Quote:
Originally posted by dumbells101
Another good book on carbohydrates is Sugar Busters. Most people gain weight not because of carbs but because of either the serving size or TYPE of carb. For example white potatoes depending on how cooked can rate as high as 80 on the Glycemic index but, sweet potatoes around 54. The higher the number the faster the carb is absorbed into the blood stream. Consequently, insulin is produced to coax the carb into the muscles for stored energy, however if there is either too much in the blood stream or the carb raises your blood sugar too quickly, then insulins second job is to slow down the rate of absorbtion and it does this via storing some of those carbs as fat.
Even so there is no doubt that people lose weight on Atkins or any other low carb diet. I am not flaming anyone, rather want everyone to be educated for the long term. There is not much protein or nutrients in fat so when you lose weight you lose both muscle, fat and water on low carb diets. Remember that your lean mass requires calories and if you provide the body with less than it needs then you'll have a slower metabolism and the potential to lose precious lean mass, and unless you're consuming 300-400 grams of protein (not easy to do) you stand to be at a calorie deficit. IMO it is just not healthy long term.
I agree with a lot being said here. However, 300-400 grams of protein is not necessary to supplement the absence of carbs. Carbs are replaced by dietary fat for the most part and although protein intake is critical, so is dietary fat. Let us not forget that dietary fat is used for energy at the rate of 9 calories per gram and in the absence of carbs becomes more vital to maintain a high intake. It suggested that LC weight trainers do take in carbs through a TKD or CKD type program. This is to replace lost glycogen stores in the muscle. The theory being that a "refeed" will be immediately used to replenish lost glycogen and if taken in properly will not get stored as fat. The recommended protein intake for those training while on a CKD or TKD is 150-200 grams... but can simply be measured by asking this question... How many grams of protein does your body need regularly?