Thoughts On A Low-carb Very Low-fat High Protein Diet

[Shawn12]

I was wondering about a diet i have been on for several years, a low-carb very low-fat high protein diet. Does this contribute any adverse psychological effects? Is it  detrimental in the long term? I get most of my calories from protein in fish and a small amount of carbohydrate from flatbread, spinach, and other vegetables .  I have an active workout schedule or weight training. 

 

[Michael569]

Low carb, Low fat?  Wow, how are you still alive?  

[Siim Land]

How many calories do you eat? What's your body fat percentage? What's your training like? What are your real macros like?

You don't need to eat to eat a lot of fat to get into ketosis and use your body fat as fuel instead. However, consuming high protein inevitably makes some of it turn into glucose. If you're also eating flatbread, then it's questionable how low carb you really are. You're probably not ketogenic but simply follow a semi-paleo-esque low carb diet where you're still running on a carb-directed metabolism.  It'd be great if you could share your macros.

I'm curious to know how do you feel on a daily basis? What are your energy levels like and how has the diet affected your physical performance?

As far as for any psychological adverse effects, then there isn't much that would be extremely dangerous. Although your brain is probably undergoing some small energy crises on a regular basis, you don't need carbs nor immense quantities of fat to maintain cerebral health. Fat is brain fuel and you need it for optimal cognitive functioning but I don't think that being slightly energy deficient has any significant negative consequences. It'd be best if you swapped out of it for a while to recover your body's micronutrient deficiencies and get into a surplus.

Thanks

[Shawn12]

14 hours ago, Siim Land said:

How many calories do you eat? What's your body fat percentage? What's your training like? What are your real macros like?

You don't need to eat to eat a lot of fat to get into ketosis and use your body fat as fuel instead. However, consuming high protein inevitably makes some of it turn into glucose. If you're also eating flatbread, then it's questionable how low carb you really are. You're probably not ketogenic but simply follow a semi-paleo-esque low carb diet where you're still running on a carb-directed metabolism.  It'd be great if you could share your macros.

I'm curious to know how do you feel on a daily basis? What are your energy levels like and how has the diet affected your physical performance?

As far as for any psychological adverse effects, then there isn't much that would be extremely dangerous. Although your brain is probably undergoing some small energy crises on a regular basis, you don't need carbs nor immense quantities of fat to maintain cerebral health. Fat is brain fuel and you need it for optimal cognitive functioning but I don't think that being slightly energy deficient has any significant negative consequences. It'd be best if you swapped out of it for a while to recover your body's micronutrient deficiencies and get into a surplus.

Thanks

Guess my question is basically if long term ketosis harmful or detrimental when also consuming little to no fat. I get somewhere around 1000 calories a day. My exercise routine is half an hour of weight lifting. I am 140 pounds, Five foot seven inches. you say eating a lot of protein will make it turn to glucose, so high protein would sabotage attempts to get into ketosis? My energy  levels are general alright but i don't require much sleep to feel restful, about 4 hours. there are days where i can be in a persistent mental fog though.

 

[zazed]

Eating only 1000cals is rarely a healthy diet.

It will put you in a state of catabolism, where your body will consume your muscles during and after you workout. You will have to much cortisol, which destroys muscles. You will have reduced HGH, and HGH increases muscle growth.

Basically you will be in starvation mode. In starvation mode, your body likes storing anything it can as fat, while quickly burning all your muscle to conserve energy. It does this because maintaining muscles requires calories, heavy muscles burn energy even at rest. your body will try to live as long as possible this way, so the muscles have to go first.

So you will be fighting against yourself, unable to gain any muscles or any meaningful physique, as your body will be constantly cannibalizing its own muscles for energy. If gains are your goal, this will not be helpful.
For gaining muscle, you want to be in an anabolic state always, which means you have to eat slightly more than you actually need.
An anabolic state reduces cortisol, and boosts Human Growth Hormone, making muscle gains a lot faster. As well as reducing recovery times.

Perhaps if you are terribly overweight it might be good.
But, you weigh 140pounds, which is like a featherweight (63kg). If you want to bulk up, you should eat up to 3000calories a day to gain muscle.
I know bodybuilders, been at it for years, and they eat up to 4000cals a day to sustain their exercise levels and muscle mass. 

 

It is a common tactic to eat less carbs. In which case you should eat more fats. You need to be able to burn something, and protein is a poor fuel.
Personally, for gaining muscle i think 15%carbs 30%fats and 55%protein would be more helpful. For heavy cardio i would do 30%carbs, 30%fats and 40%protein. Muscle glycogen stores need replenishing after intense cardio sessions, which fats/proteins won't be good for.

If i go cycling for example, i can burn up to 3000calories in one session. I become a fat/carb burning machine, that needs lots of fuel to survive this intensity. With your diet i would just die  

 

What are your goals, i'm kinda confused. Since you are not fat or overweight at all?
Are you trying to get more muscle, are you going for long cardio sessions, are you just looking to maintain? Before giving any advise, it is better to know what your goals are, because ultimately your goals decide your diet.
 

[Shawn12]

3 hours ago, zazed said:

Eating only 1000cals is rarely a healthy diet.

It will put you in a state of catabolism, where your body will consume your muscles during and after you workout. You will have to much cortisol, which destroys muscles. You will have reduced HGH, and HGH increases muscle growth.

Basically you will be in starvation mode. In starvation mode, your body likes storing anything it can as fat, while quickly burning all your muscle to conserve energy. It does this because maintaining muscles requires calories, heavy muscles burn energy even at rest. your body will try to live as long as possible this way, so the muscles have to go first.

So you will be fighting against yourself, unable to gain any muscles or any meaningful physique, as your body will be constantly cannibalizing its own muscles for energy. If gains are your goal, this will not be helpful.
For gaining muscle, you want to be in an anabolic state always, which means you have to eat slightly more than you actually need.
An anabolic state reduces cortisol, and boosts Human Growth Hormone, making muscle gains a lot faster. As well as reducing recovery times.

Perhaps if you are terribly overweight it might be good.
But, you weigh 140pounds, which is like a featherweight (63kg). If you want to bulk up, you should eat up to 3000calories a day to gain muscle.
I know bodybuilders, been at it for years, and they eat up to 4000cals a day to sustain their exercise levels and muscle mass. 

 

It is a common tactic to eat less carbs. In which case you should eat more fats. You need to be able to burn something, and protein is a poor fuel.
Personally, for gaining muscle i think 15%carbs 30%fats and 55%protein would be more helpful. For heavy cardio i would do 30%carbs, 30%fats and 40%protein. Muscle glycogen stores need replenishing after intense cardio sessions, which fats/proteins won't be good for.

If i go cycling for example, i can burn up to 3000calories in one session. I become a fat/carb burning machine, that needs lots of fuel to survive this intensity. With your diet i would just die  

 

What are your goals, i'm kinda confused. Since you are not fat or overweight at all?
Are you trying to get more muscle, are you going for long cardio sessions, are you just looking to maintain? Before giving any advise, it is better to know what your goals are, because ultimately your goals decide your diet.
 

Thanks for the advice. My goals are primarily muscle gain while maintaining low body fat. It looks like I should increase my calorie intake, would you recommend I do this gradually or all at once? It looks like it be best I adjust the ratios of fats carbs and proteins.

Edited July 30, 2017 by Shawn12

[Spiral]

Eat healthy fat, don't worry it does not make you fat. Suger is problematic and is to be avoided unless it's found in fruits or other fiber heavy products.

[Siim Land]

1000 calories? Well your body has simply adapted to such a low caloric intake. Your metabolism is quite honestly wrecked and you may suffer from low thyroid. I'd definitely advise you to get a medical check up and hormonal profile. You should also increase your carb intake for at least a few days to kickstart your metabolism. Then maybe transition over to a paleo type of eating again if you want to stay low carb.

[zazed]

On 30-7-2017 at 2:07 PM, Shawn12 said:

My goals are primarily muscle gain while maintaining low body fat. It looks like I should increase my calorie intake, would you recommend I do this gradually or all at once?

Do it as fast as you can take it. I suppose you won't be used to eating more, just do what comes natural, trying to up your intake.

I'm not a fun of extreme diets. One rule you should follow, no simple sugars, meaning no soda, and nothing prepared with plain sugar.
Carbohydrates are fine in small amounts, and its almost impossible to avoid. Eat healthy carbs, like potato's, carrots, dark grains. Quinoa is a super food containing carbs and a full protein profile.

And offcourse eat protein.

For weight lifting 15%carbs 30%fats and 55%protein in amount of calories is best in my experience.
If you are unsure buy a scale, i weigh all my food. Especially weigh the carbs. Protein can be eyeballed, to much isn't that bad, to little perhaps is.

You should feel energized, like you can take on the world, if you eat properly.
If you eat carbs, eat them after exercise, as then they will contribute most to muscle gains, together with protein. Insulin is mostly known from diabetics, but it is actually a muscle building hormone pulling nutrients into your muscle cells. So some carbs are not bad after training, as carbs spike insulin in your bloodstream. However, this is only beneficial after exercise  

Quote

Although insulin, amino acids and exercise individually activate multiple signal transduction pathways in skeletal muscle, one pathway, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathway, is a target of all three. Activation of the PI3K-mTOR signal transduction pathway results in both acute (i.e. occurring in minutes to hours) and long-term (i.e. occurring in hours to days) up-regulation of protein synthesis through modulation of multiple steps involved in mediating the initiation of mRNA translation and ribosome biogenesis respectively. In addition, changes in gene expression through altered patterns of mRNA translation promote cell growth, which in turn promotes muscle hypertrophy. The focus of the present discussion is to review current knowledge concerning the mechanism(s) through which insulin, amino acids and resistance exercise act to activate the PI3K-mTOR signal transduction pathway and thereby enhance the rate of protein synthesis in muscle.
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15294054

If you want knowledge, find reputable sources with real science, such as the above. But it may be less easy to comprehend.
Be careful of fad diets that have bad statistics.   
Don't be too scared of carbs, it's more about quality and timing than total abstinence (after workouts, in the morning after waking up, dark only).

[Shawn12]

@zazed thanks, what you recommend is not too much of a change, just shifting the fat and protein percentages and increasing my calorie intake(I was doing 10 or 15 percent carbs and trying to cut out all fat besides impossible trace amounts, the remaining majority percentage was then taken up protein) . I have been weighing out my food and running the numbers for a while now. I try to find research and studies as well, but found nothing definitive on long term low carbohydrate and fat intake diets, so decided to experiment and try it out. I was unaware of insulin's role in muscle building as I has assumed it and blood sugar spikes were best avoided.

Recently I have come across some information and i am contemplating  17 hour periods between meals, and working out before i eat these meals. The reasoning here being the benefits of time restricted fasting. https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-016-1044-0 but this is probably topic for another thread.