General:
Diet actually just refers to a certain way of eating. Usually, this means losing weight and reducing fat. This is also how the term is used here. What all diets have in common is that the key thing is the caloric deficit! Check it out again in the calories chapter. If you’re not in a calorie deficit you’re not losing weight, whether high carb, low carb, or anything carb. Plan on a caloric deficit of 300-500 calories in the diet.
Water loss:
You lose weight quickly at the beginning of a diet and are happy that it goes so fast. Some people say it’s just water. Yes and no! The body stores carbohydrates in the form of glycogen. This glycogen store is used to provide energy.
You have several 100g of glycogen stored in your body. Each gram of glycogen also stores several grams of water. At the beginning of the diet, the glycogen and the water stored in it is flushed out, because your body doesn’t have enough calories to replenish its stores as usual. Then they are emptied.
This can cause you to lose up to about 2kg of weight, which is not substance. The less carbohydrates you eat the stronger the effect.
Convert fat to muscle:
That’s physically impossible. A fat cell cannot convert into a muscle cell and vice versa. What is also not possible is to burn fat locally. Many people think sit-ups will give them a six-pack. Nonsense! Your fat cells on your stomach don’t care what your muscle cells on your stomach are doing. Everyone has enough muscles for a six pack. You’ll get a six pack through fat loss, which you’ll create through a caloric deficit. Abdominal workouts can potentially make your abs a little more visible as they increase in size through abdominal training. But even then, only if you’re already below a certain layer of fat on your belly.
Carbohydrates make you fat?
Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap and are considered fattening. That’s not true. Too many calories make you fat. There are also high carb diets that work. I, for example, only do high carb diets. What kind of diet works best for you can’t be said beforehand because it’s individual. Every body is different and reacts differently. The only thing that helps is trial and error. I show you low carb as well as high carb diet plans. In general, it can be said that many people do well with a low carb diet.
Low carb limits:
With low carb there are certain limits an up to how many carbohydrates one speaks of low carb at all?
30g
The lowest and most important limit is the 30g limit. With that, the body enters the ketogenic phase. He switches from carbohydrates to fats as his main source of energy.
50g
The effects of the 30g limit can still occur here.
100g
Up to 100g is recommended by some experts. Some have more energy with it than with 30g, but still have the positive effects of a low carb diet, especially if you are very sensitive to carbohydrates.
150g
this is the last point we are talking about low carb at all. If you want to go on a low carb diet, make sure you don’t go higher than the 150g. Some studies find low carb diets to be positive. The definition is often not to consume over 150g of carbohydrates. I only recommend this low carb limit if you can still put on a high amount of calories while dieting. For example, I still lose weight at 2200 calories and would still be on a low carb diet at 150 carbs.
Refeeds:
Diets are a time of deficiency for the body. That’s why it possibly shuts down metabolism or lowers hormone production. Also the glycogen stores are emptied which means us cannot use this form of energy reserves.
Refeeds have two functions. On the one hand, a stimulation of the metabolism and hormone production should take place and on the other hand, the glycogen stores should be refilled. For this purpose, many carbohydrates and little fat are usually consumed on refeed days.
On refeed day, you increase the calories to a plus 500 calories. You don’t have to worry about getting fat again. If you don’t do this too often, it will just replenish your glycone stores and boost your metabolism.
You don’t have to eat completely 100% healthy on refeed days, you can sin a bit. But keep it within reason and don’t overdo it. A refeed is definitely not an excuse for excessive eating.
Diet forms:
There are many different diets. Mostly the difference is how many carbs you eat and when. I give you here a small overview of diets that I have successfully carried out on myself or with my clients. Again, remember that it’s not the type of diet that matters, it’s the caloric deficit.
Ketogenic/Anabolic Diet:
Under 30g of carbohydrates, as mentioned, the body enters the status of ketosis. The body is forced to burn fat instead of carbohydrates. So in this diet you take very little carbohydrates, supplement that with a moderate amount of protein and a high amount of fat. In that sense, it is a low carb high fat diet. For some of my clients, this way has worked great. Some people, like me for example, have a severe loss of energy with this form of dieting.
The anabolic diet is a variation of the ketogenic diet. It is supplemented by refeeds. I find this option better than the standard Ketogenic Diet because it keeps the metabolism and mood up. Eating lots of carbs 1/week just makes it fun and easier to stick with the diet. I recommend a Saturday or Sunday for the reefed day to enjoy it at its best.
Nutrient distribution: Carbohydrates 5% (maximum 30g). 35% protein, 60% fat. The distribution between protein and fat are approximate values, you don’t have to stick to them 100%.
In the refeed: carbohydrates: 60%, protein: 25%, fat: 15%.
If you don’t feel comfortable with 30g of carbs, try how you feel with 50g. Ketosis will still take place (on a limited basis), but you may just feel better.
Standard Low Carb Diet:
I put 50-150g of carbs for a normal low carb diet. The more carbs you eat, the more you reduce fats. The protein content remains constant. The amount also depends on how many calories you eat in total. If you’re already losing weight on 1000 calories a day, then you’re certainly not on a low carb diet anymore with 150g of carbs. Because 150g of KH makes 600 calories, then 60% of your calories would be from carbs. Besides the 150g limit, just make it a rule not to eat over 30% calories from carbohydrates in a low carb diet.
In our 1000 calorie example, the maximum amount of carbohydrates would be 75g of KH, which would be 300 calories. In general, it is recommended to start low on carbohydrates first and increase carbohydrates if energy loss is too severe.
The whatever Carb Diet:
This is what I call a diet in which, for convenience, no attention is paid to the exact percentage distribution of macronutrients. And that’s perfectly fine too, and will lead to fat loss as long as you’re in a caloric deficit. The big advantage is that it takes a lot less effort and planning, making it more sustainable for some. If you have a stressful daily life or don’t want to deal with nutrition as much, I recommend the whatever Carb diet. You only pay attention to the caloric deficit with this form of dieting, not the macro distribution.
High carb diets:
More suitable for athletes with experience and/or if you react well to many carbohydrates. For me it is the case. Many do not believe that you can lose weight with a lot of carbohydrates. But as you’ve read many times so far, the caloric deficit is key! I always do high carb diets because I get a quick energy and muscle loss with low carb. With high carb, the metabolism tends to stay high. If you feel low energy on the low carb diet, try the high carb diet.
High carb is combined with moderate amounts of protein and relatively little fat. I like to set it like this: 45% KH, 30-35% EW, 20-25% fat. Make sure you don’t eat less than 50g of fat so that you don’t fall below a limit that is important for your health.
Muscle building:
In muscle building, low carb is a rather unsuitable diet. There are athletes who can still build up well, but for most, low carb would lead to reduced muscle gain. Make sure you are in a slight calorie plus.
Measuring Success:
Weight: Measure in the morning on an empty stomach without clothes. Optimally, weigh yourself every day and keep a weight diary. Weighin is a good tool whether the amount of calories has been properly set to the goal.
Circumferences: You can measure your circumferences with the tape measure. Maximum 1/week. If you’ve lost weight on your stomach, you know you’ve lost fat. But if you have lost a lot of arm at the same time, it is likely that you have also lost muscle. With the perimeters you can find out the quality of the changes.
Measurement points: Abdomen (navel), hips, chest (nipple height), upper arm (tensed, thickest point), thigh (tensed, thickest point), calf (thickest point).
Mirror image: Self-explanatory and the most important thing.
Clothes: Will the pants be tighter or wider?
Acquaintances: If there are significant changes, family/friends/acquaintances will bring it to your attention.