Why does low carb have to be high fat?

[Ledkr]

Need to tackle my sugar cravings so am thinking LC might be best for me. I can't face all the high fat stuff tho. Yogurt cream etc lovely, but I keep reading recipes with lots of seemingly unecessary added butter etc!
It makes me feel sick just thinking about it.

[Drogon]

I think it's because when you minimise your intake of carbs, your body needs fat to fuel it. Carbs are what your body uses first for energy because they're broken down easily. When you only have a small intake of carbs your body needs something to use for energy so you need extra fat to fuel your body. I'm no expert, that's just what I've garnered from researching and from low carbing.
I know when I tried low carb low fat I was starving all the time and had no energy. I lasted about 3 weeks. So far on low carb, high fat I've lasted nearly a year and I'm still going

[superram]

Dragon, have you lost any weight?

[reup]

I'm going on a nhs dietician diet soon and its low carb, low fat, but high protein. I'm not sure how it will work out. I've done low carb, high fat before 3 times - 1st was great but last 2 were awful (didn't lose weight and was constipated). I'm going to ask her about the fat part at my next appointment.

[KP86]

The fat helps you to feel fuller for longer.

And I've read that your body converts fat into energy more efficiently, which helps with weight loss.

[Drogon]

Yes I've lost nearly 3 and a half stone so far, still have a couple of stone to go though.

[Ledkr]

Doesn't it massively increase your risk of heart disease tho?

[cathyandclaire]

Dukan is low fat, low carb, high protein. I don't tend to do the butter/coconut oil/bulletproof coffee thing but will choose full fat yogurt, eat cheese and nuts and skin on chicken. A sort of low carb, medium fat approach!

[Ledkr]

What is a bullet proof coffee

[KeyserSophie]

Coffee with butter in it......yeah I know.....

[Wiifitmama]

Fat can come from sources other than dairy. I have been low carb for many many years (including losing over 100 pounds). I can't eat dairy at all. But I do eat avocado, olive oil on my salads, home made mayonnaise. You can eat nuts (I can't of digestive reasons). I get most of my fat from meat I guess - not that I eat fatty meats particularly. I grew up in the low fat era so still can't bring myself to eat the fat or skin on meats most of the time. But I do cook stews with fattier cuts etc.

I think the term "high fat" is misleading. I think a low carb diet that is not also "low in fat" would be a better description. So you are essentially eating normal levels of fat which is higher than all those people doing low fat.

[Ledkr]

That sound more like I could do.
I don't even like fatty stuff too much but love dairy and avocado.
Butter in coffee?

[KP86]

I have been doing LCHF for 2 months and lost just under 2st. Also have 3st to go.

My daily macro breakdown targets are about 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% (20g) carbs. I probably have more protein and less fat than I am meant to (having that much fat is a little difficult practically) and try to have a teaspoon or two of carb-neutral fibre each day to keep things regular.

It is a very different mindset from the old fashioned low fat way of thinking, but it does work. I would be interested in seeing my blood work at the moment to see how my cholesterol etc is looking.

[BIWI]

You called?


There's no proof that saturated fat causes heart disease, if that's what you're concerned about.

This is a useful article

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I think its to do with satiety and how satisfying your food is. If it is higher in 'good fats' then you are likely to feel more satisfied than if something is high in sugar which leaves you wanting more. I've done low fat diets like slimming world for years and have just switched to Michael mosley which is 'Mediterranean' and I can 'feel' the fat content after a meal like salmon or lamb, its taking a bit of getting used to. On the plus side, my skin is feeling great, very nourished and soft.

[BIWI]

And The Diet Doctor is a brilliant site for info about low carbing.

[DownstairsMixUp]

As above,the fat in place for carbs. The fit's few days of low carbing are tough! But once you adjust I find you graze less

[Ledkr]

Thanks biwi I knew you'd come!!

Thing is, I'm so entrenched in the carb culture that I'm terrified of low carbing and fear that it would push me to the edge in terms of my already stressful life. So my staple go to meals which are all carby woukd have to go! And Id have to find alternatives and feed the family all after a long day!
Id like to shift this bloody extra two stone as well tho so can't have it all I guess.

[BIWI]

Have a look at the recipe thread, that's stickied at the top of the Bootcamp topic - lots of tasty but also easy and family-friendly recipes that you can use there.

[rainbowunicorn]

I have often wondered about this when it comes to low carb. I have a friend who has done low carb high fat 3 times now and she has ended up heavier than before. She seems to have interpreted it as eat as much processed cold meat, sausages, salami, chorizo, cheese, butter, cream etc as you want. It does not appear to be doing her health much good as the amount of salt etc in the highly processed food she is eating can not be good for her. In addition she has high blood pressure which she is on medication for and gets terrible headaches when on the diet.
I am not saying that I do not believe low carb diet can work but I do think a lot of people use it as an excuse to stuff themselves with highly processed, salty, unhealthy foods.

[Jaimx86]

Plus the fat in egg yolks. I eat 2 eggs throughout the morning (whenever I get chance) and then I'm satiated until mid afternoon. Some afternoons I'll go the the gym on just that all day... And have more eggs when I get in.
Mmm. Eggs.

[raisedbyguineapigs]

I do the same things, more or less for family meals that I do for me. You just need to get used to different recipes. I give the kids carbs with theirs and I have salad. So this week we had bolognese, pork stroganoff, Thai meatballs, roast chicken, prawn curry for eg, everyone else had potatoes or rice or pasta and I had cauliflower rice, celeriac or salad with it instead. I'm talking evangelical like, but I have cheated a bit this week, too many nuts and a cupcake

[notagiraffe]

I thought I read somewhere that if you eat high fat but low carb, your body realises it doesn't have to store fat as it's getting plenty, so is happy to burn it off. If it thinks it won't get enough, it stores whatever it can as fat.