Anyone else find that low carb doesn't work for you? (bodybuilding, training)
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I'm a avid runner/lifter with low bf and need tons of carbs to fuel my body. I notice, if I dont get a certain amount of carbs, my body starts to literally hurt, LOl
Going low carbs is only for people who dont exercise often and want to lose weight; not really meant for the active exerciser, IMO
Really? I totally agree, it is your opinion. Only. I exercise regularly, as in - weight lift, am very active, body just passed 60 and I am on virtual 0 carbs for well over a year. As in - NO carbs. I may have one or two of them sneak into my food unintentionally, but it's rather not possible, as I simply do NOT eat anything prepaired and things I do, are fish and meat products that by its nature have no carbs. You want more energy - eat more meat, fish and fat. Also, familiarize yourself with Krebs cycle. It's biochemical cycle of nutrients in human body that basically shows, how any one of the 4 basic nutrients digested can be processed into what body needs. Including carbs.
Ok so I feel a lot better on a higher carb diet (even without eating vegetables). I'm eating several hundred calories over maintenance, however, and gut is very slowly expanding. I need to lower calories but would like to keep the carbs elevated but that means cutting down on the protein and/or fat significantly. Is it still possible to make muscle gains eating < 100g protein per day? I'd hate to cut too much fat because not eating enough fat can make one hungry if eating a calorie deficit. Is there a percentage of carbs that is too high? 50% doesn't seem to be enough, > 55% seems to be ideal (at least it has over the last couple of weeks).
Really? I totally agree, it is your opinion. Only. I exercise regularly, as in - weight lift, am very active, body just passed 60 and I am on virtual 0 carbs for well over a year. As in - NO carbs. I may have one or two of them sneak into my food unintentionally, but it's rather not possible, as I simply do NOT eat anything prepaired and things I do, are fish and meat products that by its nature have no carbs. You want more energy - eat more meat, fish and fat. Also, familiarize yourself with Krebs cycle. It's biochemical cycle of nutrients in human body that basically shows, how any one of the 4 basic nutrients digested can be processed into what body needs. Including carbs.
Several questions, Sir?
What's your daily meals consist of?
How active are you? Daily exercise regiment?
Your starting weight when going on your virtual zero carb diet?
Breakfast: 3 eggs, egg whites, peanut butter, banana (banana on weightlifting days only)
Snack: Chicken breasts, carrots
Lunch: Low carb tortilla with beef, spinach
Dinner: Meat (3 ground turkey patties for example), Asparagus, Brocolli
Snack: 2 tbsp peanut butter
< 50g carbs
>200 g protein
lots of fat
2000 calories
Not only did this put a dent in the wallet but I felt like crap....all the time...even with 4 servings of vegetables.
This is how I ate last week while on vacation:
Breakfast: 2 bowls of Corn Chex, Protein Bar or 2 eggs, Banana
Snack: Protein Bar
Lunch: Turkey Sandwich, Granola Bar
Snack: Lots of tortilla Chips
Dinner: Pizza or BBQ Sandwich with chips/beans or Fish with fries, a couple of chocolate chip cookies
350g carbs
I felt much better.
This week, cleaned it up a bit but still high carb....
Breakfast: 2 cups oatmeal, blueberries, 2 tbsp peanut butter
Snack: Protein Bar
Lunch: Turkey or roast beef on rye bread, peanut butter on rye, granola bar
Dinner: 1/2 plate pasta with tomato sauce, garlic bread, and a few bread sticks, half dozen chicken wings
Energy levels are even higher. I have felt great the last couple of days. I have also slept much better....6.5-7 hours per night instead of the 5.5 or less that I was averaging on the other low carb diet.
The downside is that my stomach is very slowly expanding so I need to be careful...but the difference in energy level between the low carb diet and increased carbs are night and day.
Still debating where to go from here. I need to clean it up a bit for sure....can't keep eating things like wings and breadsticks on a regular basis. Need to decrease calories a bit (and increase activity) but debating whether to leave the carbs the same or lower in proportion to the caloric decrease. My exercise routine is cardio 2-3x per week and weights 2-3x per week. Hopefully I can stick to the routine better now that I am sleeping better. I was missing too many workouts on the low carb diet.
The thing that immediately popped out to me is that you've drastically cut protein intake. That should be increased immediately.
Ok so I feel a lot better on a higher carb diet (even without eating vegetables). I'm eating several hundred calories over maintenance, however, and gut is very slowly expanding. I need to lower calories but would like to keep the carbs elevated but that means cutting down on the protein and/or fat significantly. Is it still possible to make muscle gains eating < 100g protein per day? I'd hate to cut too much fat because not eating enough fat can make one hungry if eating a calorie deficit. Is there a percentage of carbs that is too high? 50% doesn't seem to be enough, > 55% seems to be ideal (at least it has over the last couple of weeks).
Probably the reason you're feeling so energetic right now is because you're recovering from a period of really low carb intake. Kind of like how my protein and fat intake was really low for many years, and once I flipped it around and started eating a lot more, it was like all my circuits were firing and I felt could wrestle a grizzly bear if I needed to.
Can you find a happy medium between 50g and 350g? Maybe start tapering it down until you find the sweet spot, or do high carb on your cardio days?
I've never had a weight problem so thank God I never had to try low carb or NO carb fad diets like Atkins. I LOVE carbs! pasta, rice, warm bread and butter, chips, ice cream, et al. Im blessed in that I can still eat this stuff at age 42 and it doesn't go to my belly. But then I'm pretty active.
I've been in sports for most of my life and now coach, and I can honestly say I've never known an athlete who eschewed carbs. Why? Because athletes or anybody who is active NEEDS them; they supply the primary source of fuel for your muscles. Glycogen. While true that your better off with complex rather than simple carbs, even the latter are valuable for quick energy. I know a lot of folks have lost weight with no carb diets, but here's two things about that: most of them didn't keep the weight off. And, none of them were athletic.
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