Low Fat vs Low Carb

[sup3r_man]

I've been reading a lot about dieting recently because I'm trying to step on stage for the first time in April and want to be ready. Every diet that I've seen has one thing in common: eat fewer calories than your body burns. I've tried doing the keto thing and the flu hits me so hard that it's hard to workout but the weight comes off pretty quick.

If my show isn't until April, is it possible to get show ready with just a low fat diet or would you guys recommend doing keto? I'm also going to be running a cycle next month to help speed up the process. Just a standard test, tren, clen run.

My current stats are:
Age: 31
Weight: 189 lbs
Height: 5' 8"
Bodyfat: ~14%
BMR: 1,830

 

[IronInsanity]

Low fat won't get you anywhere. Keto is good if you can manage some of the sides listed by jack wills. My only real issues was the bad breath - keto breath.

But like the OP said, eat less than you burn. That's the tried and true ticket.

 

[shortz]

I personally feel that it's not necessarily a low fat or low carb scenario that makes it better based on your goals, but rather, a change in macros using moderation when switching between gaining, maintaining, and losing, as well as the most important part, increased or decreased calories.

For instance, when gaining, it's good to bump carbs up and you can get away with lesser fats. You can also lower protein a bit to bump the carbs even more if you are trying to hit a set caloric intake. When in a deficit, one would naturally lower carbs to something more conservative or moderate, and increase fats relative.

An example diet would be something like for gaining...

200g protein
400g carbs
50g fat

Then could move to this set up for losing...

250g protein
200g carbs
80-90g fat

 

[gunslinger]

For my body anything over 100 grams of carbs per day and I just get fat. The only way I can actually lose weight is to get my calories below 1,500 per day, increase cardio a lot and drop my carbs below 50 grams per day. These days I'm keeping my fat at around 70% and carbs between 20-30 grams per day.

 

[shortz]

For my body anything over 100 grams of carbs per day and I just get fat. The only way I can actually lose weight is to get my calories below 1,500 per day, increase cardio a lot and drop my carbs below 50 grams per day. These days I'm keeping my fat at around 70% and carbs between 20-30 grams per day.

This made my head hurt...

 

[gunslinger]

This made my head hurt...

Why?

 

[shortz]

Why?

I hope you're exaggerating, or it's one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read.

Is your weight around 120lbs? What you just suggested is not possible without some kind incredible metabolic anomaly.

 

[gunslinger]

I hope you're exaggerating, or it's one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read.

Is your weight around 120lbs? What you just suggested is not possible without some kind incredible metabolic anomaly.

Funny you should say that. I was at the gym years ago and there was a little chart on the wall that said if you weigh 210 which I did at that time...then you must take in 3,200 calories per day to maintain that weight. At that point I had been doing 1,800 or less for almost 4 months and the scale had not moved...lol I'm walking around right now at 227.5

 

[gunslinger]

Just in case you thought I was making it up. Here is a typical day.

 

[Gms585]

I hope you're exaggerating, or it's one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read.

Is your weight around 120lbs? What you just suggested is not possible without some kind incredible metabolic anomaly.

I'm 5'7-8ish n float in the 200-210 range depending on time of year, drugs, act.
If I want to float not gain or loose I find 2200 to be the spot. To cut 1900 or lower. I sit 8hrs a day. I think if you work at a desk that really fucks with calorie ratios.

 

[gunslinger]

I'm 5'7-8ish n float in the 200-210 range depending on time of year, drugs, act.
If I want to float not gain or loose I find 2200 to be the spot. To cut 1900 or lower. I sit 8hrs a day. I think if you work at a desk that really fucks with calorie ratios.

Same here. I'm about 5'9" and my base weight is around 210. I have an office job and I'm sitting most of the day. Those cute little charts that say calories in/calories out are complete bullshit.

 

[shortz]

I'm 5'7-8ish n float in the 200-210 range depending on time of year, drugs, act.
If I want to float not gain or loose I find 2200 to be the spot. To cut 1900 or lower. I sit 8hrs a day. I think if you work at a desk that really fucks with calorie ratios.

I have a pretty sedentary life outside of the gym as well. I am 204 currently at 8% BF and I am cutting on 2200-2300 calories atm. Several years ago I tried cutting and had to get as low as 1900, but still managed to get down to 10% BF. My knee issues have pretty much benched me for most activities at this point outside of weight lifting.

I have yet to come across a situation like gunslinger's in which I found the problem wasn't consistency in the diet. Those that claim to have to eat such a low amount of food usually have a diet in which they eat very little for a few days, then binge, putting them back up to maintenance or a surplus for the week. You see, we not only look at what someone eats in a day, but for the week. Whenever I ask someone to track for me, I tell them to track for at least 3 weeks, every day, and bring back the records. It usually shows a very different picture than just that one day.