High carb, or high fat?

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Sinanthiel
Sinanthiel Posts: 32 Member
edited September 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone!

I'm an omnivore, mostly eating a plant based diet, but I do eat some poultry, very lean meats, fish/seafood, eggs, yogurt, occasionally small amounts of cheese (only a couple tablespoons at most in whatever serving of food I'm eating), and lactose free milk as I'm mildly lactose intolerant. I might switch to plant based milk like almond milk, or cashew milk.

I wanted to ask if anyone knows which is better. High carb, or high fat? These are my current macros, but I don't know if it's optimal for losing weight. 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fat. I'd like to know what macros are the best for losing weight, and building a little muscle. I don't want to build a lot of muscle, but just a little.

Thank you in advance for any advice! またね！☆〜（ゝ。∂）♪

Replies

  • Sinanthiel
    Sinanthiel Posts: 32 Member
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    Tried30UserNames wrote: »
    For losing weight, I don't think it matters. For making you feel healthy and satiated, it matters a lot. What makes you feel good? I like higher fat, but not super high keto fat. Someone else might feel best on higher carbs. We're all different.

    Honestly, I like carbs best, and I feel like my diet is MUCH more sustainable for me if I can eat complex carbs. When I eat low carb, and higher fat/protein I'm hungry all the time, and I want a lot more food. Because low carb makes me more hungry, I'm much more likely to eat over my caloric intake for the day, and I also tend to cheat more.

    When I eat more carbs, I don't feel the urge to cheat as much, and I'm more satiated. I also tend to eat less meat, and dairy, and more plant based when I'm eating higher carb. I also like dark chocolate, and when I'm higher fat, it's much harder to eat dark chocolate because of the carbs. Unless I want to pay through the nose for a "paleo" type chocolate with no sugar added.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    for losing weight calories are kind

    for satiation it depends what works for you - i do high carb (3-400g a day) and i'm weight stable - lots of vegetables, whole grains - they make me happy
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    1 g protein per 2.2 lbs bodyweight.

    Carb/fat ratio is your choice, but I eat a few more carbs on more active days.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    Today, after dinner, I've had 40% of my calories from fat and 33% from carbs. I'm feeling quite satisfied right now.

    I've had days of 50% or more carbs and did not like them.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    So long as you're getting enough protein, for weight loss, your macros don't matter so long as they keep you satisfied, and the amount you eat is neither too much nor too little.

  • GemstoneofHeart
    GemstoneofHeart Posts: 865 Member
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    Either. Calorie deficit is all that matters. Eat what makes you feel satisfied!
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
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    Everything works as long as you're in a deficit. I've had 50c, 25p,25f over the last 40 days and lost weight steadily.
  • JasmineDiver22
    JasmineDiver22 Posts: 148 Member
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    This post helps me so much. All this info answered lots of questions I've had.
  • missh1967
    missh1967 Posts: 661 Member
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    GemstoneofHeart wrote: »
    Either. Calorie deficit is all that matters. Eat what makes you feel satisfied!

    This. 55%-62% of my calories are from carbs. 15%, give or take a few, is from fat, and the rest is from protein.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    What's optimal for weight loss is what will have you dieting for longer without burning you out. Basically, eat as close to your personal preferences as possible and you should be fine as long as you're within calories.
  • Sinanthiel
    Sinanthiel Posts: 32 Member
    edited September 2017
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    Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful insight! I'm so grateful for such a lovely community that helps each other. I'm really hoping my eating habits this time will be sustainable for me. I was a myfitnesspal fiend for about a year, back in 2012-2013, but I was being very restrictive, and not eating very much. Now, I'm going to try the high carb, low-fat approach, and see how I do with it. I'm also going to be eating more whole foods, and less processed. I just hope I can do it, because I have two ruptured discs, arthritis in my spine, and my spinal canal is narrowing. I'm in so much pain everyday, that I can't cook all the time. So, I'm trying to find very easy meals that take maybe 30-45 minutes to make, and I'll have leftovers for 2-3 days. I'm going to buy the ingredients to make red lentil dal with rice, and hopefully it will last me a few days, and also some lentil and red bean chili with very lean meat added like ground turkey. I only want to cook 3, or 4 days a week, and have leftovers the rest of the time. Figuring out lunches is the hardest part of this. I don't want to eat leftovers for lunch, and dinner eating the same thing. So, I'm trying to figure out what I want to do about quick lunches.

    Anyway, I've been busy today, so I didn't have time to reply until now just before going to bed at almost 3am. Haha.

    Tonight for my dinner I had curry rice (which has a wonderful curry dressing that's out of this world that I made..), with scallions, garbanzo beans, grilled chicken, and raisins. If anyone would like the recipe, just let me know, and I can share! It was great with my side salad I ate with it, and I'm very very satisfied. I ate 2 cups of cooked Jasmine rice with the dressing mixed in, and the chicken, scallions, garbanzo beans, and raisins with a side salad with 1 tbsp. Trader Joe's Parmesan ranch low fat dressing (15 calories, but it was discontinued last year, and I'm really sad. I only have a little bit left. I need to find another low fat dressing from Trader Joe's) that clocked in a little over 760 calories, and it was a lot of satisfying food.

    I don't usually eat snacks except vegetables, or small piece of fruit with almond butter and plain vegan coconut yogurt, so I tend to eat a bigger meal at dinner, because I like to work out after I eat, which gives me more fuel. I feel like I burn more fat at night time when I'm sleeping after I've worked out, but it could be a placebo effect. Haha. One thing I've found is that working out at night time revs me up a bit (and no I don't drink coffee very often, maybe once a month, but I do drink a lot of tea like green tea, and chai), and I don't get to sleep until 2-3am. I don't work though (I'm disabled), so it's not a big deal, but I would like to go to bed by midnight, or 1am at the latest. Does anyone have any tips as to how I can sleep better after my nightly workout? I might even talk to my naturopathic doctor about it, but I wanted to ask here first.
  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
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    I have trouble sleeping after any workout that isn't restorative yoga. It's pretty normal. The teas you mentioned also have caffeine, so depending on what time of day you're drinking them, they could be part of your problem. You could try not having any caffeine past, say, 10am.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    Sinanthiel wrote: »
    Tried30UserNames wrote: »
    For losing weight, I don't think it matters. For making you feel healthy and satiated, it matters a lot. What makes you feel good? I like higher fat, but not super high keto fat. Someone else might feel best on higher carbs. We're all different.

    Honestly, I like carbs best, and I feel like my diet is MUCH more sustainable for me if I can eat complex carbs. When I eat low carb, and higher fat/protein I'm hungry all the time, and I want a lot more food. Because low carb makes me more hungry, I'm much more likely to eat over my caloric intake for the day, and I also tend to cheat more.

    When I eat more carbs, I don't feel the urge to cheat as much, and I'm more satiated. I also tend to eat less meat, and dairy, and more plant based when I'm eating higher carb. I also like dark chocolate, and when I'm higher fat, it's much harder to eat dark chocolate because of the carbs. Unless I want to pay through the nose for a "paleo" type chocolate with no sugar added.

    There's your answer!
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    Options
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    for losing weight calories are kind

    for satiation it depends what works for you - i do high carb (3-400g a day) and i'm weight stable - lots of vegetables, whole grains - they make me happy

    This.

    Calories are what matters for weight loss.

    Macros are what matters for satiety, and that varies greatly between people. Personally, I do much better on a higher carb diet.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Options
    Sinanthiel wrote: »
    Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful insight! I'm so grateful for such a lovely community that helps each other. I'm really hoping my eating habits this time will be sustainable for me. I was a myfitnesspal fiend for about a year, back in 2012-2013, but I was being very restrictive, and not eating very much. Now, I'm going to try the high carb, low-fat approach, and see how I do with it. I'm also going to be eating more whole foods, and less processed. I just hope I can do it, because I have two ruptured discs, arthritis in my spine, and my spinal canal is narrowing. I'm in so much pain everyday, that I can't cook all the time. So, I'm trying to find very easy meals that take maybe 30-45 minutes to make, and I'll have leftovers for 2-3 days. I'm going to buy the ingredients to make red lentil dal with rice, and hopefully it will last me a few days, and also some lentil and red bean chili with very lean meat added like ground turkey. I only want to cook 3, or 4 days a week, and have leftovers the rest of the time. Figuring out lunches is the hardest part of this. I don't want to eat leftovers for lunch, and dinner eating the same thing. So, I'm trying to figure out what I want to do about quick lunches.

    Anyway, I've been busy today, so I didn't have time to reply until now just before going to bed at almost 3am. Haha.

    Tonight for my dinner I had curry rice (which has a wonderful curry dressing that's out of this world that I made..), with scallions, garbanzo beans, grilled chicken, and raisins. If anyone would like the recipe, just let me know, and I can share! It was great with my side salad I ate with it, and I'm very very satisfied. I ate 2 cups of cooked Jasmine rice with the dressing mixed in, and the chicken, scallions, garbanzo beans, and raisins with a side salad with 1 tbsp. Trader Joe's Parmesan ranch low fat dressing (15 calories, but it was discontinued last year, and I'm really sad. I only have a little bit left. I need to find another low fat dressing from Trader Joe's) that clocked in a little over 760 calories, and it was a lot of satisfying food.

    I don't usually eat snacks except vegetables, or small piece of fruit with almond butter and plain vegan coconut yogurt, so I tend to eat a bigger meal at dinner, because I like to work out after I eat, which gives me more fuel. I feel like I burn more fat at night time when I'm sleeping after I've worked out, but it could be a placebo effect. Haha. One thing I've found is that working out at night time revs me up a bit (and no I don't drink coffee very often, maybe once a month, but I do drink a lot of tea like green tea, and chai), and I don't get to sleep until 2-3am. I don't work though (I'm disabled), so it's not a big deal, but I would like to go to bed by midnight, or 1am at the latest. Does anyone have any tips as to how I can sleep better after my nightly workout? I might even talk to my naturopathic doctor about it, but I wanted to ask here first.

    Thanks for the great feedback, and well done for listening to good advice!

    I don't drink tea or coffee after 2 pm, as it affects my sleep.

    I only workout in the mornings, as I have a terrible sleep otherwise, plus I get to enjoy my "runner's high" all day. :smile:

    I don't recommend consulting a naturopath for any health advice. It is not based on good science.

    https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/category/naturopathy/
  • GlassAngyl
    GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
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    Which ever one doesn't make you miserable. Usually low carb is best for those who are obese, but it isn't necessary. Watching calories is the only thing that works no matter what you decide. But general rule is don't let your fat intake drop below 15% if you prefer higher carb.

    I like this guy. Saw him posted by someone else in another post. He is hilarious.

    http://physiqonomics.com/fat-loss/

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