High Carb vs Low Carb-High Protein Diet

[usedtobefast]

with regards to my intake. low fat.moderate protein. high carb. not a lot of meat: once or twice a week. this has worked for me for darn near 30years.
exercise of course. having said that, the older i get the harder it can be.
discipline is key. and giving yourself treats now and again, so you can mantain
the discipline.

 

[mistahsinclair]

I need to drop ~5kg so this sounds good to me. Anyone got any comments on moving from fairly high carb intake to low-carb/high-protein diet and any diet links that support these findings?

I don't have any links to support what I'm about to type, but it's a diet approach that has worked for me.

I tracked and log most things I do as they relate to exercise (cycling, running, whatever) as well as logging everything I eat as accurately as possible. Along with that I tracked my weight and body fat %.

Since the start of the year I've been actively trying to lose some weight, particularly body fat and have been pretty successful. During the past couple of months though both my weight and BF have been flucuating more than they should be, so I went back through my logs to see what I had changed.

My calorie intake has remained constant and my exercise levels have only increased moderately but the macronutrient ratios did change noticably and correspond very closely to my weight and BF.

Typically I have been aiming for 55% carb, 25% protein, 15% fat and 5% alcohol (I feel a glass of red wine is good for me ). When things started to go weird I was doing about 55% carb, 15% protein, 25% fat and 5% alcohol.

Since I noticed this trend and fixed it my weight and fat have started to drop again. Once I get myself to the BF % I'm shooting for I'll back off on protein and up carbs a bit...then see what happens.

I think everyone responds differently, but this works for me.

 

[ihavenolimbs]

Just a wee weight loss tip

Refined carbs (sugar, white flour or white rice, ...) have very few micro-nutrients and cause blood sugar and insulin spikes (which can trigger the carbs to be turned into fat). Refined carbs are worse than empty calories, they actually require extra micro-nutrients to metabolise (taken from elsewhere in the body).

Similarly, saturated fats have no nutritional value except as energy. And they're even easier for the body to store than refined carbs.

So if you want to lose weight, try increasing fresh fruit+vege, whole grains if you want grains, and avoid as much saturated fat and refined carbs as poss.

 

[mistahsinclair]

Refined carbs (sugar, white flour or white rice, ...) have very few micro-nutrients and cause blood sugar and insulin spikes (which can trigger the carbs to be turned into fat). Refined carbs are worse than empty calories, they actually require extra micro-nutrients to metabolise (taken from elsewhere in the body).

Similarly, saturated fats have no nutritional value except as energy. And they're even easier for the body to store than refined carbs.

So if you want to lose weight, try increasing fresh fruit+vege, whole grains if you want grains, and avoid as much saturated fat and refined carbs as poss.

^+1

I agree with that!

Limiting your intake overall is part of the equation, the other part is making your body work to digest the food.

Simple carbs (as mentioned in the last post) and saturated fats and WAY too easily processed, and stored, by your body. Protein is something your body needs to work on to manage as well.

Suggestion: Play with macro-nutrient ratios and limit your calories to the level you would need for the weight you want to be (there are plenty formulas around for figuring that out) and eat good quality foods to get those calories and nutrients in!

 

[daviel]

Refined carbs (sugar, white flour or white rice, ...) have very few micro-nutrients and cause blood sugar and insulin spikes (which can trigger the carbs to be turned into fat). Refined carbs are worse than empty calories, they actually require extra micro-nutrients to metabolise (taken from elsewhere in the body).

Similarly, saturated fats have no nutritional value except as energy. And they're even easier for the body to store than refined carbs.

So if you want to lose weight, try increasing fresh fruit+vege, whole grains if you want grains, and avoid as much saturated fat and refined carbs as poss.

Do not eat any food that is colored white except fish and cauliflower.

 

[usedtobefast]

Do not eat any food that is colored white except fish and cauliflower.

more on that if you will?

 

[daviel]

That is just a short-cut rule to avoid sugar and carbs - processed foods like pasta, bread, waffles, and so on. I'm on a low carb diet to lose some weight and try to lean out a little, and I use that as a guide, so no sugar, no potatoes, no white rice (which I love), no white bread, no pasta, anything white...except califlower (lots of bulk, low calorie) and fish, and I guess I should have added white meat chicken (not fried). That's all it is, a rule of thumb.

 

[mistahsinclair]

That is just a short-cut rule to avoid sugar and carbs - processed foods like pasta, bread, waffles, and so on. I'm on a low carb diet to lose some weight and try to lean out a little, and I use that as a guide, so no sugar, no potatoes, no white rice (which I love), no white bread, no pasta, anything white...except califlower (lots of bulk, low calorie) and fish, and I guess I should have added white meat chicken (not fried). That's all it is, a rule of thumb.

I tend to agree with this. I do eat wholewheat pasta and yellow potatoes (or even the red and purple fingerling type ones).

Processed stuff can be useful on the bike though...since it's absorbed quickly it can give you a good lift.

 

[daviel]

When I get down to a good riding weight I can do that, too. Wash the pasta down with a coca-cola.

 

[usedtobefast]

That is just a short-cut rule to avoid sugar and carbs - processed foods like pasta, bread, waffles, and so on. I'm on a low carb diet to lose some weight and try to lean out a little, and I use that as a guide, so no sugar, no potatoes, no white rice (which I love), no white bread, no pasta, anything white...except califlower (lots of bulk, low calorie) and fish, and I guess I should have added white meat chicken (not fried). That's all it is, a rule of thumb.

understood, carbs can be a two edged sword. people
i knew that did bodybuilding used to eat a lot of white meat tuna, when getting
ready for a contest. it does work if you want to lean out. just don't bonk. not fun.

 

[mistahsinclair]

Do not eat any food that is colored white except fish and cauliflower.

...this is why I drink red wine rather than white!

 

[erickg]

Well it is definitely true that pasta and rice and white bread have a lot of Carbs, above all, bad ones. You can gain tons of weight by only eating noodles, pasta, rice, white bread and so on. Theses things are all in the group of negative carbs/negative calories. People tend to only eat things they like, of course, and a lot of them think it to be good AND healthy to eat pasta, though a salad has way less calories. And is therefore healthier. As someone before said, the only two white healthy foods are fish and chicken, actually.

 

[tony83]

here's to differentiate one from the other... Carbohydrates are known to give energy as they are easily digested. It is recommended that intake of carbohydrates is proportion to one’s physical activity. Consumption of foods high in carbohydrates such as fruits, sweets, soft drinks, breads, pastas, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and cereals are immediate sources of energy that the body can easily burn in order to provide immediate source of energy that we can utilize in our day-to day activities although some studies have shown that high carbohydrate consumption also has its fallback such as faster stimulation of satiety thus feeling hungry more often

 

[maykoehler0110]

I am also a little fat and conscious about weight loss and I know that the weight loss diet is based on eating plenty of protein i.e. meat and eggs but more or less no carbohydrates like bread, potatoes, pasta, or rice, at least for a period of time. For weight lose; high-protein low-carb ketogenic diets brings about changes in a dieter's fat cells. Whereas, by using low-carb diet gives a sensible quantity of healthy unsaturated fat and reasonable quantity of 'healthy' carbohydrate. So I am careful for carb and weekly consult to my family doctor.

 

[Muriel]

Some reading here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/oct/28/healthandwellbeing.features1

I know others weren't so impressed but thanks for the link. I thought it a good article and a rewarding read, taking us through a little of the history of the subject. Amusing too, in part.

I personally thought explanation of the link between insulin and LPL (and the function of the latter) was informative.

 

[tony83]

If you are leaning more on building your muscles, you should consider a high protein diet. Examples of high protein foods are tofu, fish, dairy products and meat. This will stuff your stomach up which will in turn leave you feeling full for a long time. With regards to losing weight, it’s better to build more muscles as this will help you lose weight faster.

 

[Tapeworm]

I am also a little fat and conscious about weight loss and I know that the weight loss diet is based on eating plenty of protein i.e. meat and eggs but more or less no carbohydrates like bread, potatoes, pasta, or rice, at least for a period of time. For weight lose; high-protein low-carb ketogenic diets brings about changes in a dieter's fat cells. Whereas, by using low-carb diet gives a sensible quantity of healthy unsaturated fat and reasonable quantity of 'healthy' carbohydrate. So I am careful for carb and weekly consult to my family doctor.

Total calorie intake is more important if weight loss is key. Even if you went to a 100% protein intake (NOT advisable) you can still stack on fat. Calories in excess of the body's usage equals weight gain regardless of their type.

 

[CoachFergie]

If you are leaning more on building your muscles, you should consider a high protein diet. Examples of high protein foods are tofu, fish, dairy products and meat. This will stuff your stomach up which will in turn leave you feeling full for a long time. With regards to losing weight, it’s better to build more muscles as this will help you lose weight faster.

Andy Coggan pointed out that muscle is not very metabolically active compared to some of the organs in the body.

I don't know of any cyclist, including sprinters, who would benefit from more muscle. Power to weight, power to frontal area and ability to achieve an aero position (excess muscle restricts this) are all huge factors in cycling performance.

Stuffing your stomach up with anything will not help. Protein is very filling and does take longer to digest so you should aim to have protein with every meal (unless riding hard and you need the energy asap).

 

[2beeDammed]

The fat we eat is the fat we wear and the carbs we eat is the carbs we get to think, ride, train, live, work, contribute etc with. Carbs =glycogen and glycogen = fun!

Curious if type II Diabetes are ever an issue with a high glycogen intake. If we are to believe current teaching, we should be avoiding Hi GI foods that cause a blood sugar spike, thus limiting the possibility of getting type II diabetes later in life. I imagine that those fruits containing high levels of Carbs are also high GI ?