If you had to choose one: CARBS or FAT?

So much hostility on this thread against carbs!

Neither carbs nor fat should be classified as evil. They are both necessary for your body to function properly. To really choose, you would need to know what the two items you are choosing between actually are. Take this example, 2 items that are approximately 120 calories each, the only difference is one has more carbs and the other has more fat. Many of you will automatically choose the one with the fat without knowing what it is because you have given into the "all carbs are bad" hype. Some of you will choose the one with more carbs without knowing what it is because you perceive it as having more substance and being more filling. But what if the two items were a tablespoon of olive oil (more fat) and a large banana (more carbs)? I don't mean for my example to come off as anti-fat. 100 calories of healthy fat is a better choice over 100 calories of refined sugar. I'm just saying you can't really choose the healthier option without knowing what exactly it is you are choosing between.

If there is one micronutrient that is completely un-necessary it would be carbohydrates. Our bodies are quite capable of making glycogen from proteins and ketones for energy from fats. There are whole cultures across the world that have very little access to vegetational carbohydrates and live quite well on meats and fats. And I am not just talking about Eskimos!

Why would you make it considerably more inconvenient to cut out carbohydrates completely? A lot of sources of carbs are some of the most affordable and calorie dense types of food. I mean if you wanted to pack a sandwich to work, you wouldn't be able to use bread. If I'm going to be late for work, and I'd like to grab a piece of fruit, I wouldn't be able to. To live off of protein and fat really limits most people because you're cutting out a huge variety of food (starch, legumes, fibrous & leafy vegetables, fruit), and mentally this can be very difficult to follow, which will probably lead you to quit whatever plan your on.

Plus, it's simply unnecessary to cut out carbohydrates. Some of the fittest and strongest people in the world eat 400+ grams of carbs everyday. You can easily lose body fat on a caloric deficit with a variety of food (it may be slower, but people expect things to go too quickly anyways), so why would you purposely make life more expensive and inconvenient for yourself? And unless you plan on incorporating a carb free diet for life, your going to gain fat back. I've done extremely low carb plans, but I understood it was going to be short term, I wasn't surprised the least bit to see a big loss in definition once I re-incorporated carbohydrates. I knew somebody who literally ate chicken breast as his sole source of food and he developed a noticeable set of abs in 1 month! But he lost all definition in his midsection once he reincorporated carbs back into his diet. In my opinion, I'd rather lose bodyfat and be able to keep it off rather than stay in a permanent state of ketosis.

I was only responding to the notion that carbs are essential to good health. They are not. They are convenient. They are easy. I was not saying I or anyone here should live a life free of carbohydrates. I eat them every day. I just choose to eat fresh foods and food made from fresh foods *(recipes). I can't eat 500+ carbs a day without gaining weight. I am not a weight lifter nor am I prone to jog or do aerobics. I have health issues that make those options not practical for me. I have chosen a life style of eating that meets my needs. I am only offering the thought that if someone chooses to never eat another carb and ate animals and their by-products (including fats) they could live a healthy, long life.

So much hostility on this thread against carbs!

Neither carbs nor fat should be classified as evil. They are both necessary for your body to function properly. To really choose, you would need to know what the two items you are choosing between actually are. Take this example, 2 items that are approximately 120 calories each, the only difference is one has more carbs and the other has more fat. Many of you will automatically choose the one with the fat without knowing what it is because you have given into the "all carbs are bad" hype. Some of you will choose the one with more carbs without knowing what it is because you perceive it as having more substance and being more filling. But what if the two items were a tablespoon of olive oil (more fat) and a large banana (more carbs)? I don't mean for my example to come off as anti-fat. 100 calories of healthy fat is a better choice over 100 calories of refined sugar. I'm just saying you can't really choose the healthier option without knowing what exactly it is you are choosing between.

If there is one micronutrient that is completely un-necessary it would be carbohydrates. Our bodies are quite capable of making glycogen from proteins and ketones for energy from fats. There are whole cultures across the world that have very little access to vegetational carbohydrates and live quite well on meats and fats. And I am not just talking about Eskimos!

Why would you make it considerably more inconvenient to cut out carbohydrates completely? A lot of sources of carbs are some of the most affordable and calorie dense types of food. I mean if you wanted to pack a sandwich to work, you wouldn't be able to use bread. If I'm going to be late for work, and I'd like to grab a piece of fruit, I wouldn't be able to. To live off of protein and fat really limits most people because you're cutting out a huge variety of food (starch, legumes, fibrous & leafy vegetables, fruit), and mentally this can be very difficult to follow, which will probably lead you to quit whatever plan your on.

Plus, it's simply unnecessary to cut out carbohydrates. Some of the fittest and strongest people in the world eat 400+ grams of carbs everyday. You can easily lose body fat on a caloric deficit with a variety of food (it may be slower, but people expect things to go too quickly anyways), so why would you purposely make life more expensive and inconvenient for yourself? And unless you plan on incorporating a carb free diet for life, your going to gain fat back. I've done extremely low carb plans, but I understood it was going to be short term, I wasn't surprised the least bit to see a big loss in definition once I re-incorporated carbohydrates. I knew somebody who literally ate chicken breast as his sole source of food and he developed a noticeable set of abs in 1 month! But he lost all definition in his midsection once he reincorporated carbs back into his diet. In my opinion, I'd rather lose bodyfat and be able to keep it off rather than stay in a permanent state of ketosis.

I was only responding to the notion that carbs are essential to good health. They are not. They are convenient. They are easy. I was not saying I or anyone here should live a life free of carbohydrates. I eat them every day. I just choose to eat fresh foods and food made from fresh foods *(recipes). I can't eat 500+ carbs a day without gaining weight. I am not a weight lifter nor am I prone to jog or do aerobics. I have health issues that make those options not practical for me. I have chosen a life style of eating that meets my needs. I am only offering the thought that if someone chooses to never eat another carb and ate animals and their by-products (including fats) they could live a healthy, long life.

So I can technically choose a McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder and as long as I only eat the meat (with some bacon added in on the side), I'd be doing my body a favor over eating a bowl of oatmeal with fruit?

Here is a hypothetical:

If I have two options of food to chose from, and they both have the EXACT same nutritional information EXCEPT for CARBS and FAT, which would you choose?

I.e.: If one was higher in CARBS, but the other was higher in FAT?

Which one would you stay away from? Which is the lesser of two evils: CARBS or FAT?

For me, it depends on the source of the carb and the type of fat. Neither carbs nor fat technically makes you fat. All that is a bunch of mythological hoo ha that sells fad diets. But, if the carb is mostly refined simple sugars and the fat is mostly unsaturated and filled with Omega-3's, then I choose the fat. But, if the carb is a complex carb or perhaps even a simple one accompanied by fiber (like an apple) and the fat is trans fat or saturated fat, then I choose the carb.

There are highly nutritious qualities of carbs and fat, and to vilify one or the other does your body a great dis-service.

Perfectly said.

Would also depend on timing of the meal for me.

So much hostility on this thread against carbs!

Neither carbs nor fat should be classified as evil. They are both necessary for your body to function properly. To really choose, you would need to know what the two items you are choosing between actually are. Take this example, 2 items that are approximately 120 calories each, the only difference is one has more carbs and the other has more fat. Many of you will automatically choose the one with the fat without knowing what it is because you have given into the "all carbs are bad" hype. Some of you will choose the one with more carbs without knowing what it is because you perceive it as having more substance and being more filling. But what if the two items were a tablespoon of olive oil (more fat) and a large banana (more carbs)? I don't mean for my example to come off as anti-fat. 100 calories of healthy fat is a better choice over 100 calories of refined sugar. I'm just saying you can't really choose the healthier option without knowing what exactly it is you are choosing between.

I am a certified personal trainer. In school they teach us that Carbs needs to complete 60% of your daily calorie intake. Fat needs to be 40% and protein 10%-15%. The trick is not choosing carbs or fat, its choosing the correct carbs and the correct fats. There are good carbs and bad carbs, good fats and BAD fats. You can google lists of these to keep with you. Basically no processed carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, cereals, sugars, ect). No saturated or trans fats.
If you need to loose a good bit of weight I would suggest keeping you carb intake (good carbs only) and do a lower fat diet. Eat fat, just eat the good stuff!

I also work for a doctor and he agrees that what physical activity you do is really just as if not more important than what you eat.

The notion that animal fats (saturated) are BAD for you is out dated. Coconut oil is a highly saturated oil and is one of the healthiest oils one can add to your daily regime. There are so many studies that are showing that animal fats are not responsible for raised lipid panels. It is the ingestion of too much sugar and insulin response that is raising cholesterol numbers around the world! Eat fat, get thin and health!

If you put it that way, protein isn't required either. We only need a couple single amino acids to produce all the amino acids necessary through transamination. That's not the actual meaning of an essential nutrient, either.

Just setting some parameters to make a point...that's all. All three sources of energy are obviously needed for good health.