Low Carb vs. Low Fat: Which Is Better For Fat Loss?

For as long as we can remember, diet trends have fought with each other for our business, and things are not slowing down. It seems that every single week there is a new trend or a new diet that is promising all the benefits of the previous diet and more.

Although different trends are arising left and right, two diets have stood the test of time and continue recurring in different forms. Those two diets are low-carb and low-fat. Whether it’s Atkins, Keto, Mediterranean, or Paleo, some form of low-carb or low-fat arises promising to help you lose fat.

If several diets are built from one of these two concepts, it’s worth figuring out why and whether or not these protocols actually work for fat loss.

Let’s dive in.

HOW DOES FAT LOSS WORK?

Understanding the basics of fat loss will allow you to make concrete decisions on what is best for your fat loss journey. Fat loss is made out to be a very complicated process, but it really isn’t. In fact, it’s quite simple.

Have you ever heard someone say “calories in, calories out”? If so, you understand the main principle behind fat loss. Congratulations. Our bodies need fuel to operate, and calories are our form of fuel. When we burn more fuel (calories) in the day than we consume, we lose weight. When we burn fewer fuel in the day than we consume, we gain weight. Keep in mind that losing weight can be different than losing fat. You want to make sure you’re performing a weight training routine while losing fat in order to keep your muscle and have a majority of the weight you lose coming from body fat. Anyway, in order to lose weight (most of which is body fat) you need to be using more energy in the day than you consume. Question is, what can you do to burn more calories in the day than you consume?

HOW TO BE IN A CALORIC DEFICIT

A caloric deficit is a fancy yet way of saying that you’re burning more than you consume in a day. There are a couple of ways you can make this happen. You can either eat less food, perform more activity, or do a combination of both. Note that I am not a supporter of eating less and moving more over and over to lose fat. More is not always better. Regardless, either eating fewer calories, moving more, or a combination of both is required to be in a caloric deficit.

Since this article is about low-carb and low-fat protocols for fat loss, we will stay in our lane and focus on eating less to get into a caloric deficit.

Carbohydrates and fats are two of three major macronutrients. The other is protein. Macronutrients contain the calories that we burn and consume in the day. Carbohydrates and protein contain 4 kcal (calories) per gram, and fat contains 9 kcal per gram. If you passed basic math in elementary school, you’ve hopefully come to the conclusion that if you reduce carbohydrates, you reduce calories. If you reduce fat, you reduce calories.

I know. Super complicated stuff.

But this conclusion begs the question that we’ve been getting to: Which one is better for fat loss?

Before we get into that, though, I want to note a couple more things. Remember that calories in and calories out is what determines fat loss. Also remember that both carbohydrates and fats contain calories. In regards to fat loss, there is nothing innately wrong with carbohydrates, and there is nothing innately wrong with fats. If you reduce calories from carbohydrates to put yourself in a caloric deficit, you will lose fat. If you reduce calories from fat to put yourself in a caloric deficit, you will lose fat. In addition, it is never good to completely cut out a food group in order to lose body fat. As you read, don’t think about going low-carb or low-fat. Think more in terms of LOWER carb and LOWER fat. So the real question is, which one is best not just to lose fat, but best to help you stay consistent in a caloric deficit as well.

STAYING IN A CONSISTENT DEFICIT WITHOUT STRUGGLE

Calories in and calories out is simple, but the way carbohydrates and fats affect our body isn’t quite as simple. Each nutrient affects our digestion, energy, blood sugar, and satiety in a different way. Many of these factors make it easier or harder to stay in a caloric deficit.

This is why, when it comes down to the nitty gritty, I recommend that people go lower carb.

Although carbohydrates contain fewer calories per gram, going lower carb is often a better option for fat loss when compared to lower fat.

One of the big things that hurts us while trying to stay in a consistent caloric deficit are cravings. Cravings are often hard to beat, especially when we are under physical and emotional stress. When we consume carbohydrates, our blood sugar rises, potentially causing cravings. Consuming a diet that is lower in carbohydrates can keep these cravings at bay. The fewer cravings you have, the lower the chance that you consume too much food, taking you into a caloric surplus instead of a caloric deficit. Note that this does not mean carbohydrates should be avoided. Your diet should still consist of healthy, easily digestible carbohydrates to fuel your workout and to optimize your recovery post workout. After all, you can’t just focus on food to lose fat. You need to be weight training while focusing on your strength to promote a healthy metabolism. Carbohydrates play a major role in that.

Not only will a diet lower in carbohydrates keep cravings at bay, but it will also allow room for plenty of healthy fats.

Healthy fats are very satiating. This means that they keep us feeling full much more than carbohydrates do. This is a reason I never recommend cutting down fat to get into a caloric deficit. Healthy fats are also essential for optimal hormone function. A lot of individuals that hire me to help them reach a goal have cut down on fats too hard, all while working out too much and getting far too little sleep. This is a recipe for a hormonal disaster. And even if your deficit has worked before, it may not work well when your hormones are all out of wack. Another reason to keep fats higher while you’re in a deficit.

I must add, though, that the above information isn’t that powerful unless you are weight lifting, and getting plenty of protein in each day. The main force behind our metabolism is our lean muscle tissue. If you are working and fueling to promote more lean muscle tissue, fat loss is far easier. Not only does protein facilitate lean muscle tissue improvement, but it is also important when it comes to satiety and its thermogenic effect. Like fat, protein keeps us satiated and far away from cravings. Like fiber, it also requires more calories burned in order to digest it. Those calories, although not many, can make a difference. You should aim for .8-1g of protein per pound of body weight each day while performing a weight training routine.

THE TAKEAWAY

Staying in a caloric deficit is the key to fat loss. Carbohydrates and fats have calories, so reducing one, the other, or a little bit of both will contribute to a reduction in calories. Remember, it is not about completely cutting carbs or fats out, bur rather cutting enough calories out of your diet to put yourself into a caloric deficit. I recommend slowly reducing your carbohydrate intake while keeping fats relatively high in order to stay full and promote healthy hormone function. Keep some carbs in your diet, though. You’ll need them for your workouts and recovery.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life. If you’re interested in hiring Adam as your coach, fill out an application here.

3 Reasons Guys Aren't Seeing Results

In the last article, I went over 3 reasons girls aren’t seeing results. The article got quite a bit of attention, and helped quite a few girls see what they needed to be doing in their health and fitness in order to see results. So I thought, “Hey, let’s write one for guys! There are a ton of things guys can be doing better in order to see progress and results.”

So here we are.

Before I get into the nitty gritty, I would like to get something off my chest. If you are a guy and you are reading this article, DO NOT BE A DINGUS. What I mean by “do not be a dingus” is, do not read this article, say to yourself, “those are good ideas”, and then continue training and eating like you have been. You’re better than that. You’re smarter than that. Take these principles and apply them! I dare you. See what happens. The only thing you’re risking is a bit of effort for a huge reward. Why wouldn’t you give them a try, right?!

Right.

So, knowing that you’ll not only read this article, but apply the principles I tell you about, let’s move along.

There are many different reasons people don’t see results. The list goes on and on and on and on. However, some of those things aren’t as important as others. Having said that, this article contains only 3 of those reasons, as these 3 reasons are major reasons guys aren’t seeing results. Here they are.

Reason #1: Improper Nutrition

If you just read the reason and thought to yourself “That’s not me, I hit my macros every day!”, then this segment definitely applies to you.

When I first started coaching people, it was right as the surge of IIFYM came out. If you’re unaware of what that acronym stands for, it stands for “If It Fits Your Macros”. IIFYM is a way of eating that allows poor food choices as long as they fit your daily budget for protein, carbs, and fat. Basically, it doesn’t matter if you eat 100 grams of carbs from pop-tarts, or 100 grams of carbs from rice, carbs are carbs and 100 grams are 100 grams. This is when the whole “a calorie is a calorie” thing came about.

This thought process is insane and is keeping you from better health and fitness.

Sure, calories are calories, and 100 grams of carbs from pop tarts is the same in energy as 100 grams of rice. However, both of those sources of carbs play a very different role in your internal health. Your body’s internal systems and health will react in a very negative manner to 100 grams of pop tarts. Your blood sugar will spike with a guaranteed hard crash to come. The processed sugars will cause you to crave like crazy. The processed carbs in pop tarts are not satiating, making you feel like you’re still hungry. Your gut will hate you and your digestion will suffer.

Get the point?

Macronutrients are extremely important when it comes to health, building muscle, and burning fat. However, micronutrients as well as wholesome sources of macronutrients are just as important. When you are internally healthy, your external fitness (getting jacked and having a six pack) has far greater potential. When your internal health is garbage, you can get so far.

A good rule to follow when it comes to fueling yourself well is the 80/20 rule. 80% of your daily food intake must come from whole, natural sources and contain plenty of micronutrients. Do you need some steak and eggs to reach your protein and fat goal? Great, but throw some spinach in there too so your gut and digestion will thank you.

20% percent of your daily intake can come from poo-poo sources like Girl Scout Cookies (tis the season!) and cereal. I will say this, though. Although the 80/20 rule is a good rule to follow, I believe it’s a little lenient. I would recommend taking it to 90/10 in order to heavily prioritize your body’s internal health and digestion.

Reason #2: Not Enough Sleep

I’d say that sleep is the number one reason many people are seeing their health slowly deteriorate week by week. Sleep is hands down one the most important things we need as humans. It allows our body to rest, repair, and grow. Without sleep, we have nothing.

When it comes to guys, a lack of sleep is an epidemic. After training tons of people for years, I’ve come to the assumption that the average working man gets 5-6 hours of sleep per night. If someone comes to me for coaching and tells me they get 7 hours of sleep each night, I am completely blown away.

Here is the truth. You MUST be getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each and every night. If you get a night of 7 hours of sleep or less, it is a sign that you better get yourself in check and get more the next night. Without sleep, your body will not reap the benefits from all your hard work. Not only will extra sleep get you your results, but it will also allow you to be a better person. Your mood will be better, you will be more attentive, and your friends, co-workers, and family will be relieved to not be around a total ass all the time.

There are a few things that you can be doing to get plenty of sleep.

First off, create a nightly routine. Our bodies absolutely love routine, especially when it comes to sleep. Find the time at which you will begin your nightly routine, and stick with it on a consistent basis.

Second, get rid of all electronics a few hours before bed. I know, this one is a struggle for me, too. But I tell you what, the nights where I choose to turn my electronics off and keep them away from me for a few hours before hitting the hay, I pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow and I am out like a rock all night long, feeling completely renewed in the morning. Find a place where you can put away your electronics as well. Charge your phone in another room other than the bedroom. Out of sight, out of mind.

Lastly, make your bedroom a place where sleep is bound to happen. Keep it dark and cool. No electronics in this place. Do not read in this place. Do not do anything other than sleeping in this place. Your bedroom is a sleeping place, ok?

One other thing, if you are absolutely putting your foot down on electronics, you can get some blue blocking glasses to aid your eyes while you’re answering emails late at night. It’s not nearly the same as being off electronics, but it can help.

Reason #3: Improper Programming

Programming is hands down one of the most underrated principles when it comes to reaching your health and fitness goals. Most of us guys think, “what’s it matter what my workout looks like, as long as I’m pushing myself, right?”

No.

Well, yes and no.

Pushing yourself in your workout is very important, but it is secondary to proper programming. A good training program is centered around the big movements like squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, and overhead presses. A good program also includes room for volume to be increased through proper intensity and frequency.

Volume is one of the key signals that tells our bodies to build and grow. Volume is weights x sets x reps. As your training volume increases, your body will adapt, grow, and get stronger. Volume can be manipulated with intensity (how hard you’re working) as well as frequency (how often you train each muscle group). Most of the time, frequency and intensity should be inversely related. The higher your intensity is, the lower your frequency should be. The lower your intensity is, the higher your frequency should be. The key is balancing them well without doing too much frequency and too much intensity, or too little frequency and too little intensity.

Here are some guidelines that apply to different levels of trainees.

If you are a beginner and you have very little experience exerting your body with weights, you should train your entire body with full body workouts three times per week at a low intensity.

If you are an intermediate trainee, you should train your body parts two times per week with a moderatel intensity. This can look like two push and two pull workouts per week.

If you are an advanced trainee, you can train your body parts two times per week with a high intensity. This can look like two push and two pull workouts per week with extra sets and effort in your exercises.

Whatever your training program looks like, it is important that it gives you enough time to rest each muscle group between training sessions, and still provides room for volume to increase month after month without overtraining.

THE TAKEAWAYS

Here is your short version of this article.

Eat nutritious foods that contain high quality macronutrients as well as high quality micronutrients. No processed crap. Au naturel, baby.

Get an absolute minimum of 7 hours of sleep per week by turning your room into a cave, turning off electronics early, and following a routine.

Follow a training program that allows you to train each muscle group 2-3 times per week with plenty of opportunity to rest in between workouts.

If you enjoyed this article, share it with your friends and family!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life. If you’re interested in hiring Adam as your coach, fill out an application here.

3 Reasons Girls Aren’t Seeing Results

Yesterday I was at the gym when a girl stopped me and asked me how she can lean up and lose some body fat. Being a fitness professional, I didn’t give her a short answer. After I was done with my long and probably exhausting explanation, I thought to myself, “I’m willing to bet tons of girls are going through the exact same thing she is. It may be beneficial to talk about the things I discussed in that conversation on a blog, podcast, or video of some sort.” So here I am, writing a blog on the 3 reasons girls aren’t seeing results.

As I mentioned, the girl that asked the question wanted to lean up and lose some body fat without losing any muscle. In fact, she thought it would be nice to get a little more muscle while losing that extra body fat. I asked about her training and her nutrition, and as I suspected, she was lacking in all three areas that most girls are. Here they are the reasons she was lacking.

Reason #1: No Strength Training

Unfortunately, it’s been sold (and still is) to girls that in order for them to tone up and lean down, they need to do light weight but lots and lots of repetitions. This advice couldn’t be worse. I’m confident that this advice is actually the demise of the lean body that girls are seeking to achieve.

The reason this advice came about in the first place is because it’s easier to market, and it burns more calories. If the industry told girls they’ll look like guys if they lift any other way, why wouldn’t they do what they’re asking, right? Also, more repetitions means more calories burned during a workout.

Let me tell you a couple of little secrets.

Secret number one is that you won’t look like a guy if you lift heavy weights. Not at all. You simply don’t have enough testosterone flowing through you to see those kinds of significant changes in muscle growth. In fact, after lifting heavy weights, the change you’ll see in muscle is most likely the exact right amount to reach that toned and defined look.

Secret number two is that performing lots of repetitions during your workout in order to burn more calories is an absolute waste of time and energy. The amount of calories that you burn in a day comes from many different places like your BMR (calories burned at rest), NEAT (fidgeting, walking, chores, etc.), exercise, and more. Only 5% of your daily burned calories come from exercise. Only 5%! That’s nothing. On the other hand, 75% of your daily burned calories come from your Basal Metabolic Rate, or calories burned at rest. This is determined largely by the muscle that you have on your body. So, if burning calories is your goal for fat loss, it would be far more wise to spend time focusing on strength when you’re working out in order to increase the amount of calories your body burns at rest.

When we exercise, we send a signal to our body depending on the stimulus we give it. If we perform long distance running, we tell our bodies to be better at long distance running. Our body responds by losing muscle and slowing down the metabolism in order to be more efficient. If we perform moderate lifting with lighter weights, we tell our body to have better muscular endurance. Our bodies respond by slowly improving the amount of times a moderate weight can be lifted before exhaustion. If we perform strength training, we send a signal to our bodies telling them to become better at lifting heavier weights. Our body responds by increasing its lean muscle mass and central nervous system adaptation in order to become more efficient at lifting heavy weights. A direct response of that is a faster metabolism.

So, lift heavy weights. Girls spend most of their time lifting 12 reps or more with a moderate load. Girls, test your strength. Be strong. Spend some time lifting more weight for 4-8 reps. Do some heavy squats, heavy deadlifts, heavy bench presses, heavy overhead presses, and heavy rows. Trust me, you’ll see the change you’ve been looking for.

Reason #2: Too Much Cardio

I alluded to this in the previous reason but it still needs its own section.

Before I move on, let me be clear. I am NOT bashing cardio. As I write I will only be bashing what is called chronic cardio.

Too many people suffer from chronic cardio addiction. They know that cardio burns a lot of calories so they get on the treadmill or stairmaster and they go and go and go. They see results after a short period of time, so they continue to run and climb. More and more and more. After a while, the results start to dwindle. In fact, Hours and hours of cardio are done per week and the results simply don’t come any more. What could be going wrong?

Remember what I said earlier about the signals we sent to our bodies? That’s what’s going on here. The more we do a certain type of training, the better our body gets at that certain type of training. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not a bad thing. We must give our bodies a chance to adapt and become better at that new type of training. But after a while, it’s no longer beneficial to expose our bodies to the same thing over and over and over again. Especially when it comes to long durations of steady-state cardio. When performing these long bouts of cardio on a consistent basis, our body responds by becoming more efficient. It becomes more efficient by getting rid of muscle, and slowing down its metabolism, because those two things aren’t advantageous when it comes to long durations of cardio.

Basically, the body’s metabolism turns into that of a Prius. It goes a long way without burning too much fuel. When it comes to toning, getting leaner, and creating more definition, we want the metabolism of a Ferrari. We want to burn a ton of calories without a lot of effort.

You now know that the Ferrari metabolism comes from strength training.

Does that mean you have to wipe out all cardio? No, of course not. But you definitely should take it down if you’re doing it chronically. I recommend no more than 2, 12-minute HIIT sessions after a couple of your strength training workouts per week. Let your body prioritize building that faster metabolism through your strength training first, and use the HIIT as a supplemental way to burn a few extra calories in the week.

Reason #3: Not Enough Protein

When it comes to building muscle and keeping it, protein (and getting plenty of it) is extremely important. The girl that was asking for advice in the gym was in a common situation that I find a lot of girls in. She doesn’t track her food intake, and therefore has no idea how much protein she is eating in a day. She said she drinks a protein shake after training, but doesn’t have any idea how much protein she consumes outside of that. Unfortunately, if she’s not eating enough protein as is, that supplement she’s spending money on and making a part of her ritual is a complete waste and isn’t doing jack for her. I know for a fact that this is most people.

They are unwilling to track their food intake but they are taking all the “right” supplements for their goals.

Ugh.

Listen, tracking your food intake is something you MUST do if you want to make sure you’re doing the right things to reach your goals. It lets you know everything that is going on. Even the stuff you can’t see. It says “here you go, this is why you’re not reaching your goals.” It gives you the exact problem in order for your to find the exact solution. The unwillingness to track food intake is like a company saying it wants to lower its expenses but is not willing to look at the books and keep a budget.

Track your food.

Tracking your food intake will allow you to see how much food you’re eating, what you’re getting plenty of, and what you’re defficient in. After coaching people for years, I can tell you with confidence that 90% of people seeking to improve their body composition are not eating enough protein.

So, what’s enough?

Thankfully, enough protein isn’t what supplement companies tell you. No, you do not have to eat 2x your bodyweight in protein. Barf.

A good range to live in when it comes to protein is .6-.8g per pound of body weight. Protein isn’t the only thing that aids in muscle growth, but carbs do as well. So, when you’re in an energy surplus (eating more than you burn in a day), you don’t need to have super high protein intake since carbs are there to help you build. Stay within .6-.8g per pound of body weight when in an energy surplus.

Being in an energy deficit is different, and that’s where you’ll most likely be if you’re wanting to lose fat in order to become leaner and more toned. When you’re eating fewer calories than you burn in a day, you’re at risk for losing the muscle that drives your definition and your metabolism due to the lower carb intake you’re probably consuming. You don’t want that. When in an energy deficit and prioritizing fat loss, it’s recommended that you take your protein up to 1g per pound of body weight.

Note that going higher than 1g per pound of bodyweight has been shown to have no effects of muscle improvement. Your body will just use the rest to convert to energy or store as fat.

The Takeaways

Takeaway #1: Begin strength training at a higher weight load for 4-8 reps. Focus on increasing your strength each week and watch your muscle definition improve.

Takeaway #2: If you’re performing a lot of cardio, take it down to 2, 12-minute HIIT sessions after a couple of your strength training workouts. I advise slowly weaning off all cardio at first but if you must have it, stick to a couple of short HIIT sessions per week.

Takeaway #3: Eat more protein. Eat .6-.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight when increasing calories. When in a deficit, bump it up to 1g per pound of bodyweight to keep that hard-earned muscle.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life. If you’re interested in hiring Adam as your coach, fill out an application here.