Fat vs Carbs for fueling the human machine

MonkeyBars
MonkeyBars Posts: 266 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I've been experimenting with removing grains from my diet & eating more "good" fats for a few weeks now!
I appear to be getting stronger and leaner, I'll know once I finish my experiment after another 4 weeks!

A lot of information is being passed about that farming introduced grains into our diet and as this has only been in the past 10,000 years.

Most of us are still tied to our evolution and grains can't be eaten without processing.
Even my old favourite, steel cut porridge oats, aren't fun to eat unless they've been smashed :)

My query for this forum is, has anyone else gone this route? Are they seeing the same benefits from me?
I'm "really" interested in how you are getting the kcals we assume we need to survive (BMR).
I've taken to eating "mixed nuts and honey" to fill the gap and Meal-Replacement-Bars.
I just find it hard work to "stuff" the kcals in some days. I graze every hour from being awake to bed, but as I exercise every day, sometimes 3 times, I'm curious what other people do?

I'm trying to be as "fit" as I can be for my age and my current challenge is to build enough strength to execute a "quality" human flag! I train in kickboxing & MMA and like to run or cycle, so fitting everything in is a "challenge" :)

your comments would be appreciated ;)

Replies

  • BuckeyeLife
    BuckeyeLife Posts: 313 Member
    I remove grains as much as I can, haven't even had a desire to eat them really. I don't avoid them, but I certainly don't hunt them out. My grocery trips have very little interest in even going anywhere near grain based areas. I hit Fruits/Veggies(more for her than me, except there are fruits I like) then meats, greek yogurt, then maybe cooking supplies. Ever since introducing this approach(about two months ago) I can really feel when I eat heavy carb intake, especially grain. I am fine, but my tennis performance suffers VERY heavily. I am sluggish, slower to see the ball, and just overall inconsistent. When I go "primal" approach I am MUCH more in tune and aggressive. I also do not get food coma issues, nor do I really feel sluggish during the day like I used to, that is assuming I sleep as I should. I don't bother trying to get others to do it, but my girlfriend and I both are more primal-focused and it has made us both feel pretty amazing and she has done much better with energy levels.

    As for getting calories, that can be tricky. Nuts and nut butters are awesome. Almond butter is a nice spooner filler to just up calories and not really add much to food, but it does a GREAT job killing 2-3 hours worth of snack desire. (2tbsp, no hunger, amazing). Now that NBA finals are over, I will be SO happy to return to a low intake and get back to feeling good!!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Eat fat. Fish for example - the oily ones like mackerel. Sirloin steak, 20% fat beef mince, etc etc. Cook with butter or coconut oil.

    I get 60% or more of energy from fats and oils.
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    I easily get my calories from whole eggs, chicken, fish, cheese/milk, and sometimes bacon. I eat veggies otherwise.

    However if I were working out a ton, I can totally see how it would be more of a challenge. Nuts are very high calorie fats. I don't know about calorie count, but avocados have fiber and protein. If you have dairy, you can drink a lot of calories from milk!

    Maybe add a bit more of your higher calorie items you eat regularly, or make substitutions for something that is higher calorie than you have now.

    ETA: And to answer your other question. I am doing atkins/south beach depending on the week induction phase. No sugar, processed foods, or grains. I do feel more focused, more alert, and not as bogged down as when I eat whatever I like. I'm also losing weight like crazy, but only when I really eat like this.

    1/4 of a bar of chocolate and I won't really lose anything.
  • MonkeyBars
    MonkeyBars Posts: 266 Member
    Hi folks,

    thanks very much for your input.

    I know a pro MMA fighter who is carb free and on oily fish, he used to be fit, but now he's astonishing! He seems to be at a different level now, no crashing from carb loading, lower body fat (4%) and the ability to sustain longer!

    Also, as pointed out, I've noticed if I have something with grains in it, I can get a bit "giddy" for a while.

    I really feel going "Primal" is the way forward, I mean backward, I mean...oh, you know what I mean :)

    It seems we've been lied to for many years, either deliberately or unintentionally.
    Perhaps farmers, supermarkets, restaurants will be put out of business from "the knowledge".

    Reading Mark Sisson has been very interesting, I suppose now I've been at my target weight, perhaps I should consider not kcal counting? But, I like to be informed & I do like to train alot and have a concern I may "run" short.

    I'm having a hard time maintaining 82kgs, my body seems to want to drop some more weight!
    Perhaps I should consider letting it drop a few more and review, I can always put it back on, I've pushed up to 98kgs with 15% body fat before, the people who really "know" me understand my fitness & goals, but the acquaintances say they think I should not drop anymore as I'm "too" thin.

    Over the years I've collected many books on sports science and nutrition, but they feel out-of-date at the moment. I think I need to research some new books with the latest data.

    Dairy is an interesting one, I do like milk & cheese, my MRPs are whey and I use "rego" (thanks to an old tri athlete chum many years back) to assist me in being ready to go ;)
    But, let's face it, it's another species..... perhaps we've adapted to it in Europe (unlike many Asians) and this is why we can be so much larger.?

    I find eating berries very functional. The silly thing from a kcal point of view is they're low, but when I train early morning, I find a handful of berries can keep me going just as long as 50g of rego!

    I've considered that chemical thermodynamics may be a poor substitute for calculating how we burn food, perhaps there is some other "math" we've not established linked to life style?

    Also doing any S&C program can't really measuring the kcals being utilised either. Most energy for strength is burned on create the new tissue, not at the time of use.

    Is anyone else training over 8hrs a week?
    I'm friends with some endurance athletes, but the cheeky buggers eat "anything" and don't care, most of them cover 70-100 miles a week running and/or cycle obscene amounts with many swims too!
    Most appear to supplement because "they just can't get the damn kcals in".

    Thanks
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