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- Aug 24, 2017
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Just want to follow up on a little experiment that I mentioned a few months ago... I thought of doing an experiment on high protein, low carb for a year, then low fat, high carb and then comparing the two to see which one worked best for me to build muscle and get ripped at the same time.
I ended up doing the high protein low carb for about 2 months, before switching. I mainly consumed egg shakes with cream and milk, as well as organ meat and had weekly refeeds with boiled potatoes.
It was pretty ok, but fat loss wasn't as fast as I hoped it would be, plus the pumps from my workouts and my mood wasn't very good. I did gain muscle and lose a bit of fat during that time, but I quit because my mood wasn't getting any better, and the hunger was pretty bad. The food was pretty bland and I would rather fast/skip breakfast, just because I didn't like eggs lol.
So I switched to moderate protein (80g), high carb (300-400g) and moderate to low fat (40g) for a month. The pumps were pretty insane, my mood was great, and I had more stable energy during the day. I also noticed that my tolerance to carbs was much better, as the low carb diet must have improved my insulin sensitivity. But after about a month my fat loss stared to stall again, so I decided to increase my protein to 140-150g and reduce fats to 20-30g. I then started to lose fat again at a decent, steady rate. I also implemented a bit of intermittent fasting, which really helps with the fat loss, especially with the stubborn fat. Almost 2 months now of low fat and I have no cravings for fats at all, plus I'm losing fat much better now than when I was doing low carb.
Protein is really the biggest factor when it comes to muscle retention and fat loss, as it provides the most satiety and thermogenesis of all the macronutrients, and most importantly prevents catabolism and promotes anabolism.
Carbs are second most important for fat loss and muscle retention because in order to be able to maintain muscle during a deficit, you need to lift weights. And in order to have successful, least stressful workouts, where you maintain your power output, the body needs carbs more than fats. Studies also show that carbs are more needed for maintaining exercise performance, than what fat is for more testosterone production, in order to maintain the most muscle.
For me I do very well on milk, potatoes, sweet potatoes and sugar as carbs sources. When I eat white rice it gives me an unpleasant nauseous/hunger feeling in my gut. Fruit don't provide enough satiety for me, and OJ gives me weird adrenaline symptoms, but I would definitely increase my fruit intake after this cut.
I recently refed on pizza, and I guess I detoxed from gluten a while ago, because I definitely felt that lobotomizing effect of gluten that Travis talked about lol. Can't focus, brain fog, fatigue, etc... Pretty bad.
To sum it all up, this was my experience:
Low carb:
So if you have any questions, shoot away, and/or comments are welcome.
I ended up doing the high protein low carb for about 2 months, before switching. I mainly consumed egg shakes with cream and milk, as well as organ meat and had weekly refeeds with boiled potatoes.
It was pretty ok, but fat loss wasn't as fast as I hoped it would be, plus the pumps from my workouts and my mood wasn't very good. I did gain muscle and lose a bit of fat during that time, but I quit because my mood wasn't getting any better, and the hunger was pretty bad. The food was pretty bland and I would rather fast/skip breakfast, just because I didn't like eggs lol.
So I switched to moderate protein (80g), high carb (300-400g) and moderate to low fat (40g) for a month. The pumps were pretty insane, my mood was great, and I had more stable energy during the day. I also noticed that my tolerance to carbs was much better, as the low carb diet must have improved my insulin sensitivity. But after about a month my fat loss stared to stall again, so I decided to increase my protein to 140-150g and reduce fats to 20-30g. I then started to lose fat again at a decent, steady rate. I also implemented a bit of intermittent fasting, which really helps with the fat loss, especially with the stubborn fat. Almost 2 months now of low fat and I have no cravings for fats at all, plus I'm losing fat much better now than when I was doing low carb.
Protein is really the biggest factor when it comes to muscle retention and fat loss, as it provides the most satiety and thermogenesis of all the macronutrients, and most importantly prevents catabolism and promotes anabolism.
Carbs are second most important for fat loss and muscle retention because in order to be able to maintain muscle during a deficit, you need to lift weights. And in order to have successful, least stressful workouts, where you maintain your power output, the body needs carbs more than fats. Studies also show that carbs are more needed for maintaining exercise performance, than what fat is for more testosterone production, in order to maintain the most muscle.
For me I do very well on milk, potatoes, sweet potatoes and sugar as carbs sources. When I eat white rice it gives me an unpleasant nauseous/hunger feeling in my gut. Fruit don't provide enough satiety for me, and OJ gives me weird adrenaline symptoms, but I would definitely increase my fruit intake after this cut.
I recently refed on pizza, and I guess I detoxed from gluten a while ago, because I definitely felt that lobotomizing effect of gluten that Travis talked about lol. Can't focus, brain fog, fatigue, etc... Pretty bad.
To sum it all up, this was my experience:
Low carb:
- Hunger
- Bad training pumps
- Bad mood
- Very slow fat loss
- Did gain some muscle so wasn't catabolic...yet
- Constant carb cravings
- Increase in anxiety and possibly an increase in serotonin
- Low labido
- Great pumps and muscle contractions
- Better muscle and strength gains
- More endurance during workouts
- Faster fat loss (with higher protein)
- Much better mood
- No cravings
- Less anxiety
- Better mental focus when working
- Much better labido
So if you have any questions, shoot away, and/or comments are welcome.