does anybody eat high fat low carb? i did follow various diets of high fat low carb but seem to be eating too much protein..i am surfing the web and finding different HF/LC forums. Has anybody limited their protein intake for better control and weight loss. I do know about TAG..but still find myself taking as much insulin as I would with a moderate carb diet. Wondering if anybody has a good meal plan of "very high fat/ very low carb/ and low protein?"
Bernstein advocates that you need to limit protein to achieve weight loss. He actually says to eat a very modest level of protein, perhaps 50-60g/day. And for me a big thing about eating a Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) duet is eating enough fat. If you are not careful you can end up eating a lot of protein as you have noted. If you want to get 70% of your calories from fat and you eat 2500 calories a day, then you need like 250 grams of fat. For comparison, a cup of olive oil is 215 g of fat and a stick of butter is 92g of fat. Do you think you have been getting enough fat or have you ended up filling in your calorie gaps with the protein and eating too much?
Hi there! So from all of my reading today, i think i have been making a few mistakes. Maybe you can give me some insight.
1) DEFINITELY too much protein. grilled chicken for example which is like 0 fat.
2) cheese and other dairies. Didn't know they could interfere.
3) I think I definitely get a good amount of fat..but from the wrong places...nuts and nut butters. I was scared to cut these out because they are sooo portable and convenient...but I now see how problematic they are.
I am the kind of person that works best with less. I would love to have a few staple meals and enjoy those for the next few weeks to hopefully see some weight loss. I love to sautee spinach in olive oil...but even when i do that i limit the oil. i think from now on i will be more generous with the oil and use this as a main meal. with maybe an ounce or 2 of meat on top. Breakfast is usually 2 hardboiled eggs and some nuts....i could definitely be fine with just the eggs. What are some of your major meals?
I've been eating LC/HF for over 4.5 years. I lost too much weight & had to increase protein to gain. Yep, protein will stall weight loss & increase weight, depending if it's more than you need. It also depends on how much weight you need to lose.
This is a good protein calculator http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/DietMakeupCalc.php. Not really helpful to ask for a meal plan because age, gender & activity level effect protein needs. Working out, lifting weights, etc. increases protein requirements to build muscle.
Thanks so much! That explains a lot actually.
Yay, glad it helped.
What did you find out that was problematic in nuts and nut butters, Andrea? I have been lowering carbs to lose weight, and trying to get over the idea that fat is bad.I lost weight for awhile but then started steadily gaining again with no idea why (I'm exploring some possible colon problems that may be involved, but for now am curious about your dietary research. Since the only food I eat that feels fattening (or that I eat in servings that I feel myself are a bit excessive!) is nut butter. And the part of me that can't believe high fat is good, keeps looking to that to explain the weight gain. As a vegetarian nuts, nut butter and cheese are all important parts of my diet. I don't know how much more I can give up (such as cheese) but the nut butter makes me wonder. So could you share what y ou've learned.
I agree with Zoe, nuts and nut butter are actually great, and I really like cheese. But as you note skinless chicken is mostly protein and low fat. I use a lot of olive oil and butter. I make a homemade vinaigrette and love a good salad. And don't forget about avocados, I buy mine at costco (like my olive oil).
I thought it was Brian, but I'm still looking for a culprit in my weight gain so I was wondering what Andrea learned.
I eat a lot of almonds, pecans, walnuts & seeds & use a good deal of almond flour in baking. What nut butters do you eat? Cashew butter, for example, has a good bit of carbs.
Even with LC, it's still a matter of calories in & calories burned. Though I know LC people who eat quite a few calories & still don't gain weight.
Virgin coconut oil is sooo healthy. I use in most everything.
Hey Zoe, I have just read about a ton of people who find nuts and nut butters to be "stalling foods" i am in the same position as you...in the beginning the nuts were not a problem for me because they were much lower carb than the usual things i was munching on (chips and crackers) but...i think now that i, too, have lost the weight...stalled for 6 months...and then regained it, that this might be the culprit! i have been looking for so many underlying health problems. But i am thinking its the protein overload and the cumulating carbs in nuts (6g for 1/4 cup almonds). i definitely eat way more than 1/4 cup. i have definite portion control issue lol. the only real evidence i have found is word of mouth, and googling a ton of forums. i am going to try to cut the nuts for one week...if you want to join me in this challenge!
I eat a variety of nut butters, Gerri, everything but peanut butter! Almond, cashew, macadamia, a wonderful almond/hazelnut combo I get when I visit Berkeley Bowl. Coconut butter is actually my new favorite! Check it out, you find it with the other nut butters!
As far as carbs, I've noticed minimal impact on my blood sugar and bolus for way less carbs than I'm actually eating which is one thing I like about it. But yeah, you have a good point about calories for those of us who have a tendency to gain weight easily!
i LOVE avocados. I agree that the nuts are great, but i think with my portion control problems they might be good to cut them for a while...just an experiment i guess. i did hear a terrifying thing about coffee stalling weight loss in low carb eaters...really hoping that is not true.
Coconut butter & coconut oil are the same thing. It's solid at cool temps & liquid at warmer temps.
i do love nuts. and i think that too much protein is much more the problem. so instead of adding a big chicken breast to my salad tomorrow, maybe it is better to add a handful of almonds? (if there is no need to give them up) and a bit more olive oil than usual?
can i have the recipe to your vinaigrette? i mix dijon mustard with oil and red wine vinegar. but could use a new topping for the many salads i eat.
gerri when you were eating too little protein and losing too much weight were you following a vegetarian form of high fat low carb...is there one?
No, I don't think it's the same thing, Gerri. I've seen coconut oil and coconut butter both in the store. The coconut butter needs to be stuck in the microwave for a minute as it forms a layer on the top. But then it is a similar texture to other nut butters and taste good! I don't think I would eat coconut oil right out of the jar!It's not something you cook with, it's something you eat. It's stocked in the aisle with other nut butters. Not too many people know about it.
Hmmm. Strange, Andrea! I wasn't concerned about the carbs because they didn't raise my blood sugar. But I'm very upset about the weight gain. I've actually cut it from eating it daily for lunch to eating it about every other day. I will then reduce it more.I'm not ready to totally give it up. Ironically, I was eating it about every other day when I was slowly losing the weight. (I'd cut other things) I've cut so many foods.But then I let it slip to nearly daily and it has that feeling of compulsion that I haven't experienced for 18 years and don't like! I haven't eaten sugar for 18 years. I don't eat certain foods due to acid reflux. i'm a vegetarian. I don't eat very much quantity and never eat junk.I eat more healthy and more disciplined than 90% of people I know. It pisses me off, frankly! Hard to give up yet another thing, but you may be right.
Personally, I'm with Gerri, I don't think it's "too much protein" and I still have reservations about intentionally eating "high fat". I just think it's too much calories that leads to weight gain. In my case, the only culprit is the nut butter.