high protein = high fat !

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Replies

  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member


    40C/40P/20F- Lots of physique contestants use this in the off-season and it's part of the Burn the Fat, Keep the Muscle plan. High carbs and protein to maintain muscle, low fat so you'll burn body fat.



    does this mean diets that are high in fats won't allow you to burn body fat and just burn muscles ???

    I am soo confused right now ...

    No, it's more that a diet high in both carbohydrates *and* fat will impede fat burning. Your body will burn more of its own fat when you are in an energy demand, which translates to low insulin levels and low glucose levels. That can happen as a result of not eating or as a result of eating something low in carbohydrates. Protein increases insulin levels as well, but generally not to the same extent as carbohydrates.

    What I added were just adages regarding the logic behind the diet. That doesn't mean they're true, just that they're widely-accepted beliefs.
  • Well in that case just reasearch reasearch. There are some really great advice given here. You'll never know what works for you unless you try it. Like I've said in my earlier comments, if I go over by alot on fat one day the next to days I make sure I'm at or below my limit. I have my fat at 30% which gives me 65grams per day. When I do get ground chuck it gets high but I watch what I eat for the rest of the day. If you eat lean meats you shouldn't have a problem and like others said, if its healthy fats don't worry so much. I'm sure there are days that you don't go over so by the end of the week things equal out.

    It might be best if you open your diary up so we can see what your food is so we can help you more.

    You can order Whey protein powder online if you can't find it where you live. I'm sure there are sites that have it that will ship worl wide.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member


    40C/40P/20F- Lots of physique contestants use this in the off-season and it's part of the Burn the Fat, Keep the Muscle plan. High carbs and protein to maintain muscle, low fat so you'll burn body fat.



    does this mean diets that are high in fats won't allow you to burn body fat and just burn muscles ???

    I am soo confused right now ...

    Truly, the way to minimize muscle loss when losing weight is through exercise and by keeping your deficit reasonable. Using your muscles (especially through resistance/strength exercises) signals your body that your muscles are needed.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member

    Protein should be based on your LBM - about .7-1g/pound of lean body mass. This should stay CONSTANT

    Fat can be whatever the hell you want it to be as long as it's not lower than 20%

    Carbs can be whatever the hell you want it to be

    quoting myself, because it's really that damn simple. stop getting caught up in all this confusion - you're just making it harder on yourself.

  • Protein should be based on your LBM - about .7-1g/pound of lean body mass. This should stay CONSTANT

    Fat can be whatever the hell you want it to be as long as it's not lower than 20%

    Carbs can be whatever the hell you want it to be

    quoting myself, because it's really that damn simple. stop getting caught up in all this confusion - you're just making it harder on yourself.


    ^^ what he said! Like I keep saying, certain things work for different people. Try what other are saying and if you see no change then try the next.
  • GoMizzou99
    GoMizzou99 Posts: 512 Member
    Egg whites, chicken breast, Tilapia, turkey Breast, ground chicken and turkey....

    All baked or grilled...

    also lean ham, pork loin, shrimp, scallops, swaii, crab and krab, flounder, salmon, etc.

    You always hear about a "lifestyle change" to be successful...it takes a bit of experimentation, but see the food lists above. It works.
  • dangerxbadger
    dangerxbadger Posts: 396 Member
    Fat free Greek yogurt! Sooo much protein, and NO fat! And since Greek yogurt is so thick and creamy to begin with, the fat-free version does not lose that wonderful consistency.

    Edit: And you shouldn`t be getting too much fat from lean meats such as skinless chicken and fish. And they have a lot of protein as well.

    Yeah, but most of those fat free greek yogurts also have 30+ grams of sugar in them. YUCK.
  • Fat free Greek yogurt! Sooo much protein, and NO fat! And since Greek yogurt is so thick and creamy to begin with, the fat-free version does not lose that wonderful consistency.

    Edit: And you shouldn`t be getting too much fat from lean meats such as skinless chicken and fish. And they have a lot of protein as well.

    Yeah, but most of those fat free greek yogurts also have 30+ grams of sugar in them. YUCK.

    Get plain greek yogurt and add your own fruit.
  • cidalia73
    cidalia73 Posts: 107 Member
    0% fat Greek yogurt. Just make sure there isn't any added carrageenan (bad stuff). Also, if you watch your fat intake overall (limit added fats), you should be able to eat those "fatty" proteins without any problem. Remember, your body does need healthy fats.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    No solution here because I'm having the exact same problem, and I'm using very minimal added fat. To keep my fats down, I have to keep my proteins down, too.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Fat free Greek yogurt! Sooo much protein, and NO fat! And since Greek yogurt is so thick and creamy to begin with, the fat-free version does not lose that wonderful consistency.

    Edit: And you shouldn`t be getting too much fat from lean meats such as skinless chicken and fish. And they have a lot of protein as well.

    Yeah, but most of those fat free greek yogurts also have 30+ grams of sugar in them. YUCK.

    Get plain greek yogurt and add your own fruit.

    Or just eat which ever yogurt you want and count the calories.
    and if you want to eat yogurt with less than 30g of sugar there's nothing wrong with that. :wink:
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    No solution here because I'm having the exact same problem, and I'm using very minimal added fat. To keep my fats down, I have to keep my proteins down, too.

    why are you trying to keep your fat down?
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Fat free Greek yogurt! Sooo much protein, and NO fat! And since Greek yogurt is so thick and creamy to begin with, the fat-free version does not lose that wonderful consistency.

    Edit: And you shouldn`t be getting too much fat from lean meats such as skinless chicken and fish. And they have a lot of protein as well.

    Yeah, but most of those fat free greek yogurts also have 30+ grams of sugar in them. YUCK.

    Get plain greek yogurt and add your own fruit.

    Or just eat which ever yogurt you want and count the calories.
    and if you want to eat yogurt with less than 30g of sugar there's nothing wrong with that. :wink:

    no, nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is..

    OMG NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN IN THIS
    OMG IT HAS TOO MUCH SUGAR
    OMG IT IS NOT ORGANIC
    OMG IT COMES FROM COWS
    OMG ITS WHITE
    OMG IT HAS FAT
    OMG IT HAS CARBS
    OMG IT DOESNT FIT IN TO MY 40/30/30 OH WELL I SCREWED UP, ILL JUST EAT A CAKE DAY IS RUINED ANYWAYS.

    just eat your damn food and stick to your goal and lose weight
    and if you have other, more specific goals beyond just losing weight, eat the kinds of foods you decide will best help you achieve them. nothing wrong with that either.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Fat free Greek yogurt! Sooo much protein, and NO fat! And since Greek yogurt is so thick and creamy to begin with, the fat-free version does not lose that wonderful consistency.

    Edit: And you shouldn`t be getting too much fat from lean meats such as skinless chicken and fish. And they have a lot of protein as well.

    Yeah, but most of those fat free greek yogurts also have 30+ grams of sugar in them. YUCK.

    Get plain greek yogurt and add your own fruit.

    Or just eat which ever yogurt you want and count the calories.
    and if you want to eat yogurt with less than 30g of sugar there's nothing wrong with that. :wink:

    no, nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is..

    OMG NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN IN THIS
    OMG IT HAS TOO MUCH SUGAR
    OMG IT IS NOT ORGANIC
    OMG IT COMES FROM COWS
    OMG ITS WHITE
    OMG IT HAS FAT
    OMG IT HAS CARBS
    OMG IT DOESNT FIT IN TO MY 40/30/30 OH WELL I SCREWED UP, ILL JUST EAT A CAKE DAY IS RUINED ANYWAYS.

    just eat your damn food and stick to your goal and lose weight
    and if you have other, more specific goals beyond just losing weight, eat the kinds of foods you decide will best help you achieve them. nothing wrong with that either.

    like what goals?

    come on, you know what i think about this. and you probably don't agree. do we need to rehash?

    i agree that there's no need to panic about any kinds of food when you have them in moderation - however it's obviously advantageous to eat primarily whole foods for reasons beyond weight loss, such as longevity, lowering risk of disease, raising athletic performance and recovery, etc
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Fat free Greek yogurt! Sooo much protein, and NO fat! And since Greek yogurt is so thick and creamy to begin with, the fat-free version does not lose that wonderful consistency.

    Edit: And you shouldn`t be getting too much fat from lean meats such as skinless chicken and fish. And they have a lot of protein as well.

    Yeah, but most of those fat free greek yogurts also have 30+ grams of sugar in them. YUCK.

    Get plain greek yogurt and add your own fruit.

    Or just eat which ever yogurt you want and count the calories.
    and if you want to eat yogurt with less than 30g of sugar there's nothing wrong with that. :wink:

    no, nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is..

    OMG NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN IN THIS
    OMG IT HAS TOO MUCH SUGAR
    OMG IT IS NOT ORGANIC
    OMG IT COMES FROM COWS
    OMG ITS WHITE
    OMG IT HAS FAT
    OMG IT HAS CARBS
    OMG IT DOESNT FIT IN TO MY 40/30/30 OH WELL I SCREWED UP, ILL JUST EAT A CAKE DAY IS RUINED ANYWAYS.

    just eat your damn food and stick to your goal and lose weight
    and if you have other, more specific goals beyond just losing weight, eat the kinds of foods you decide will best help you achieve them. nothing wrong with that either.

    like what goals?

    come on, you know what i think about this. and you probably don't agree. do we need to rehash?

    i agree that there's no need to panic about any kinds of food when you have them in moderation - however it's obviously advantageous to eat primarily whole foods for reasons beyond weight loss, such as longevity, lowering risk of disease, raising athletic performance and recovery, etc

    okay, if you're going to take it from that perspective. I do agree to a certain extent. Let me tell you a bit about my journey.
    When I was at 343lbs(not my heaviest) i was tired of trying to lose weight. I told myself one last time i'll try, if i don't succeed I am done, I am never trying again.

    Why was i tired of trying? Because i done it so many times, trying to do the "eat healthy" thing. That's what we're condition to believe. I decided to try to count calories, I would do low carb for 2 days, then have a cheat day. I lost 20lbs in 3 weeks like this.
    that stopped working. SO i decided to do the "super healthy" thing. The alkalarian diet. lasted a month and i fell off the wagon for 4 months. I just didn't want to go back to "healthy eating." I was gaining weight again. I said screw it, just eat whatever i want and stick to the calories. I did that and was ale to get back on the wagon and start to lose the weight i gained and then more.

    As I mentioned to you before, the biggest health risk is being over weight. This has nothing to do with "healthy choices" or not.
    It's about weight. Losing "weight" will improve your health indicators.

    So in my case, if I believed i had to eat "healthy" to lose weight, like the posters above do... I would be off the wagon and probably bck up to my heviest weight 400lbs. Is that healthier than me losing 191lbs? Obviously not.

    My message is:
    1. Get the weight off.(keep it simple)
    2. Then clean up your diet(to optimize it)

    step 2 should be done when you're near or at your goal weight. After you built the habits o exercise, and logging. Don't get me wrong, i am not talking about eating junk food 24/7. I am talking about causing the less stress on you possible. Don't do a 180 with your diet.

    I believe you never had the struggles I had, people who have been obese understand. I am not sure if you do.

    you know what - i completely agree with all of this. the weight IS the priority. And if the most effective way for people to lose weight is to do what you described, then I say more power to them, and do what WORKS.

    you can tinker and refine and tweak later.
  • kmstieg
    kmstieg Posts: 58
    I agree - fat doesn't make you fat. Carbs make you fat.

    (I think fat was unfairly demonized when commodity crop lobbyists (corn and wheat mostly) were building our food pyramid, which it turns out, is killing us with carbs.)


    ^ I totally agree with this !!
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Fat free Greek yogurt! Sooo much protein, and NO fat! And since Greek yogurt is so thick and creamy to begin with, the fat-free version does not lose that wonderful consistency.

    Edit: And you shouldn`t be getting too much fat from lean meats such as skinless chicken and fish. And they have a lot of protein as well.

    Yeah, but most of those fat free greek yogurts also have 30+ grams of sugar in them. YUCK.

    Get plain greek yogurt and add your own fruit.

    Or just eat which ever yogurt you want and count the calories.
    and if you want to eat yogurt with less than 30g of sugar there's nothing wrong with that. :wink:

    no, nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is..

    OMG NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN IN THIS
    OMG IT HAS TOO MUCH SUGAR
    OMG IT IS NOT ORGANIC
    OMG IT COMES FROM COWS
    OMG ITS WHITE
    OMG IT HAS FAT
    OMG IT HAS CARBS
    OMG IT DOESNT FIT IN TO MY 40/30/30 OH WELL I SCREWED UP, ILL JUST EAT A CAKE DAY IS RUINED ANYWAYS.

    just eat your damn food and stick to your goal and lose weight
    and if you have other, more specific goals beyond just losing weight, eat the kinds of foods you decide will best help you achieve them. nothing wrong with that either.

    like what goals?

    come on, you know what i think about this. and you probably don't agree. do we need to rehash?

    i agree that there's no need to panic about any kinds of food when you have them in moderation - however it's obviously advantageous to eat primarily whole foods for reasons beyond weight loss, such as longevity, lowering risk of disease, raising athletic performance and recovery, etc

    okay, if you're going to take it from that perspective. I do agree to a certain extent. Let me tell you a bit about my journey.
    When I was at 343lbs(not my heaviest) i was tired of trying to lose weight. I told myself one last time i'll try, if i don't succeed I am done, I am never trying again.

    Why was i tired of trying? Because i done it so many times, trying to do the "eat healthy" thing. That's what we're condition to believe. I decided to try to count calories, I would do low carb for 2 days, then have a cheat day. I lost 20lbs in 3 weeks like this.
    that stopped working. SO i decided to do the "super healthy" thing. The alkalarian diet. lasted a month and i fell off the wagon for 4 months. I just didn't want to go back to "healthy eating." I was gaining weight again. I said screw it, just eat whatever i want and stick to the calories. I did that and was ale to get back on the wagon and start to lose the weight i gained and then more.

    As I mentioned to you before, the biggest health risk is being over weight. This has nothing to do with "healthy choices" or not.
    It's about weight. Losing "weight" will improve your health indicators.

    So in my case, if I believed i had to eat "healthy" to lose weight, like the posters above do... I would be off the wagon and probably bck up to my heviest weight 400lbs. Is that healthier than me losing 191lbs? Obviously not.

    My message is:
    1. Get the weight off.(keep it simple)
    2. Then clean up your diet(to optimize it)

    step 2 should be done when you're near or at your goal weight. After you built the habits o exercise, and logging. Don't get me wrong, i am not talking about eating junk food 24/7. I am talking about causing the less stress on you possible. Don't do a 180 with your diet.

    I believe you never had the struggles I had, people who have been obese understand. I am not sure if you do.

    you know what - i completely agree with all of this. the weight IS the priority. And if the most effective way for people to lose weight is to do what you described, then I say more power to them, and do what WORKS.

    you can tinker and refine and tweak later.

    I also thought about it, and if someone can do a healthier diet with out any form of stress, then they should do it.
    i think that's where it varies from person to person. you're right that i haven't had to go through the same things you have, however, eating the way i do is actually a lot of fun for me, and provides the opposite of stress. that's where people differ I think. If you can "clean" up your diet and not have it effect you negatively between the ears, it's a good thing to do. If it causes you to stress out, then you should absolutely focus on cal in/cal out to lose the weight. Stress is way worse for you than pop tarts. :tongue:
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    Not sure if you've answered this before, so if you have please forgive me.

    How much are you going over on fat? and how often are you going over? Going over from time to time isn't going to bother you as long as its healthy fats. I may go over by 10 or 20 one day then the next few days I make sure I keep it low.

    to be honest I don't know what would be considered over .. is 30% over .. 50% ? I don't really know :sad:

    Here is some food for thought. The biggest health risk is being over weight. By "losing wight" you will improve your health.
    Who is healthier a 400lbs man who eats healthy? Or a man at a healthy weight who eats junk?

    By reducing weight, you will lower your risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, it also lowers cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

    just by reducing your "WEIGHT" it says NOTHING about high fat protein, or carbs, or junk food. All that stuff is irrelevant.


    Why are you so concerned about protein? You suffering from deficiencies? Or have you been brain washed by everyone?

    Keep it simple

    Focus on calories and call it a day. Not hard...

    once you're at a "healthy" weight then focus on leaning up your diet. to optimize your health.

    I have to disagree a bit with the statements in bold.

    4 yrs ago, at my highest weight of 237, my triglycerides tested at 685. Major wakeup call since my mom had T2Diabetes. Dr told me I was quickly looking at a diabetes dx if I didn't do something. I drastically cut my sugar and carbs and within 2 yrs my Triglycerides were under 200, but I was only 9 pounds lighter. I doubt that only a 9 pound loss caused a 485 point drop in my Triglycerides. I definitely contribute it to my lowering of sugar and carbs.

    Yes, losing weight no matter how you lose it will help with some health benefits, but if you are looking at high Triglycerides and blood sugars, you definitely need to cut carbs to get those numbers under control. This is why some people can have drastic bloodwork changes even before they lose a significant amount of weight.

    ETA And as for protein levels, you do need an adequate amount of protein to help preserve muscle mass. If you lose 100 pounds on very low protein, a lot of that weight will come from muscle loss.
  • kmstieg
    kmstieg Posts: 58
    I agree - fat doesn't make you fat. Carbs make you fat.

    (I think fat was unfairly demonized when commodity crop lobbyists (corn and wheat mostly) were building our food pyramid, which it turns out, is killing us with carbs.)

    ^ I totally agree with this !!

    Wish someone told me this before i lost all my weight while i ate carbs.

    Well, like everyone is saying....do what works best for you. I am so glad that you are not insulin resistant, pre-hypertensive, or have to deal with high cholesterol levels....since I started eating lower carbs and higher fats and protein and working out daily....my numbers are all within normal values....it is what it is. Each to their own and everyone needs to do what is best for them :wink:
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    whenever I try to increase my protein intake, my fat intake rises as well ! when I eat fish, meat, eggs fat percentage gets out of control ...
    how can I increase my protein intake up to 30% while keeping fat intake below 25% ?

    and what's a healthy ratio anyways ? is it bad if my diet is high in fats ?

    My diet is about 50% fats, but they are mostly healthy fats like nuts, avocados, etc. I shoot for 30% protein, and it is harder to get my proteins in than my fats.
    I recently changed from 2 whole eggs in my omelets (140 cals, 8g fat, 12 g protein), to 3/4 c of egg beaters for 75 cal, 0 fat and 15g protein. Also changed from 1/4 c shredded full fat cheese (110 cals, 9 fat, 6 protein) to 1/4 c fat free cheese (45cals, 0 fat, 9 protein)

    This saved me 135 cals, which I can use to add more ham or turkey sausage, giving me even more protein, (today I added 2 oz of turkey pastrami. I then have room for a quarter of an avocado on top.
    I add in my portabello mushrooms and fresh spinach, and a very large omelet comes out to 276 cals, with 39 gr protein and 8 gr of fat, 5 of those being from the avocado.

    I have this for lunch probably 5 days a week and it keeps me full for hours.
  • CLFrancois
    CLFrancois Posts: 472 Member
    Egg whites, chicken breast, Tilapia, turkey Breast, ground chicken and turkey....

    ditto.
    protein powders also.
  • dangerxbadger
    dangerxbadger Posts: 396 Member
    My comment on the added sugar was mainly to point out that "low fat" things tend to have additives in them that make it worse for you than if you had eaten the full fat version in the first place. It's give and take and depends on your goals/personal dietary needs.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    Ok, I guess since you are male, it may not make as big of a difference in your diet. I did a quick search and found this interesting article.-

    "Reducing triglyceride levels

    Diets high in refined carbohydrates, with carbohydrates accounting for more than 60% of the total energy intake, can increase triglyceride levels.[5] Of note is how the correlation is stronger for those with higher BMI (28+) and insulin resistance (more common among overweight and obese) is a primary suspect cause of this phenomenon of carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia.[6]

    There is evidence that carbohydrate consumption causing a high glycemic index can cause insulin overproduction and increase triglyceride levels in women.[7]

    Adverse changes associated with carbohydrate intake, including triglyceride levels, are stronger risk factors for heart disease in women than in men.[8]


    Triglyceride levels are also reduced by moderate exercise[9] and by consuming omega-3 fatty acids from fish, flax seed oil, and other sources.[citation needed]

    Carnitine has the ability to lower blood triglyceride levels.[10] In some cases, fibrates have been used to bring down triglycerides substantially.[11]

    Heavy use of alcohol can elevate triglycerides levels.[12]"
  • LesaLu4
    LesaLu4 Posts: 83
    I eat 25-30% fat and protein, and 40-45% carbohydrates. Each macronutrient has a recommended range and there are also recommendations for how you put them together. There are extremes at either end. Here is an overview:

    60% Carb, 15% protein, 25% fat - You'll see many endurance athletes eat this way. Many RD's/Nutritionists (not the same thing) recommend this because of the old adage that 'carbs give you energy' and 'protein stresses the kidneys.' Classic USDA recommendation.

    50C/30P/20F- A moderate version of the previous. I have eaten this way in the past when I was doing endurance activities like mountain bike racing and lots of running. Similar but with higher protein for better muscle repair and conversion to glucose if necessary.

    40C/30P/30F- This is also the Zone Diet. Lower carb for better insulin control, higher protein for muscle, higher fat to feel full. This is my personal preference.

    40C/40P/20F- Lots of physique contestants use this in the off-season and it's part of the Burn the Fat, Keep the Muscle plan. High carbs and protein to maintain muscle, low fat so you'll burn body fat.

    33/33/33- This is newer from what I've seen and it appears to be based off the idea that if you give your body equal parts everything, it will use what it needs and make the rest. Never tried it.

    10-20C/50-60P/20-40F- Variations of low-carb, high-protein. The general idea is that you don't ever want both high carbs and fat; either high-fat or high-protein and low carb.

    10C/30P/60F- Ketogenic diet. Discovered decades ago as a treatment for epilepsy in children and it resulted in rapid weight (not fat, but they didn't know that) loss. The idea is that you oxidize more fats when carbohydrates aren't present.

    Anyway, there are as many variations as there are people. This is just a snapshot of what's commonly used. Feel free to message me if you would like any more info. I am not an RD but I'm almost done with a PhD studying metabolism and that's what I base my choices on.

    eta: You can also take a look at my food diary to see what my proteins are.

    This was so incredibly helpful. thank you so much for taking the time to explain that. I have been confused about percentages.
  • zonah
    zonah Posts: 216 Member
    Tofu, Beans are my two suggestions.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    Ok, I guess since you are male, it may not make as big of a difference in your diet. I did a quick search and found this interesting article.-

    "Reducing triglyceride levels

    Diets high in refined carbohydrates, with carbohydrates accounting for more than 60% of the total energy intake, can increase triglyceride levels.[5] Of note is how the correlation is stronger for those with higher BMI (28+) and insulin resistance (more common among overweight and obese) is a primary suspect cause of this phenomenon of carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia.[6]

    There is evidence that carbohydrate consumption causing a high glycemic index can cause insulin overproduction and increase triglyceride levels in women.[7]

    Adverse changes associated with carbohydrate intake, including triglyceride levels, are stronger risk factors for heart disease in women than in men.[8]


    Triglyceride levels are also reduced by moderate exercise[9] and by consuming omega-3 fatty acids from fish, flax seed oil, and other sources.[citation needed]

    Carnitine has the ability to lower blood triglyceride levels.[10] In some cases, fibrates have been used to bring down triglycerides substantially.[11]

    Heavy use of alcohol can elevate triglycerides levels.[12]"

    You need to see how those studies are even done. A good example is people who are over weight usually consume low calorie dense foods which are high in simple sugars. So is it fair to say, " consuming sugars makes you fat?" No, excess calories do.

    Look at all those bypass words
    "can"
    "may"
    "there is evidence"

    paste the link if you can.

    Did you measure your Lean body mass to fat ratio before you lowered your health markers? It's possible you lost more than 6lbs of fat, that your body composition could have possibly changed. Which would help improve insulin related issues.

    I didn't say that too many carbs made me fat, I'm saying that too many carbs made my Triglycerides go sky high, and lowering my carbs decreased them by by 485 points, when I only lost 9 pounds. I agree with you that eating at a calorie surplus makes you gain weight. You had stated in an earlier post that losing weight would lower your triglycerides, and it didn't matter if you changed your diet. I was just sharing my experience of drastically lowering my triglycerides by lowering my carbs, not losing a substantial amount of weight. Going from 237 to 228 lbs would not make a significant change in blood work, and certainly not causing a drop from 685 to 200 Triglycerides. My average calorie deficit during that 2 yr period would have been less than 50 cal per day.

    I'm not saying that everyone has to go low carb to lose weight. Certainly that is not true. But for me, being partially still in a wheelchair 4 yrs ago, exercise wasn't an option for burning the extra carbs to lower my Tris, so my only option was lowering my carb intake, and it worked extremely well for me in lowering my Triglycerides. In August, when I started counting calories as well, then I began to lose weight.
    You must have a calorie deficit to lose weight. That is not an argument here. My only point is that it is possible to change your bloodwork by changing what foods you eat, even before you lose a lot of weight. It is still not healthy to be 200 pounds overweight, but if you can lower your blood sugar, triglycerides, BP, cholesterol, etc, quickly by changing your diet, then that would be good information for someone to have, and can help them get off medications and lower their risk for disease even sooner than the time it would take for them to lose the extra weight.

    Eat better. Eat less. Move more. It all works together for optimum health.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    I eat 25-30% fat and protein, and 40-45% carbohydrates. Each macronutrient has a recommended range and there are also recommendations for how you put them together. There are extremes at either end. Here is an overview:

    60% Carb, 15% protein, 25% fat - You'll see many endurance athletes eat this way. Many RD's/Nutritionists (not the same thing) recommend this because of the old adage that 'carbs give you energy' and 'protein stresses the kidneys.' Classic USDA recommendation.

    50C/30P/20F- A moderate version of the previous. I have eaten this way in the past when I was doing endurance activities like mountain bike racing and lots of running. Similar but with higher protein for better muscle repair and conversion to glucose if necessary.

    40C/30P/30F- This is also the Zone Diet. Lower carb for better insulin control, higher protein for muscle, higher fat to feel full. This is my personal preference.

    40C/40P/20F- Lots of physique contestants use this in the off-season and it's part of the Burn the Fat, Keep the Muscle plan. High carbs and protein to maintain muscle, low fat so you'll burn body fat.

    33/33/33- This is newer from what I've seen and it appears to be based off the idea that if you give your body equal parts everything, it will use what it needs and make the rest. Never tried it.

    10-20C/50-60P/20-40F- Variations of low-carb, high-protein. The general idea is that you don't ever want both high carbs and fat; either high-fat or high-protein and low carb.

    10C/30P/60F- Ketogenic diet. Discovered decades ago as a treatment for epilepsy in children and it resulted in rapid weight (not fat, but they didn't know that) loss. The idea is that you oxidize more fats when carbohydrates aren't present.

    Anyway, there are as many variations as there are people. This is just a snapshot of what's commonly used. Feel free to message me if you would like any more info. I am not an RD but I'm almost done with a PhD studying metabolism and that's what I base my choices on.

    eta: You can also take a look at my food diary to see what my proteins are.

    This was so incredibly helpful. thank you so much for taking the time to explain that. I have been confused about percentages.

    Happy to help! It really comes down to your personal goals, activity levels, and overall preference. I have done quite a few of the ratios listed depending on my lifestyle at the time. At the end of the day, you always need a caloric deficit to lose body fat, but playing with the ratios has an effect on your metabolic processes and sports performance. :)
  • iLoveMyAR15
    iLoveMyAR15 Posts: 122 Member
    try a protein powder supplement. I use Jarrow soy isolate formula with no artificial anything in it. 110 calories and 25g protein, no fat and no carbs
  • vegan4lyfe2012
    vegan4lyfe2012 Posts: 1,241 Member
    I get my protein from Beans Beans Beans! Here's an article about the top 10 foods for protein for vegans: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4771/10-Vegan-Sources-of-Protein.html

    You don't have to be vegan (or vegetarian) to enjoy main dishes that are meat-free :)
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,687 Member
    I think 25% is low. 30% is better.

    Having said that here are low fat options off the top of my head:
    Chicken and turkey breast
    Cottage cheese
    Greek yogurt
    Seitan
    Lentils and beans
    Egg whites
    Protein powder
    Lean ground beef
    Fish and other seafood
    Canned tuna
    Skim milk