Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I know that the whole paleo community has learned to become increasingly macronutrient agnostic, but I was wondering if anyone who has experimented with both sides of the spectrum--high carb and high fat-- can discuss which approach afforded an easier time fasting/being able to get work done without being fettered by having to eat.

flag	asked Jul 31 at 16:23 jackson 509●1●8

ben61820 · Answer 1 · 2012-07-31 18:52:58Z UTC

I'm well suited for this one.

I've done a 16/8 style IF for years. Over that time I've been zerocarb, LC, all the way to now where I'm doing over 400 grams of carbs per day.

I will say with lower carb intake I definitely felt less hunger. I'm not a LC advocate but I do acknowledge that hunger signals or pangs are greatly diminished with lower carb intakes.

That being said I am still IF ing now with my high carb intake. It's no harder. I do indeed feel the onset of hunger in a more traditional or normal way now though. It's not a big deal; I simply wait and eat in my window. I think it's good to feel hunger.

I continue to IF because I feel way more efficient in the rest of my life without a break for food in the morning.

Korion · Answer 2 · 2012-07-31 18:55:11Z UTC

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I found it easier to not eat on low-carb, but I don't consider that a good thing.

answered Jul 31 at 18:55

Korion
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Potato Avenger · Answer 3 · 2012-07-31 16:34:40Z UTC

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I've done both, but only with the caveat that each was in a calorie deficit:

Low-carb Experience: Fasted state was easier. Training of any sort sucked.
High-carb Experience: Couldn't extend the fast as long, but I was actually able to get off my butt and happily lift some weights.

In a maintenance phase, each was equally amenable in relaxed situations, but obviously the high-carb diet fueled better athletic performance.

What are your goals?

answered Jul 31 at 16:34

Potato Avenger
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	i'm not very into heavy lifting, rather i prefer jogging/running a decent amouunt--45 mins most days of the week. i also just want a clear mental state where i can function for extended periods of time with unwavering focus due to food cravings/hunger. Whatever diet is best for that.. – jackson Jul 31 at 16:50
	If you're running 45 mins a day, I'd just aim for a moderate carbohydrate intake. – Potato Avenger Jul 31 at 17:16
	Meh, jogging can be done vastly aerobic. Especially when fat adapted. And yes studies do indicate that being fat adapted shifts your primary fuel burned when exercising AND that you utilize fat for fuel at even higher intensities based on this shift. No need to ramp up carbs if you don't want to at a jogging pace IMO. If you want to though....hey nobody stopping you. – JayJay Jul 31 at 17:55

Jeff · Answer 4 · 2012-07-31 16:37:12Z UTC

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It is much easier to fast on low carb for a few reasons. You can more easily transition to fat burning after your last meal, and carbs also raise NPY, which is a hunger hormone.

answered Jul 31 at 16:37

Jeff
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This "transition to fat burning" stuff is a falsehood. On a low-carb diet, the post-prandial condition is met with increased fatty acid oxidation above baseline because more fat was consumed, not because of some magical "fat-burner" adaptation. When food is lacking in the system, the amount of lean tissue / fat tissue catabolized is not affected by the diet's macronutrient composition. – Potato Avenger Jul 31 at 17:24

Yes but enzymes get up and down regulated depending on your typical intake – Jeff Jul 31 at 17:29

Further, speaking to Neuropeptide-Y, you've done a fine job of stating something that's true in a vacuum and extrapolating such that the you've made a mess of the reality. NPY plays a role in glucose homeostasis under conditions in which carbohydrate stores are low. It is dependent on energy availability within the body; that is, the peptide is up-regulated with food unavailability and returns to baseline after eating. The fact that it stimulates food intake (particularly carbs) is an evolutionarily conserved survival mechanism--e.g. one of many players in the "let's not starve & die" cycle. – Potato Avenger Jul 31 at 17:32

@up/down-regulation of enzymes: Yeah, they do, but that's entirely unimportant when addressing an individuals ability to dig into their body fat stores in a fasted state. – Potato Avenger Jul 31 at 17:42

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"When food is lacking in the system, the amount of lean tissue / fat tissue catabolized is not affected by the diet's macronutrient composition."....I don't believe this is a complete fact. I have seen studies indicating otherwise. Of course the largest impact seems to be resistance training. To boldly state that macronutrient content has no effect just is not correct based on what I have read. – JayJay Jul 31 at 17:51

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JayJay · Answer 5 · 2012-07-31 16:56:00Z UTC

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Low carb is easier for me to do a daily 24hr fast. I can easily hit my workouts on a low carb diet with plenty of energy. Maybe its cause I only do a max of 3 intense sessions a week rather than 5-7 days or other some such program.

answered Jul 31 at 16:56

JayJay
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Glaceaus · Answer 6 · 2012-07-31 17:09:57Z UTC

I did a 20/4 fasting style with high carb and with carbs under 50g.

Fasting for 20 hours, sometimes more was not a big deal on high carb, and was only mildly easier on low carb. On low carb I eventually started to get insane fatigue though, so now I don't really go for any certain carb intake, nor do I fast as long. Also my body fat is very low, and I'm very active, so running off of only fat may not be the best idea for me personally.

In my experience fasting is something that you adapt to regardless of macronutrient intake. You adapt to being able to switch fuels.

August · Answer 7 · 2012-07-31 18:43:34Z UTC

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It was not until I went low carb that fasting even seemed possible. An old blog post of mine from 2008.

Before then, I was addicted. I'd be ravenously hungry by 9am, and over at the local coffee shop pounding down a crossaint filled with ham and cheese.

answered Jul 31 at 18:43

August
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hahahah like this response. – Paleo4ever Aug 3 at 14:27

foreveryoung · Answer 8 · 2012-08-01 02:01:22Z UTC

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For me fasting is easiest low carb, meaning < 50g starch per day, no fruit, and not counting fibrous vegetable carbs. I don't particularly enjoy IF-ing very much though... at least in traditional 18/6 lean gains fashion.

answered Aug 1 at 2:01

foreveryoung
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Leangains is 16/8! – YoungPaleoLover Aug 1 at 8:35

High carb/low carb fasting ability

8 Answers