Hi carbohydrates/low-fat diet, anyone tried it?

[Neuroprotection]

I know carbohydrates, including sugars have quite a bad reputation nowadays as being a cause of obesity and the main obstacle to fat loss. however, I’ve read quite a few studies that show a high carbohydrates/low-fat diet is the best for sustainable long-term weight loss. of course, I know it all comes down to calories at the end of the day but there are other factors to consider. for example, carbohydrates are more likely to be used up instantly, and even if the person does not exercise, the process of converting them to fat takes a lot of energy and burns off a lot of calories in the process, meaning that a large amount of carbohydrate is needed to generate a small amount of fat.
Sometimes, if I gain too much body fat, I will cut the carbohydrates to start the fat burning process and decrease calorie intake. I don’t cut them out completely, just reduce them as much as I can along with general meal size and frequency for about a week or two. during this time, I feel weak and extremely miserable. Then, I reintroduce carbohydrates and drastically caut back on fats. that’s the bit I find exciting as my energy comes flooding back. for the first few days, I’m almost euphoric on a high carb diet and then things level out. However, I’m never dizzy or weak when cutting fat, only when cutting carbs.
So, if I had to choose a diet for the rest of my life and one food group would be cut out, I would choose a very high carbohydrate low-fat diet perhaps with just enough fats for hormone production and brain health.
Almost forgot to mention, when I’ve binge on massive amounts of sugar and white bread, I never seem to put on weight. however, if I eat something with a lot of fat in it such as fudge or cake regularly, I quickly gain body fat on my belly and thighs.

I would love to know if anyone else has tried a very high carbohydrate/adequate protein/very low-fat diet. if so, how did it make you feel?
How did it affect your body weight?

 

[someguyontheinternet]

I actually have better results keeping fat at a minimum as well. Its easier to work out when I have the energy from plenty of carbs, fats don't fuel my workouts nearly as well

 

[Neuroprotection]

I actually have better results keeping fat at a minimum as well. Its easier to work out when I have the energy from plenty of carbs, fats don't fuel my workouts nearly as well

That makes sense, Cells generally prefer glucose because it’s an almost instant energy source. however, the other key reason people miss out is that glucose is a highly versatile molecule and it’s breakdown products, oxaloacetate and pyruvate are essential to allow the mitochondria to burn fat as well as being useful building blocks for new biological material. on paper, fat should be the best fuel due to its extremely high energy density. unfortunately, the energy is rather difficult and slow to access and breakdown of fat molecules, particularly their oxidation in the mitochondria depletes the important compound oxaloacetate.
Do you find that you can eat a lot of carbs without gaining fat?
I found this to be the case so long as I keep my fat intake low?
But try telling a low carb/ketogenic enthusiast that and it’s as if you have committed the most hideous crime known to man! another accusation you may get this that you work with the government or big business to force the evil carbohydrates on the population and cover up the truth about the amazing health benefits of fat.

 

[someguyontheinternet]

Yea with extra carbs I just gain water weight because the extra glycogen pulls water into cells, especially muscle cells. I can tell when I'm getting low on glycogen because my muscles start looking flatter and its harder to perform in the gym, but if I keep riding that edge the fat burning is crazy and it's easy to retain or even gain muscle on refers days when I get my glycogen back up

 

[Neuroprotection]

Yea with extra carbs I just gain water weight because the extra glycogen pulls water into cells, especially muscle cells. I can tell when I'm getting low on glycogen because my muscles start looking flatter and its harder to perform in the gym, but if I keep riding that edge the fat burning is crazy and it's easy to retain or even gain muscle on refers days when I get my glycogen back up

Yes, that’s definitely the case when it comes to exercise. As for myself, I don’t go to the gym or lift weights, I just have a constant urge to walk around/pace around the room and I do that a lot in my spare time. According to some people, eating carbs when not exercising is dangerous because those carbs will turn to fat. However, a lot of scientific studies suggest that not only the conversion of carbs to fats is very inefficient, but at least in animal studies, organisms tend to compensate for carbohydrate binges by eating fewer calories later on in the day.
The combination of carbs and fats as in most junk food is surely the worst way to put on unwanted weight

Personally, do you ever put on body fat when you are eating a lot of carbs and only a tiny amount of fat?
I never did in my experience, though I must admit that I was a child/adolescent, and my metabolism could’ve been much higher. Nevertheless, I would love to replicate this experiment, cutting fat intake to around 5% of my caloric intake for a month or two

 

[Neuroprotection]

thank you for sharing your experience in such detail, I really appreciate that. although I’m by no means an expert, the extensive reading I’ve done about the biology of ketones suggest to me that at least in the brain their impacts have little to do with their properties as a fuel. instead, ketone bodies act as mood stabilises similar to sodium valproate or butyrate. They have epigenetic effects by blocking HDAC enzymes, plus they are thought to massively enhance the activity of neural potassium channels. this powerful inhibitory effect on the nerve cells likely explains the anticonvulsant effect of a ketogenic diet and its benefits for alcohol withdrawal. unfortunately, it might also be the reason most people cannot stick to this diet because this powerful mood stabilising effect becomes intolerable over time. It’s similar to how many people can’t stand being on SSRI antidepressants or lithium even if they need them, being unable to feel emotions especially joy is something humans cannot tolerate.

You make an interesting point about weight loss and how the low-carb diet supposedly works better in the long term. I think you are correct when it comes to binge eating, but that kind of behaviour is usually associated with refined carbs. Furthermore, it’s actually the combination of fat and carbs together which is notoriously addictive and very good at putting on body fat.
Carbohydrates alone are a different story. I’ve read a lot of scientific studies claiming that in the long-term, a high carbohydrate low-fat diet is the most sustainable way to lose and keep off body fat and even in my own experience, I only started gaining weight when I included more oil/fats in my diet.
I know anecdotes are not entirely reliable, But a few people have claimed they switched to a very high carbohydrate/ultra low fat diet, massively increased their calorie intake but still lost weight, but only in the form of fat. apparently, two of them even made an effort to eat as much refined sugar as possible, just making sure to avoid fat and they still lost weight. of course, calories still count, but I believe that a lot of carbohydrates in the absence of fat really messes with the bodies metabolism in a way that causes excessive calories to be wasted.
The truth is, there’s nothing more tasty/rewarding than the combination of carbs/fats whether that be refined foods like doughnuts or even healthier things like porridge. it is that combination that people struggle to resist.
In terms of diets, I do admit that a very high carbohydrate/ultra low-fat diet can be boring, but I feel like it’s something I could easily stick to plus it was actually my childhood diet. I would love to try this diet again more out of curiosity, but I wouldn’t do it right now because it would have my family very worried.
Interesting you mentioned about hyperactivity, I do notice that eating a lot of carbs with less fat over a few days does give me more urge to move around, sometimes it can get really difficult to sit still.
Of course, whatever you choose to do with your diet, it’s always important to make sure you have adequate protein.

 

[Neuroprotection]

firstly, I want to apologise for any grammatical or structural errors in my post as I am totally blind.

I’m really glad you have such an open mind and that the low-carb diet works for you. my sister is the same, although she finds it hard to stick to it really works well for her. for that reason, she’s a bit of an enthusiast and she convinced me to try it. Unfortunately, it went horribly wrong. I was physically sick, incredibly weaken shaky, depressed, anxious and angry for the entire four months I was on it. interestingly, the symptoms got worse if I ate more fat and the nausea was severely exacerbated if I increased protein intake.
I did lose a lot of weight on the diet, but the suffering wasn’t worth it.
The strange thing is, when I reintroduced carbs, I went through a bit of a rebellious phase where I kind of deliberately avoided as much fat as I could and just binged on carbs whilst ensuring adequate protein. this only lasted a few weeks but during this time some interesting things happened. firstly, people told me that my weight loss seem to be accelerating although I was eating more. secondly, my mood was very strange, it was like a mixture of cognitive enhancement, mania and tiredness in which I pushed through my university coursework.
Well, that was one very disturbing thing about being on that diet. generally. people telling me that I look younger than I actually am. well, about two weeks into this high carb diet my brother turned to me randomly and asked me if I was okay. When I asked what he meant, he said that I seem to have aged tremendously in a really short period of time, some thing I found quite scary because I was actually feeling great and better than I had done in a long time. even stranger, when I was on my sisters ketogenic diet, people said I looked anorexic. but when I was on the high carb diet or rather the rebellious rebound phase, a few people at university told me that although I looked great, they felt that something was wrong but they couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
Do you know anything about a high carbohydrate/high protein diet? I’ve tried to search for it online but find nothing about it. I wonder if there is an interaction between high protein with high high carbohydrates in the absence of fat.

 

[Neuroprotection]

for me the low carb diet is less about adding more fat than it is about avoiding carbs. i used to focus on the fats in the beginning but now i keep it simple by avoiding carbs. but you need to get enough fats to run on fat for fuel. so it involves pork, fish, and macadamia nuts. and then vegetables mushrooms and fermented foods.

what do you mean by high carb and by high protein? what kind of foods are you going to be eating for carbs and proteins?

you didn't feel good for the entire four months? the anorexic thing people say alot when you lose weight especially alot of water weight when you are on the keto diet. some people think that the fuller look about the face is more healthy looking. what kind of fats and proteins were you on for the four months you were on it?

When I was on the ketogenic diet, my fats mainly came from organic nut butters, red meat, eggs and sometimes dairy.
By high carbohydrates/high protein, I mean a diet which is extremely low and fat, mostly carbohydrates, but with quite a high amount of protein as well. my idea of such a diet could include potatoes, pasta, bread, and sugar for the carbs, and lean meats, Egg whites or beans/lentils for the protein.
The reason I asked about this is because I’ve read many scientific studies about the impacts of diet which focus on one macro nutrient, as well as on the detrimental effect of combining carbohydrates with fats in high quantities, but I’ve never heard anything about the impact of combining a lot of protein with a lot of carbohydrates in the absence of fat.

 

[Neuroprotection]

most scientific studies are done by professionals in the medical or academic field who know nothing about nutrition. they are bought and paid for. a well balanced diet to them based on the food pyramid includes a whole lot of crap. most wheat products in america and most of the world (though i’ve heard it’s better in europe) is so filled with chemicals and touched by the toxic hand of billy gates and others who know nothing or care nothing about agriculture or the health of the soil. just look at what that Indian-American woman Vani Hari the “foodbabe” has to go through to get Kelloggs to stop poisoning our children. focusing on just carbs or fats or proteins has its flaws. that’s why when i do low carbs i include much greens and veggies and fermented foods.

i think that moderation philosophy works well for most healthy moderate people. that’s not me. i’m an addictive personality and i must proceed accordingly.

since you posted this on the sports forum i take it that you want a diet that supports your physical endeavors. carbs get you there. so does a low carb diet but not in the usual sense in that you might be more consistent and motivated but no chance you’ll be doing hard core workouts like crossfiit or any sports that entail a certain amount of violence especially self-violence during the training process.
btw i can’t imagine eating eggs without the yolk, nom nom

in terms of healthy proteins with healthy carbs, that’s what i do when i go off the low carb diet. but i wonder why it has to be alot. when i’m low carb i’m not doing alot of fats and proteins. it’s only 100 grams of fish or red meat and 4 eggs, i do do alot of salad and vegetables and mushrooms though. i go hard on the veggies. i think if you’re going to do alot of anything vegetables and mushrooms are not a bad way to go. too many fats carbs and proteins often make me feel heavy whereas veggies leave me feeling light. i honestly hate eat meat. but i eat it for the nutrients that you can’t find in veggies.

Thank you again for your detailed responses. I’ve just picked up on the fact that you include a lot of vegetables in your diet, perhaps that’s why you do so well low-carb? I do agree that excluding fruit and vegetables and associated nutrients is where many low carbs/ketogenic diets go wrong.
As for myself, I’m not really much of a sports person but just posted it here because I felt it was the most appropriate place to discuss nutrition. although I’m not really into sports, as I mentioned previously, I do love being physically active like going on very long walks. I can walk to fast pace for hours without getting tired, but if I try to run for less than a minute, I feel like collapsing.
To clarify what I mean by a lot in terms of diet, I’m thinking of a diet consisting of about 80% carbohydrates, 15% protein and about 5% healthy fats.
It’s really interesting you mentioned the hyperactivity and addiction phenotypes brought about bicarb hydrates. like you, I have a very addictive personality. The fingers, I actually value it and I seem to do better when I am addicted to something. For example, when doing my dissertation at university, drinking lots of sugar-free energy drinks and smoking cigarettes and vaping really helped me to get through my work. addiction, in my opinion can be a powerful and beneficial coping mechanism, so long as it does not involve a substance which destroys one’s brain.
Recently, I’ve been using some of my brothers nicotine pouches and if I use them daily for about a week, I noticed a very mild strange change in my mood and thought process. for instance, I thought much less about the past and future and was more able to live in the moment, I was able to push through difficult tasks, Felt more optimistic and weirdly felt less spiritual. Not sure how to best describe this last one, but by less spiritual I would include being less influenced by the weather and having little to no care about the spiritual realm.
Both nicotine and carbohydrates, as well as caffeine which I forgot to mention, push me to focus on and connect with whatever is writing in front of me or whatever gives me pleasure.

 

[Neuroprotection]

Has anyone heard of dr John McDougall, he proposed a diet called starch solution which apparently leads to dramatic and sustainable weight loss in many people.
The diet is predominantly healthy starches with very limited fat and it seems to be backed up by real world evidence, including the dietary patterns and associated rarity of obesity in certain areas of the world.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

I read just while ago this study that I can not find anymore that carbohydrates slightly increased energy production/output/expenditure, as well as protein but less so, while fat didn't really have the same effect.

I would love to give more details, but no can do. I tried different keywords but couldn't find it. The study seemed pretty fucking good, I read at least 50 % of it. But lol ofc I can't remember shit.

 

[Neuroprotection]

I read just while ago this study that I can not find anymore that carbohydrates slightly increased energy production/output/expenditure, as well as protein but less so, while fat didn't really have the same effect.

I would love to give more details, but no can do. I tried different keywords but couldn't find it. The study seemed pretty fucking good, I read at least 50 % of it. But lol ofc I can't remember shit.

Yes, I have that problem too, sometimes I find a great study and then forget where I found it or it gets taken down for some reason.
But what you said about carbohydrates definitely makes sense. As I’ve said previously, the process of turning carbohydrates to fat is extremely inefficient and it’s probably irrelevant or at least very minimal in terms of contributing to human weight gain.
Some low-carb diet enthusiasts try to absolve fat of the blame by pointing to increase sugar consumption and its correlation to increased obesity rates. of course, excessive refined carbohydrates are part of the problem but not because they turn into fat. instead, carbohydrates are very good at sparing/preserving body tissues including fat and muscle. what they forget to point out is that most junk food is full of fat which packed twice the caloric density of carbohydrates.

Regardless of what some may say, lots of studies have shown that the best way to get fat is to eat fat. That’s because fats don’t have to be processed very much, instead they are simply hydrolysed and absorbed then reformulated with almost no energy requirements, often reappearing in the same triglyceride form that they were eaten. carbohydrates can make this problem worse by encouraging the body to store fat, not only because they spike insulin, but also because they provide a readily available source of energy the body can run on.
My recommendation for anyone trying to lose weight might surprise you. I would actually recommend a mixture of fasting and a very low carbohydrate diet, along with caffeine, cold exposure and lots of low intensity exercise if you can do these. once you’ve reached your weight loss goal, cut out dietary fat almost completely and switched to a hive carbohydrates, high fibre and moderate protein diet. this should boost metabolic rate, restore your energy and allows slow but sustainable fat burning in the long-term.

Another thing low carbers won’t tell you is that in the long-term, fat loss and energy expenditure on a very low carb diet actually decrease whereas this does not happen with a high carbohydrate diet. actually, high carbohydrate diet seem to do the reverse, with slower fat loss at the beginning but this then becomes sustainable and slightly faster in the long term with little to no risk of regaining the weight so long as you stay away from regular fat consumption.

 

[emkee_reinvented]

I know carbohydrates, including sugars have quite a bad reputation nowadays as being a cause of obesity and the main obstacle to fat loss. however, I’ve read quite a few studies that show a high carbohydrates/low-fat diet is the best for sustainable long-term weight loss. of course, I know it all comes down to calories at the end of the day but there are other factors to consider. for example, carbohydrates are more likely to be used up instantly, and even if the person does not exercise, the process of converting them to fat takes a lot of energy and burns off a lot of calories in the process, meaning that a large amount of carbohydrate is needed to generate a small amount of fat.
Sometimes, if I gain too much body fat, I will cut the carbohydrates to start the fat burning process and decrease calorie intake. I don’t cut them out completely, just reduce them as much as I can along with general meal size and frequency for about a week or two. during this time, I feel weak and extremely miserable. Then, I reintroduce carbohydrates and drastically caut back on fats. that’s the bit I find exciting as my energy comes flooding back. for the first few days, I’m almost euphoric on a high carb diet and then things level out. However, I’m never dizzy or weak when cutting fat, only when cutting carbs.
So, if I had to choose a diet for the rest of my life and one food group would be cut out, I would choose a very high carbohydrate low-fat diet perhaps with just enough fats for hormone production and brain health.
Almost forgot to mention, when I’ve binge on massive amounts of sugar and white bread, I never seem to put on weight. however, if I eat something with a lot of fat in it such as fudge or cake regularly, I quickly gain body fat on my belly and thighs.

I would love to know if anyone else has tried a very high carbohydrate/adequate protein/very low-fat diet. if so, how did it make you feel?
How did it affect your body weight?

Your brain needs essential fats to function. Wanted to share that bit of info.
It was discoverd that the low fat diet high Cholesterol people get,
was ill advised for there not high Cholesterol partners, as it promoted Alzheimer.

My Granny s sister died of Alzheimer after eating her husband s low fat diet over 20 / 30 years.
Causal, coincidence maybe. But then that scientific research looked sound.
Her older sister & younger brother [both 90 +, brains working top knotch].
And Alzheimer is not a family disease.

Maybe its allready outdated, but i d take at least al your essential min ammounts.
Of needed fats. Short Chain Saturated Fatty Acids [Coconut/ extra-vierge of everything btw].
Omega-3-6-9, for 3 maybe not from Fishoil, i d prefer Algues [but they are both controversial]
Also prone to oxidation once in the body. Maybe debunked by now ?
But Alpha-Linolenic-Acid isn t AFAIK, just Flaxseed oil has a short shelf live as it oxidates.
Keep cooled and its 3 weeks max. Unlike Olive oil, with Omega-9. And ad some Ghee.

For [sweet] pie s, making the dough, fat is essential. As are Egg-Yolk s.

edit: Omega 3 oxidises fast, Omega 6 when used in cooking. Omega 9 most stable.
Saturated s are better for heating as the don t, or hardly oxidize.
So Coconut-Fat and Ghee are exceptionally good at withstanding heat without burning/ fuming.
The first even when i forget its on, don t fume even when over over heated to long.

I ll write FIHKAL if i have some sparetime, Fats ....

 

[osft]

Your brains works primarily on glucogen, ie glucose.

Sugars (I drink fruit juice a lot) may eventually give your liver a tough time. As our favourite anabolics tend to as well, this could be a case where caution is needed. I don't follow my own implies advice in this regard, but some of my liver enzymes are consistently wonky. Mind that the Dr did not know I was on a light dose of anavar...which IMO largely invalidated the results. Also some recreational drugs at times. Tapered right off on that.

I subscribe to the belief humans are starchivores. We have teeth like a horse, not teeth like a housecat. Slow carbs that contain protein are what the digestive system is best suited for.

I eat red meat probably less than 10 times a year, but because of that I supplemented aminos heavily for years, eat tons of fish, and tons turkey breast (like chicken but firmer, and doesn't stink when rewarmed). But my red blood cell count has returned to a healthy mid-specification level.

 

[Coffeeshroom]

I'm a carb sensitive if it's a real thing but bulking with it makes me fat quickly and retain a lot of water ( moonface ) and I hate it but when doing carb cycling it helps losing weight too but for me the process was very slow.

I'm more of a LCHF diet guy wether I'm bulking or wanting to lean out or to do a recomp diet with a cycle.