Anyone Doing Low-Carb High-Fat?

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

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

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!

bump

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

I am doing Keto, high fat low carb moderate protein... and its 'cured' my type II diabetes after 120 days all my lab work is better no more medication.. my energy levels are great, i no longer get heartburn and have lost 37 pounds in a little over 3 months... I get a lot of negative reactions from some people in my life but my response to them is 'FAT didnt make me FAT.. too many calories and too much food made me FAT'

Best wishes on your journey and feel free to add me as a friend if you would like

I can't get my carbs that low - I find I do better with the 75-100g range personally.

In regards to the fibre - I found that when I a) cut grains out and b) increased my fats, I no longer worried about fibre and have had better business in that 'area' then I have in many many many many years.

Sort of- I find that I naturally stay below my calorie limit because I am satisfied from the foods I am eating (I still track to make sure I am meeting my needs and not going over- in my brain I should be over, but in reality I'm not) ; whereas when I was doing low fat I had to count every calorie in order to stay below my limit.

I am on a low carb (20g net carbs) and high fat diet. Its working for me as well, but I am trying to make it good fats though - so no more eating the skin on the chicken or buying fatty biltong.

Buuuuump....I wanna see what other LCHF'ers have to say!!!

I've been on a very low carb diet and in ketosis for 9 months. I am healthier than I have ever been. My diabetes is under control without medication. My total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides all dropped and my HDL went up. My A1c went from over 8.0 down to 5.7. I have a Dr. appointment tomorrow and I'm expecting the A1c to be even lower. Increasing my fat macro has given me even better control of my blood sugars. My doctor wants me in ketosis until I reach a healthy weight. That is still a long way off but I'm a lot closer than I was 9 months ago.

Are there issues with a low carb/moderate protein/high fat diet? Yes: Better skin, better sleep, no bleeding gums, no sugar cravings, healthier hair, no feeling of deprivation, less aches and pains, no acid reflux, very little gas, no bloating, no swollen ankles, all the bacon I want... I could go on but that might get discouraging for some.

I have just started LCHF and I am kind of clueless as to what to eat. I originally was doing low carb but my protein was through the roof, way to much in my opinion. My body stalled and I stopped losing weight for almost a full month. I am also not sleeping well even though I go to bed around 11pm. I am hoping this change will help me positively.

My diary is completely open to anyone to view, if you want an idea of what to eat if you are pursuing LCHF. From an earlier post, here's the diet for LCHF in terms of foods to incorporate in your life and to avoid.

Avoid at all costs because it's horrible for our bodies
- wheat, barley, rye in any form
- beer
- bread
- cake
- pasta
- anything soy based
- all vegetable "oils" .... yet another way to turn grains into food
- any other way that people make grains into food.

Neutral foods - high in carbs, but no gluten, etc. Eat these sparingly and be conscious of the amount of carbs in them
- rice
- quinoa
- root vegetables: sweet potatoes, rutabagas, kohlrabi, parsnips, carrots and so forth

Treats to be eaten sparingly:
- berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.
- apples
- other fruits you may enjoy: mangos, pineapples, kiwis, etc.
- citrus fruits - very sparingly unless you need carbs/sugar for a specific reason.
Fruits have a lot of sugar in them and should be a treat, not a regular part of meals. Use them as rewards and desserts. On Sunday nights, when I've had a good week, I eat a cup of strawberries, with a tablespoon or two of heavy cream over the top. Delish! When I was a kid, dessert was a once a week, or so, treat and I've gone back to that routine.

Good foods - carbs plus fiber from vegetables
- broccoli, broccolini
- green beans (avoid other sorts of beans, lecithin in legumes is not your friend)
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- lettuce
- asparagus
- squash of most sorts
- cucumbers
- and so forth and so on

Protein
- Meat from ruminants - beef, bison, lamb, venison, elk, moose .... i.e. the red meats
- poultry ... with the skin on!
- pork .... bacon is nom nom!
- fish - avoid farm raised
- nuts like almonds, cashews, pistachios
- poultry eggs - preferably organic and free range

Fats
- grassfed (or organic) butter, cream, ghee
- coconut oil, palm oil
- olive oil
- animal fats

Certainly not exhaustive .... but if you were to only stock these things in your house, you would absolutely eat low carb, high fat, moderate protein and you would also eliminate many of the worst things we put in our bodies.

For more details, see Mark's Daily Apple (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/) or Gary Taubes (http://www.garytaubes.com/)