low carb vs low fat

[maccaz]

Hey everyone, had a bit of a read but couldnt find a clear answer was just wondering what your opinions are on this.

OVer last few months have been working on cutting (want to lose around 25kgs over the next 6 months if possible). I have been working on the calorie deficit principle, but wondering if there is a faster way.

My current diet consists of as much high protein, low fat foods as possible, but it seems to be leaning towards replacing the fat i used to eat with more carbs now, as to find foods I can eat all the time with not too much fat always tends to be foods along the lines of :

-Tuna/Salmon canned on toast/rice/pasta

-Chicken on rice

-eggs on bread

-breads

various fruits and veges

a lot of rice and bread basically.

Basically what I am wondering is would it be better for me to eat as little carbs as possible, and worry less about fat? ie I could even attempt 0 carbs or very close to it and am I likely to have more quick results than continuing on my current calorie deficit diet?

would be willing to sacrifice some of my lift capability and a bit of muscle to cut faster, then worry about bulking in the future.

thanks for any input you have.

[Dubble_D]

Have you done any research on the possibilities of a keto diet?

[Phedder]

Fats are essential (hence 'essential fatty acids' etc) for many processes in the body. Ever heard of an essential carbohydrate? No, because they don't exist. You don't have to go zero carbs, they still have their place in the diet as they are the bodies preferred source of energy, but I'd definitely suggest adding some more fats to your diet and dropping some carbs. You could try a keto diet if you want, it helps suppress appetite if you get hungry often when cutting, or could try keeping your carbs in your pre and post workout meals where they're going to be most utilized.

The calorie deficit principle is what will determine your rate of weight loss, it doesn't matter how you make up those calories, they could be 100% carbs and you'd still lose body mass at a similar rate as a diet equal in protein fats and carbs of the same calorie count. Find a diet that's comfortable for you, provides adequate protein and fat to keep the body healthy, and allows you to keep losing weight steadily. There are so very many different diet possibilities out there, and no one can say exactly what's going to work the best for you, as 'working best' is subjective.

You said you've been working on cutting the last few months. How's your progress going? You wondered if there's a faster way, the only way to lose weight faster is to create a greater calorie deficit. Which may or may not be the best idea, you could just be impatient. I'd definitely suggest replacing some of the carbs with some good fats though, for basic health purposes.

[maccaz]

Awesome thanks for that, might try out keto and see how it goes for me.

Been about 5 weeks and im down around 4kg, what is a good rate of loss?

What do you think is a good ratio of protein/fat/carbs ? Have been trying to get as close to 60/20/20 is this ideal?

cheers thanks for your input.

[tomsammce]

you could also read into carb cycling, so u have carb days and fat days. but dont eat either togther in same day. some people getting good results from this

[Casual]

Fats are essential (hence 'essential fatty acids' etc) for many processes in the body. Ever heard of an essential carbohydrate? No, because they don't exist.

Hey, have been following for awhile and i felt it was time to weigh in. Essential Carbohydrate = Glucose (your brain can't work without glucose except by using ketones which is pretty nasty... ask any diabetic).

[Phedder]

Fats are essential (hence 'essential fatty acids' etc) for many processes in the body. Ever heard of an essential carbohydrate? No, because they don't exist.

Hey, have been following for awhile and i felt it was time to weigh in. Essential Carbohydrate = Glucose (your brain can't work without glucose except by using ketones which is pretty nasty... ask any diabetic).

Yes, that's true. But you don't need to ingest carbohydrates for the brain to get glucose, and as we're talking about diet, ingestion is inferred. Gluconeogenesis is very handy :grin:

[fitnessgirl20]

4kg in 5 weeks is pretty good. I thought the 'safe' fast way to losing weight was at 1kg per week.

[teamfatboy]

My 2c worth.... I understand the consensus on "what's a safe, sustainable weight loss" is 1kg/week.. any more and the average person starts to yo/yo, rebounding once the "diet" stops.

As for ratios, 60/20/20 is out there... and I think still runs a risk of using lean muscle mass. You are right to think that carbs are perhaps less crucial than essential fats (from nuts/ oils etc), but as has been said, you do need carbs.

I'd suggest you consider carb-cycling as an option - higher-carbs on training days, and lower (closer to your 60/20/20 ratio) on no-training or just-cardio days. Keep the same total calorie figure - which would likely be set about 500 cals lower than your approximate "maintenance" figure - but adjust the ratios to replace carbs with protein.

Also, for training days, look hard at the timing of your carbs - fit them in earlier in the day and around training time.

[PeterDolan]

Fats are essential (hence 'essential fatty acids' etc) for many processes in the body. Ever heard of an essential carbohydrate? No, because they don't exist.

Hey, have been following for awhile and i felt it was time to weigh in. Essential Carbohydrate = Glucose (your brain can't work without glucose except by using ketones which is pretty nasty... ask any diabetic).

I don't understand why this would be the case.

Don't wanna hijack the thread but a keto diet stablises blood sugar levels, perfect for a diabetic

[Chemo]

To start with I think everyone responds to food in their own way, but in general controlling those carbs is a good way to loose some fat.

I've tried keto and i found it gave good results, but trying to do stuff like sprints and interval like training will wreck you. I prefer to cycle or simply time my carbs now. If you just wanna constantly loose and avoid storing fat go keto. Another thing I've found is that i can never get rid of that last bit of tricky fat with keto, I have to switch up to pretty much lean protein and veg. Keeping the calories from fat under 10% is something to consider near the end too.

[Casual]

Casual wrote:

Phedder wrote:Fats are essential (hence 'essential fatty acids' etc) for many processes in the body. Ever heard of an essential carbohydrate? No, because they don't exist.

Hey, have been following for awhile and i felt it was time to weigh in. Essential Carbohydrate = Glucose (your brain can't work without glucose except by using ketones which is pretty nasty... ask any diabetic).

I don't understand why this would be the case.

Don't wanna hijack the thread but a keto diet stablises blood sugar levels, perfect for a diabetic

Ketones are acidic and they decrease your blood pH below normal (below 7.35) causing metabolic acidosis

Yes, that's true. But you don't need to ingest carbohydrates for the brain to get glucose, and as we're talking about diet, ingestion is inferred. Gluconeogenesis is very handy :grin:

True but the preferred substrate for gluconeogenesis is amino acids, you don't want to be using up your precious protein, or potentially muscle trying to fuel your brain.

[Ronin]

Fats are essential (hence 'essential fatty acids' etc) for many processes in the body. Ever heard of an essential carbohydrate? No, because they don't exist.

Hey, have been following for awhile and i felt it was time to weigh in. Essential Carbohydrate = Glucose (your brain can't work without glucose except by using ketones which is pretty nasty... ask any diabetic).

Gonna have to jump in here. Your body is perfectly capable of producing glucose from stored body fat, in the absence of ingested carbohydrate. And as for the brain not working without carbs, I've been on a keto diet for many months now, and the only time I feel sluggish or "brain-drained" is after my bowl of oats on carb-up Sundays. The rest of the week, I'm fighting fit. In fact, last semester I managed to get nothing lower than an A on my uni exams, completely powered by keto.

[Dubble_D]

Fats are essential (hence 'essential fatty acids' etc) for many processes in the body. Ever heard of an essential carbohydrate? No, because they don't exist.

Hey, have been following for awhile and i felt it was time to weigh in. Essential Carbohydrate = Glucose (your brain can't work without glucose except by using ketones which is pretty nasty... ask any diabetic).

Gonna have to jump in here. Your body is perfectly capable of producing glucose from stored body fat, in the absence of ingested carbohydrate. And as for the brain not working without carbs, I've been on a keto diet for many months now, and the only time I feel sluggish or "brain-drained" is after my bowl of oats on carb-up Sundays. The rest of the week, I'm fighting fit. In fact, last semester I managed to get nothing lower than an A on my uni exams, completely powered by keto.

:clap: agree with you there!

[Phedder]

Yes, that's true. But you don't need to ingest carbohydrates for the brain to get glucose, and as we're talking about diet, ingestion is inferred. Gluconeogenesis is very handy :grin:

True but the preferred substrate for gluconeogenesis is amino acids, you don't want to be using up your precious protein, or potentially muscle trying to fuel your brain.

When you drop carbs, you're going to increase your protein intake. You think all the protein you eat goes to creating muscle? Most of it is used for energy, so what if some of that heads to the brain? If it were used for creating muscle, most of us here would be gaining ~1.5-2kg of muscle a week, which simply doesn't happen. You're not going to be risking using muscle as long as you still ingest enough protein and fats for gluconeogenesis to occur.

For the OP I think carb cycling could be the best approach, as others have mentioned. Gives you the best of both worlds in your case.

Ronin, all you mature students give the rest of us a bad rep haha. Good job on the grades

[Phedder]

Yes, that's true. But you don't need to ingest carbohydrates for the brain to get glucose, and as we're talking about diet, ingestion is inferred. Gluconeogenesis is very handy :grin:

True but the preferred substrate for gluconeogenesis is amino acids, you don't want to be using up your precious protein, or potentially muscle trying to fuel your brain.

When you drop carbs, you're going to increase your protein intake. You think all the protein you eat goes to creating muscle? Most of it is used for energy, so what if some of that heads to the brain? If it were used for creating muscle, most of us here would be gaining ~1.5-2kg of muscle a week, which simply doesn't happen. You're not going to be risking using muscle as long as you still ingest enough protein and fats for gluconeogenesis to occur.

For the OP I think carb cycling could be the best approach, as others have mentioned. Gives you the best of both worlds in your case.

Ronin, all you mature students give the rest of us a bad rep haha. Good job on the grades :clap: