High fat diet to lose weight

[miacova]

My trainer is putting me onto a high fat diet (flaxseed oil, walnuts etc) and I am wondering if I should be getting cholestorol levels etc. checked before doing this type of diet.

Has anyone done this before? What have your experiences been?
Did your cholestorol levels rise when doing this type of diet?

 

[timtim]

the diet will more than likely have little effect on your cholesterol if the fats are healthy.

if you want to see where you are before the diet and after i would say go for it, always good to know.

 

[RDJ]

High fat is good, but make sure you get enough protein too, to prevent muscle breakdown. Back when we were hunters we ate nothing but meat in good times. That's what your body is designed for, meat and fish. In lesser times we ate nuts, berries, stuff like that. Things that you can eat without cooking. Things you have to cook are indigestible otherwise, which means the human body did not know how to use it untill mankind started using fire. Our main diet is fish and meat. High in protein, high in fat. Low in carbs. It's what we ate for millions of years.

For more on this topic, google for paleo diet.

 

[RDJ]

Also see this article. We seem to be 100% carnivores physically.

 

[sublime35]

Many of our ancestors also died of intestinal diseases from high protein and high fat without much fiber.

 

[RDJ]

They did? How would you know? Any data backing that up ...

Please read the source I posted. We are terribly inefficient carbohydrate processors just looking at it from a scientific point of view. Ofcourse eating nothing but raw meat has its downsides

 

[RDJ]

I never tried this myself, I just found out. But I think the logic behind it makes a lot of sense. Eat what we ate for millions of years. Agricultural products have only been available for a few thousand years. Back then we had a very different carbs/fat/protein ratio in our diets, and I doubt that there were many sick and fat neanderthals with weird nutritional diseases otherwise our specie would not be here today.

If you eat like a neanderthal you can also eat fruit (berries) and nuts. So there are some carbs ofcourse. Nothing however that needs cooking. It's a very interesting theory, which I plan on trying out myself. Someday

 

[RDJ]

From this source:

The Paleolithic Diet a.k.a. Neanderthin is the diet that we humans are genetically adapted to eat. The paleolithic age is the same as the Stone Age - so this is a stone age diet or life style. This has been humanity's preferred diet for something like 2.5 million years, and humans have only genetically changed 0.005% since the introduction of agriculture (the Neolithic). As a rule, agricultural (and technological) products are not healthy to eat, and we should predominantly try to eat only those whole foods that are healthy in their raw state (though almost all humans, including hunter-gatherers cook their food).

 

[miacova]

Guys, thanks for your responses - some good info to check through.
I have also spoken to a couple of other health professionals as I wanted to get a good view of what this diet may do before starting it and all agree that if anything, my bad cholesterol level should decline.
I having been training and eating healthy for the past 7 months with good results, so I should be ok to start this diet but I will still get a full checkup in a couple of weeks just as a precaution.

 

[sublime35]

hey rdj, I don't have any online sources, what I've heard was from the History Channel. As long as you get enough fiber in a higher fat diet you should be okay, but fat can clog up your insides, which can lead to problems.

 

[gjohnson5]

My trainer is putting me onto a high fat diet (flaxseed oil, walnuts etc) and I am wondering if I should be getting cholestorol levels etc. checked before doing this type of diet.

Has anyone done this before? What have your experiences been?
Did your cholestorol levels rise when doing this type of diet?

What does fat have to do with cholesterol??

 

[gjohnson5]

Many of our ancestors also died of intestinal diseases from high protein and high fat without much fiber.

Does does any of that have to do with cholesterol??

 

[RDJ]

As long as you get enough fiber in a higher fat diet you should be okay

The idea is that ALL the carbs come from fruits and veggies, which contain way more fibers than your regular carb source (bread, potatoes, etc). And instead of 60% from carbs it will be approximately 35% from carbs, 45% from fat and 20% from protein. I'm certainly interested and am going to give it a try.

 

[hugenasser]

What will be your diet ?
I tried CKD with success

 

[sublime35]

What does fat have to do with cholesterol??

Sat. fats and trans fat have more effect on your bad cholestorol than cholestorel does, that's what.

And for your other reply. Someone suggested a higher fat, more natural diet, and I commented that a high fat, high protein diet, w/ out enough fiber can cause intestinal problems, but I didn't take time to read the man's link to realize that fruits and nuts were included.

 

[wallcrawler]

Interesting.

 

[macrophage69alpha]

flax oil will likely lower your cholesterol, partly due to EFA and partly due to flax lignans (if present)- they are phytoestrogens.

 

[VictorBR]

wow when I see those number I wonder if it could really work for me ..I guess not ... 35 % carbs , 45 % fats , and ONLY 20 % protein ...wow ..I would lose some serious LBM with that low protein ...

Call me crazy and I know that it is not normal but I advocate a very low fat diet ....

Right now I am using a 55 % protein 35 % cabs ( ALL LOW GI , no SUGAR ) and 10 % fat diet .

It is really working great and as I am sheding the fat like a maniac and at the same time my arms are bigger and I am 100 % sure that I increased my LBM .....

the lowest I would go on protein would be 45 % ...and would do 35 % carbs and 20 % fat . that seems to be a lil more balanced than what I do , but still high protein ,moderate carbs and low fat ..

I just don't believe in high fat diets , my friend is a pro bodybuilder in Brasil who steped on stage with 215 lbs and 2.7 % bodyfat and 8 weeks before the show his diet was chicken and brown rice ONLY . ZERO FAT diet that was .

Althought I do believe a small amount of fat is good for you , I will keep it REALLY small amount like 10 % or maybe 20 % at the most .

Anyway what you need to lose weight is a caloric DEFICIT , the macronutrient ratios will determine if the weight you lose is LBM or FAT . That is why I think it is so important to keep the protein ultra high to PRESERVE your LBM , meaning you only lose FAT when on caloric deficit.

I think carbs and protein are more important to preserve LBM than FATS , that is why I never go low on them


Victor

 

[miacova]

The diet I am on will be high fat and high protein with a very small amount of carbs.
This should help me to add lean mass whilst losing excess bodyfat.
I will post exact % figures of fat and protien once I get it all sorted.

 

[VictorBR]

without a decent amount of carbs I think it is reaaly hard to pack on muscle ...but maybe that is just me ...


Victor

 

[gjohnson5]

without a decent amount of carbs I think it is reaaly hard to pack on muscle ...but maybe that is just me ...


Victor

I think that's just you...
I think calories are the key , not carbs
High protein , high fat , low carb is a good equation

fats should be coconut oil (saturated) , mct (saturated) unsaturated plant fats, fish fats. Actually I've read that 80% of saturated fats burn as energy contrary to popular belief.

 

[Mr_Sinister]

IMO it's an excellent diet if you eat unprocessed meat (no bacon, lunch meat, frankfurters, etc) and green veg, personally I like keeping protein and fat % equal, supplement w/ fiber, multi, fish oils, zinc+magnesium, B-vitamins (B2 and B3 help move beta oxidation along, good stuff).

 

[VictorBR]

I think that's just you...
I think calories are the key , not carbs
High protein , high fat , low carb is a good equation

fats should be coconut oil (saturated) , mct (saturated) unsaturated plant fats, fish fats. Actually I've read that 80% of saturated fats burn as energy contrary to popular belief.

>>>> I am pretty sure that without any muscle glycogen ( low carbs ) it is reaaly hard to keep a positive nitrogen balance . and I am also pretty sure that a diet high in cabs is BETTER than a diet high in FATS TO PACK ON MUSCLE .

But to each his own


Victor

 

[gjohnson5]

>>>> I am pretty sure that without any muscle glycogen ( low carbs ) it is reaaly hard to keep a positive nitrogen balance . and I am also pretty sure that a diet high in cabs is BETTER than a diet high in FATS TO PACK ON MUSCLE .

But to each his own
Victor

Well let's be informed first, instead of being uninformed
1. Does glycogen come solely from carbs?? The answer to this is no

Gluconeogenesis: The formation of glycogen from fatty acids and proteins rather than carbohydrates.


2. Are carbs required to maintain positive nitrogen balance?? The answer is also no

http://www.exrx.net/Nutrition/Protein.html
Positive nitrogen balance occurs when the total nitrogen excreted in the urine, feces and sweat is less than the total nitrogen ingested. Positive nitrogen balance must exist for new tissue to be synthesized. When dietary protein intake or total energy intake is inadequate to maintain tissues total nitrogen balance, negative nitrogen balance occurs and new tissue is unable to be synthesized. When the body is in nitrogen balance, protein and energy intake is sufficient to maintain tissue protein needs and the amounts of nitrogen entering and exiting the body are equal.

Energy sources DON'T have to come from carbs...

 

[VictorBR]

well like I said , to each his own , but you reeeeeealy don't see to many people bulking in LOW CARBS .


Victor

 

[gjohnson5]

well like I said , to each his own , but you reeeeeealy don't see to many people bulking in LOW CARBS .


Victor

People don't do things that are healthy for them. People do eat foods high in corn sweetener and sugars and end up fat...

This should NOT be discussion about what people practice , because we all know people have bad habits in diet and in the weight room.

 

[RDJ]

It doesn't say LOW CALORIES it says LOW CARBS. So yes you can bulk on a high fat diet as long as you get some quality carbs (and fibers) from fruits. The fact that you don't see many people doing it does not say it's no good. Many of the bulking people do not bulk lean but gain lots and lots of bodyfat. Which means they take in too many useless calories, otherwise they would not have stored it as bodyfat. I believe those useless calories are the ones in potatoes, pasta, rice, bread etc. Perhaps bulking and cutting cycles aren't needed with a high fat / high protein diet.

Just read the link I posted, I thought it made a lot of sense.

It's meat, fish, eggs, fruits, nuts and veggies for me the next few weeks. I'll share the progress here periodically for those interested. It's a test for me too.

Ps. Your friend with the chicken + rice diet must be nuts. I bet that ain't healthy for more than a few days (vitamin deficit, etc).

 

[RDJ]

The Paleo Diet for Athletes : A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance (Amazon.com)

Book Description
Loren Cordain, Ph.D., follows his success of The Paleo Diet with the first book ever to detail the exercise-enhancing effects of a diet similar to that of our Stone Age ancestors.

When The Paleo Diet was published, advocating a return to the diet of our ancestors (high protein, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables), the book received brilliant reviews from the medical and nutritional communities. Jennie Brand-Miller, coauthor of the bestselling Glucose Revolution, called it "without a doubt the most nutritious diet on the planet." Doctors Michael and Mary Dan Eades, authors of Protein Power, said, "We can't recommend The Paleo Diet highly enough."

Now Dr. Cordain joins with USA triathlon and cycling elite coach Joe Friel to adapt the Paleo Diet to the needs of athletes. The authors show:
o Why the typical athletic diet (top-heavy with grains, starches, and refined sugars) is detrimental to recovery, performance, and health
o How the glycemic load and acid-base balance impact performance
o Why consumption of starches and simple sugars is only beneficial in the immediate post-exercise period

At every level of competition, The Paleo Diet for Athletes can maximize performance in a range of endurance sports.


About the Author
LOREN CORDAIN, PH.D., a world-renowned scientist and the leading expert on the Paleolithic diet, is a professor in the health and exercise science department at Colorado State University. He is a member of the American Institute of Nutrition and the American Heart Association, among other organizations. His work has been featured on Dateline and the Wall Street Journal. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

JOE FRIEL, M.S., is founder and president of Ultrafit Associates, LLC, an association of elite endurance coaches. His books include The Cyclist's Training Bible and The Triathlete's Training Bible. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Some VERY informed people disagree with you.

 

[miacova]

The diet I am doing consists mainly of eggs, meat, chicken, fish, walnuts, flaxseed oil, protein powder and whole milk.
I have no allowance for fruit or vegetables in the current configuration, so I will get a good multi-vitamin and vitamin c.
I will check progress every couple of weeks and see how things go... if it doesn't work or I don't feel like I should - i'll stop.

Current bodyfat is around 15% and mass is around 175lb.

 

[Mr_Sinister]

Why is whole milk included? It should be dropped and replaced with green vegetables. Milk has no place in this diet.

 

[gjohnson5]

The diet I am doing consists mainly of eggs, meat, chicken, fish, walnuts, flaxseed oil, protein powder and whole milk.
I have no allowance for fruit or vegetables in the current configuration, so I will get a good multi-vitamin and vitamin c.
I will check progress every couple of weeks and see how things go... if it doesn't work or I don't feel like I should - i'll stop.

Current bodyfat is around 15% and mass is around 175lb.

Correct.

The reason people are fat is because they cannot follow a strict diet. Then they do now work out with high enough intensity... I hate to be repeating something njripped said, but unfortunately , he is correct.

I would say that you need a better understanding of fats , so I will explain further
1. monounsaturated fats - olive oil , hazelhuts , cashews , peanuts , sesame seed , macademia nuts , pecans , some fish. Generally these will be either omega 3 or omega 9 fatty acids

2. Polyunsaturated fats - Safflower , Sunflower , flax , corn , soy , seafood
These will be mostly omega 6
Note that polyunsaturated fats lower both LDL and HDL
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...ve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11518766&dopt=Citation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3341989&dopt=Abstract
Use polyunsaturated fats with less or equal amounts of monounsaturated fats to level this effect out

3. Saturated fats. medium chain triglyceride , coconut oil
The topic you will find is that saturated fats raise cholesterol. You will find that coconut oil actually lowers it. Infact , coconut is probably the healiest thing you can put in your mouth!!!
http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/
Note that alot of the web pages that say saturated fats are bad for you are sponsored by companies that sell vegetable oil... This cannot be considered an unbiased source.

There is quite a bit of evidence that suggests that higher fat diets 50-60% are actually better for athletic performance and better for your overall health. There have been studies comparies the average populations of pacific islanders to Americans and I bet you know what the results were... That Americans suck...

Some links below.
http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/10786a.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2836491.stm
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/health/highfat.htm
http://www.nismat.org/hot/highfat.html
http://www.mercola.com/2005/feb/5/coconut_diet.htm

What is currently being practiced is unhealthy and causes the populations go be fat. We are now seeing this with schools removing soda machines from thier premises. Enough said
Eat more fats.