I've been thinking a lot lately about fat to protein ratio. For my past three years of following a strict carnivore diet, I had previously been doing about a 60 to 40% (by calorie) fat to protein intake. The only problem with that is, when I do eat higher fat like that, I tend to have more sensitivity in my gut. I get intestinal cramping from time to time which can be painful and worrisome when in a public place. And often I get diarrhea as well.
So in these past three years of strict carnivore, I have been experimenting with a higher protein ratio, around 40/60 fat to protein. That seems to work well for me in terms of not having intestinal cramping and no diarrhea. But one thing is I have found is that it seems to make my weight a little higher. It is really strange. In fact, it seems I have to eat much fewer calories when I'm eating high-protein than when I'm eating high-fat to maintain the same weight. Otherwise my weight just goes higher and higher on the high protein diet. I don't know if gluconeogenesis is causing more buildup of body fat, or maybe it's just that I'm not really in a very high state of ketosis, or not in ketosis at all. Maybe at a lower level of ketosis, I am not burning body fat very much and therefore it tends to stay on.
I'm a bit annoyed, because now with this higher protein ratio, I am about four pounds above my normal maintenance weight that I prefer (~14% body fat). I'm having trouble getting it back down. I've even been severely restricting my calories for 2 weeks now and it still hasn't gone down! So it's a bit frustrating, and I'm wondering if I need to go back to the higher fat content. But I really don't like the gut sensitivity.
Another experiment is to perhaps move back to a piscivore (pescetarian-based carnivore) diet again. I had tried it before, and I liked it, but it is expensive. Then I could still eat high-protein, focus on scallops and shrimp and small fish (to avoid mercury, since I tested high in it). Those all seem to do very well for my gut, and also I seem to be able to keep my weight down when I eat piscivore as well. So I think that's worth a try.
In about a month, I should receive my two whole lamb shares, so then I can get back to my higher fat content again, too, if I want. Or at least just one meal a day with some fat, and combine that with the pescetarian carnivore plan!
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