Is protein fat and what exactly is it?

What should be the protein-carbs-fat ratio to lose weight and build muscle?

• Im doing 60% protein, 35% carbs and 5% fat, is that good or bad?

• Answer:

  bad by any standard Even in a high protein diet, protein maxes out at 30% - excess protein is not only inefficient & wasteful but can be dangerous long term. Excess protein is converted to 58% glucose Protein builds muscle - carbs build fat stores & dietary fats support cells, organs, hormones, nervous system, brain People think low carb is for weight loss when it's actually for normalizing hormones & bringing the body to a state of homeostasis (being normal) & is as good for the underweight as the overweight or normal weight. I highly recommend low carb way of eating for optimal health. It takes 3-6 weeks for the body to become fully fat adapted to perform athletically but the body does convert *if* carb cycling is not used. Athletes studied said their performance was effected the first week or so but recovered to full athletic ability within a few weeks. For bodybuilders, low carb creates lean tissues even without working out, working out should create even more muscle mass. When insulin dominates the blood stream, testosterone & human growth hormone (HGH) aren't produced, which are both anabolic hormones & contribute to muscle growth. Excess protein is converted to glucose *unless* dietary fat levels are greater than 80% of dietary calories, then I believe that excess protein is forced to create lean tissues (just as excess carbohydrates are forced to create fat tissues). Marathon athletes aren't restricted to glycogen stores. Athletes in glycolysis (using glucose for fuel) have to "carb load" to fill glycogen stores but athletes in ketosis (using fat for fuel) don't have these restrictions. A normal weighted person has enough fat stores to run for more than 200 hours - glycogen stores only last a few hours before being depleted & the athlete "hits the wall" from the article below - Numerous current studies show that dieters who follow high-protein low-carb strategies--even plans with higher fat intake--lose more fat and maintain or gain more muscle mass than dieters who rely on higher carb diets. Yes, you read that right--many dieters actually gained muscle mass without working out, simply by eating a high-protein diet. This is due to several factors. First, amino acids from protein drive muscle growth. When you consume a high-protein meal, amino acids from the protein travel to muscle cells and actually initiate the processes that cause muscle growth. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KFY/is_4_23/ai_n13790123/?tag=content;col1 I highly recommend adding virgin coconut oil to your diet. All fats can be used for sustained energy, but coconut oil is the (only) fat that can be used for quick energy like a carb. Carb cycling programs never allow the body to become fully fat adapted, which I believe takes 3-6 weeks. The metabolism just shuts down & awaits a return to glycolysis. This study referenced: http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/1/1/2 show that the body (even for athletes) become fat adapted *with time* & allow unimpaired endurance performance despite nutritional ketosis. I think that ketosis is not the back up fuel plan. I think ketosis was meant to be primary fuel plan, that is easily overridden (one bite) by ingestion of carbs (or alcohol). The body is rarely allowed to become fully fat adapted, especially in these days of people using processed food formula to feed infants instead of breast milk. Carbs were never supposed to be available year around, only seasonally during harvest. The body can easily handle carbs even in excess occasionally, just not continuously. The body can also be fueled by protein (via gluconeogenesis) but long term protein synthesis creates the byproducts of ammonia & nitrogen. The body can easily handle clearing out these byproducts but if gluconeogenesis is used as the primary fuel source for long term, the body can be overwhelmed (poisoned) by the excess ammonia & nitrogen. It's all contingent on balance but the body functions at optimal levels on more dietary fat & suboptimal levels on less dietary fat. The body always has the ability to use ketone bodies as fuel. Even people in glycolysis (except those that are hyperinsulimic) burn some fat as they sleep, this helps preserve glycogen stores. Using fat as fuel & being fueled by fat are the difference in the body becoming fully fat adapted to being fueled by ketone bodies & glycerol.