though.

You're doing fine, and congrats on your results! Your caloric deficit is responsible for the weight loss though, not the low carb intake. If you keep your protein intake and net caloric intake constant, your weight loss will continue at the same rate if you replace some fat with carbs. You can try it and see for yourself if you like.

Edit: you'll see initial weight gain of approximately 2 pounds per 200g of carbs as glycogen stores are replenished. For most people this amounts to 5-20 pounds of water weight.

MemphisKitten

New research is pointing toward processed food and carbs to causing insulin resistance. I'm not sure how healthy the meal you mentioned is, but make sure you eat lots of vegetables too. People who bash low carb should take a look at how many sugars and processed foods they are taking in. This is an issue that will continue to be debated.

firstsip

Also, I'd recommend shooting for ~50g carbs/day as a minimum to prevent muscle breakdown due to glucogenesis (your body needs glucose for your brain, and will break down muscle to get it if you don't have significant carb intake in your diet).

I'm sure I'll get 20 people who have been unsuccessful at losing weight telling me that I am wrong about all of this, but whatever.

As a side note, for 99% of people, low-carb dieting does not provide any weight loss benefit vs. just increasing the proportion of caloric intake that comes from protein. It starts being relevant at very low body fat percentages, but for most people the real benefits are that it makes it easier to increase protein intake, and as a result provides better satiety.

How about someone who has been very successful telling you you're wrong about all this?

Firstly, the brain doesn't need as much glucose as you seem to think it needs. A person in ketosis can power their brain almost entirely by ketones. The only time it's even going to look to muscle for something to break down is if you're in severe fasting and you don't have enough body fat or dietary fat for it to break down for that. Before that, glucogenesis is the breakdown of amino acids themselves, not specifically muscle.

Next, most low carb diets that I've seen are low carb, high fat, not low carb high protein. Protein is fine and all, but it's not the key point here. It's also not where the satiety comes from.

Also seriously, 99% of people it doesn't offer benefit? Tell that to me and the 33 pounds I've lost quite easily low carbing it. Tell that to a large community on /r/keto. Tell that to the still sizeable keto community on MFP.

Feel free to take a browse through my diary and tell me how I'm doing it wrong, though.

It's always discouraging to see people think their anecdotal story, or their Swiss cheese information, makes them an expert.

I AM doing low carb, however, saying that doing 20-30g of lower is sustainable and "nothing wrong" is misinformation. Most doctors and nutritionists advise only doing that for a limited amount of time... not for the rest of your life, and definitely not if you are upping cardio/strength training (or just including them, in general). Even the Paleo craze incorporates natural, complex carbs. Even the Atkins "diet" says to do such a low carb goal for no more than two weeks to a month.

Eating 100g of carbs a day is much different than eating 20g.

I know and have seen several people who've had success eating at such low carbs... but you need to take into account long term effects on your body.

Lots of people have success losing weight at 1200 calories... but your body is not meant to be in a deficit for long periods of time. You WILL lower your immune system, you WILL run the risk of losing heart mass, altering hormones, etc.

This issue is not just weight with low calorie, low carb, whatever macro plan you want: the issue is overall health.

You don't have to go to eating 300g of carbs a day to "maintain," but you don't have to eat 20g and run a 5k or lift for an hour, either. Both of things can have possible detriments.

Keep in mind, I'm not really agreeing with most of the information in this thread, but to come in and say, "I was successful doing this; you must be wrong," is just as bad as someone saying, "I wasn't successful, so I must be right." You and people you know are not an accurate sample size for determining a GENERAL principle.

And saying, "Ha, anyone saying otherwise must be unsuccessful" is frankly offensive and a big ol' red herring: if someone hasn't as much weight as you, or as fast as you, does not make their success any more or less than yours. And it certainly doesn't change the goddamn science at work here.

This is to both of these comments, by the way.

Katla49

I have type 1 diabetes and Celiac disease. I eat a very low carb diet. I stay around 1600 calories. I do try to stick with lean cuts of meat and chicken, fish, etc. I also do not eat processed food and rarely eat in restaurants because i seem to always get glutened.

My husband has quite a bit in common with you. He does not have celiac disease, but does have gluten intolerance issues and type 1 diabetes. Subway has gluten free sandwiches available in Oregon and a couple of other test states. The guy who makes them at our local store gets all gloved up and is careful to avoid cross contamination. I understand they plan to expand this to additional states but I don't know the time table. It is possible to order gluten free food in a Chinese restaurant, but we've discovered that this food is amazingly high in calories and salt, and I'm not sure about cross contamination. I'm quite sure that our situation is easier than yours because he's only intolerant and doesn't have celiac disease. I read that Outback Steak House also has gluten free offerings.

On the home front, our local IGA has gluten free bread and buns available in the freezer case, and some fresh on the shelf. In addition, they will order things if we request them. That's how we got the Gluten Free hamburger buns. Chain stores like Safeway don't have that level of flexibility in their ordering (IGA means Independent Grocers's Association, I think.) Fred Meyer, (Krogers) also offers gluten free products in its health foods section. We discovered DH's Gluten issues when his acupuncture doctor advised him to leave beer behind in favor of Saki highballs. The switch allowed him to feel much better and we've found gluten free beer that he likes okay. Widmer Brewing offers two gluten free beers, both called Omission. One is a lager and the other is Pale Ale. DH likes the lager better, but the Saki is the lower calorie option, so he only drinks the beer as an occasional treat. I think that one of the Widmer family members is a celiac or has intolerance issues.

I wish you the best possible luck.

AlabasterVerve

Eating 100g of carbs a day is much different than eating 20g.

I know and have seen several people who've had success eating at such low carbs... but you need to take into account long term effects on your body.

People are capable of adapting to and thriving on a very low carb diets. The Inuits did it and diabetics and people with seizures were treated with ketogenic diets for their entire lives -- if you want to look at the "goddamned science" those would be good places to start.

Verity1111

This is true. It can similarly cause ketosis. I tried to lower my carbs while pregnant because a friend of mine did this and said it was okay and healthy, but my dr ended up telling me I was experiencing a release and increase of ketones in my system and ketosis. It depends, but for some people it doesn't work out.

Ketosis is actually very helpful for losing body fat once free fatty acids are no longer available for metabolism (around 10% body fat for men and 18% for women). For people above that level, I have not seen any evidence that it produces faster fat loss than simple caloric restriction.

It may be helpful for losing body fat for some people, but it surely didn't help my system any. I had negative side effects. for some people it does no harm, but this can only go on for a certain period of time and for some people it happens quicker than others. If someone maintains a diet causing ketosis for years it *can* cause problems for some people. Worst issues and most common would be related to the liver and kidneys. My friend was pregnant and went on a low carb diet because of her weight (recommended) or maybe even non existent carb, but she had it monitored for those reasons. I just read an article that had people on higher calories, like 1,800 calories and 1,500, than the OP. I did this for my report. Well, it was shown the low carb diet raised ketone levels by over three times what the Mediterranean diet did and almost twice that of the low fat diet. Therefore, low carb diets would be said to be more likely to cause ketosis (higher levels of ketones in the body than usual). Theoretically, I would logically assume a even lower calorie intake would cause a higher risk of ketosis.

Verity1111

This is true. It can similarly cause ketosis. I tried to lower my carbs while pregnant because a friend of mine did this and said it was okay and healthy, but my dr ended up telling me I was experiencing a release and increase of ketones in my system and ketosis. It depends, but for some people it doesn't work out.

you say "can cause ketosis" like that's a bad thing. It's not. It's not harmful in any way.

It can be dangerous for some people and if extreme can lead to kidney failure. And No, I don't mean ketoacidosis, a similar issue related to diabetics. It would take an extreme amount, but even without something that extreme ketosis can cause unpleasant symptoms for some people.

lacurandera1

Your body uses carbohydrates to produce glucose, a type of sugar that serves as your body's primary energy source. Your muscles also store it in the form of glycogen. Exercise physiologist Greg Landry notes that high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets deplete your muscle's stores, leading to muscle loss. This loss of muscle usually accounts for the rapid weight loss that usually occurs in the beginning stages of these diets. Additionally, this process also leads to dehydration, the other big factor in reducing the number on the scale, particularly early on.

Inadequate glycogen increases muscle fatigue, making it more difficult to exercise. It can also lead to difficulty maintaining muscle tone.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/290839-high-protein-low-carb-diet-problems/#ixzz2CPHNHn8A

You really would be better off, healthier in the long run, if you ate a more balanced diet. Who wants to lose 20 lbs if 19 of it is muscle mass?

vytamindi

Your body uses carbohydrates to produce glucose, a type of sugar that serves as your body's primary energy source. Your muscles also store it in the form of glycogen. Exercise physiologist Greg Landry notes that high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets deplete your muscle's stores, leading to muscle loss. This loss of muscle usually accounts for the rapid weight loss that usually occurs in the beginning stages of these diets. Additionally, this process also leads to dehydration, the other big factor in reducing the number on the scale, particularly early on.

Inadequate glycogen increases muscle fatigue, making it more difficult to exercise. It can also lead to difficulty maintaining muscle tone.

Which is why High Fat, Mod Protein, and Low Carb diets generally follow these macros: 65% fat, 30% protein, 5% carb. Your body can also run on fat. It's not a one trick pony.

firstsip

Eating 100g of carbs a day is much different than eating 20g.

I know and have seen several people who've had success eating at such low carbs... but you need to take into account long term effects on your body.

People are capable of adapting to and thriving on a very low carb diets. The Inuits did it and diabetics and people with seizures were treated with ketogenic diets for their entire lives -- if you want to look at the "goddamned science" those would be good places to start.

Maybe you could try... understanding science? I mean, you're seriously pointing out people that are not physically able to follow normal diets as signs of "adaptation"?

Inuits took several generations of people (think: thousands, if not hundreds of thousands years) to adapt.

The human body's a great thing, but because ONE or a handful of human bodies you "happen to know on forums" have one thing, does not refute more science.

Sigh.

sobriquet84

if you're very concerned about saturated fat, don't be. its trans fat that are bad.

that said, a low carb diet doesn't necessarily have to be a very high fat diet, or a high in "bad" fat diet.

i live low carb (40-90 net a day depending on the day, but usually about 50 a day) and i get most my fat calories from nuts, fish, avocado, olive oil, and the rest of it is from the so-called "bad" sources such as cheese, eggs and red meat. i average about 60g of fat a day, which is actually the standard recommended daily allowance for fat intake for a normal adult diet anyway!

i am currently eating 1200-1500 calories a day.

cthon98

You really would be better off, healthier in the long run, if you ate a more balanced diet. Who wants to lose 20 lbs if 19 of it is muscle mass?

Lost 33 pounds, actually gained muscle in the process. What now?

AlabasterVerve

Eating 100g of carbs a day is much different than eating 20g.

I know and have seen several people who've had success eating at such low carbs... but you need to take into account long term effects on your body.

People are capable of adapting to and thriving on a very low carb diets. The Inuits did it and diabetics and people with seizures were treated with ketogenic diets for their entire lives -- if you want to look at the "goddamned science" those would be good places to start.

Maybe you could try... understanding science? I mean, you're seriously pointing out people that are not physically able to follow normal diets as signs of "adaptation"?

Inuits took several generations of people (think: thousands, if not hundreds of thousands years) to adapt.

The human body's a great thing, but because ONE or a handful of human bodies you "happen to know on forums" have one thing, does not refute more science.

Sigh.

I'm sorry but you're just wrong. Humans are amazingly adaptable and can thrive both in the absence of carbs and with a diet that contains up to 90% carbs in a matter of weeks -- not hudreds of thousands of years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilhjalmur_Stefansson

snowfox1

bump

Rodhands

A good example is I know someone who is addicted to drugs, pills. He eventually took high dosages because he "adapted." You know what happens now when he doesn't take them? He hears voices, and has some degree of psychosis because he has "adapted" to these drugs.

If someone has adapted to a specific environment/food/drug/whatever. Put them back in to a standard environment. They won't do well.

That is a ridiculous, and frankly DISGUSTING equivalency and you should be ashmed of yourself for referencing drug addicts to carb-lite people.

I am perfectly content on my ultra-low carb diet and have suffered no side effects bar the initial period of adaptation. As it happens I have more energy and vibrancy in my life now than I ever did when I was eating "standard". What you seem unable to grasp is that the way you lost weight isnt the way everyone should, weight loss is NOT a one size fits all process.

I have read your views in other threads and have been continually frustrated by your utter lack of willingness to see other points of view so I wont be continuing this debate with you, I just thoughtn you needed to know how disgusting that statement was.

TO the OP

I eat 5%/35%/60% carbs/fats/proteins for someone of my weight (101kg) that means ~20g/115g/118g each day as I am aiming for a calorific intake of 1570 a day before exercise.

these are the harsh outer limits of Keto mind so you dont NEED to go this low, a low carb diet is realistically anything under 50g a day, I know many people that have eaten at 10% or even 15% carbs on a low carb diet and done fine. of you are going to go upto 15% then try 15%/30%/55%.

Note if you are just starting expect your body to reject the change initially, you are teaching your body to accept different energy sources and like anything it is not going to be happy moving from the norm. However 2 weeks on from that things will get better, if they dont then maybe Keto isn't for you, if thats the case I recommend looking at another diet that may fit your needs better