Carbs vs fat vs protein

[Cr33pin]

Not all calories are created equal..... the only thing equal in this world are women, they are a mans equal. (just kidding they are the superior gender!!)

 

[StrikeBack]

This sums up pretty well:

http://www.jtstrong.com/articles/2014/10/07/dialing-diet-goals/

WHAT ARE THE DIET PRINCIPLES?

There are five basic diet principles of varying impact on diet success. Here they are in order of magnitude:

1.) CALORIE BALANCE: ~50% effect magnitude
– Eating a hypocaloric diet to lose fat, hypercaloric diet to gain muscle

2.) MACRONUTRIENT AMOUNTS: ~30% effect magnitude
– How much protein, carbohydrate and fat you take in per day

3.) NUTRIENT TIMING: ~ 10% effect magnitude
– How many meals you spread out per day, whether you time your food intake to activity (workout window)

4.) FOOD COMPOSITION: ~5% effect magnitude
– Protein quality, Glycemic Index, Fat Type

5.) SUPPLEMENTs: ~5% effect magnitude
– Whey protein, glycemic carb supplements, creatine, stimulants, casein

 

[dog24]

I would say a calorie is a calorie to the natural average gym goer, how much difference is it going to make on his body eating nothing but brown rice and chicken breast all day.
That shit takes a lot of time out of your day, going to the supermarket, cooking and sitting down to eat multiple times a day.
And for what? Youre gonna maintain that lifestyle 10+ years?
Of course there are some guys in here that are pretty serious about powerlifting or who are using PEDs but if not is it really worth it? Wouldnt it be better to do just a bit of cardio everyday after a normal routine and then do something else more productive.

 

[peterthephoenix]

Calories are the #1 priority. However macros are #2. You could eat jolly ranchers and lose weight, you just need to eat less than your basal metabolic rate.

If you ate you bodyweight in pounds x 12 = X, XXX calories in jolly ranchers each day you would lose weight. But you would feel terrible and be hungry all the time.

 

[OBJ Snakebite]

I hear a lot of guys say if you want to lose belly fat, then stay away from carbs. Can someone explain to me why it makes any difference if you eat carbs or fat or protein with regards to losing weight, especially belly fat.

Gary Taubes wrote a book on the subject. You can read about the process in its exhaustive, mind-numbing medical detail.

I don't fully understand how this works. If you eat 1500 calories, why does it matter if they come from carbs or fat? It's still 1500 calories, right? And if you burn 2000 calories a day through your normal daily routine what difference does it make? You'd still have a calorie deficit. I know low carb diets are all the rage, but I'm trying to understand the science behind this or if it's just another empty fad.

Your body is not a calculator. It also doesn't like carbs all that much, and when it gets them, it wants to use them up first, before getting to fat. It uses insulin to prevent fat from getting out of the fat cells, and converts sugar into fat for storage. You get fatter.

Read the book, it does a better job of explanation.

 

[FretDancer]

Many members have already added great points.

I will add that the great benefit of low carb diets is not just the low quantity of carbohydrates, but the extra higher quantity of Protein that should be ingested to compensate.

In other words, low carb diets are usually high protein diets, in theory.

Higher protein is always a better choice, if you have it.

 

[peterthephoenix]

It's still possible to lose weight while eating only carbs (i.e. potatoes) . Your body needs a certain amount of nutrients to power itself and will take whatever it needs to keep yourself alive. http://www.livescience.com/10163-man-eating-potatoes-2-months.html. You will feel terrible because you don't have a good balance of nutrients and macro nutrients in your body.

However, proper macro nutrient rationing is more effective for running your body and regulating your bodies functions and hormornes (ie. 40% protein calories, 30% fat calories, 30% carb calories. some people work better on slightly different ratios)

When you're not eating at all (fasting for long periods of time) it starts to use your fat stores for fuel.

Problem is, carbs are the least satiating macro. Ever been through a bag of potato chips and then got hungry two hours later? Protein and fat keep you feeling much more satisfied when you eat.