The debate started last week by Quest (great thread!) and something Karma brought up this week made me think about something that I’d like to throw out to you guys.
I don’t think that there is any disagreement that people have various food allergies and/or sensitivities. With that indisputable fact in mind, it’s not a stretch to believe that how we tolerate and process the various macronutrients will vary from person to person (I think that the various responses to Quest’s thread bore that out).
So…I think that the debate on attempting to prescribe a certain macronutrient amount across the board, applicable to all people, is where we are perhaps ALL wrong.
For example. High protein, moderate carb and moderate fat diets lean me out, I feel strong and comfortable with them and I can put on mass. Start decreasing the protein and upping the carbs, here comes the bloat, discomfort and smoothness.
Others have similar responses, however, THAT ARE JUST THE OPPOSITE; push the protein, and they are bloated, gas-filled, smooth and uncomfortable.
Bottom line? 1) One diet DOES NOT fit all and 2) I think that while we can make some generalities about diet, it tends to be VERY individual.
You’re absolutely right. Of course, you cannot generalize, but you also cannot get too difficult trying to hit an exact 50-30-20 or 40-40-20. It all comes down to the individual’s metabolism and insulin sensitivity. One thing in your post I didn’t understand was how you state your preference for leaning out and putting on mass. Then go on to say that some are the opposite. One thing we ALL have in common is that no one is losing more fat on higher carbs(consistently) with lower as opposed to high protein, lower carbs.
Mufasa: and there you have it. We are all individuals, therefore we need to train and eat as such. There’s no getting around it. We each need to do our own research and use ourselves as guinea pigs to find out what works for each of us. Which is why I tell people to not follow verbatim, the articles on diet and training they find in magazines (and even books). They are geared towards a “generic” populace which doesn’t even exist. Ya gotta find what works for YOU.
What’s also interesting is how these numbers can even change quite dramatically for the same individual from year to year or even month to month depending on other variations in their physiological functioning. I am finally starting to figure this out for myself and learning how to read my body to determine how I should be eating at a particular time.
I find that the higher carb, lower protein and fat diets make me bloated, smooth and feeling like crap. It’s too bad that the army is in love with this type of eating. I’m forced to eat shitty food all the time when on course or in the field.
I can’t believe that someone just starting out should not follow a program in a good book. That’s how you find what works for YOU. You have to know where to start. What, you just tell them to pick up a weight and lift it a couple times–find yourself. They have to start with good instruction to find what works. We are all individuals, but we’re still the same species.