Anyone Doing Low-Carb High-Fat?

jcolier

but it is important to get at least 75-100 grams of carbohydrate a day to avoid ketosis

Ketosis is good, it is the result of fat being utilized. Ketoacidosis is bad.

3laine75

Fats have been vilified for a long time and they are actually quite good for the body, in many respects. Essential fatty acids are just that---essential. However, very high levels of protein put a bit of a strain on the kidneys and it can be counter-productive as it "teaches" your body to burn protein.

By the same token, it is just as mistaken to vilify carbohydrates. Certainly, we could do with a lot less of the refined carbohydrates that the typical diet contains but the starchy vegetables like potatoes are actually quite good for you (and they are usually eliminated on very low carb plans). If you decide to go the lower carb way, that can be very beneficial but it is important to get at least 75-100 grams of carbohydrate a day to avoid ketosis (and it should be from better sources like vegetables and moderate fruit intake). We really don't need any added sugar at all. Our great-great-grandparents got along with just a tiny fraction of what we eat--5 pounds a year vs. the 150 pounds a year that the typical diet contains today. We probably should cut back on our grain consumption as well, and concentrate on getting our carbs from a complex source--like vegetables in particular.

Grain is a complex carbohydrate btw - most fruit and the odd veg are simple carbs

AnguishLanguish

I love doing Low Carb- I aim for 65/30/5 split of my macros (fat, protein, carbs); I feel great, I don't have spikes in my BSL and rarely get cravings. I am satiated most of the time and am better able to understand my body when I am low carb. Best nutritional move I have made in my life.

AnguishLanguish

but it is important to get at least 75-100 grams of carbohydrate a day to avoid ketosis

Ketosis is good, it is the result of fat being utilized. Ketoacidosis is bad.

I'm glad you made this point, a very important difference between the two.

oh_em_gee

Yes, but not fully. I'm doing less carb than MFP suggests as well as more fat and protein, but I'm usually just over 100 for net carbs, which is a far cry from Atkins. I do it for 3 reasons.

1. Fat and protein fills me up and keeps me full. I could easily eat 600 calories of simple carbs, but I couldn't eat that much in meat.

2. Most of the foods I see as not essential are carbs. White bread, chips, pretzels, etc just aren't worth the calories to me.

3. Most of the foods I binge on are carbs, if not all. I mean, who binges on salad with grilled chicken? And, if I can't control myself with a food, it has to be out.

Eta: sugar is my down fall though

MerlinWilliams

I'm LCHF.

I feel better than I've felt for most of my adult life. I'm losing weight steadily, without being hungry and without any sweet cravings.

I'm looking forward to establishing a new set point for my body, and then learning to fine tune my intake to keep my weight where I want it.

sallyaj

I love doing Low Carb- I aim for 65/30/5 split of my macros (fat, protein, carbs); I feel great, I don't have spikes in my BSL and rarely get cravings. I am satiated most of the time and am better able to understand my body when I am low carb. Best nutritional move I have made in my life.

Do you worry about calories at all?

sallyaj

I'm LCHF.

I feel better than I've felt for most of my adult life. I'm losing weight steadily, without being hungry and without any sweet cravings.

I'm looking forward to establishing a new set point for my body, and then learning to fine tune my intake to keep my weight where I want it.

Merlin, I am with you! It's early days yet, but I feel good. I'm sleeping very well. I had been waking at night around 2:30am and reading for a while before sleeping. Not anymore. I sleep soundly and wake without an alarm.

I'm going to keep adding five carbs a week until I stop losing weight. Then I'll know my maintenance point.

sallyaj

Yes, but not fully. I'm doing less carb than MFP suggests as well as more fat and protein, but I'm usually just over 100 for net carbs, which is a far cry from Atkins. I do it for 3 reasons.

1. Fat and protein fills me up and keeps me full. I could easily eat 600 calories of simple carbs, but I couldn't eat that much in meat.

2. Most of the foods I see as not essential are carbs. White bread, chips, pretzels, etc just aren't worth the calories to me.

3. Most of the foods I binge on are carbs, if not all. I mean, who binges on salad with grilled chicken? And, if I can't control myself with a food, it has to be out.

Eta: sugar is my down fall though

1. yes
2. yes
3. yes!!

I'm not missing sugar yet, but I'm missing the odd glass of wine.

sallyaj

Just make sure you are fulfilling your need for fiber. High fat/low carb diets are often lacking in fiber unless you specifically track it.

Shoot for 20-30g daily.

Thanks, I see that I wasn't tracking fiber, but it makes sense to do so. I may be low for a few weeks but as I increase my carbs in the form of green veggies each week, fiber will go up.

cmriverside

Just make sure you are fulfilling your need for fiber. High fat/low carb diets are often lacking in fiber unless you specifically track it.

Shoot for 20-30g daily.

Thanks, I see that I wasn't tracking fiber, but it makes sense to do so. I may be low for a few weeks but as I increase my carbs in the form of green veggies each week, fiber will go up.

It's actually one of the things this site tracks by default on the Printable Version of your Food Diary. Go to the bottom of the page on "Food" and click the orange "Printable Version" button...I think it's the last column.

SanteMulberry

Fats have been vilified for a long time and they are actually quite good for the body, in many respects. Essential fatty acids are just that---essential. However, very high levels of protein put a bit of a strain on the kidneys and it can be counter-productive as it "teaches" your body to burn protein.

By the same token, it is just as mistaken to vilify carbohydrates. Certainly, we could do with a lot less of the refined carbohydrates that the typical diet contains but the starchy vegetables like potatoes are actually quite good for you (and they are usually eliminated on very low carb plans). If you decide to go the lower carb way, that can be very beneficial but it is important to get at least 75-100 grams of carbohydrate a day to avoid ketosis (and it should be from better sources like vegetables and moderate fruit intake). We really don't need any added sugar at all. Our great-great-grandparents got along with just a tiny fraction of what we eat--5 pounds a year vs. the 150 pounds a year that the typical diet contains today. We probably should cut back on our grain consumption as well, and concentrate on getting our carbs from a complex source--like vegetables in particular.

Grain is a complex carbohydrate btw - most fruit and the odd veg are simple carbs

I was not speaking of whole grains but rather grain starch like white flour--sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. But you are wrong about the veggies and fruit--just grabbed this off the net:

"...Some examples of healthy foods containing complex carbohydrates are:

Spinach Whole Barley Grapefruit
Turnip Greens Buckwheat Apples
Lettuce Buckwheat bread Prunes
Water Cress Oat bran bread Apricots, Dried
Zucchini Oatmeal Pears
Asparagus Oat bran cereal Plums
Artichokes Museli Strawberries
Okra Wild rice Oranges
Cabbage Brown rice Yams
Celery Multi-grain bread Carrots
Cucumbers Pinto beans Potatoes
Dill Pickles Yogurt, low fat Soybeans
Radishes Skim milk Lentils
Broccoli Navy beans Garbanzo beans
Brussels Sprouts Cauliflower Kidney beans
Eggplant Soy milk Lentils
Onions Whole meal spelt bread Split peas

SanteMulberry

but it is important to get at least 75-100 grams of carbohydrate a day to avoid ketosis

Ketosis is good, it is the result of fat being utilized. Ketoacidosis is bad.

It is true that ketoacidosis can quickly kill you. However, the jury is still out on whether or not it is safe to be in ketosis for extended periods of time. To stay in ketosis would likely require severe restrictions on vegetables and fruits and that is an unhealthy diet over time.

cmdeerwalker

Hi Sally,

I'm doing a modified Atkins for epilepsy - my seizures are way down, my moods are better, and I lost weight initially, but have stalled. I'm kicking my exercise up a couple of notches, adding more cardio and circuit training. I read the Metabolic Effect (ME) program and am trying that. I try to keep net carbs between 50-80, protein between 60-80, and make sure my blood sugar is between 80-90 an hour and a half after each meal, and I'm eating about 1200 calories a day.

My cholesterol went up a little, so last year my doctor asked me to cut the fat a bit - and I did, and gained about 10 lbs. back. Now, I'm having a hard time getting back into weight loss. :-\

Hopefully the additional exercise will shake things up!

Thanks for the topic!
C

mmapags

Gary Taubes explains this well in his book Why We Get Fat.

I have nothing against the low carb diets out there... as long as it's something you are going to do for the rest of your life... because if you won't than it is not sustainable.

I just want to point out that while he may have some decent information, Gary Taubes is not the greatest source of health information out there. He is a journalist and a writer... he is not a scientist or a nutritionist.

True! What Gary is is an excellent researcher and writer, who is able to understand the difference between an observational study and a causal link and summarize findings in an understandable way for a lay audience, which doctors and scholars sometimes have trouble doing.

There are many doctors and scholars when you look for them: Dr. Peter Attia, Dr. Michael Eades Diet Doctor (Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt), Dr. John Briffa, Dr. Richard Feinman, Professor Robert H. Lustig, MD, Dr Mary Vernon, Dr Stephen Phinney, Dr Eric C. Westman ... the list goes on.

Taubes is an excellent cherry picker of research to support his own agenda. Go to Weightology.com, a site run by a highly respected nutritioanl expert James Kreiger, and find his analysis of Taubes book. it'll be eye opening.

MerlinWilliams

I'm not missing sugar yet, but I'm missing the odd glass of wine.

I'm not missing the wine...I'm drinking it!

turbojam_rocks

I just started low-carb high-fat also..Its called "The serial killer diet" from the martin clinic..The only thing is im really confused as to what to eat..I am supposed to stay under 30 carbs a day til i start burning fat ,then up to 120 i believe..also have a cheat day which i really love..But if anyone has any suggestions it would be great:)

lovelee79

bump

Proyecto_AN

I'm doing CKD; feel free to check my diary and if you want add me!

starvinkevin

Im doing it - lost around 9 lbs in 2 weeks... it's way way easier than low cal, high carb