New study: carbohydrates, not calories, make you fat

[Reality 3,121]

People are fat because they eat too much and are lazy focks.

 

You're welcome.

[Phurfur 70]

I don't care how healthy my lifestyle is -- I will always want ice cream. Hell I'm fighting the urge to drive on down to the local Dairy Queen as we speak.

 

I guess we do have something in common.

[RLLD 4,275]

People are fat because they eat too much and are lazy focks.

 

You're welcome.

 

Truth.

[WhiteWonder 2,822]

New report out:

A new study has been done that indicates that falling from an airplane from 20,000 feet won't kill you. It's the sudden stop when hitting the ground.

 

 

Most foods that Americans eat....get most of the calories from carbs...so it only makes sense.

 

Also, lions and tigers and whatnot eat pretty much only protein and fat. I assume not a lot of obese lions running around.

 

 

Bad example. How much running and physical activity do those lions and tigers get while chasing prey? A lot more than the average American

[southcarolina 166]

The problem with diets like Atkins that preach high protien is that most people interpret "high protien" as "as much protein as i can eat" . Back when i was in good shape, a training partner of mine owned a sports nutrition store, and i hung around there a lot. And at this time Atkins was really blowing up here. Invariably he had 10 customers a day who were "on Atkins" but they were eating a pound of bacon and 6 eggs every morning, not working out, drinking multiple beers every Friday and Saturday night. Hell he knew one guy who ate at the pizza buffet every day for lunch and just ate the toppings and sauce, and couldnt figure out why he wasnt losing weight. High protien isnt some magic bullet. I think Atkins works because most people either cant stomach (a few) or cant afford (the vast majority) enough meat to consume enough calories to maintain their overweight status.Pasta, oatmeal, bread stuff like that is cheap. Replacing it with lean meats and fresh veggies is expensive. Most normal people cut their normal breakfast from 2 eggs 4 strips of bacon and big serving of hash browns to maybe 3 eggs and 4 strips of bacon. It just doesnt occur to them that they have just reduced their overall calorie intake. Then they say hey this high protein stuff really works! And if high protein works, imagine how really high protein will work!!!Then they eat more protien and more and more and soon the weightloss slows or stops and they give up.

[NewbieJr 541]

The problem with diets like Atkins that preach high protien is that most people interpret "high protien" as "as much protein as i can eat" . Back when i was in good shape, a training partner of mine owned a sports nutrition store, and i hung around there a lot. And at this time Atkins was really blowing up here. Invariably he had 10 customers a day who were "on Atkins" but they were eating a pound of bacon and 6 eggs every morning, not working out, drinking multiple beers every Friday and Saturday night. Hell he knew one guy who ate at the pizza buffet every day for lunch and just ate the toppings and sauce, and couldnt figure out why he wasnt losing weight. High protien isnt some magic bullet. I think Atkins works because most people either cant stomach (a few) or cant afford (the vast majority) enough meat to consume enough calories to maintain their overweight status.Pasta, oatmeal, bread stuff like that is cheap. Replacing it with lean meats and fresh veggies is expensive. Most normal people cut their normal breakfast from 2 eggs 4 strips of bacon and big serving of hash browns to maybe 3 eggs and 4 strips of bacon. It just doesnt occur to them that they have just reduced their overall calorie intake. Then they say hey this high protein stuff really works! And if high protein works, imagine how really high protein will work!!!Then they eat more protien and more and more and soon the weightloss slows or stops and they give up.

To be effective, it has to be a LEAN source of protein. Bacon has protein but it's also very high in fat. A terrible protein source.

I manage to get over 300 grams daily. But it's an effort. PLenty of tuna, eggs, chicken, fish, and nuts(a little high in fats, but ok in moderation). Plus a lot of whey protein. And like I said, you won't get fat overeating lean protein. You'll just be taking very expensive craps.

[southcarolina 166]

To be effective, it has to be a LEAN source of protein. Bacon has protein but it's also very high in fat. A terrible protein source.

I manage to get over 300 grams daily. But it's an effort. PLenty of tuna, eggs, chicken, fish, and nuts(a little high in fats, but ok in moderation). Plus a lot of whey protein. And like I said, you won't get fat overeating lean protein. You'll just be taking very expensive craps.

 

Yeah i agree. I was just saying that most people i encountered completely misunderstood what "high protein" meant. They used it as a license to eat as much as they wanted. I used to do the whole 1.5 g of Protein per pound of bodyweight a day too. Except i was taking in 450 or so a day. And yes i got leaner and in better shape. But i was also lifting intensely 4 times week and doing an hour of cardio 6 days a week.

 

 

I disagree that you cant get fat from eating lean protein. I know this is an absurd example, but if someone eats 8 lbs of chicken breasts a day (over 4400 calories), and leads a sedentary lifestyle they will gain weight. Its not very likely, as most people cant consume or afford 8 pounds of meat a day. And thats why Atkins works in the beginning, because most people just subtract the carbs and dont adjust their protein or fats, and their calorie intake is lessened and they lose weight. But soon they get bored and they rationalize that its ok because Atkins says they can eat all the protien they want. And pretty soon they are at the pizza buffet eating the toppings and no crusts. Most of the people i met who were "doing Atkins" were deluding themselves. They were trying to use "High protien" as a magic bullet to overcome shortcomings in their eating habits and workout regiment,. That was my only point. There is nothing magic about calories from protein versus calories from carbs.A calorie is just a measurement and is neither inherently good nor bad. Its just easier for people to take in more calories than they need eating a high carb diet because things like pasta and bread are so calorie dense.

 

Now, im out...going to eat some (probably way too much) sushi with my boys,

[penultimatestraw 473]

Everything makes you fat and causes premature death, everything gives you heart disease and causes premature death, and everything gives you cancer and causes premature death all the while the average life expectancy continues to increase.

Nihilism aside, this isn't all about life expectancy (which is leveling off, BTW). You should want to minimize the impact of chronic disease so you can enjoy life while you're living it - if you enjoy eating poorly more than the suffering inflicted by the health problems a crappy diet creates, by all means eat anything you want.

[IGotWorms 4,060]

I guess we do have something in common.

 

<--- DQ Blizzards

[penultimatestraw 473]

Well that's more of what I'm getting at: what sort of diet you should have to avoid gaining weight. I've never had a problem with weight before and still don't now, but I can tell you that it's getting harder to stay fit. Metabolism must be slowing down, so my personal concern is how to compensate for that.

As your metabolism slows down, you need to exercise more and/or eat less to compensate. Maintaining muscle mass helps, too. Just don't think you can generalize this study's finding to prevention of weight gain - hopefully they'll perform that study soon.

[penultimatestraw 473]

I eat lean meats, veggies, fruits, water, nuts, whole grain carbs. No cigs/drugs, take an Omega-3 supplement and cut back a little bit on alcohol and caffine (moderation).

 

It's an interesting article, but what I got out of it is that Diets are sort of dumb. Counting calories while scarfing down pasta and bread isn't the way to go. However the Atkins diet for an extended period (what I don't think it was meant for) will clog your ateries.

 

A balanced diet not a crash diet.

There is no proof the Atkin's diet is worse for your arteries, and it causes favorable changes in you lipid/cholesterol levels.

[heavy-set 39]

<--- DQ Blizzards

my freezer is stuffed with dilly bars

[cbfalcon 827]

my freezer is stuffed with dilly bars

 

Your mom's freezer is stuffed with dilly bars.

[Mike Honcho 5,332]

To be effective, it has to be a LEAN source of protein. Bacon has protein but it's also very high in fat. A terrible protein source.

I manage to get over 300 grams daily. But it's an effort. PLenty of tuna, eggs, chicken, fish, and nuts(a little high in fats, but ok in moderation). Plus a lot of whey protein. And like I said, you won't get fat overeating lean protein. You'll just be taking very expensive craps.

 

I don't know how you get to 300 grams, I struggle to hit 200 a day. Seriously, how many shakes a day do you drink?

[NewbieJr 541]

I don't know how you get to 300 grams, I struggle to hit 200 a day. Seriously, how many shakes a day do you drink?

I put two tablespoons on my cereal in teh morning. I put some in a water bottle with water and drink it while I work out. Then I have a small jug with milk in it that I take to work which has two scoops of powder in it. From 4:45 AM through noon, I use about seven tablespoons of whey. After noon, I don't use any protein powder. It all comes from meat/eggs/nuts.

[KSB2424 3,148]

on my cereal in teh morning.

What cereal do you eat? I eat oatmeal (with cinnamon and raisins) mostly but sometimes I eat this: Kashi Oat Flakes and Blueberrys

 

Are y'all saying this ceral is bad for me because it has 44g of carbs? Even though it has 4g of fiber, low in sodium, and rich in Vitamin A, B6, B12, C, E and Folic Acid. With 0 saturated fats.

 

Nutrition Facts

 

But I should stay away because it has carbs? Maybe eat two eggs scrambled with few strips of bacon instead.

[NewbieJr 541]

What cereal do you eat? I eat oatmeal (with cinnamon and raisins) mostly but sometimes I eat this: Kashi Oat Flakes and Blueberrys

 

All y'all saying this ceral is bad for me because it has 44g of carbs? Even though it has 4g of fiber, low in sodium, and rich in Vitamin A, B6, B12, C, E and Folic Acid. With 0 saturated fats.

 

Nutrition Facts

 

But I should stay away because it has carbs?

You can't go without carbs. They are what fuels your body. Breakfast is a good time to get some in. It'll give you energy for the day.

I eat different kinds. Special K w/Berries, Raison Bran, HOney Bunches of O's, Hashi Crunch.... I havbe a big bowl with protein powder and 1% milk.

[Voice_Of_Reason 0]

I'm trying to lose weight so this is rather timely. I've always felt that I've eaten rather healthy but maybe conventional wisdom is being turned on it's head.

 

I've got no interest in Atkins diet. That's too extreme of a change for me plus is lacking in nutrition and promotes heart disease. What I am going to do is be more conscious of cutting down on processed carbs and redouble my efforts on fruit and vegetables. Especially fruit, it never finds it's way into our house unless I buy it. But I don't shop for food (or anything else) and only buy it erratically and thus eat less of it than I should. My wife complains fruit is too heavy to carry

Incorrect. Atkins does the opposite of what you wrote.

[tubby_mcgee 701]

I try to hit 300 grams protein/day. No way could i do it without protein shakes. I usually have one with breakfast (40 grams), one around 11 am (30 grams), one 30-40 min before workout (40 grams) one right after workout (30 grams) and one a couple hours after supper (50 grams), then the rest comes from food.

 

Just tried some of the chocolate peanut butter flavor from walmart. Can't remember whether 6-Star or Body Fortress...anyway, tastes great. Oh...and Muscle Milk at least the pre-mixed. Yuck. Bought some out of fridge from GNC.

[Voice_Of_Reason 0]

You can't go without carbs. They are what fuels your body. Breakfast is a good time to get some in. It'll give you energy for the day.

I eat different kinds. Special K w/Berries, Raison Bran, HOney Bunches of O's, Hashi Crunch.... I havbe a big bowl with protein powder and 1% milk.

The point of the Atkins/SouthBeach/Protein diet is to limit carbs. I read somewhere that Americans average 300 carbs per day. That is the reason we are experiencing so much obesity and diabetes. 80ish carbs a day is closer to what you need to maintain a healthy weight. Carbs force the pancrease to create insulin which tells you body to burn the sugar in your blood and store fat. A low carb or better put low insulin diet is geared to lower that insulin production and allow your body to use fat stores rather than sugars in your blood.

 

Atkins doesn't say carbs are bad. But you must lower them to put yourself into a fat burning phase. Combined with exercise, you can lose fat quickly. Quicker than most diets and not feel hungry all the time. I went on it, lost 40 pounds and saw my blood pressure go down, cholesterol go down, everything went in the right direction. The problem with most people is they want a quick fix (which low insulin diets do) but then want to go right back to eating McDonalds after they get to their goal weight. You can't do that, and this is where you are completely correct. As I said above, you can go up to 80ish carbs a day and not see any weight gain (depending on the person) and that is incredibly easy to maintain. A McDonalds Big Mac is like 45 carbs. Starbucks Venti Frap is like 40 carbs. You have to cut that crap out of your life and change those habits. Agreed.

[Frank M 181]

To be effective, it has to be a LEAN source of protein. Bacon has protein but it's also very high in fat. A terrible protein source.

I manage to get over 300 grams daily. But it's an effort. PLenty of tuna, eggs, chicken, fish, and nuts(a little high in fats, but ok in moderation). Plus a lot of whey protein. And like I said, you won't get fat overeating lean protein. You'll just be taking very expensive craps.

 

I'm trying to eat less carbs, more protein as I get older, but I have very little interest in heavy weightlifting. Is that whey protein still beneficial for someone who focuses mainly on cardio?

[tubby_mcgee 701]

The point of the Atkins/SouthBeach/Protein diet is to limit carbs. I read somewhere that Americans average 300 carbs per day. That is the reason we are experiencing so much obesity and diabetes. 80ish carbs a day is closer to what you need to maintain a healthy weight. Carbs force the pancrease to create insulin which tells you body to burn the sugar in your blood and store fat. A low carb or better put low insulin diet is geared to lower that insulin production and allow your body to use fat stores rather than sugars in your blood.

 

 

300 carbs = 1200 calories.

 

These foods aren't 100% carbs...SO....

 

if they are typical american foods....300 carbs would also mean (approx)

 

150 grams fat 1350 cal

150 grams protein 600 cal

 

>3000 calories combined with almost zero exercise = fat.

[NewbieJr 541]

I'm trying to eat less carbs, more protein as I get older, but I have very little interest in heavy weightlifting. Is that whey protein still beneficial for someone who focuses mainly on cardio?

I'd say it's probably a waste of money if you aren't doing any resistance training at all. It can get expensive.

 

As for weightlifting, you should consider it. I don't mean 'heavy' weightlifting where you gain figteen pounds of muscle. I'm talking about a few sets of pushups, pullups, curls, etc dome to failure. Most people have no idea the changes to your metabolism when you tear down your muscle fibers every few days. It literally keeps you in calorie-burning mode even when you're at rest. The process of constantly sending reinforcments and rebuilding muscle tissue is extremely taxing on your system. It's constatntly at work. I have very low body fat and I don't do a n ounce of cardio. None. It's just from eating high protein and resistance training.

[Voice_Of_Reason 0]

300 carbs = 1200 calories.

 

These foods aren't 100% carbs...SO....

 

if they are typical american foods....300 carbs would also mean (approx)

 

150 grams fat 1350 cal

150 grams protein 600 cal

 

>3000 calories combined with almost zero exercise = fat.

Very true, but carbs are not the same as calories. Calories do not force your pancrease to produce insulin. Carbs turn to sugar and then your pancrease begins to create insulin which essentially tells your body to use the sugar in your blood and store whatever is not used as fat. On the low insulin diet, you reduce insulin which causes your body to use fat stores for all your energy rather than carbs that are not present.

[hoytdwow 202]

Leading a sedentary lifestyle is what makes you fat. HTH

 

Eating a lot of carbs might make you fattER

[Sho Nuff 720]

I'm trying to eat less carbs, more protein as I get older, but I have very little interest in heavy weightlifting. Is that whey protein still beneficial for someone who focuses mainly on cardio?

 

Depends what kind of cardio.

I don't do a lot of weights...2-3 days a week to keep toned.

But I run around 25-30 miles a week and that will increase in the fall gearing up for a Marathon.

I do shakes after workouts and after runs...the right mix of carb/protein is essential in refueling and promoting muscle repair.

[Sho Nuff 720]

I'd say it's probably a waste of money if you aren't doing any resistance training at all. It can get expensive.

 

As for weightlifting, you should consider it. I don't mean 'heavy' weightlifting where you gain figteen pounds of muscle. I'm talking about a few sets of pushups, pullups, curls, etc dome to failure. Most people have no idea the changes to your metabolism when you tear down your muscle fibers every few days. It literally keeps you in calorie-burning mode even when you're at rest. The process of constantly sending reinforcments and rebuilding muscle tissue is extremely taxing on your system. It's constatntly at work. I have very low body fat and I don't do a n ounce of cardio. None. It's just from eating high protein and resistance training.

 

Add in lunges and squats (even just body weight).

Keep things toned with the few sets and add in things like I said...even situps and strengthen your core.

Light weight work like this ends up being very good for weightloss and some would put it ahead of most cardio.

[BudBro 183]

Those who follow a Mediterranean diet which includes nuts, whole grains and a small amount of alcohol have higher adiponectin levels. Decreasing omega 6 fatty acids and increasing omega-3 fatty acids in the diet leads to higher adiponectin levels.

 

Obese people have low levels of adiponectin, a protein hormone produced and secreted exclusively by adipocytes (fat cells) that regulates the metabolism of lipids and glucose. Adiponectin influences the body's response to insulin. Adiponectin also has antiinflammatory effects on the cells lining the walls of blood vessels.

[Greedo 13]

I'm in the middle of a 22 year study. My findings:

 

If it tastes good, don't eat it. Run a lot. Drink lots of water.

 

Also don't take medical advice from the people who make their money selling you medication.

 

You figured it out at a young age - well done.

 

low calorie diets, no carbs, gluten free, no trans fats. Today wine in small amounts is good for you, tomorrow its bad. Same with coffee and other caffinated beverages. first it was yogurt, then greek yogurt. Pomegranate has been a craze. AH-VOH-CAH-DOH

 

We very much live in a society where "science" and "studies" will either tell us what we want to hear, or tell us something that food and health industries can make money off of.

 

I completely agree with Me200X. If it tastes good, its probably bad for you. I am very much of the mindset that you can eat whatever you want in moderation as long as you exercise regularly, drink lots of water and generally take care of yourself.

 

Funny - moderate diet and exercise - no other studies or fancy words needed.

 

I don't agree that it tastes good it has to be bad for you. I think I agree more with your stance--anything in moderation, balanced by exercise and healthy living habits.

 

Moderate diet and exercise - amazingly simple.

 

People are fat because they eat too much and are lazy focks.

 

You're welcome.

 

Odd how moderate diet and exercise do the trick...do we really need any more studies?

[Savage Beast 1]

People are fat because they eat too much and are lazy focks.

 

You're welcome.

 

This sounds like voodoo science to me?

[penultimatestraw 473]

To be effective, it has to be a LEAN source of protein. Bacon has protein but it's also very high in fat. A terrible protein source.

I manage to get over 300 grams daily. But it's an effort. PLenty of tuna, eggs, chicken, fish, and nuts(a little high in fats, but ok in moderation). Plus a lot of whey protein. And like I said, you won't get fat overeating lean protein. You'll just be taking very expensive craps.

Excess protein isn't going to promote health, and it may even contribute to kidney disease. If one already has kidney disease, it accelerates decline in kidney function. Don't mistake good muscle tone/bulk with long term health or longevity. I'm not saying maintaining muscle mass isn't a good thing, but research suggests the longest lived individuals are actually a bit underweight.