Why does lowering carbs work so well for fat loss? Why does inflammation reduce when reducing carbs?

GreekDemiGod

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Dropping carbs from 400g plus to 250g works so well in getting leaner.
Granted, I am also in a significant deficit(-500 calories).
And if carbs are so ‘essential’, why do so many people have intolerances and inflammation with carbs?
 

OccamzRazer

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For most people, PUFA is the culprit...

But for you and I, who are presumably pretty PUFA-depleted, there might be some sort of genetic/epigenetic factor. (Hans mentioned this in his last newsletter.)

What's your nationality? I'm Polish and do way better low-ish carb in spite of having all the visual markers of insulin sensitivity.
 
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GreekDemiGod

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I am Romanian.
My body is ectomorph type, which would suggest higher carbs, but I have digestive problems with carbs, that’s the paradox.
And if I restrict carbs, I lose weight very fast.
 

korpesh

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Going low carb for a stretch is the only consistent way I ever experience trimming off excess body fat. Interestingly, it is the about the only time my acid reflux completely resolves as well.
 

Vins7

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I am Romanian.
My body is ectomorph type, which would suggest higher carbs, but I have digestive problems with carbs, that’s the paradox.
And if I restrict carbs, I lose weight very fast.
another case like yours here ??‍♂️
 
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GreekDemiGod

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One good aspect of carbs / fruit / juice for me is that it fixed my hypoglycemic-induced anxiety.
Whenever the carb : protein ratio goes too low, I start feeling anxious.

It's like carbs do not improve my mental state per se, but they give me "mental comfort". Like an escape mechanism. But they also tank my motivation.
 

skuabird

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Carbs definitely make me hungrier. If I am exercising and tracking my calories to be in a def, I'm ok, but will be hungry and I will want more food. If I'm inactive and eating carbs I feel like I'm about to go in hibernation. I can also eat and eat and eat fruit without a signal to stop, besides my conscience...

Low carb always made me less hungry and fasting-tolerant. I can lose weight up to a point- that point I think is stress. I used to think "oh wow, I need less sleep on low carb" but now I think that it was just stress- my body telling me to get up, get going and eat something. All that stress gives me an initial boost in energy and even cognitive ability but eventually leads to a crash if I keep fasting and not eating carbs for months at a time.

I'm an apoe4 carrier and a European mutt (mostly scottish/german but some eastern too). I feel damned if I do, damned if I don't eat carbs.
 

Vileplume

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The lowered inflammation, or the caloric deficit, both probably help you lose weight with reduced carbs, because inflammation lowers your metabolism, heat production, ability to burn energy. I recently lost weight by increasing both carbs and fat, but reducing inflammation (measured by higher heart rate variability scores, better-feeling stomach, and better mood). But I don't think carbs in general cause the inflammation, but rather something in the carbohydrate sources--potentially a FODMAP, an indigestible fiber, a starch, too many liquids, a certain sugar that your body has trouble breaking down.
 

Sefton10

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But I don't think carbs in general cause the inflammation, but rather something in the carbohydrate sources--potentially a FODMAP, an indigestible fiber, a starch, too many liquids, a certain sugar that your body has trouble breaking down.
This. It’s individual and we all need to experiment for ourselves. Some do great with white sugar, others don’t, some fruits work for some and not others, to starch or not to starch is a perennial debate, as is milk. I don’t think we can deny the importance of carbohydrate in the bioenergetic view of health and metabolism, so we just need to determine the best carb sources and amounts on an individual basis - there’s no one size fits all.
 

Elie

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what would a 2400 cal 250g carb menu look like?
 

Jon2547

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There are nuances to be considered. First, PUFAs just cannot be ignored. Having said that, I've had tremendous success fluctuating between a very low carb intermittent fasting diet and a moderate carb consisting of ice cream and fruit. When I am doing carbs, as long as I don't eat things like pizza and french fries I do quite well.

It is not an all or nothing picture.

I believe it is very beneficial to go carnivore for a while and then switch to having some healthy carbs and then back and forth. Seems to work for me because I just got back from a 16 day vacation where I was pigging out daily on rocky road ice cream. Over those 16 days I am 2.5 pounds heavier. Now from past experience, If I would have been eating pizza and french fries I would have been a good 12 pounds heavier at least.
 

Sefton10

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Now from past experience, If I would have been eating pizza and french fries I would have been a good 12 pounds heavier at least.
If I had a gun to my head and had to gain weight the quickest way possible, refined starches and PUFA all day long.
 

dabdabdab

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mega dose thiamine, benfotiamine etc begore 5 pm since it could mess with your sleep.
every two hour get a small amount of magnesium
never let your blood sugar fall, prevent cortisol spikes before happening.
gda(Glucose Disposal agent)
increase mitochondrial uncoupling
stearic acid in saturated oil like butter(still consume small amount of fat overall not high)

these have made me lose weight crazy fast while increasing my calories. thanks to finding this forum, I would have never thought I would lose weight without low carb.
 
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Hans

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Dropping carbs from 400g plus to 250g works so well in getting leaner.
Granted, I am also in a significant deficit(-500 calories).
And if carbs are so ‘essential’, why do so many people have intolerances and inflammation with carbs?
It's not the glucose, or sucrose or fructose per say, but the other components in the foods, such as FODMAP, etc., as @Vileplume pointed out.
Other than that, you might struggle to use the carbs sufficiently so your energy isn't as great and you don't move as much. Removing the problematic ones improves your energy production, enhances your NEAT, and hence, fat loss.

But if you cut out carbs and drop weight in the first 2 weeks, that is not fat loss, but merely water loss. Everyone has "fantastic" testimonies of how they lost weight on keto after a few weeks, but that stalls real fast. Low carb is not better for fat loss and staying lean in the long run (6 months+).
 

Philomath

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Cut out milk, honey and wheat, or carpet bomb the bad bacteria that may be enjoying them? Seriously, Dr. Peat says gut bacteria/endotoxins are the prime culprit of poor digestive health - wouldn’t antibiotics be a logical fix here?
 

Vins7

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Cut out milk, honey and wheat, or carpet bomb the bad bacteria that may be enjoying them? Seriously, Dr. Peat says gut bacteria/endotoxins are the prime culprit of poor digestive health - wouldn’t antibiotics be a logical fix here?
Antibiotics or antifungal, it depends on the type of overgrowth.
 

jtoro

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mega dose thiamine, benfotiamine etc begore 5 pm since it could mess with your sleep.
every two hour get a small amount of magnesium
never let your blood sugar fall, prevent cortisol spikes before happening.
gda(Glucose Disposal agent)
increase mitochondrial uncoupling
stearic acid in saturated oil like butter(still consume small amount of fat overall not high)

these have made me lose weight crazy fast while increasing my calories. thanks to finding this forum, I would have never thought I would lose weight without low carb.
how is your fat loss going?
 

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