is a high protein -very low carb diet good for muscle building?

When I say low carb, I mean less than 10g of carb per serving.

I read an article about the TNT diet and I wanna give it a try maybe it will help me to get some energy.

Basically, you don't eat fruit... you can pick anything from the followings:

1- any vegetables

2- healthy fat like avocado or nuts

3- protein. ( fish, turkey, cheese, ....).

no fruit:(

the plan is to try this phase for 4 weeks then eat carbs and fruits for 4 weeks.

I miss my apples today:(

Sounds like a pretty bad idea.

If you aren't eating enough carbs, your body has to use protein for energy, protein that would otherwise go towards building muscle.

I just don't see the point.

It sounds more like a plan for cutting fat than gaining muscle.  This is pretty similar to what a professional bodybuilder will eat when cutting down for a contest (+diuretics, clen, ephedrine, etc.) as it burns mostly fat. 

I think you'll have a lot of difficulty working out if you keep carbs very low.  What happens is that you lose a lot of water weight when you don't eat carbs, and your muscles are mostly made of water (for example, creatine works by putting more water in your muscles).  As a result, you won't be as strong or have as much endurance as you would if you were to eat carbs.  Many bodybuilders do things similar to what you are describing except that they only eat carbs after (and for some before) a workout.

yeah, it isn't going to help you build muscle, but you will get lean. the other problem is, when you add the carbs back in, you are going to blow up like a balloon! you are better of just watching what you eat, and eating sensibly

If this appeals to you, you should buy the book on the TNT diet, or at least read the full original article at menshealth.com.  What you described is only "plan A", and aims at fat loss, not muscle-building.  The other 4 plans in the scheme aren't really low-carb plans, they're variants of carb cycling (alternating low-carb and high-carb meals according to various schedules).  Those aim at muscle-building, while minimizing fat gain, or even losing fat too.

maybe it will help me to get some energy

Nope!  Glucose is the easiest fuel for your body to burn, and a primary effect of low-carb eating is to exhaust the body's glycogen stores (the TNT book and original article explain this in some detail).  As a result, lo-carb eating can leave you tireder.

If you're still not getting enough sleep, repairing that is the only healthy way to stop feeling tired.

ok my God.. no I don't wanna be like a balloon... today was my first day on this plan and my carbs intake is 13% only.. but I will go back on track tomorrow and eat my regular oatmeal..

I just wanna get rid of my belly fat :( I have lost 87pounds but still has a waist line of 30-31inches:(

Tgpish: yes, I read this article at menhealth.com and that is where I got this idea. you are right. this is plan A for max fat loss. they say that eating carbs is bad for your belly. that is why I wanted to follow this plan. they also say that plan A is the foundation for all the other phases.....

yes, I feel very exhausted. I thought that a high protein diet- low carb would help to increase energy and max fat loss ( i have this belly problem).

Your body functions best within a certain balance. The world health organization recommends a 70/20/10 ratio of carbs/protein/fats. With carbs preferably coming from complex sources like whole grains, proteins coming from lean sources like chicken breast, or tofu in my case, and fats from nuts or healthy oils-not trans or saturated fats.

Some personal trainers suggest changing this slightly for weight loss or muscle building with an increase in protein and slight decrease in carbs, so more of a 60/20/20 ratio. But this shouldn't be too drastic of an alteration because your body runs on carbs. Your brain runs on carbs. You NEED carbs. Any diet that is asking you to drastically reduce any aspect of nutrition that your body NEEDS to survive is an unhealthy, fad diet that is not going to be good for you in the long run and could actually be damaging to your body.

Eat healthy, eat balanced, and work out. That is the only way to get in shape and stay in shape. No diet that asks you to do anything drastic is going to be the right answer. It's a long, slow, tedious process to get fit and healthy and it has no easier answers.

As far as belly fat- start weight lifting 3-5 times a week, if you haven't already, and do cardio as well. The extra muscle you build will help burn the fat off. You cannot spot-treat fat burning, either, no matter what you may hear or read or be told by advertisements or diet fads.

Hang in there, but stay healthy.
If you want to start a new diet plan, I honestly reccomend making an appointment with your doctor and running it by them to get a professional opinion from someone that has had experience with your body- not just off an online community(no disrespect to all the awfully knowledgable people on CC).

-soy

This TNT diet sounds interesting

but in general when trying to lose weight  increasing your protei to carb ratio is a good idea.  The only thing I dont like is cutting things out completely even for a short period of time, that is like the atkins diet.  Because through fruits you get alot of nutrients that you will not get though protein alone. 

Everyone is different, you just need to determine the best fuel misture for your engine.  Some people, including myself, can gain muscle while losing fat on a low carb diet.  With the normal high carb diet I've only managed to increase BOTH muscle and fat. 

I went from 205 to 175 within 2 months, lost the gut completely, dropped from a 35" waist to a 32" waist, and improved all of my blood test metrics, all with eating a high fat, high protein, low carb diet.  The workouts were not easy at first and I needed to do a little carb loading (e.g. 20-30g) before hand, but within a month my body adapted to where I don't even need that (nor feel like I need it).  I feel so healthy now and workouts are awesome!  I am gaining strength and muscle (albeit slower than a high carb/high cal diet).  I don't believe in the "bad fats" except the artificial hydrogenated ones, and I liberally eat red meat, nuts, eggs, cheese, and all the other so called "poisons".  Of course I also eat very liberal amounts of vegetables, favorites being onions, peppers, and tomatoes.

Best of luck!

I get amused when I read one of my old posts again

Actually, the situation is VERY different now. I have gained most of the weight back and I don't exercise. My diet now is a high sugar- high fat diet :)

thanks for reminding me of one of those beautiful days when I was really dedicated to exercise and diet:)

Well, I get amused when someone says they've gained muscle and lost fat while in a deficit like our friend reddog here.

Original Post by neanderthin:

Well, I get amused when someone says they've gained muscle and lost fat while in a deficit like our friend reddog here.

 Actually, I had a question a while ago about the possibilty of gaining muscle while in a deficit and the answer was " yes" it is possible but very difficult.

 

Newbie gains of course is a different thing......and that can happen, but that's shorted lived and the exception to the rule. Other than that I can assure you nobody will be gaining muscle in a deficit.

Original Post by safina1:


I just wanna get rid of my belly fat :( I have lost 87pounds but still has a waist line of 30-31inches:(

 

Wow do you know how many people would kill for a 31 inch waistline? Perspective please.