QuestionHi William
I am 52. I have always had trouble with my weight, most of it on my chest and belly. I have tried low fat, vegetarian, tons of cardio, but I found that low carb diets work the best for me.
Could I be one of those people that have the metabolic type that needs more protein andl ess carbs? Or possibly I have a super efficient metabolism and most carbs are turned to fat instead of being used as energy?
I have discussed this with my doctor but his ideas are pretty mainstream-eat less exercise more. He doenst believe I eat like a bird and run a mile a day.
For me, if I eat a normal amount of carbs in a day, such as cereal for breakfast, a baked potatoe or a sandwhich for lunch, pasta for supper, I get tired, my belly bloats up, and I can almost feel my metabolism slowing down and the carbs turning to fat. If I eat a eggs for breakfast,salad with a piece of lean meat for lunch, and more meat for supper, I have lots of energy, no bloat, and I the next day I wake up feeling thinner-even if its the same total calories.
I know low carb diets work as a temporary measure, but is it possible some people are programmed geneticly to be low carb eaters?
My brother is a vegetarian and eats tons of bread, pasta rice-skinny as a rail. If I ate like him I would be huge.
Thanks!
AnswerHi Barry
What you have described is very common, and as you guessed most likely you in fact are, "
one of those people that have the metabolic type that needs more protein andl less carbs "
Re:"I have discussed this with my doctor but his ideas are pretty mainstream-eat less exercise more. He doenst believe I eat like a bird and run a mile a day." Not surprising - most MDs get very little in the way of formal training in nutrition.
And yes, "
some people are programmed geneticly to be low carb eaters ".
I would suggest you take a look at an excellent book on the subject (now available as an ebook on Amazon) called
The Metabolic Typing Diet by W.L. Wolcott - it explains this whole subject in detail and in a very readable form.
Personally, I would be wary of srtict "low-carb" diets however as they are difficult to maintain for long and remain healthy without strict supervision.
A much more practical approach in my experience is to use instead a diet based upon the use of low glycemic carbohydrates, where you still restrict carbs but not to the extent recommended by some ((e.g., The Atkins Diet).
I actually have a website devoted to the use of low glycemic foods if you care to explore that option further.
Regards
Bill
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