Anyone Doing Low-Carb High-Fat?

sallyaj
sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started out doing Atkins, but after stumbling on the work of Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt and his LCHF diet, I am switching over.

I was a bit wary adding so much fat that it would stall me, but I stepped on the scale this morning, and I'm down another .6.

The biggest benefit is I'm not hungry/no cravings.

Is anyone else eating MORE fat to lose weight? It seems so contradictory, but I can't deny it's working.
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Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    45% fat for me/ 25% protein/ 30% carbs.

    It works really well for me. I'm in maintenance, and it's how I prefer to eat anyway. I just fell into it naturally.
  • Flowers4Julia
    Flowers4Julia Posts: 521 Member
    Hi Sally :) I eat a primal/paleo diet and so for me it does end up being hi fat and low carb, since all the carbs come from vegetables and some dark chocolate! Like you it has really stopped craving because higher fats are so satiating. I'm going to look up Dr. Eenfeldt and read up on that, sounds like interesting info!

    Also, like you, it is going to be the key to stopping this yo-yo diet stuff....... I also eat at my TDEE minus 10% and am losing the last 3 pounds.

    So, I eat 60% fat, 20% protein and 20% carb.


    Julia
  • MaxlacusNight
    MaxlacusNight Posts: 44 Member
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/high-protein-low-carbohydrate-diets

    Please read this.

    Many people are not aware of the strain in puts on your body to eat SO low in carb, as your diary suggests.
  • sallyaj
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    45% fat for me/ 25% protein/ 30% carbs.

    It works really well for me. I'm in maintenance, and it's how I prefer to eat anyway. I just fell into it naturally.

    That is such great news! It's hard to wrap my brain around the fact that this is working for me. How much weight did you have to lose?
  • PurposefulPractices
    PurposefulPractices Posts: 15
    I'm very new to MFP and my husband and I just started doing paleo with eMeals.com. In all honesty, I'd say our diet is mostly paleo with a bit of Mediterranean. So we eat a very fair amount of high fat foods (especially cheese and nuts) and I'm losing weight. I'm also no longer hungry all the time or having crazy blood sugar levels and mood swings.

    As I was exploring groups on MFP, I saw this one and thought of your post. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/7705-low-carb-high-fat-lifestyle
  • sallyaj
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/high-protein-low-carbohydrate-diets

    Please read this.

    Many people are not aware of the strain in puts on your body to eat SO low in carb, as your diary suggests.

    Thanks for the link, but WebMD is just repeating the party line by quoting the AHA. The fact is, no study has ever proven the cholesterol theory. The real poison to the body that spikes insulin is sugar / simple carbs -- and docs have known this for a long time.

    Gary Taubes explains this well in his book Why We Get Fat.
  • sallyaj
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    That is so great to hear -- it's a bit scary when the fat % starts to climb. But I think it's because I've been brainwashed all these years into thinking fat is the enemy.

    Now that I've increased fat, protein is just taking care of itself (I find it hard to overeat protein) and the carbs are all coming from green veggies and trace carbs that are in cheese.

    You look great in your photo. I hope it works so well for me!
  • sallyaj
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    Hi Sally :) I eat a primal/paleo diet and so for me it does end up being hi fat and low carb, since all the carbs come from vegetables and some dark chocolate! Like you it has really stopped craving because higher fats are so satiating. I'm going to look up Dr. Eenfeldt and read up on that, sounds like interesting info!

    Also, like you, it is going to be the key to stopping this yo-yo diet stuff....... I also eat at my TDEE minus 10% and am losing the last 3 pounds.

    So, I eat 60% fat, 20% protein and 20% carb.


    Julia


    Julia, This is so great to hear -- it's a bit scary when I see the fat % climbing higher than 50%. But I think that's just because I've been brainwashed all these years into thinking fat is the enemy. Note to self: Fat doesn't spike insulin, simple carbs do.

    Now that I've increased my fat, I find protein is just taking care of itself (I find it really difficult to overeat protein) and my carbs are all coming from green veggies and trace carbs that are in cheese. I look forward to getting to the point some day where I can add chocolate or a glass of red wine.

    You look great in your photo. I hope it works so well for me!
  • sallyaj
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    I'm very new to MFP and my husband and I just started doing paleo with eMeals.com. In all honesty, I'd say our diet is mostly paleo with a bit of Mediterranean. So we eat a very fair amount of high fat foods (especially cheese and nuts) and I'm losing weight. I'm also no longer hungry all the time or having crazy blood sugar levels and mood swings.

    As I was exploring groups on MFP, I saw this one and thought of your post. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/7705-low-carb-high-fat-lifestyle

    Thanks so much for this link! I started out on the Atkins plan then through my immersion on the topic moved to LFHC, so I didn't see this group. I will join!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    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.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member

    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.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    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.
  • EricCowperthwaite
    EricCowperthwaite Posts: 450
    Also note that WebMD is going after the bogeyman of low carb, high protein. Almost no one doing low carb eats "high protein". Primal, Paleo, Atkins, Ketogenic, etc diets focus on low carb, moderate protein and high fat. And yes, it should be what you do for the rest of your life since your body is actually genetically programmed to respond best and be healthiest on such a diet.

    Humans are predators, not grazers. Our bodies evolved over 2 million years to eat meat and foraged vegetables, roots, fruit and nuts.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/high-protein-low-carbohydrate-diets

    Please read this.

    Many people are not aware of the strain in puts on your body to eat SO low in carb, as your diary suggests.

    Thanks for the link, but WebMD is just repeating the party line by quoting the AHA. The fact is, no study has ever proven the cholesterol theory. The real poison to the body that spikes insulin is sugar / simple carbs -- and docs have known this for a long time.

    Gary Taubes explains this well in his book Why We Get Fat.
    Taubes is more of a quack than Dr. Oz.
  • sallyaj
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member

    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.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Sure, I currently consume 2500 calories to lose: 160 carbs, 140 fats, and 190 proteins. The only reason I lower my carbs, though, is to reduce water weight.
  • jsuaccounting
    jsuaccounting Posts: 189 Member
    Yes - somewhat
  • wildfirediva
    wildfirediva Posts: 212
    I keep my carbs below 125g, my proteins at 1g/lb of Lean Body Mass (no less than 100g) and the rest at fat...
  • sallyaj
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    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.

    The only carbs I'm eating right now are from green veggies plus trace ones in nuts and cheese. I'm adding 5 grams of carb a week to see how many I can handle and still lose weight. Once I'm in weight maintenance mode, I will keep adding greens. if I get to the point where I can handle 100 grams a day I will be a happy camper!
  • sallyaj
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    Also note that WebMD is going after the bogeyman of low carb, high protein. Almost no one doing low carb eats "high protein". Primal, Paleo, Atkins, Ketogenic, etc diets focus on low carb, moderate protein and high fat. And yes, it should be what you do for the rest of your life since your body is actually genetically programmed to respond best and be healthiest on such a diet.

    Humans are predators, not grazers. Our bodies evolved over 2 million years to eat meat and foraged vegetables, roots, fruit and nuts.

    This is an excellent point! It is very difficult to overeat protein, I am finding. It levels naturally for me.

    I do plan to eat this way for the rest of my life. I hope once in maintenance to be able to add green veggies up to 100 grams a day if I'm lucky and maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life.
  • jcolier
    jcolier Posts: 64
    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
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    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
    AnguishLanguish Posts: 149 Member
    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
    AnguishLanguish Posts: 149 Member
    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
    oh_em_gee Posts: 887 Member
    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
    MerlinWilliams Posts: 92 Member
    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
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    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
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    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
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    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
    sallyaj Posts: 207 Member
    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.

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