Low Carb vs Low Fat?

WendyTerry420 · November 2012

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Calories in Calories out right! Do what works for you ... but I'm going to keep an eye on this post it's gonna get crazy

Sorry, it is not as simple as calories in, calories out. If it were, I would have never gained weight in the first place.

OP: unless you are eating a lot of canola oil and other vegetable / seed oils the fat is not unhealthy.

Saturated and Monosaturated fats are natural occurring and do NOT contribute to heart disease or high cholesterol. The whole low fat myth was an outright lie and the data was cherry picked to support their theory to lead up to what we see today. Major health issues and obesity. This didn't happen on accident with our society.

So the laws of thermodynamics do not apply to you?

<Sigh>

As quoted by a health professional:

"As a health professional, I owe it to you to give you the truth! (and, unfortunately, I am finding that the “mainstream” media isn’t helping!)

And the truth is this… basing weight loss, let alone good health, on the “Calorie In/Calorie Out” Myth supposedly explained by the “Law of Thermodynamics” is just plain WRONG!
I mean, it is beyond wrong, it is IDIOTIC! And, it is DANGEROUS."

Trying to use the “Laws of Thermodynamics” to explain human biological functions is pure folly. Scientific laws only apply to laboratory situations where variables are controlled and systems are closed off from all other systems.

The human body is NOT a closed system and our lives DO NOT take place in laboratories. To put it simply, calories are units of heat, not measures of potency.

ALSO…

When it comes to attaining optimal health and weight loss, there are a number of variables that are just NOT the same from person to person.
Remember, we are not inanimate objects and we are not living in a closed system.

Here is a short list of examples of the variables that create challenges for the “calorie in/calorie out” myth:

First, we are each unique. You may have heard this called; biochemical individuality.

NATURE

■Genetics
What is your ancestry? Are you from a cold climate or warm climate? How does your body handle starchy carbohydrates? How does your body handle fatty proteins? How do you do with the sun? Etc. Etc. Etc.

Secondly, physiologically, how have we handled our environment and time.

NURTURE

■Sleep (Are you allowing your body to recover?)
■Toxins (Tobacco, Alcohol, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners)
■Food Sensitivities (Gluten, Soy, Dairy, etc.)
■Medications (Over The Counter, Prescription)
■Stress (Chronic and Acute)
■Quality of Health (Recent Illnesses, Immune System Health, Degenerative Disease, etc.)
■Hormonal Health (Insulin, Cortisol, Glucagon, Leptin, etc.)
■Age (Menopause, Andropause, Accelerated Aging)
■Past Caloric Restriction History (Dieting, Bulimia, Anorexia, etc.)
You starting to get the point?

Because of this: A Calorie is NOT a Calorie!

To put all of the onus on the individual of losing or gaining weight because of the “Law of Thermodynamics” just doesn’t hold up. Your health and fitness expert may think they sound smart by pushing the “calorie in/calorie out” hogwash on you, but to me, it is just a sign of ignorance and laziness.

This ignorance and laziness concerning the “calorie in/calorie out” myth has only gotten worse with all of the “weight loss” reality shows. TRUST ME.

It is an utter embarrassment that personal trainers are simplifying weight loss down to creating a caloric deficit by starving their clients and training them like animals!

What ever happened to Safe? Effective? Long Term? Sustainable? I don’t know either.

But as you can see, if the trainer’s client isn’t successful, the failure is all on the client for not complying. Not on the trainer for being open to a slowed metabolism or improper diet/workout routine. NICE.

So, there you have it, a couple more reasons whyt “The Healthy Omnivore” has some real issues/challenges with the “Calorie In/Calorie Out” Myth.

Thanks for reading the first post of three concerning attaining optimal health and proper weight loss vs. The “Calorie In/Calorie Out” Myth.

If you have any questions or comments on the “Law of Thermodynamics” and/or the “Calorie In/Calorie Out” Myth, I would love to read them.

And who might this "health professional" be?

I could be wrong, but it looks similar to what I've seen on Mark's Daily Apple. In other words: one blogger's loony opinion.

Sarauk2sf · November 2012

Have you ever seen a thin person who follows a low fat diet? Low carb is the way to go!!

Lolz.

mmapags · November 2012

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Have you ever seen a thin person who follows a low fat diet? Low carb is the way to go!!

Lolz.

Says the woman with Ice Cream on her ticker! :laugh:

WendyTerry420 · November 2012

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Have you ever seen a thin person who follows a low fat diet? Low carb is the way to go!!

Lolz.

Says the woman with Ice Cream on her ticker! :laugh:

Life is too short to skimp on the ice cream! :laugh:

mmapags · November 2012

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Have you ever seen a thin person who follows a low fat diet? Low carb is the way to go!!

Lolz.

Says the woman with Ice Cream on her ticker! :laugh:

Life is too short to skimp on the ice cream! :laugh:

Can I get an AMEN!! :laugh: (I love opportunties to use the southern baptist preacher line!)

amydee714 · November 2012

As a "low carber" I get seriously annoyed when people use low carb for quick fix weight loss. Seriously people. I have to eat this way. IMHO, the BEST way to eat is a balanced diet with all the food groups including veggies, proteins, carbs, fat, ice cream, etc...

Life is too short to exclude anything from it forever! The best way to lose weight is to do it eating the way you want to eat for the rest of your life!!

PS - I do love the way I eat, but it is not a quick fix. It is a lifestyle.

AbbsyBabbsy · November 2012

I couldn't maintain a low fat or a low carb diet. Staying away from candy and eating sensible portions is what works for me.

ahamm002 · November 2012

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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?

I believe that's the problem: protein is NOT held constant. In real life, low carb diets probably have higher amounts of protein than low fat diets.

aqua_marine_light · November 2012

Low carb is the way to get the fastest results! If you are worried about the amount of fat you are getting, try to eat meats that are low in fat like chicken, fish, turkey, etc.

mmapags · November 2012

show previous quotes

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?

I believe that's the problem: protein is NOT held constant. In real life, low carb diets probably have higher amounts of protein than low fat diets.

This is part of the probelm when low carb advocates claim a metabolic advantage. According to Kreiger, there is no quality research that exists where ALL the proper variables were controlled. So there is not proof in the data that exists that there is a metabolic advantage to low carb. There is also no proof in the data that exists that there is not a metabolic advantage to low carb. I personally have not done all the research of every study and quite frankly, I would not be qualifed to render an opinion even if I did!

Kreiger does nutritional research for a living and is one of the most highly respected in his field. If he says there is not good data on either side of the argument, I believe him. More info at www.weightology.com.

mmapags · November 2012

Low carb is the way to get the fastest results! If you are worried about the amount of fat you are getting, try to eat meats that are low in fat like chicken, fish, turkey, etc.

For who? I personally get no faster results from low carb than from balanced macros and reasonable calorie deficit. It is different from individual to individual. You just can't make a blanket statement like this and be accurate of credible.

mmahair · November 2012

I have been doing low carbs and I have lost almost 40 pounds in less than 4 months. I do not go hungry and I allow myself a day, sometimes two a week to cheat. People who believe you have to give up good foods to go low carb are not educated about it. I eat salad and veggies daily, but I keep those low carb too! I have tried everything under the sun and even have a gastric band, but nothing worked until I started to do a sensible low carb program. I would suggest reading a book called "Why we get fat and what to do about it" by Gary Taubes. For me it was eye opening.

MaraDiaz · November 2012

I chose low carb over moderation (low fat wasn't even on my radar) because I hate being hungry all the time and I hate cravings. Low carb helps with that. As far as I know, that's all low carb does for me. My energy levels tend to vary with the weather (asthma/allergies) and after an initial few weeks of faster losses when I first started low carb, I eventually settled back into my usual slow losses.

Trying to add carbs back in recently was a miserable failure for me because I didn't control the excessive hunger and cravings and I don't want to have to. So I'm back to low carb.

erinblaze86 · November 2012

Bump

mmahair · November 2012

I am inclined to disagree with the person who said that low carb diets do not provide a metabolic advantage. While it is true that they will not speed up your metabolism, low carb diets work because they take advantage of how the body stores (or does not store) fat. Which is also a metabolic function. The advantage is that when you keep carbs at bay and eat them in moderation you can eat more and satisfy your appetite but you are not storing tons of carbs for your body to make fat out of, in fact you are encouraging your body to lose weight because it draws on the previously stored carbs (the fat you want to lose) to make energy. While calories in, calorie out diets do the same thing, they do it by, 1: starving the subject, 2: not ultimately changing the behavior that caused the weight issue in the first place. I have lost almost 40 pounds in less than 4 months. I have not gone hungry at all, I get plenty of fruits and veggies (I tend to keep them green and/or high fiber) and when I want I take a day off and have things that I normally wouldn't eat because of the carb content. And I keep my carb count high by most the standards of most carb diets, I allow 100 grams of carbs per day. And I am also a 55 year old man, as you know, it gets harder to lose weight as you get older and I am still having fantastic results. Just my opinion, but the suffering of other diets is just not worth it.

mmapags · November 2012

I am inclined to disagree with the person who said that low carb diets do not provide a metabolic advantage. While it is true that they will not speed up your metabolism, low carb diets work because they take advantage of how the body stores (or does not store) fat. Which is also a metabolic function. The advantage is that when you keep carbs at bay and eat them in moderation you can eat more and satisfy your appetite but you are not storing tons of carbs for your body to make fat out of, in fact you are encouraging your body to lose weight because it draws on the previously stored carbs (the fat you want to lose) to make energy. While calories in, calorie out diets do the same thing, they do it by, 1: starving the subject, 2: not ultimately changing the behavior that caused the weight issue in the first place. I have lost almost 40 pounds in less than 4 months. I have not gone hungry at all, I get plenty of fruits and veggies (I tend to keep them green and/or high fiber) and when I want I take a day off and have things that I normally wouldn't eat because of the carb content. And I keep my carb count high by most the standards of most carb diets, I allow 100 grams of carbs per day. And I am also a 55 year old man, as you know, it gets harder to lose weight as you get older and I am still having fantastic results. Just my opinion, but the suffering of other diets is just not worth it.

You can disagree to your heart's content but what I showed was what James Kreiger reported. You can either find him credible or not. Metabolic advantage is neither proven or disproven based on available research. You can have any opinion or belief you'd like to have. It is not backed by research however. I have no dog in the fight as I am neither anti low carb nor pro. Just interested in the factual data.

Exerpted from Kreiger's paper on MA of low carb diets:
1. The proposed metabolic advantage (MA) for low carb diets is a hypothesis, not a fact
2. There is inadequate data to support the MA hypothesis
3. There is inadequate data to reject the MA hypothesis
4. The MA hypothesis does not trump the concept of energy balance. It postulates inefficiencies in energy metabolism, which would translate to an increase in measured energy expenditure (due to heat loss) in a living organism. Thus, if the MA was true, "calories out" would increase for a given "calories in".
5. A definitive study examining 24-hour energy expenditure (using room calorimetry), comparing a ketogenic diet to a traditional diet (with matched protein intake) for subjects in an energy deficit, has not been performed. This is the only study that will adequately test the MA hypothesis in humans
6. Weight loss still requires an energy deficit. If a MA exists, it still cannot make up for an energy surplus or energy balance. To assert otherwise is to assert that energy can be created or destroyed out of thin air, or that human tissue can be created in the absence of any energy input.

MaraDiaz · November 2012

Whatever you decide to do, just don't try combining low fat with low carb. I don't think anyone believes that is a healthy or safe way to lose weight!

Low Carb vs Low Fat?

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