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"When I
experimented with a very low carb diet, (about 40-70 grams a day), I
lost huge amounts of lean body mass and looked very 'flat' and
'stringy.' " - Tom Venuto
Are Low Carb
Diets The Best Way To Lose Body Fat?
These days, the
carbohydrate issue seems to be the burning question on the minds of
nearly everyone who is interested in getting leaner. Not a single week
goes by that I dont receive an e-mail with a question about the low
carb/high protein diet. Last week I got this one:
Dear
Tom,
Are you
a proponent of the low-carb diet for bodybuilders? Although this is
hotly debated, I don't know many "ripped" bodybuilders that have not
tried such a diet. Thanks.
Its no wonder why
there's such a buzz about these diets: everywhere you look lately there
are low carb bars, low carb drinks, low carb meal replacements, low
carb frozen dinners and so on. In the bookstores, The Atkins diet,
Protein Power and Sugar-Busters have all been best sellers.
Even though there has
been a huge resurgence in the interest in low carb/high protein diets,
the low carb vs. high carb issue is still the subject of much
controversy. For every "low carb guru" who says that low carbs are the
ultimate diet, there is a "high carb guru" with the opposite opinion.
This has caused a lot of people a lot of confusion.
So whats the deal? Is
the low carb/high protein diet the best way for bodybuilders to get
ripped or just another fad? From a bodybuilding standpoint, the answer
is an unequivocal yes; reducing carbohydrates really works! Most
bodybuilders can't get that "ripped" look without some degree of carb
restriction. Almost every bodybuilder or fitness competitor Ive ever
met uses some version of the low carb diet when getting ready for
competition. The problem is, most people fail to take into account
their goals and their unique body type, so they follow the advice of
the latest "low-carb guru" and take the carb restriction too far. Zero
carb or close to zero carb diets are in my opinion, TOTAL INSANITY!
The other extreme; the
high carb, very low fat diet, isnt the best approach for bodybuilders
either. These diets (60-70% carb, 20-30% protein and 10% or less fat)
were trendy with bodybuilders for a while, especially back in the 80s
and early 90s (Remember Nathan Pritkin, Dean Ornish and Robert Haas?),
but their popularity quickly faded. Those who tried it discovered that
it wasnt nearly as effective as the low to moderate carb, high protein
diet.
Why does dropping your
carbs help you lose more fat? There are several reasons, but to avoid
getting into a complicated discussion of nutritional biochemistry,
lets just say that eating less carbs forces your body to burn fat for
fuel instead of sugar. Reducing carbs and increasing protein
accelerates fat loss by controlling your insulin and blood sugar more
effectively. The high protein in these diets also speeds up your
metabolism because of the "thermic effect" of protein food. It also
helps eliminate water retention, giving you the "hard" and "dry" look
you need onstage to win contests.
In my opinion, a
moderate carb diet, with slight carb restriction (especially at
night) is the most effective (and most "sane") way for bodybuilders to
get ripped. For example, my contest diet is about 175 -200 grams of
carbs with most of the carbs eaten early in the day. Every 4th
day, I have a high carb day (350 grams) to replenish my depleted
glycogen stores. By contrast, my off-season diet is 350 - 450 grams of
carbs. With 175 - 200 grams of carbs, that is just enough fuel to
provide the energy I needed to train hard and to prevent me from losing
muscle.
Would dropping carbs
even further to 30 or 50 grams a day (like many fad diets recommend)
get you more ripped or get you ripped faster? Maybe. But the problem
is, without carbs, youll have no energy to train hard. Sure, tuna fish
and water will get you ripped alright, but if your workouts suffer
because your diet is "killing you," you arent going to look or feel
your best.
Another big problem
caused by very low carb diets is loss of lean body mass. The lower you
drop your carbs, the more likely you are to lose muscle along with the
fat.
A third problem with
very low carb diets is the rebound effect. The lower you drop your
carbs, the faster you will rebound and gain the fat back when you add
the carbs back in. I swear Ive seen guys blow up 30-40 lbs in a matter
of DAYS after their contest because they went on a carbohydrate and fat
binge after a four-month zero carb diet. It wasnt a pretty sight!
When I experimented with
a very low carb diet, (about 40-70 grams a day), I lost huge amounts of
lean body mass and looked very "flat" and "stringy." I was also one
irritable, grouchy SOB. My friends nicknamed me "fog boy" because (sez
them) I stumbled around in a fog-like daze. One friend who hadn't seen
me since the previous year when I was a "bulked up" and carbed up 208
lbs, saw me 48 lbs lighter after the low carb diet (yes, 160 scrawny
pounds) and he said, "holy sh** Tom, what happened to you? You're HALF
the man you were last year!" That was the last time I ever tried an
extremely low carb diet.
Nutrition is a highly
individual issue. Some people cant seem to lose weight unless they
reduce their carbohydrate intake. Other people can eat bagels and pasta
all day long and they have six pack abs. How many carbs you eat
therefore, depends on your body type. Are you an endormorph or an
ectomorph? Do you have a fast metabolism or a slow metabolism? Are you
naturally lean or naturally heavy? Depending on your genetics, you
might thrive on high carbs or you might need a high protein, low carb
diet to get results. But beware: even if you think you are the carb
sensitive, slow-metabolism type, the middle path (moderate carb
restiction) is the most sensible way to go.
The only way to
determine how many grams of carbs is right for YOU is to experiment
until you find your "critical level." If you start dropping body fat
rapidly at 200 grams a day, then why on earth would you subject
yourself to the torture of going even lower and doing one of those
30-40 grams a day "ketogenic" diets? Why kill yourself?
Remember, there is
no single diet that works for everyone. There are certain universal
nutritional laws that apply to everyone, but be very careful of "gurus"
who use the words "always" and "never" or who make sweeping statements
like "carbohydrates make you fat."
If you want to get
ripped, you should also pick the type of carbs you eat
carefully - its not just the quantity, its the quality. In addition
to moderating total daily carb intake, I also recommend getting off ALL
processed carbs including bread, crackers, pretzels, pasta, bagels and
switching only to natural, unprocessed carbs like vegetables, oatmeal,
yams, rice, potatoes, etc. That single change will go a long way in
helping you get leaner (and healthier too!)
The bottom line is that
its not correct to say, "carbs are fattening," but there IS some truth
to the assertion that a low carb diet will get you leaner compared to a
high carb diet you just have to approach it in a sensible and
individualized way. As in most areas of your life, going to the extreme
with your diet will usually do you more harm than good.
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