Low Carb - High Fat diet

[expat]

There are a various possible explanations for the empirically observed weight loss of people on high fat or high protein and low carbohydrate diets, and here are the ones I know of;

- your article's explanation, to do with insulin, growth hormone and modified wheat, which relies on assumptions about multiple subjects having similar levels of insulin and growth hormones and the assumption that modern wheat has some different nutritional qualities to old wheat.

- the simple explanation; when you eat fat or protein it stills your hunger. Try eating a plate of mushrooms; there are not many calories in mushrooms but they fill you up. So, people on those diets feel like they're full and stop eating when actually they're eating less calories than when they eat starchy products like spuds or pasta. So, due to eating less calories, and perhaps doing a bit of exercise (burning a bit more) they lose weight.

Perhaps William of Ockham could help here. I think he'd say 'get off your fat bum, stop stuffing yourself with chips and do some exercise'.

I'd also add that a lot of excess carbs are stored in the liver (and to some extent in fat) as glycogen in hydrated form, i.e. for each gram of carbs that you store, you also store 3 grams of water. Hence a switch in diet to one with the same caloric intake but fewer excess carbs will lead to a rapid reduction in body weight.

I'd guess that that was what happened with me, but personally I don't see that as in any way illusory: not carrying 15kg of excess weight has got to be a good thing in itself.

[MyUserName]

I often see this sort of conversation on the fitness forum I am on and with people I train (including one of our national teams because I am awesome (sorry, shameless plug)).

It is easy for 99% of people to lose weight. Cut your calories and get some more exercise. There are various ways to go about it Atkins, Slimfast whatever. They have their individual quirks but anyone who has had long term success with them (alright almost anyone) has done so with a lifestyle change based around consuming fewer calories and getting a little more exercise.

Do not bother comparing your diet or whatever to international athletes, you are not them. They are exceptional people with an exception background and what works for them will probably not work for you.

Maybe this new study might have some valid points but cutting your calories down will help almost anyone lose weight so that should be your first move. It takes a bit of willpower but that is all, no fancy science, no elabroate plans or expensive shakes - just eat a more healthy diet and get some more exercise.

[Mich the Tester]

I often see this sort of conversation on the fitness forum I am on and with people I train (including one of our national teams because I am awesome (sorry, shameless plug)).

It is easy for 99% of people to lose weight. Cut your calories and get some more exercise. There are various ways to go about it Atkins, Slimfast whatever. They have their individual quirks but anyone who has had long term success with them (alright almost anyone) has done so with a lifestyle change based around consuming fewer calories and getting a little more exercise.

Do not bother comparing your diet or whatever to international athletes, you are not them. They are exceptional people with an exception background and what works for them will probably not work for you.

Maybe this new study might have some valid points but cutting your calories down will help almost anyone lose weight so that should be your first move. It takes a bit of willpower but that is all, no fancy science, no elabroate plans or expensive shakes - just eat a more healthy diet and get some more exercise.

All the diets based on fat or protein actually do is reduce calorie intake without letting you feel hungry.

[MyUserName]

All the diets based on fat or protein actually do is reduce calorie intake without letting you feel hungry.

Yep, they seem to work for some people as long as the person does not reach their goal weight and revert back to their old eating habits. I think that I read protein is harder to break down that fat too so the body breaks down the far for energy rather than protein but I have never researched to see how true this is.

I did not use this approach when I wanted to drop weight but I know people who have used it successfully.

[Mich the Tester]

Yep, they seem to work for some people as long as the person does not reach their goal weight and revert back to their old eating habits. I think that I read protein is harder to break down that fat too so the body breaks down the far for energy rather than protein but I have never researched to see how true this is.

I did not use this approach when I wanted to drop weight but I know people who have used it successfully.

I think more protein and less fat is probably better if you´re doing any exercise as it´s needed by the muscles to rebuild and recover. Fat doesn´t contribute to muscle recovery. Personally I think it´s better to eat enough carbs on the days you exercise and do the protein based thing on rest days. But that´s only a personal opinion and seeing as I exercise a lot I eat plenty of carbs most days anyway.

[Old Greg]

I often see this sort of conversation on the fitness forum I am on and with people I train (including one of our national teams because I am awesome (sorry, shameless plug)).

It is easy for 99% of people to lose weight. Cut your calories and get some more exercise. There are various ways to go about it Atkins, Slimfast whatever. They have their individual quirks but anyone who has had long term success with them (alright almost anyone) has done so with a lifestyle change based around consuming fewer calories and getting a little more exercise.

Do not bother comparing your diet or whatever to international athletes, you are not them. They are exceptional people with an exception background and what works for them will probably not work for you.

Maybe this new study might have some valid points but cutting your calories down will help almost anyone lose weight so that should be your first move. It takes a bit of willpower but that is all, no fancy science, no elabroate plans or expensive shakes - just eat a more healthy diet and get some more exercise.

I don't know if there is any science behind it, but I suspect that any form of orthorexia (and I don't mean the clinical term orthorexia nervosa) where people limit their categories of food: Atkins, Hay, cabbage soup, veganism is more likely to lead to weight loss than carrying on with a normal diet or a calorie controlled version of a normal range of foods. I think there is something psychological about always thinking about what types of food you eat that limits your calorie intake. But it's all speculation on my part, in part based on the weight I put on and have failed to shift when I reverted to vegetarianism eight years ago following ten years of veganism. I constantly kid myself that if I can keep my BMI at 24.9, then that's OK.

[russell]

I often see this sort of conversation on the fitness forum I am on and with people I train (including one of our national teams because I am awesome (sorry, shameless plug)).

It is easy for 99% of people to lose weight. Cut your calories and get some more exercise. There are various ways to go about it Atkins, Slimfast whatever. They have their individual quirks but anyone who has had long term success with them (alright almost anyone) has done so with a lifestyle change based around consuming fewer calories and getting a little more exercise.

Do not bother comparing your diet or whatever to international athletes, you are not them. They are exceptional people with an exception background and what works for them will probably not work for you.

Maybe this new study might have some valid points but cutting your calories down will help almost anyone lose weight so that should be your first move. It takes a bit of willpower but that is all, no fancy science, no elabroate plans or expensive shakes - just eat a more healthy diet and get some more exercise.

The 1980's called they want their weight loss advice back.

When you exercise you build and appetite and then eat more than you would have if you hadn't. Food nowadays is calorie dense so you need to exercise for hours just to burn off a small meal. Also a high carb diet increases your appetite and makes it more difficult to cut calories, so the old "cut your calories and exercise" advice is naive and shows a lack of understanding based on current scientific research.

[Mich the Tester]

Food nowadays is calorie dense so you need to exercise for hours just to burn off a small meal.

Nonsense. If it takes you hours to burn off a small meal you're not working hard enough. You can burn over 1000 calories per hour if you're prepared to sweat and feel pain.

[russell]

I think more protein and less fat is probably better if you´re doing any exercise as it´s needed by the muscles to rebuild and recover. Fat doesn´t contribute to muiscle recovery. Personally I think it´s better to eat enough carbs on the days you exercise and do the protein based thing on rest days. But that´s only a personal opinion and seeing as I exercise a lot I eat plenty of carbs most days anyway.

If you want to build large muscles then yes high protein diet vs fat is better, otherwise your body doesn't need that much protein to maintain and slowly grow muscles.
GI personally would go for a 75-80% fat and 15-20% protein with a tiny amount of carbs from veg now and again. I can eat a meal at 10am and not feel hungry till 7pm with this split.

[Old Greg]

If you want to build large muscles then yes high protein diet vs fat is better, otherwise your body doesn't need that much protein to maintain and slowly grow muscles.
GI personally would go for a 75-80% fat and 15-20% protein with a tiny amount of carbs from veg now and again. I can eat a meal at 10am and not feel hungry till 7pm with this split.

How much dietary fibre? All from veg?