low carb diet vs balanced, healthy diet, and losing weight

istt

I recently began a ketogenic diet due to the incredible success a friend of mine had. Over an 8 week period he went from 220 to 185. The key he feels was keeping his carbs very low, under 50 grams per day if possible. I, on the other hand, started out doing the same but felt that my body needed more carbs to feel good. I have been burning roughly 1700 more calories per day than I am consuming. I have taken about 8 pounds off in the first 12 days. So, here is my question. He maintains that for me to lose weight the way he did, I would have to keep the carbs low. But my question is, if I am burning 1700 more calories than I am consuming each day, won't the weight loss be the same, regardless of whether the my diet is low carb?

Susan_RD_101

@istt

At the end of the day, any diet can work, provided you eat fewer calories than you need to maintain your weight. Keto diets can result in greater changes in weight initially due to water losses (we store 1 g of carbs with 3-4 g of water). However, what the research shows is there no such thing as "one size fits all" when it comes to weight loss. And remember, weight loss is only 1/2 the battle; weight maintenance can be the greatest challenge. Whatever you do to lose weight, you need to keep doing in order to keep the weight off. So it's really important that you eat in a way that is sustainable and enjoyable for you. Keep up the great work!

istt

Thank you for your response, Susan. So, does this mean that you will lose the same amount of weight over time, if you are burning the same number of calories, even though the make up of your diet varies? In other words, if someone is eating less carbs and someone else is eating less fat, if they consume (and burn) the same number of calories, over time they will lose the same amount of weight? And those that are on a low carb diet will lose the weight faster since they are not retaining as much water?

Keymash

The big advantage of the keto thing is that it turns a lot of problem foods into non kosher foods. Unless that is you are crazy for the bacon. It makes things simpler to just say no to whole areas of food.

One can make a healther low carb diet. When I was on it in the mid 90's I used a spreadsheet to do what the Cronometer did, except I had to manually enter in every food but I am not a wide range eater so meh.

You only got so many net carbs [35, 50 whatever] you gotta use them as effectively as possible much like the Calorie Restriction people have to go for the high nutrient dense foods. I guess if I can shill for the Cronometer this is the place to do it. Carrots are floating in Vit A, Green peppers and especially red peppers in Vit C. Cheese which has a slight bit of net carbs will get the calcium up, just use enough to get your Calcium levels to where you want it to be. Use the rest of your net cards on veggies, leafy greens, those cruicfius [sp? the broccoli family] and if it's your bag, onions and garlic. I had enough left over for an orange. If you are lucky you can get some strawberries. Lean meats or fatty fish for the protein. Peanuts, Flaxseed [freshly ground] for the Omega 3] Almonds are pricey these days but hey if you can afford them. If you need more vit E or Omega 6 sunflower seeds. IIRC nuts and seeds also have some minor net carbs. Add in some eggs and you got some healthy fats there.
A diet like that won't win you Canada food guide follower of the year award but it will be based on standard advice as healthy as you can get. Much better than bacon and butter. You will have your servings of veg and maybe some fruit, you should hit or at least be close to the RDA RNI or whatever they call it these days to most things. Your fat consumption although high will be more mono and if you plan it right with a good O6 to O3 ratio and some sat fats but as little as possible on such a diet.

Anyhow that is what I did back in the 90's.

Susan_RD_101

@istt

Theoretically, two people eating different diets can lose the same amount of weight if they reduce their total calorie intake equally. However, weight loss can sometimes be unpredictable, so this is all theoretical. And yes, initially, someone eating a very low carb diet could lose more weight due to water loss. But also because what was mentioned above, there are a lot more foods restricted.

istt

Another question. I have been using urine strips to see if I am in ketosis and, if they are accurate, I have been in the high range each day I have tested. My question is, must one maintain the correct ratios (fat, protein, carbs) each meal or is it just necessary that at the end of the day all the ratios are right? Thanks

Frank

@istt The urine strips will indicate if you are producing ketones, which is good. But after time of you producing them they can deceive you. They become a better indicator of hydration then they do for actual ketone levels. The gold standard is blood to measure beta hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Breath measurements are accurate as well. The real key is to measure insulin, and there are no "in home" test that I know of yet.

Hitting your ratios is fairly important. You want to be sure your good fat is always dominating. If you stray, I wouldn't stray in eating only carbs as that will instigate insulin and your goal is to keep it healthy low. With that said, straying once in a while will not affect you all that much, and if you want to see how it affects you, test your levels. Hope that helps a bit.

mfriend

@istt "So, does this mean that you will lose the same amount of weight over time, if you are burning the same number of calories, even though the make up of your diet varies? "
That would only be correct if the body responded to all calories the same regardless of whether the calories come from fat, protein, or carbs. The problem is the body does not treat all calories the same. Carbs, and to a much less extent protein, cause the body to release insulin. Insulin does a couple of things the slow fat loss: 1. It's main purpose is to push the glucose (carbs) into the bodies cells for storage. 2. high insulin levels in the blood stop or decrease the ability of the body to use stored fat for fuel.

With increased carbs come increased hunger. If you eat 400 calories of steak you are going to fill full for much longer than if you ate a bowl (about 400 calories) of fruit loops. High carbs will cause your blood glucose levels to spike then drop fast causing hunger/cravings.

I would disagree with the title of this forum post.... the idea being that low-carb is not healthy but higher carbs are. My last full lab set/ cholesterol test came back absolutely perfect on a low carb diet. As a diabetic I get my blood checked often and the only time my cholesterol goes up is during the times I have fallen back into a less healthy diet (i.e. a diet that you might call a well balanced diet). For the average person who is not a diabetic and doesn't want to do low carb (low carb is not necessary for everyone) I would recommend a Paleo diet. If it is processed and comes in a box skip it.

What has been the result of the so called "healthy" diet (low fat, high carb) that is pushed by the government for the last 50 or so years? Significant increases in diabetes, heart disease and obesity..

comanchesue

Keto (LCHF) is different and I don't know why. When I was doing WW I had to keep the calorie count right around 1100 to lose (very slowly) and I was always thinking about food. With Atkins, I lose easily with a calorie count around 1600 and I am never, ever, hungry. The best benefit was that after the first week, I wasn't tempted even by Krispy Kremes in the break room.

I do Atkins with the whole foods approach-I'll occasionally have one of their frozen meals if I'm in a time crunch and didn't shop. I do not eat the shakes and bars (because of the soy protein in them and because they will set off cravings)..

I second the other posters remarks on lipid levels. My total cholesterol came down, my HDL went up from a below range # of 30 to a heart protective # of 68. Triglycerides went from over 154 to 53-which indicates my LDL is the fluffy, nondangerous kind.

Susan_RD_101

Thanks for sharing your stories and congratulations on your dietary success!

The message I reiterate the most to my clients is there is no one diet that works well for every person. The key is to ensure the diet you are following can be maintained for life, as dietary sustainability seems to be key to weight loss success, not so much the ratio of macros.

comanchesue

Thanks for the congrats. I was very anti-Atkins for most of my life and couldn't believe that eating a high fat diet could possibly be healthy. Then I read the Gary Taubes book and it resonated with me. As I was approaching 200 pounds I figured I didn't have anything to lose and did more research. I was amazed. It wasn't only the weight and lipid profile, but the reduced joint pain and increased energy. But the best, and what makes this sustainable is the utter and total lack of cravings. I love the whole-food approach.

Ozzy

Just adding my two cents. I really like the Ketogenic diet for me. Once you become fully keto you tend to forget about food. The cravings just go away. I guess it makes since once your body is burning fat you have plenty of food inside you to feed your brain. For anybody starting especially there is a period of time before you become keto when you body is switching from burning glucose to the ketogens that you feel like you have the flu, headaches, dizziness, sweats etc they will go away and you will feel very clear headed and good. The same thing happens to people who fast, very hard at first then it becomes easy. One mistake of going keto is you also have to limit your protein. To start as a 5'10" man my macros are <20g carbs ~57g protein 122g fat which brings me close to 2000 calories. I do lose dramatically this way. It can actually be a challenge to get enough fat. Once I get to maintenance mode I will increase carbs and protein some but I plan on remaining in partial ketosis, my mind works better and I just feel better overall.

LadyBos

Keto has so many meanings. Some use it as a means to eat super high fat, others describe it as very low carb. For me, I keep my net carbs below 50 and my protein high. I don't overdo the fat, because I want my body to burn the fat that's in it rather than constantly topping off with dietary fat. Ketosis is the result of restricted carbs. For me, 50 is low enough. It is very important to keep one's electrolytes on point as sodium, potassium and magnesium get out of whack on this WOE.

istt

OK, back to the keto diet. I have a question that has puzzled me from the start. I listen to these experts like Phinney, Volek and Fung and have not heard the explanation. If I am consuming fat rather than carbs, as the keto diet recommends, why won't the fat that I am eating today be burned before the fat that is already in my body, in the same way that the glucose from carbs will be burned prior to my body burning any fat already stored in my body? How do you know the sequence the body goes through to dispose of the calories in your body? What does it matter if my body is burning fat I ate today instead of carbs I ate today? So, for example, I choose to eat 200g of fat in the form of cheese instead of 200g of carbs of granola. They are 200g in my system. I then go out and exercise, burning off 200 calories. What does it matter if my body is burning fat or carbs? Presumably it is going to burn the 200g of fat I ate today before it is going to tap into any reserve fats I already have in my system. So what's the difference?

Frank

@istt You still have a bit of the calories in vs calories out going on as well and you will hear that from Phinney, Volek, and Fung as well. It is still a piece of the puzzle, a small piece but a piece none the less. If you get your carbs under control, thus controlling insulin, your body will use the fat burning pathway instead of the carb pathway because it has no choice. I think we all get that.

When you eat fat vs carbs you have much less inflammation and deleterious affects going on biochemically in the body as compared to carbs being used for fuel. The inflammation piece is a big part of the weight loss people can see. If you over eat fat, you will gain weight, just like with carbs. You have to be careful you are eating good fats and not over doing it. Test for your ketones by blood or breath and you can dial in how much fat you need to consume to stay keto adpated (1-3mmol blood BHB levels, Volek and Phinney).

Also, excess carbs get converted to triglycerides very easily, especially if you have insulin problems, and they will get stored as fat. Fat does not do that to the extent that carbs do(or at all really). That is just the biochemistry of our bodies.

Hope that helps a bit!

istt

Thank you, Frank. Why wouldn't one just eat healthily, a balanced diet of vegs, fruits, and some meat and not emphasize fat intake? Just minimize carb intake, grains and sugars? Is it simply because you need something, fat, to replace the reduction in carbs?

Frank

@istt Yes, and you need fat. There are essential fats and proteins and no essential carbs. Essential meaning your body can't make them and you need to go to your environment and get them. The human body doesn't need/require any carbs. Your body can convert protein into carbs, and does, for certain things. Fat is not the evil culprit as we were all taught. There are things to consider about fat (APOE gene variants for example) but most Americans are fat phobic and suffer conditions/disease that they could avoid by adding good healthy fats to their diet.

william12357

Here's a short and simplified healthy diet plan that you can follow:

Breakfast:

Option 1: A bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh berries and a sprinkle of nuts or seeds.
Option 2: Greek yogurt with sliced fruits and a drizzle of honey.
Option 3: Whole grain toast with avocado and a boiled egg.
Lunch:

Option 1: Grilled chicken or tofu with a side of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, and a light vinaigrette dressing.
Option 2: Quinoa or brown rice bowl with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and a tahini dressing.
Option 3: Whole grain wrap filled with lean protein (turkey, chicken, or hummus), mixed greens, and sliced veggies.
Snack (morning or afternoon):

Option 1: A piece of fruit and a handful of nuts.
Option 2: Carrot sticks with hummus.
Option 3: Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of granola.
Dinner:

Option 1: Grilled salmon or baked chicken breast with a side of steamed vegetables and quinoa.
Option 2: Stir-fried tofu or shrimp with mixed vegetables and brown rice.
Option 3: Lentil soup with a side salad.
Snack (evening):

Option 1: A small portion of mixed nuts.
Option 2: Sliced bell peppers with guacamole.
Option 3: Air-popped popcorn.
Remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day and listen to your body's hunger and fullness cues. Adjust portion sizes based on your individual needs and goals. This short plan provides a general idea of a healthy diet but can be modified according to your preferences and dietary restrictions.
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