Analysis|Pros and cons of carbon cycle, intermittent fasting and ketogenic diet, how should you choose?

There are many diet plans for fat loss on the market now. The most talked about diet plan among the people I have contacted is probably the carbohydrate cycle diet (carbon cycle), intermittent fasting and ketogenic diet. These three Each individual’s diet plan has its own characteristics, and when different people use it, the results are also very different. It can be said with certainty that dietary methods are a probabilistic event for individuals. Whether a dietary plan is good or not depends on whether the individual is suitable and how familiar the operation is. Today’s topic is to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the three horizontally. I hope that after reading this article, you will have a clearer understanding of what kind of diet plan is more suitable for you.

The logic of the bottom layer of fat reduction

The bottom-level logic of fat loss is the caloric gap. Theory, no matter how good a diet plan is, it is inseparable from this logic in order to succeed in losing fat. This is from the perspective of calorie conservation. From an endocrine point of view, simply speaking, fat loss is to maximize the hormone level of adrenaline and minimize the level of insulin secretion, so that fat can be hydrolyzed, transported and oxidized. The two most important logics behind the carbon cycle, intermittent fasting and ketogenic diets are all inseparable from the fat loss principles.

Carbon cycling through the combination of exercise and consumption of most of the glycogen in the body on low-carb days, increasing adrenaline levels and allowing fat The proportion of participating in energy supply increases; intermittent fasting reduces the secretion of insulin to a minimum during the fasting period and accelerates fat decomposition; and the ketogenic diet directly and fundamentally weakens the effect of carbohydrates, and disguisedly reduces the effect of insulin Minimal force, thus using the body’s stored fat to produce ketone bodies for energy. The principle is the same, including many diet pills on the market. For example, it makes your heart rate increase, becomes abnormally excited, and suppresses appetite. All of them use the above principles. Of course, fat-reducing pills cannot be taken at will. If you want to use them, please consult your doctor. Or under the guidance of a nutritionist.

Review of diet structure

Let’s take a look at the diet structure of the three.

Carbon Cycle

As the name suggests, it is the carbohydrates ingested in a cyclic eating cycle The changing process, which is divided into high-carbon days and low-carbon days. On high-carbon days, you will consume 5~7g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight, while on low-carbon days, it will reduce to 0.5g per kilogram of body weight. around the carb content, or even close to zero carbs. At the same time, the amount of protein intake is basically unchanged. As for fat, high-carbohydrate is accompanied by low-fat intake. On the contrary, the proportion of fat intake can be moderately increased when low-carbohydrate is used. But it should be noted that the period of the carbon cycle heat gap is not set in days, but in one cycle.

For more carbon cycle content, please refer to: Analyze the scientific principles behind the carbon cycle diet, and give 4 implementation suggestions to help you lose fat efficiently

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting does not have clear requirements for dietary structure , the only strict requirement is the meal time. A certain amount of food is required to be consumed within a specified time period, while other time periods are more recommended for hydration only. However, if you want to lose fat most efficiently and maintain your health to the greatest extent possible, it is recommended that you eat a balanced diet.

For more on intermittent fasting, see: Can anyone use intermittent fasting to lose fat? not necessarily! Female friends need to exercise caution

ketogenic diet

Strictly ketogenic diet, full The daily calorie intake is distributed according to the following ratio: about 5% carbohydrates, about 25% protein and about 75% fat. The ketogenic diet emphasizes two points: one is that the proportion of fat is absolutely large, and the other is that the proportion of carbohydrate intake is extremely low. During the entire ketogenic diet, this diet structure was adopted. Is this diet structure somewhat similar to the low-carb days of the carbon cycle, with a high-fat, low-carb, moderate protein intake ratio.

For more on the ketogenic diet, see: How about a ketogenic diet for fat loss? It varies from person to person! You can try but some points need to refer to

Ease of operation

Whether a diet is sustainable, Much depends on the ease of operation. The easier it is to operate, the better the relative sustainability. On the contrary, an overly complicated diet plan will encounter more problems in the middle, so it is more difficult to stick to it. In terms of the ease of operation, during the implementation of the carbon cycle, the intake of high and low carbon water and the coordination of other nutrients in each cycle should be calculated, and at the same time in the process of weight loss.Adjust intermittently. The reason why the carbohydrate content is constantly adjusted is because the scientific setting of the carbohydrate ratio and the consumption of glycogen levels in the body on low-carbon days are directly related to the final fat reduction effect.

Intermittent fasting and ketogenic diet are relatively simple to calculate food. It doesn’t need to be changed over time, unlike the carbon cycle, which is changed every day. From an operational point of view, the carbon cycle is the most complex. However, the difficulty of the ketogenic diet operation lies in the drastic change in the way the body’s physical energy is metabolized in the early stage. During this process, problems such as emotional irritability, dizziness, nausea, upset, and fatigue and insomnia may occur, which may last for a few days or weeks. The difficulty of the operation is how to cope with the changing physical state, so as to pass the stage of metabolic conversion by the way.

Sustainability

Carbon cycle, intermittent fasting and ketogenic diet, the sustainability of these three, individual It seems that intermittent diet is the easiest to stick to, for three reasons: First, the ingredients are relatively loose; second, the nutrient mix can be more balanced. It’s not like the carb cycle, where low-carb days are crazy about carbs, and high-carb days are like carbs, and it’s not like the ketogenic diet. Third, it is more in line with the eating habits of your friends or family members. We say that diets are unique in terms of convenience and cost may not be conducive to adherence, and of the three, intermittent eating is more similar to daily life.

And once the ketogenic diet has passed the stage of side effects caused by ketone bodies, it is relatively sustainable. A high proportion of fat intake also increases the cost of diet, and it is difficult to consume for a long time. Among the three, the carbon cycle is probably the least sustainable, because it is complicated to prepare ingredients every day and operate. It is good to say that the intake of carbohydrates on a low-carbon day is less, while the intake of carbohydrates on a high-carbon day is 5 or 6 times a day. Into, it obviously makes eating a lot of trouble.

Applicable population

Can everyone try the above three diets? It should be said yes, but there is always the best answer. Let’s see for whom all three diets are suitable. The applicability mentioned here is only based on the characteristics of the diet plan to compare the possible applicable groups. Whether it is applicable depends on the actual situation of the individual and the adaptability of physical fitness.

When we say fat loss, in addition to reducing weight and reducing excess fat, there is also an important task to maintain lean body mass, which is muscle mass. Although the carbon cycle is complex, the glycogen storage in the body is sufficient at a certain stage during fat loss, so it can provide more intensive training and more calorie consumption. High-intensity training means that the level of human hormones decreases Secretion, the secretion of human hormone levels is sufficient, and with the corresponding nutrition, the proportion of the entire tissue and body components of the human body is maintained. Therefore, for those who want to lose fat and shape up, the carbon cycle is a better choice, but at the same time, the carbon cycle is complicated and requires a certain training basis to consume the glycogen level in the body. Can.

If you don’t have much time to train and are busy at work, and don’t know much about nutrition and diet, then intermittent Fasting is a relatively ideal option. The diet plan in the early stage of fat loss is simple and maneuverable, and at the same time, you don’t need to spend too much time on preparing diet and ingredients, which is a very important reason for you to continue to lose fat. With the continuous learning of knowledge, you can gradually switch to a diet plan that is more suitable for you. Intermittent fasting also has a great feature that whenever there is a dietary plateau period, intermittent fasting can be used to adjust the physical state. Training has a plateau period, but in fact, diet also has a plateau period. When a diet and physical habit are used, intermittent fasting is interspersed in a timely manner to adjust it.

The ketogenic diet was originally applied to the treatment of epilepsy, but with the advancement of nutrition, it is increasingly used for Lose fat. If you are not sensitive to blood sugar or insulin response, you can try a ketogenic diet, the body’s response to ultra-low carbohydrates will improve your insulin sensitivity. Therefore, it is relatively suitable for people with metabolic problems or people with three highs. But here are two points to remind everyone: First, it is more painful to go through the side effects of ketone bodies, and the negative reactions of the human body are also relatively large. At the same time, after experiencing pain, the effect of reducing fat is unknown. It is recommended that you use the ketogenic diet. Please evaluate your physical condition beforehand, or consult your doctor and nutritionist. Second, after all, the research data on the ketogenic diet is still relatively small, so the long-term potential problems are not understood, so it is best to be guided by an experienced person before use, which can avoid some unnecessary troubles. Can I train during intermittent fasting and ketogenic diets? It should be said that there is no problem, but the quality of training and the level of stimulation of body hormones are far less excellent than carbon cycling. The root cause is the level of glycogen stores in the body.

Write at the end

No one diet is better than another in the long run. Continue to explore different diets and continue to strengthen the understanding of your own body. You will find that in the process, you will become more and more familiar with your body, so that weight control and losing excess fat will become less out of reach. For ordinary people to lose fat, the most feasible diet plan is not the above three diet plans. I personally recommend a balanced diet, that is, you have to eat everything, and you can’t eat less of anything, but not too much. It is another to say that it is not reduced, but at least it ensures a comprehensive balance of nutrients, and the physical health will be much better than before, and such a diet structure can also be integrated into daily life, while taking into account the training intensity and so on. Therefore, as for the diet plan, you can continue to choose and try, and finally find the diet structure that really suits you. The harder, the more fortunate. Come on, everyone. Let’s encourage each other.