low carb/ no energy to exercise?

edwardkim85

My question is, for those people that keep their carb intake between 50 - 100g / day, do you even have energy to go lift weights and do cardio?

For people that do intense aerobics or circuit training such as crossfit, bootcamp, etc, is it necessary to eat more 'clean' carbs to fuel your body or can those people still eat 50-100g/day?

I would like to drop my carb intake below 100g but I'm having difficulty doing so because without brown rice, it looks like all I can eat are chicken breats and veggies 24/7 ...

stt43

Why would you like to drop your carb intake below 100g?

Mr_Knight

My question is, for those people that keep their carb intake between 50 - 100g / day, do you even have energy to go lift weights and do cardio?

I did a long, long stretch at low carb. It completely brutalized my ability to do meaningful cardio.

edwardkim85

Why would you like to drop your carb intake below 100g?

Mmm. I read in forums with people's experience talking about 'low' carb diets and how it worked for fat loss.

Most of them seem to be able to sustain their living habits and workouts at below 100g/day carb level.

I wanted to try it out for a couple weeks to see if it actually works as they say, but haven't been able to drop my carb levels that low...

I tried playing around with the food and the best I could do was to just drink a big protein shake in the morning, then have a bowl of rice with meat/veggie for lunch and dinner(and shake inbetween).

Just wondering if that 'below' 100g level is sustainable for everybody or if it's for people that do 'light' cardio or workouts.

edwardkim85

My question is, for those people that keep their carb intake between 50 - 100g / day, do you even have energy to go lift weights and do cardio?

I did a long, long stretch at low carb. It completely brutalized my ability to do meaningful cardio.

But did it work better for fat loss? or is it better to eat 100g - 200g of clean complex carb a day and do moderate-intensive cardio(versus 50g-100g carb/day and light or not cardio)

neandermagnon

your body can only run at about 50% efficiency on fat alone. Once you run out of carbs (including all the sugar in your blood plus your glycogen stores) then you're going to be exercising at 50% efficiency. Marathon runners call this "hitting the wall". It's what happens when your body runs out of carbohydrate. A lot of people find that their brain is also affected, as in they can't concentrate so well and so on. You won't die, but if you want optimum performance, you need carbs.

Lots of people eat way too many carbs and that can cause problems, but that does not mean the opposite extreme (very low carb) is optimal. What's optimal is a balanced diet that gives you enough energy to do all the things you want to do, including good workouts. Unfortunately dichotomous thinking is rife these days and people swing from one extreme to another while demonising specific foods or food groups, rather than focusing on how much they need of each nutrient for optimum health and performance.

Mr_Knight

My question is, for those people that keep their carb intake between 50 - 100g / day, do you even have energy to go lift weights and do cardio?

I did a long, long stretch at low carb. It completely brutalized my ability to do meaningful cardio.

But did it work better for fat loss?

Low carb doesn't bring any extra fat loss benefits. If you run a calorie deficit you lose weight. If you don't, you don't.

neandermagnon

My question is, for those people that keep their carb intake between 50 - 100g / day, do you even have energy to go lift weights and do cardio?

I did a long, long stretch at low carb. It completely brutalized my ability to do meaningful cardio.

But did it work better for fat loss? or is it better to eat 100g - 200g of clean complex carb a day and do moderate-intensive cardio(versus 50g-100g carb/day and light or not cardio)

for health, it's much better to do a decent amount of exercise where you fuel your workouts properly, i.e. eat enough carbs for you to perform effectively in the gym. Fat loss is only *one* aspect of health. Maintaining and increasing bone density and muscle mass is another, as is cardiovascular health, and a whole lot more. While you can't lose fat and gain muscle concurrently, if you're exercising properly (i.e. achieving what you're capable of rather than forcing yourself through sub-optimal workouts because you're trying to run your body without enough carbs in your system) then you're going to do a much better job of maintaining lean mass, bone density and improving your cardiovascular health. Fat loss comes from eating less than you burn off and it doesn't have to be low carb. If you eat more carbs and do more exercise, you still have a deficit at the end of the day, you still lose fat. Track your food intake and how much you're burning off to ensure you're still at a deficit. Aim for slow and steady fat loss while maintaining your lean body mass, for optimal health.

stt43

Why would you like to drop your carb intake below 100g?

Mmm. I read in forums with people's experience talking about 'low' carb diets and how it worked for fat loss.

Most of them seem to be able to sustain their living habits and workouts at below 100g/day carb level.

I wanted to try it out for a couple weeks to see if it actually works as they say, but haven't been able to drop my carb levels that low...

I tried playing around with the food and the best I could do was to just drink a big protein shake in the morning, then have a bowl of rice with meat/veggie for lunch and dinner(and shake inbetween).

Just wondering if that 'below' 100g level is sustainable for everybody or if it's for people that do 'light' cardio or workouts.

You can achieve just as effective fat loss without a low-carb diet.
If you haven't been able to drop your carb levels that low then you aren't going to be able to follow the diet, are you? I'd say try it and see if it works for you, but if you aren't even able to try it then it seems like it probably won't work for you, so don't bother with it.
I tried low-carb for a little while when I didn't really know very much. Now I try to eat as many carbs as I can within my calories and after hitting my protein and fat targets, and my performance and mood is much better.

Wilhellmina

Same story here! Even an aerobics workout for beginners I could hardly get through. I have been increasing my carb intake, which I mainly take around the workouts in the morning, perfect Next to that I went almost 3 pounds down with more carbs, whilst I gained WITH the keto diet!

kagevf

My question is, for those people that keep their carb intake between 50 - 100g / day, do you even have energy to go lift weights and do cardio?

I did a long, long stretch at low carb. It completely brutalized my ability to do meaningful cardio.

But did it work better for fat loss? or is it better to eat 100g - 200g of clean complex carb a day and do moderate-intensive cardio(versus 50g-100g carb/day and light or not cardio)

for health, it's much better to do a decent amount of exercise where you fuel your workouts properly, i.e. eat enough carbs for you to perform effectively in the gym. Fat loss is only *one* aspect of health. Maintaining and increasing bone density and muscle mass is another, as is cardiovascular health, and a whole lot more. While you can't lose fat and gain muscle concurrently, if you're exercising properly (i.e. achieving what you're capable of rather than forcing yourself through sub-optimal workouts because you're trying to run your body without enough carbs in your system) then you're going to do a much better job of maintaining lean mass, bone density and improving your cardiovascular health. Fat loss comes from eating less than you burn off and it doesn't have to be low carb. If you eat more carbs and do more exercise, you still have a deficit at the end of the day, you still lose fat. Track your food intake and how much you're burning off to ensure you're still at a deficit. Aim for slow and steady fat loss while maintaining your lean body mass, for optimal health.

everytime I wanted to put my 2cents she already took the words out of my mouth.
im just gonna shut up and eat my ice cream!

Kevalicious99

For me carbs are essential for energy.

For example .. did the bench press about 2-3 weeks ago, 22 reps. Ok .. well not bad. But not good. About 2 weeks later ... ate lots of brown rice before my workout (76g of carbs) .. and did 70 reps, same weight. Why .. cause the first time I was not fueled up. The second time I was fueled up ... thus the increased performance.

Carbs are necessary for proper body functioning. End of story. Going low carb is just dumb .. they are essential.

ND_Figgzie

I have been low carbing (less than 30g) for over 2 months. I work out 4 times a week, weights and cardio. Don't see the problem.

davert123

My question is, for those people that keep their carb intake between 50 - 100g / day, do you even have energy to go lift weights and do cardio?

I did a long, long stretch at low carb. It completely brutalized my ability to do meaningful cardio.

^^^ My experience a well

eldamiano

Why drop carbs? The misconception is that carbs are bad for you. They aren't. Just keep calories down

Wilhellmina

I think keto and LCHF diets can work for certain people, but most def. not for everyone. I have heard it more often people can't exercise as well as they used to and some even gained from it. Dieting is just a personal thing, no one is the same hence all these different diets.

mrbyte

Low carb diets do work. It's not as simple as calorie in calorie out. Look at the sport that absolutely needs the minimum body fat requirement while maximizing lean body mass. Bodybuilding. They are all on carb restriction 10 to 20 weeks before show time. They don't do the calorie deficit thing without counting their carbs. High protein and carb restriction is the only way to maintain lean muscle while losing fat. If your protein level isn't high then your body will cannibalize itself to gain the protein by losing lean bodyweight.

A 250 pound man at 6% bf will require more carbs than a 130 pound woman trying to lose a few extra pounds. 300 carbs for bodybuilder might be the equivalent for the lady at 70 carbs for the day.

I've been on 150 carb a day for last 8 weeks. I haven't gained or lost a lot, a few pounds, but my vascularity has greatly improved and definition is starting to show. My energy is not at 100% but it's close. I'm probably at 85% of my higher weighted workouts. Yes it's a mental thing. Losing weight is not going to make you stronger. Youare not on a bulk where a surplus of calorie and nutrients are filling your muscles. You probably will not be at 100% strength until you reach a maintenance intake of calories/carbs. But if you feel ok and look good then accept the lifestyle. Your blood work will probalby benefit from the moderate carb intake as well.

I try and keep my carbs to 20% of my caloric intake. I'm 200 pounds.