High carb diet??

Brain5ick

Well-known member
Awards
3
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
So I got those Kai Greene E-books while they were on sale figuring eh, maybe some of it would help with my cut. Well he does high carb, moderately high protein and low fat. Haven’t been on this for too long but haven’t tracked any weight loss with it just yet. Mainly just curious as to what a high carb diet within a deficit would do to the physique. You’d think that surplus of carbs would make it harder to lose fat. Please correct me here if I’m wrong.
 
LeanEngineer

LeanEngineer

Legend
Awards
4
  • RockStar
  • Established
  • Best Answer
  • First Up Vote
That sounds more like a bulk diet to me but if Kai Greene said it, it's worth a try. haha I would think low carb, high protein and moderate fat would be a good lean/cut diet.
 

Resolve10

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
  • RockStar
It’s not a surplus of carbs if you are in a deficit.

If truly in a caloric deficit then the distribution of remaining calories once protein levels are accounted for isn’t going to make a huge difference in the quality of the weight loss (although factors of how enjoyable the diet is, how sustainable, how it effects training, etc may still apply).

I cut on a higher proportion of carbs to fat than I’d say most do (it helps fuel my training better) and I have zero issues losing fat.
 

Brain5ick

Well-known member
Awards
3
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
That sounds more like a bulk diet to me but if Kai Greene said it, it's worth a try. haha I would think low carb, high protein and moderate fat would be a good lean/cut diet.
Right? I’m still only at 2,385 cal per day but it’s 225 protein, 252g carbs and 53g fats. I’m retaining strength now but I’m definitely not used to this way of dieting. Seems like too much to me but I’ll go for it for awhile and see what happens. Might take a natural diuretic to get rid of some extra water weight here and there.
 
john.patterson

john.patterson

Well-known member
Awards
1
  • Established
As long as your are in a deficit you will be able to lose fat. I prefer to keep protein around 1g - 1.2g per pound while cutting, lower fat and higher carb while maintaining a calorie deficit.

From what I've seen, eating more carbs help a lot with strength and energy in the gym. Make sure your fats don't drop too low, but I've never seen any benefits to a low carb/higher fat diet during a cut. The key is to make sure you're eating in a deficit
 
Outofbody

Outofbody

Well-known member
Awards
2
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
I've done this diet, at a deficit, and carb-backloaded (had most of the carbs in the evening) and it works fine for losing weight. Most of my macros came from carbs first, then protein.
 
Chados

Chados

Well-known member
Awards
2
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
As long as your are in a deficit you will be able to lose fat. I prefer to keep protein around 1g - 1.2g per pound while cutting, lower fat and higher carb while maintaining a calorie deficit.

From what I've seen, eating more carbs help a lot with strength and energy in the gym. Make sure your fats don't drop too low, but I've never seen any benefits to a low carb/higher fat diet during a cut. The key is to make sure you're eating in a deficit
Well not entirely true, drop weight sure but you can still add fat.
 
Chados

Chados

Well-known member
Awards
2
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
Kai Greene is also on insulin, growth hormone and aas.

Keeping protein at say 60% is the most effective way, not the most fun and definitely not the easiest.
 
Gerbil

Gerbil

Well-known member
Awards
1
  • Established
This entirely depends on how your body responds to carbohydrates. Higher carbohydrates does assist in having sufficient glycogen stores for lifting. Assuming you are getting all of your essential fatty acids, you should be fine with low fat diet. The higher carb method will lead to higher fluid retention however will also lead to fuller muscles (increased glycogen stores and the associated water).

If you end up feeling uncomfortable with the current plan you can go on a carb cycling diet, go on a zone diet, or if you really want to a keto diet.

I have never been a fan of keto I just don't feel comfortable on it and looking flat most the time drives me crazy.
 
YoungThor

YoungThor

Well-known member
Awards
2
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
Well carbs spike insulin which I believe makes it easier to gain fat and harder to lose it. Your body will resort to burning off those carbs before it taps into the fat. That’s my take on it. So I think low carb high fat is the way to go. It’s also much much easier to overeat carbs because it makes you crave more of them. I find fat to be more filling and when you’ve had enough you’ve had enough. For some reason it’s easier to control appetite with a high fat low carb diet, at least it is for me. Maybe that’s the result of not experiencing insulin crashes, which spike hunger. Ultimately, being in a calorie deficit should be enough to lose fat but high carb is probably not optimal.
 
Gerbil

Gerbil

Well-known member
Awards
1
  • Established
Well carbs spike insulin which I believe makes it easier to gain fat and harder to lose it. Your body will resort to burning off those carbs before it taps into the fat. That’s my take on it. So I think low carb high fat is the way to go. It’s also much much easier to overeat carbs because it makes you crave more of them. I find fat to be more filling and when you’ve had enough you’ve had enough. For some reason it’s easier to control appetite with a high fat low carb diet, at least it is for me. Maybe that’s the result of not experiencing insulin crashes, which spike hunger. Ultimately, being in a calorie deficit should be enough to lose fat but high carb is probably not optimal.
Insulin is a bit more of a double edged sword than that. Insulin causes the body to absorb glucose, if it is absorbed into muscle cells you have glycogenesis aka more glycogen stores in the muscles (more energy available for work now). If it gets absorbed into fat cells it will undergo lipogenesis turning into fat (more energy for the future). The liver has the ability to both create fat and glycogen.

Insulin is considered the master anabolic hormone, it also plays a key role in protein synthesis (the reason why bodybuilders take it).

Assuming you are not constantly spiking insulin, you can consume high glycemic index foods around your workouts it can increase your muscular gains substantially by shuttling nutrients to your muscles.


As for appetite control, fibrous carbs help and make you poop better. Another helpful tip is don't eat like its a job eat like its a hobby take your time, chew more. If you can consume a pound of broccoli and be hungry with the 200 calories you just consumed I am very impressed.
 
YoungThor

YoungThor

Well-known member
Awards
2
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
Insulin is a bit more of a double edged sword than that. Insulin causes the body to absorb glucose, if it is absorbed into muscle cells you have glycogenesis aka more glycogen stores in the muscles (more energy available for work now). If it gets absorbed into fat cells it will undergo lipogenesis turning into fat (more energy for the future). The liver has the ability to both create fat and glycogen.

Insulin is considered the master anabolic hormone, it also plays a key role in protein synthesis (the reason why bodybuilders take it).

Assuming you are not constantly spiking insulin, you can consume high glycemic index foods around your workouts it can increase your muscular gains substantially by shuttling nutrients to your muscles.


As for appetite control, fibrous carbs help and make you poop better. Another helpful tip is don't eat like its a job eat like its a hobby take your time, chew more. If you can consume a pound of broccoli and be hungry with the 200 calories you just consumed I am very impressed.
Well broccoli isn’t a great example of a high carb source. This guy is eating high carb so I assume he’s eating more caloricly dense carb sources like rice, potatoes, maybe a little bread and pasta. It’s those starchy carbs that cause overeating. Broccoli is easy to not overeat.

And I agree that increasing your glycogen stores by eating carbs before a workout could make your workout more productive. You’re essentially fueling your muscles so that makes sense. But the OP is trying to lose fat so I think it’s best if his glycogen stores are low during the workout so he’ll be able to burn his own fat instead.

I know you said your basically useless when you go keto and many others claim their workouts suffer, but then there’s people like me who can eat nothing but meat and eggs for a few days and still have pretty solid workouts. I don’t think the OP needs to be that extreme and go carnivore but I think lowering his carbs could help.
 
Gerbil

Gerbil

Well-known member
Awards
1
  • Established
Well broccoli isn’t a great example of a high carb source. This guy is eating high carb so I assume he’s eating more caloricly dense carb sources like rice, potatoes, maybe a little bread and pasta. It’s those starchy carbs that cause overeating. Broccoli is easy to not overeat.

And I agree that increasing your glycogen stores by eating carbs before a workout could make your workout more productive. You’re essentially fueling your muscles so that makes sense. But the OP is trying to lose fat so I think it’s best if his glycogen stores are low during the workout so he’ll be able to burn his own fat instead.

I know you said your basically useless when you go keto and many others claim their workouts suffer, but then there’s people like me who can eat nothing but meat and eggs for a few days and still have pretty solid workouts. I don’t think the OP needs to be that extreme and go carnivore but I think lowering his carbs could help.
You can get away with consuming more carbs around your workout as most of it will be used to restore those glycogen stores you just burned through. The overall process of burning fat is mostly calories in vs calories out, assuming protein and overall calories remain constant whether you eat fat or carbs is personal choice (assuming you are getting your EFAs).

Also a majority of the calories burned throughout the day are through your BMR and EPOC. The actual calories burned through exercise is fairly low assuming you are not doing insane durations.

Basically as shown on countless occasions you can either go low carb, low fat or something more inline with a zone diet and lose weight/ body fat (assuming calories are low enough). I prefer the addition of carbs to allow my workouts to be the most productive which helps me preserve muscle.
 
YoungThor

YoungThor

Well-known member
Awards
2
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
You can get away with consuming more carbs around your workout as most of it will be used to restore those glycogen stores you just burned through. The overall process of burning fat is mostly calories in vs calories out, assuming protein and overall calories remain constant whether you eat fat or carbs is personal choice (assuming you are getting your EFAs).

Also a majority of the calories burned throughout the day are through your BMR and EPOC. The actual calories burned through exercise is fairly low assuming you are not doing insane durations.

Basically as shown on countless occasions you can either go low carb, low fat or something more inline with a zone diet and lose weight/ body fat (assuming calories are low enough). I prefer the addition of carbs to allow my workouts to be the most productive which helps me preserve muscle.
Fair enough. Personally, I need to do intermittent fasting and lower carbs to see results. But that approach fits with my personality. I kind of have to be extreme and rigid to accomplish anything or else I’ll fall back into doing and eating what I want. For others that approach would be unnecessary and they could continue to eat carbs moderately, or even in a high amount, and still lose weight. At the end of the day calories in vs out is the king, just as you said.
 

Resolve10

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
  • RockStar
Well broccoli isn’t a great example of a high carb source. This guy is eating high carb so I assume he’s eating more caloricly dense carb sources like rice, potatoes, maybe a little bread and pasta. It’s those starchy carbs that cause overeating. Broccoli is easy to not overeat.

And I agree that increasing your glycogen stores by eating carbs before a workout could make your workout more productive. You’re essentially fueling your muscles so that makes sense. But the OP is trying to lose fat so I think it’s best if his glycogen stores are low during the workout so he’ll be able to burn his own fat instead.

I know you said your basically useless when you go keto and many others claim their workouts suffer, but then there’s people like me who can eat nothing but meat and eggs for a few days and still have pretty solid workouts. I don’t think the OP needs to be that extreme and go carnivore but I think lowering his carbs could help.
That’s a simplistic way of looking at fat burning that doesn’t really hold any merit.

I don’t want to get to in depth here (but this is a common misconception or half truth I guess I commonly see similar to why people think training fasted is inherently better) but the body isn’t that simple. It will up regulate and down regulate other processes over the course of the day to level that out more. The amount of fat you are going to burn based on directly “using fat versus carbs” during training isn’t going to suddenly make it a more effective way to lose fat in a weight loss plan. That would be without even taking into account usually when talking about it that way it comes from people who have higher fat intakes, which is just fueling that substrate to be burned more anyways versus stored body fat.

I’d much farther a more balanced approach with some carbs to allow better workout intensity for some more productive workouts (and better recovery). Carbs don’t magically just stop you from burning fat because they cause and insulin spike that’s just way too simplistic of a look at that process.

You can get away with consuming more carbs around your workout as most of it will be used to restore those glycogen stores you just burned through. The overall process of burning fat is mostly calories in vs calories out, assuming protein and overall calories remain constant whether you eat fat or carbs is personal choice (assuming you are getting your EFAs).

Also a majority of the calories burned throughout the day are through your BMR and EPOC. The actual calories burned through exercise is fairly low assuming you are not doing insane durations.

Basically as shown on countless occasions you can either go low carb, low fat or something more inline with a zone diet and lose weight/ body fat (assuming calories are low enough). I prefer the addition of carbs to allow my workouts to be the most productive which helps me preserve muscle.
This ^^^^

Again you can lose weight both ways. If someone wants to do it low carb more power (or less power sense they’ll probably have lower power outputs in their training ) to them, but it isn’t more advantageous than a more moderate or even a higher carbohydrate approach given adequate caloric deficit is achieved.
 

Resolve10

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
  • RockStar
Also I’d point out that I don’t really buy the argument it’s much easier to over consume carbs. Usually this is because highly palatable foods are a combination of carbs and fats that make them easy to consume in larger quantities.

Eating a ton of potatoes without all the extras is pretty tough and filling.

But again I don’t want people to think I’m saying you have to have carbs. I know people who like and do better on plans with fewer and people need to do what feels best and is sustainable as long as they get results.

Just feel I have to go to bat for carbs at times to make sure that some people out there know they aren’t failing on their diets if they want to keep carbohydrates in their diet when aiming for weight loss.
 
Smont

Smont

Legend
Awards
5
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
  • RockStar
  • Legend!
It's calories. A traditional hard core vegan diet is 80carbs. 10protien. 10 fat. Japan is the thinnest country in the world with a 70% carb diet.
 

Similar threads


Top