high carb vs low carb for pear shaped women

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kbear04
kbear04 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
so, I'm a short (5'1) pear shape female and my weight has gone up and down for 11 years, can't seem to figure out what to do make it stick. I'm always told protein is key to lose weight and gain muscle, but I end up craving carbs like crazy and I have a sweet tooth like no one I know. I was doing some research and read that for pear shape women-because of the increased estrogen levels and low insulin, we should be eating around 45% carbs (complex carbs), 45% protein, and 10% healthy fat. I read that the reason we crave carbs is because we need it for insulin levels. whereas apple shape women tend to have high insulin levels and do better on lower carb/higher protein diets. has anyone heard of this theory and had any success?

Replies

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I doubt you crave carbs because you need to raise insulin levels. When insulin is low, people tend to lose weight (as seen in the extreme example of undiagnosed T1Ds). If you get your insulin level checked you will know for sure.

    I am a 5'8" woman who gains weight evenly over my body. I craved carbs like crazy but was insulin resistant. I lost my weight following a LCHF diet
  • nadler64
    nadler64 Posts: 124 Member
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    I have no proof of this (I'm usually the first one to say "show me the journal article!") but I suspect people crave carbs because carbs get metabolized to sugar and sugar is like crack to one's brain. There have been a lot of articles about this recently; here's one from IFLScience that explains some of that addictive tendency: http://www.iflscience.com/brain/here-s-what-happens-your-brain-when-you-give-sugar-lent

    Also, 10% fat sounds really, really low. I do 40C, 30F, 30P and it works really well for me (YMMV). Fat and protein are part of every meal for me; if I don't include some fat in each meal, I guarantee I'll be looking for the wrong kind of snacks in between meals. :( Fat and protein will give you longer-lasting, slower-burning energy and keep you satiated, and you'll be less likely to look for a quick carb fix when your last one has burned off and you're crashing. I'm sure there are folks here who could point you towards posts or studies that will give you the hows and whys of appropriate macro proportions. I just don't have time to go find them at the moment.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
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    I'm pear shaped and didn't track macros at all during my weight loss phase (still don't, 3 years into maintenance). The only number I focused on was calories. Lost the extra weight with no problem and now comfortably wear size 4 jeans (down from size 14s).
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    10% fat is really low, like unsustainable low. If you really want to do low fat I'd say stick with more like 20% (just for the sake of your health- we need fat in our diets). I happen to be a pear shaped woman, and I've been eating LCHF for nearly three years now. Not a craving in site. I get about 60-70% of my calories from fat, a moderate amount of protein (20-25%), and the remaining 20% or less from carbs. I've never heard of the theory you mentioned about apple vs pear shaped women, but weight gain around the midsection is associated more highly with insulin resistance, so *maybe* apple shapes would benefit even more from lowering carbs, but that's not to say other body shapes couldn't do it too.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    There are a lot of reasons people crave carbs, including being tired, being dehydrated, needing more protein or fat, and just flat-out liking carbs. Plus, everyone has a slightly different macro balance that works best for them. You may need to play around to find the right macro split for you, but it has nothing at all to do with your body shape. Don't use being pear-shaped as an excuse to think you "need" more carbs -- eat them if you want to, but don't feel that you need to make up reasons for eating them.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Nobody needs high insulin levels. The lower the better, and this is achieved via low carb diet only. Set macros
    to 15c/20p/65f. :)

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