As you increase carbs, should you decrease fat?

[OliverR]

Hello

I was wondering about the Atkins OWL period - as you gradually increase your carbs, should you also lower a bit your fat consumption? Or can you maintain quite a high (ie. the same) fat consumption and still lose weight? And what about at the maintenance phase, when I understand you are usually supposed to be out of ketosis, so presumably the body can no longer deal with as much fat?

Thanks

Oliver

[OliverR]

OK, I see my thread was moved and I can see this forum section seems a good place for it - apart from the fact it seems rare to get any answers here...

[FlorayG]

You're thinking about calories Oliver. Once you have a correctly working fat metabolism, increasing your calorie intake (i.e. start to eat more carbs) should just cause you to use more energy. If you increase carbs and cut fat, you will no longer be fulfilling your hunger impulses and you will start to eat more again ( because fat makes you feel full and carbs don't). For the rest of your life, if you want to maintain this, carbs should be a 'side order' only on each meal. When you are full at each meal, leave the carbs not the fat or protein.
Your body will have 'learned' how to deal with fat by then. What you have to watch for is that you don't slip back into your old ways and eat so much carbs your fat metabolism gives up again. I'm oversimplifying here but that's the basics of it...

[OliverR]

OK, thanks for your advice

[Tril]

If you're following Atkins the answer is "yes"... as you increase your carbs are supposed to decrease your fat intake. This is especially true when you reach pre-maintenance (about 10# to goal). Some people find they have to decrease fats sooner if they are lucky enough to continue losing with a higher carb intake. Once you leave ketosis, then it's certainly necessary to cut back on fat grams. Never to a "low fat" diet, but not the high fat diet of Induction.

Now... if you're not following Atkins and you never intend to reintroduce fruit, grains, etc and you plan to stay under 50g carb (which is ketosis for most people) then you can keep your fat intake high (and probably should).

You'll need to decide what to do about the fat intake once you decide your carb intake for maintenance. For the first few weeks of OWL it's not that critical.

[OliverR]

OK, thanks. Actually I just got his New Diet Revolution and in fact and I see on page 22 he says : Am I advocating a high fat diet? Not in the long run. As you increase the percentage of carbohydrates, while advancing through the different phases the percentage and actual amount of fat you consume will diminish.

So it seems at least to some extent that the answer to my question is yes, though the exact optimal proportions are going to vary from person to person.