Low Fat or Low Carb

krknobbe10
krknobbe10 Posts: 110 Member
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
What have you found that works better for you? What foods have you ate in the past that havin been included in these low fat/low carb plans? Which plan did you like better because you had better results with when cutting fat and maintaining muscle?
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Replies

  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Neither is necessary. A calorie deficit will cut fat, a slight calorie surplus will build muscle.
    Protein is for muscles.
  • notnikkisixx
    notnikkisixx Posts: 375 Member
    Neither. I eat foods that I love and keep them within my calorie goals. Fat loss comes from eating a calorie deficit and muscles retention comes from using them.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
    I don't have a choice, I have to do low carb. The upside is I'm never hungry and it's generally a lot more food than I could eat in a day if I ate to my calorie limit. It's been long enough that my tastes have changed, and a lot of the things people make a big deal of 'giving up' don't really taste good to me anyway (sugary things like frosting or candy, bread, fries). There's still plenty of vegetables and some fruit, so it's not like giving up an entire macro (another common exaggeration). Play with your macros and adjust every few weeks. What matters is you have enough protein to maintain muscle mass, beyond that it's up to you if what's left is more carbs or more fat.
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    None. Low calorie.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,430 MFP Moderator
    edited February 2015
    If you are going to concentrate on any macro, i would suggest protein. Ideally, you should be aiming for .8g to 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. Other research would suggest .35 to .6g of fat per lb of lean body mass and the rest carbs.

    But all of this is contingent on training routines and which type of diet will help you stay in a deficit.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    Neither.
  • RebelDiamond
    RebelDiamond Posts: 188 Member
    Neither, people assume I eat low carb because I don't eat much bread/pasta/grains. I do this because I tend to over indulge on those foods and they are calorie dense.
    I get my carbs mainly from fruit and veg, and I try to eat more "good" fats like avocado, raw olive oil and coconut oil, nuts and yogurt.
    In the end, low calorie is the way to go, how you get there is up to personal preference.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    JPW1990 wrote: »
    I don't have a choice, I have to do low carb. The upside is I'm never hungry and it's generally a lot more food than I could eat in a day if I ate to my calorie limit. It's been long enough that my tastes have changed, and a lot of the things people make a big deal of 'giving up' don't really taste good to me anyway (sugary things like frosting or candy, bread, fries). There's still plenty of vegetables and some fruit, so it's not like giving up an entire macro (another common exaggeration). Play with your macros and adjust every few weeks. What matters is you have enough protein to maintain muscle mass, beyond that it's up to you if what's left is more carbs or more fat.

    I fall into the same group.

    Being able to eat more calories when doing Low Carb High Fat lifestyle vs the other way around is a plus in my case.

  • carolann_22
    carolann_22 Posts: 364 Member
    Low carb (per my doc, severe PCOS and insulin resistance) is easier for ME to create a calorie deficit while feeling full and not deprived. However, whatever you do should be sustainable long term, which is difficult for some people with low carb.
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  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
    Low carb. I am not hungry after eating full fat yogurt, but carbs make me hungry.
  • strozman
    strozman Posts: 2,622 Member
    If the only choice is low fat vs low carb

    Low carb wins hands down. Don't believe me, research peer reviewed articles on the subject.

    But dieting is mostly about calories in vs calories expended.
  • Lissa_Kaye
    Lissa_Kaye Posts: 214 Member
    I honestly don't know how anyone does low carb. I think I would die. I just try to eat as much whole food as possible. The main thing I have cut out of my diet has been added sugar. I am in the stages of metabolic syndrome and prediabetes. I had got into juicing and was juicing everything. My numbers started getting bad because of all the fruit juice. I had to really cut back high sugar veggies in juice like beets, carrots, and oranges. I am trying to make the bulk of my food veggies with a little carbs I guess.
  • Sydking
    Sydking Posts: 317 Member
    Neither. I need moderation of carbs and fat to keep me going.
  • lisasmilz
    lisasmilz Posts: 6 Member
    Neither, you can eat whatever you want (in moderation). I tend to load up on veggies and I've been eating more organic, less processed foods too and notice I lose weight easier and I'm not as tired throughout the day.
  • starryskies89
    starryskies89 Posts: 35 Member
    I think It's interesting that people say they don't do 'low carb' but cut out many major sources of carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, ect) Effectively that is low(er) carb. Why such a stigma with low carb diets? There are many ways to restrict your eating habits, vegetarian, vegan, no red meat, ect... Low carb is just one of those ways.

    Personally I used to be in the group that thought restricting carbs was silly, I used to think that it was all hogwash and eating carbs had nothing to do with health, it was all calorie counting.
    I feel differently now since experimenting with low carb eating, I tried ketosis, and while that works and is beneficial to some, I personally don't have the self-control required at this time to maintain ketosis. I keep my carb levels low, haven't been tracking lately but I feel best when I do not eat bread, pasta, rice, beans or sugar.

    My foods are any type of meats, good fats, (coconut oil, olive) any dairy, plain yogurt ect, usually whole fat and any veggies and fruits. Occasionally I will have oatmeal or starches, sometimes even crackers or a cookie. I'm not a carb restriction fanatic.
    BUT the biggest change that I LOVE is how my body feels. After going low carb I realized how much water I retain when eating a high carb diet, my ankles and calves were always swollen, only after being low carb did I notice a change. Before that I was unaware of the effect. I feel lighter, my muscles ache less, I get better sleep and my brain functions more quickly. I have tested this by going on and off low carb many times since I began this journey. I always can't wait to start eating low carb again, because the way I feel is amazing.
    For weight loss, no matter if you are low or high carb calorie count still matters, low carb isn't a license to stuff your face and forget about a deficit, although I can attest that you will still stay unswollen even if you go over you calorie deficit... LOL

    In short, don't hesitate to try low carb if you think it may help you! I support it fully.
  • Lrdoflamancha
    Lrdoflamancha Posts: 1,280 Member
    Low carb.... But I am a type 2 diabetic...
  • jordanify
    jordanify Posts: 81 Member
    I completely agree with starryskies. My body loves low carb...I feel so good, alert and full of energy, no digestive issues and I never feel like I'm starving.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    ive done both.. low fat works better for me
  • JimFsfitnesspal
    JimFsfitnesspal Posts: 313 Member
    Limit carbs to around 100 and sugars to as low as you can and you will lose weight by the fistfuls. I'm down 24 pounds of fat and 43 to 35 inch waist in the last year. I added 5 pounds of muscle.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    To go low carb you have to reduce fruits, milk and sultana bran. Three of my favourite things lol
    Just these 3 things make it near impossible for me to do low carb :unamused:
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  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    LOL at people quoting a wall of text only to add it's unreliable and should be removed.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited February 2015
    Low Fat or Low Carb
    "What have you found that works better for you?"
    Neither.
    Adequate protein, adequate fat, carbs whatever amount that happens to fall within my calorie allowance.

    "Which plan did you like better because you had better results with when cutting fat and maintaining muscle? "
    A plan that results in the right number of calories, suitable amount of all three macros and train hard.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    krknobbe10 wrote: »
    What have you found that works better for you? What foods have you ate in the past that havin been included in these low fat/low carb plans? Which plan did you like better because you had better results with when cutting fat and maintaining muscle?

    I don't do low anything and haven't cut out any foods, use no plan other than this: I replaced daily mindless overeating and grazing with meals, focusing on tasty foods and a varied diet, at a proper calorie goal. Eating what I like and feel is healthy leads to what I also think is a good balance between the macros (17P, 45C, 38F (I'm in maintenance)).
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Low carb, for me it's the best weight loss tool by far. Plus I love meat and veg, so I'm kinda of drawn to it by default.
  • Jolinia
    Jolinia Posts: 846 Member
    edited February 2015
    Low carb for me because it absolutely slaughters my appetite. Sorry for all the cows that get slaughtered along the way, but when I need to lose pounds, it's the easiest way to not go insane.

    I like this lecture because the person giving it is a vegetarian and he's none too thrilled with the research results favoring a lower carb diet for weight loss, but he's honest enough to present them anyway:

    January 17, 2008 presentation by Christopher Gardner for the Stanford School of Medicine Medcast lecture series.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eREuZEdMAVo

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Christopher Gardner is a vegetarian, well what a surprise :po:)
  • Jolinia
    Jolinia Posts: 846 Member
    edited February 2015
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Christopher Gardner is a vegetarian, well what a surprise :po:)

    And yet the data he presents favors the low carb diet for weight loss and doesn't show any health issues with it. He has a sense of humor about it, though. He's a good speaker, too.

    Edit: Just caught the pun! I'm slow this morning. Need more coffee!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Jolinia wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Christopher Gardner is a vegetarian, well what a surprise :po:)

    And yet the data he presents favors the low carb diet for weight loss and doesn't show any health issues with it. He has a sense of humor about it, though. He's a good speaker, too.

    Edit: Just caught the pun! I'm slow this morning. Need more coffee!

    I'm having coffe right now! Must be why I'm so funny haha B)

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