Low Carb Vs. Low Fat: Which Diet Will Get You More Ripped?

Who would’ve ever thought that a Senator from South Dakota could completely alter the way we eat for years and years to come. Surely you didn’t, but that’s exactly what George McGovern did.

George McGovern was a democratic senator from South Dakota who also ran in the 1972 Presidential Election. But that’s what few people remember him for.

McGovern made it his personal mission to make sure that American’s ate healthier, and through legislation he popularized many findings by the scientist Ancel Keys. Keys, who is commonly known as the father of low fat dieting.

Through government direction low fat dieting became the biggest crazy, and it stayed that way for over 20 years, up until very recently with the rise of the Paleo diet.

Low carb, low fat, what is what.

Dieting is one of the most controversial and divisive things that we as people do in modern time; which is utterly mind blowing. It’s as if people actually defend their food choices as hard as they do their religion.

This is even more mind blowing when you consider the fact that most of us bros really only care about one thing: looking great naked.

Sure, we want to be healthy. Whatever that means. But even when we say we want to be healthy we’re really just saying we want to look great naked.

So low carb or low fat. Which is gonna help you look better naked?

This is an argument that’s prevalent in the fitness industry, and damn near anyone who has ever dieted has questioned which one of these they should be doing. We’re told low fat is going to wreck our health, and we’re told low carb is going to make us slow and weak.

But first, an annoying myth about low fat diets.

Let’s bust the biggest myth about low fat dieting. Low fat dieting isn’t going to completely ruin your health. Not by a long shot. Chances are you could actively try and eat very low fat and you’d still get enough trace amounts of fat from protein and carb sources to keep your hormones in working order.

People who claim that very low fat diets will wreck your hormones aren’t wrong, but it also needs to be understood that going that low isn’t easy. Hell, in our modern world it’s almost impossible.

So what should you do.

As with anything in fitness, the answer to this question is “it depends”. Annoying as fuck, I know. But it’s the truth. For the sake of clarity and not being annoying as fuck, let’s expand on that.

  • If you’re obese and carry a ton of body fat then going low carb is obviously going to be much more beneficial for you vs. someone who is incredibly active. An obese person is going to have insulin sensitivity issues they need to get under control. Because of this they won’t tolerate carbs as well as a leaner individual.
  • If you’re relatively lean and really active then cutting carbs could be an absolute nightmare, since you’re relying on them for energy. If you’re not carrying much body fat (under 15%) then you’re probably handling carbs fine, and in order to keep performance in the weight room and bedroom where you want it, you need those carbs.
  • If you’re somewhere in the middle then you could probably do to start off with a lower carb diet to increase your insulin sensitivity as you drop fat, and then slowly increase those carbs as you start to get leaner.

If you’re unsure where you’re at or what the hell you should be doing, or what any of these terms even mean, then don’t hesitate to reach out to me, and I’ll be happy to help you figure your shit out.

Neither one will wreck your health, and both can work.

The important thing to keep in mind with any diet is that any of them can work, depending on your goals. If you’re goal is to get absolutely shredded then any diet can help you with that, some may just be better at it than others.

Along the same lines, none of these diets are going to completely ruin your health. It’s important to keep in mind that these diets should all be short-term solutions. Meaning you’re on them for about 12-16 weeks and then back to a more balanced style of eating.

You can eat damn near any sort of bat shit crazy diet for a short period of time and be completely okay. Don’t worry about them fucking you up.

So to recap:

  • If you’re obese, low carb is probably best.
  • If you’re lean (under 15% body fat) then higher carb and low fat is probably best
  • If you’re in the middle then start off low carb and transition to low fat as you drop body fat.

If you’re unsure and you’re looking for a little help to figure out what you should be doing then don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ll be more than happy to help you.

Tanner is a fitness professional and writer based in the metro Atlanta area. His training focus is helping normal people drop absurd amounts of fat, become strong like bull, and get in the best shape of their life.