Fat and carbs together

[greemah]

I have read many places that you shouldn't mix fat and carbs in a meal. That you should only eat carbs + protein, or fat + protein.

How important is this? I find it hard to eat a practical diet without mixing them all together in a meal

[Chris407]

I don't think its very important.

I avoided carbs and fat together for a long time. Then I stopped worrying about it and just focused on generally eating healthfully and hitting my calorie totals. If anything I've made better progress since I stopped worrying about that.

Here's a good article by Alan Aragon on the topic, if you like science stuff: http://alanaragon.com/carbs-fat-friends-after-all.html

[vdizenzo]

I try and eat protein and fat together or protein and carbs. I avoid eating carbs and fat together and it has helped me shed fat.

[Invain]

I honestly believe it makes a difference. It makes a lot of sense as well when you look at the metabolic pathways.

[Daniel Roberts]

At first glance it makes perfect sense (I thought it seemed reasonable when it was first put out there, Berardi himself doesn't follow it now) but there's nothing to say it does and in the context of a diet that meets your goals i.e. above/below/at maintenance with adequate protein it doesn't matter.
It's difficult enough for most to meet their daily intake day in day out (and train consistently), this sort of stuff is best reserved (if at all needed) for those already looking to eek out that final % before competition etc.

[greemah]

Thanks guys put my mind at ease, I still have a wee way to go with my fat loss so won't worry about it for the time being at least

[Off Road]

How do you seperate your proteins from fats when it's time to eat carbs? Most of my protein sources also contain fat, so it's hard to seperate the two. Do you simply eat carbs by themselves.

[RichMcGuire]

Considering it has more to do with thermodynamic equilibrium, I wouldn't worry about such small details

[vdizenzo]

How do you seperate your proteins from fats when it's time to eat carbs? Most of my protein sources also contain fat, so it's hard to seperate the two. Do you simply eat carbs by themselves.

I just don't add additional fats when I eat carbs. When I eat protein and fat, it's my lean protein source and healthy fat like natural peanut butter, cashews, etc.

[Off Road]

I just don't add additional fats when I eat carbs. When I eat protein and fat, it's my lean protein source and healthy fat like natural peanut butter, cashews, etc.

I see. I don't worry about the mixing macros thing. But most of my protein sources come from eggs, beef, pork, and poultry, and they all contain fats. So any time I have a meal with carbs and protein, there is going to be fat involved.

[vdizenzo]

I think a lot of people don't plan out/think/measure their macros. They just see somewhere that they should be eating healthy fats. So now they throw in handfulls of nuts, omega fish oil caps, etc without thinking about the macros. So now on top of their carbs and protein they are adding in extra fats. We all know these fats are additional calories. So to subtract the carbs where you would add in extra fats definitely helps keep calories under control.

I have been to and presented at many seminars now. Those of us who study up on nutrition and training take it for granted that everyone does the same. Let me tell you, they don't. Many go off half cocked with information. So when you tell someone to keep additional healthy fats and carbs seperate it's a very reasonable and followable recommendation that will help them keep calories under control.

[RichMcGuire]

I prefer to just switch carbohydrate sources during a cutting phase and add a cheat day or higher carb day for leptins sake. That in and of itself can cut kcals drastically. I think it boils down to what people prefer. Some people love to count total kcals and are good at doing it. These people can get away with just watching kcals for overall fat loss.

But it always comes back to thermodynamic equilibrium..and matter can't be made or destroyed. So goodluck adding body fat and creating matter without enough kcals (matter) to change it into it.

I like Vdizenzo's point. Advice like avoiding things is easier and more manageable for a lot of people. And this is exactly why we have "the south beach diet" or "atkin's diet" or any other said named diet that take away a macro, or have you count points, or w/e. They all do the same. They all limit kcals. I know when I eat chicken breasts and green beans with a dab of olive oil all day 6 days a week, there is no way I can eat excess kcals. I can just eat and eat and not count anything and I'm all set.

[Time+Patience]

I'm a bit late to the party, but here's my small opinion on the matter.

I don't have a scientific reasoning behind this, but knowing that your body can use carbohydrates for energy, and even the lower carb diets your body utilizes fats for energy, so knowing that here's where I'm going. When you combine fats and carbs in every meal, you potentially give your body 3 main macronutrients to utilize for muscle building or repair, and for energy expenditure. I look at it from the standpoint that I want my body to only have to utilize the fats or carbs that I feed it for energy, so I'm assuming that I give it all of the macros then it might not be able to utilize all of the macronutrients for energy, and some of it will be stored as fat.

Now I know that with excess calories you can always add more bodyfat, but I just believe that the body can function better when it has less macro's to sift through and digest.

The body can adjust to the low carb diets and utilize the fats for energy, and you can utilize the low-fat diets and utilize the carbs for energy, so your body will adapt. I believe the body would adapt just fine to a diet that utilizes carbs, fats, and protein. I just believe that you have to discover what YOUR body works best with.

There are many people that do low-carb diets and get extremely ripped. There are people who do low-fat diets and get extremely ripped. There are other methods that produce results it's just what fits for certain people's lives and their philosophy.

When I'm trying to bulk, with no cares of my bodyfat increasing I'll mix it all, I really don't care.

When I'm trying to bulk clean or diet down I'll go for P+F or P+C.

[joey54]

I pretty much keep carbs to pre and post workout, minus whatever amount is in the fruit and vegetables I eat otherwise. Pre and post workout I keep fat to a minimum. Simple and effective way for me.