Anyone else on a high-carb, low-protein diet?

It seems like high-protein, low-carb diets are the maximum rage right now, but I was wondering if anyone else on here was on a high-complex-carb, low-protein diet. My percentages are 65/25/10. Anyone else?
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  • mangogirl272727
    mangogirl272727 Posts: 95 Member
    Yes! Keeps me much more satisfied!

    Studies prove the macro's don't really affect weight loss if the total calories are the same. http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa0804748 HOWEVER, certain people find certain macronutrients more satisfying, so it's easier for them to stick to their caloric deficit with that specific macro split. A lot of people find protein satisfying. Personally carbs are the only thing that fill me up.
  • bethanyboomstick
    bethanyboomstick Posts: 52 Member
    Only 10-20% of your diet needs to be protein. Anything more is just excess. Read about the 80/10/10 diet. It's an even more extreme version of my diet and people thrive on it. It's been proven that too much protein in your system actually leaches calcium from the bones.

    Go do research! I didn't decide on high-carb for kicks. I read books! Read The China Study, The 80/10/10 Diet, Diet for a New America. Google it! There are lots of sites to explain why high-complex-carb diets are good. :D
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    OP, just so you know, lots of people here are familiar with 80/10/10, and have researched it, a lot..... Not my personal field, but I find the claims made highly questionable.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    I don't subscribe to anything as extreme as 80/10/10 .. but even as a 230 lb guy who lifts, I find that I don;t NEED more than 80-90g of protein/day. I just get more because protein is more delicious than carbs. The cult of protein on this site is out of hand.
  • bethanyboomstick
    bethanyboomstick Posts: 52 Member
    Have you researched high-complex-carb diets? I'm aware 80/10/10 is questionable. That's why I'm not on it. I was merely using it as an example of high-carb diets that people seem to do well on. Low-protein doesn't kill you.

    Have you watched the documentary Forks Over Knives? Any of the books I listed? They're good resources for anyone wondering about high-complex-carb.

    There are a lot more takes on high-complex-carb than just the 80/10/10. Just like there are a lot of different high-protein diets.

    I'm not asking for a critique on what people here think of high-carb. If you're high-protein and critical of high-carb, fine. Go talk about it in the other 99% of threads. I want to know if anyone else here is high-carb.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    Nope.
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  • laceyf53
    laceyf53 Posts: 110 Member
    I wouldn't mind being on a high-carb diet once I lose the weight I'm trying to lose. I would prefer to be mostly vegetarian, eating a wholefood, plant based diet like what's promoted in the Forks Over Knives documentary. However, I'm on a medically assisted weight loss diet which is high protein, moderate fat, low carbs. I lost 5.8 pounds in 6 days of pure body fat - they are using a calibrator, taping, weighing me, and taking my vitals. They promote the high protein during calorie restriction to induse ketosis and prevent the loss of muscle mass while you're losing weight. Once I lose the weight, I can incorporate in the calories and eat the way I want to eat.

    I agree that plants are the way to go, mostly because we pump our livestock full of antibiotics and supplements. I buy my chickens COB for horses (Corn, Oats, Barley) and feed them vegetables to avoid chicken pellets, since they include antibiotics. All commercial animal feed does, and there is very little control or public knowledge over what hormones they are receiving and how the food that's grown specifically for them is treated (including insecticides). I worked at a USDA , FDA, OSHA certified facility that is licensed to make USDA Certified Organic products. In the 2 years I worked there I never ONCE saw a USDA, FDA, or GMP representative. You pay for your certificate, and they might visit you once a year if you're making enough product - and they give you over a week's notice before they do come.

    Plants are more sustainable, cheaper, easy to grow even if you live in an apartment, I wish more people would consider trying to reduce their meat intake.
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  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Only 10-20% of your diet needs to be protein. Anything more is just excess. Read about the 80/10/10 diet. It's an even more extreme version of my diet and people thrive on it. It's been proven that too much protein in your system actually leaches calcium from the bones.

    Go do research! I didn't decide on high-carb for kicks. I read books! Read The China Study, The 80/10/10 Diet, Diet for a New America. Google it! There are lots of sites to explain why high-complex-carb diets are good. :D

    So not true...at all. I suggest you do a bit more research.

    And please could you explain exactly how 'too much' protein leeches calcium from the bones?
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I lost 5.8 pounds in 6 days of pure body fat...

    Unless they have you running inside a perpetual squirrel cage....no, you haven't.
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  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Yes! Keeps me much more satisfied!

    Studies prove the macro's don't really affect weight loss if the total calories are the same. http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa0804748 HOWEVER, certain people find certain macronutrients more satisfying, so it's easier for them to stick to their caloric deficit with that specific macro split. A lot of people find protein satisfying. Personally carbs are the only thing that fill me up.


    What is interesting is that at all points in time the macro mix with the least amount of loss from the waist was the higher carb, lower protein one. The other macro mixes seemed to be much more closely clustered for the 6 month intervals, with the higher protein more moderate fat one seeming to come out 'on top in the longer term. However, the variances were too small to be of any significance. Also, adherence to macro levels was problematic and the average deficit was only about 1/2lb a week. I have seen this study before but never got around to reading in detail, so bookmarked now to do so.I wish they had tested BF% in that study (I am not seeing it in the link, but may have missed it as its late).
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Only 10-20% of your diet needs to be protein. Anything more is just excess. Read about the 80/10/10 diet. It's an even more extreme version of my diet and people thrive on it. It's been proven that too much protein in your system actually leaches calcium from the bones.

    Go do research! I didn't decide on high-carb for kicks. I read books! Read The China Study, The 80/10/10 Diet, Diet for a New America. Google it! There are lots of sites to explain why high-complex-carb diets are good. :D

    In regards to the China Study....

    http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/385/

    http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-china-study-revisited/
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    What exactly constitutes "high carb"? Do you need to reach a certain number of grams? Or is it about percentages? I generally do 2800cals with 50c/35f/15p or 45c/35f/20p but dunno if this puts me in the high carb camp?
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  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    What exactly constitutes "high carb"? Do you need to reach a certain number of grams? Or is it about percentages? I generally do 2800cals with 50c/35f/15p or 45c/35f/20p but dunno if this puts me in the high carb camp?

    50 is perfectly fine. 70-80 is what some of these diets have people doing, that is high carb basically

    Good to know, thanks! Yeah I calculated the grams of protein I had been recommended & then divided remaining calories according to taste. I like me some fat and some carbs. Nomnomnom.
  • PDarrall
    PDarrall Posts: 114 Member
    Arguably yes, my percentages are 55/30/15.

    Have only tried to reduce my drinking of Coca-Cola, other than that. My diet did not rely on specifically cutting carbs, or increasing proteins.

    I don't see carbs by themselves as the enemy, certainly not complex carbs. Though I accept HFCS, added sugar are both sources of carbs which don't add a lot of value, but do add calories.
  • laceyf53
    laceyf53 Posts: 110 Member
    Unless they have you running inside a perpetual squirrel cage....no, you haven't.

    Yes I have, the diet is very low calorie for the first week. 600 calories of protein, no carbs are allowed the first 3 days. Once I reached Ketosis on day 4, I started working my calories back up to 1,250 per day. I receive Methionene and a B vitamin complex injection weekly, as well as appetite suppressants, fat burner supplements, chromium, calcium pyruvate, and a multivitamin. This is my first week - I am weighed and measured every Friday. They also take my vitals and I had to have an EKG and comprehensive blood panel before I started. It's not cheap, but it works well and it works fast. People my size on this program lose 20+ pounds the first month. Once you reach your goal, they help you add the right amount of calories back into your diet for proper weight maintenance. One of my friends referred me, she lost 80 pounds in 6 months and has kept it off the past four years. To me, I've yo-yo'd enough and it's worth the money and support.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Only 10-20% of your diet needs to be protein. Anything more is just excess. Read about the 80/10/10 diet. It's an even more extreme version of my diet and people thrive on it. It's been proven that too much protein in your system actually leaches calcium from the bones.

    Go do research! I didn't decide on high-carb for kicks. I read books! Read The China Study, The 80/10/10 Diet, Diet for a New America. Google it! There are lots of sites to explain why high-complex-carb diets are good. :D

    Dietary needs are not based on a percentage but on actual weight consumed. 10% of 1200cals and 10% of 3000cals is obviously different.

    If you are cutting your protein needs are going to be higher than that. 80/10/10 is ok if you are consuming 3500 cals.

    As to research. Yep, done it. Please read this to understand that your idea of protein leaching calcium is incorrect in general populations.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21102327
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Unless they have you running inside a perpetual squirrel cage....no, you haven't.

    Yes I have, the diet is very low calorie for the first week. 600 calories of protein, no carbs are allowed the first 3 days. Once I reached Ketosis on day 4, I started working my calories back up to 1,250 per day. I receive Methionene and a B vitamin complex injection weekly, as well as appetite suppressants, fat burner supplements, chromium, calcium pyruvate, and a multivitamin. This is my first week - I am weighed and measured every Friday. They also take my vitals and I had to have an EKG and comprehensive blood panel before I started. It's not cheap, but it works well and it works fast. People my size on this program lose 20+ pounds the first month. Once you reach your goal, they help you add the right amount of calories back into your diet for proper weight maintenance. One of my friends referred me, she lost 80 pounds in 6 months and has kept it off the past four years. To me, I've yo-yo'd enough and it's worth the money and support.

    It's not pure fat. No weight loss is pure fat.
    Ask them what the risk of gallbladder stones is with what you are doing. If they tell you none - walk away. If they explain it and you still want to go with your method - it's your choice. Best of luck. Just be informed and educate yourself. Figure out what maintenance is going to be like and long term results.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member

    As to research. Yep, done it. Please read this to understand that your idea of protein leaching calcium is incorrect in general populations.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21102327
    I'm glad you posted this I get fed up with people posting that as a fact

    I'm on what is called a sufficient protein high carb diet. Yes 60% of my diet is from carbs and only around 15% from protein but as I'm eating nearly 3000 calories on most days that's plenty of protein. If however I was only eating 1200 calories that percentage would not be sufficient I would likely need 40% of my diet on protein. A lot of the proponents of 80/10/10 are people like Rich Roll who's an endurance athlete so his calories are going to be high so the amount of grams of protein even on 80/10/10 will be high. As EvgeniZyntx said percentages are pretty meaningless in this context I never understand the obsession with using them as in reality it doesn't give you the whole picture or context

    I agree there is a huge over egging of Protein to the detriment of other important things. When talking about diet though we need to look at the whole picture in context from activity to full nutrition not just one macro
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    Been vegan these past three months (except that one day I still wish hadn't happened). By it's nature it's pretty high carb, my protein hovers at RDA though, I eat lots of seeds, nuts, and beans. I would say it's not nearly as good for satiety as low carb was, but it gives me way more energy to fuel workouts and just keep me from hanging out in a chair all day. And both ways of eating blow standard American diet out of the water.
  • MSeel1984
    MSeel1984 Posts: 2,297 Member
    Even if I wanted to I couldn't. Type I diabetic on a high carb diet...I would fully expect my doctor to slap me.
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  • bjshields
    bjshields Posts: 677 Member
    I've just started a whole foods plant based diet. To be clear, most of my carbs are vegetables, fruits and whole grains. I don't eat a ton of bread or processed foods. It's very satisfying, and I'm finding it fairly easy to do on the road, since I've been out and about this week.
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  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    I guess; 50/35/15 C/F/P. It's just how my food falls. If protein goes over, I'm not fussed. I mostly worry about sodium and calories.
  • doctorregenerated
    doctorregenerated Posts: 188 Member
    I spent many, many years on high carb, low protein diet. My staples were pizza and chocolate. It was terrible when I couldn't put meat on the pizza or get chocolate with nuts in it because I didn't want the extra protein, but now with MFP I realize I can have both in moderation.