Low Carbs + High Protein = Worth It?

i didn't read all the responses so sorry if this is repeating what other people said but low carb/high protein diets can actually be pretty dangerous and counter productive... the body's preferred energy source is carbs, and not only does it fuel physical activities the brain/CNS uses it for functions as well.... carbs actually efficiently burn and use fat and protein and they are protein sparing ( your body wont go to protein to convert to energy - which results in ketosis.. ketones are acidic to the body and if youve ever been in ketosis before you WILL know it ( extremely moody, cranky , tired etc.)
- in a nutshell eat carbs...theyre WAY too important to our body to restrict them to a great amount... its actually recommended that the bulk of calories come from carbs (anywhere from %50-%70) what matters most is if your calories in < calories out youll loose weight

What he said. In my experience low carb diets work well for people who have a large amount of weight to lose. If you don't have a large amount of weight to drop they can be counter productive.

With many sources of carbs it isn't so much the carbs that are the issue but everything else in the item. Breads and pasta can have tons of filler and other junk in them. Try it, if it works for you, great, if not, change something until you find a balance that does work for you.
Except that obesity rates in the US didn't start rising until health officials introduced carbs as good and fat as bad. Heart disease rates sky rocketed at that point as well.

The moodiness is from induction - the short span of time where your body is readjusting to using ketones as fuel rather than carbs. It's normal, and it passes quickly - usually within a week for most, 3 weeks in extreme cases. The only side effect I have now from being in constant ketosis is dry mouth, which just encourages me to drink more, so it's more of a positive to me. Keto occurs when you eat fewer than 20-30g carbs/day, though some people can go as high as 50 if they only get cabs from veggies and have been established in keto for a while. Ketones are only dangerous in diabetics, who can lapse into ketoacidosis, which is something otherwise healthy people don't have to worry about. A low carb diet can also help restore insulin sensitivity and prevent diabetes if you were heading that way from over-consumption of carbs, as well as improve cholesterol.

I've heard conflicting information as to the brain's use of ketones. I know that the brain can, at the very least, meet 70% of it's energy requirements via ketones. The mitochondria can convert it to ATP, and it actually burns cleaner than carbs. As for the other 30%, I'm not sure. Your body either can use ketones or it can strip proteins and convert it into carbs. Carbs are not at all necessary if you balance your other macros accordingly. Plenty of cultures in the world, past and present, have lived without carbs.

Obviously it's not for everyone, standard one size does not fit all warning that every diet should include. It does also boil down to calories in calories out for weight loss, but I think the other health benefits are worth giving up bread and grains (which I find ridiculously boring now anyway compared to a steak slathered in garlic butter and a huge caesar salad - mixed greens, not romaine thx. But that's me.)