Limiting carbs...

Arkie_Ali

I had fell off the wagon for a while, but am back on now and exercising regularly. My question is, should I be limiting my carbs to a certain amount? I've heard other people tell me about limiting carbs to 30g a day, but this just dosen't seem do-able on a daily basis. Thoughts?

RachelsReboot

If it's what you need to do it can be done but it takes a lot of willpower that a lot of people don't have. If you don't have a medical reason to do so and you think it's too hard then don't set yourself up for failure. That said I do under 30 net almost daily (except when I don't take my own food to a Church function, like tonight) so it can be done. I HAVE to eat this way for the rest of my life.

ccnjc4e

I limit my carbs bc I am pre-diabetic. I wouldn't limit them that much unless you have a medical reason. Or talk to your doctor and see what they suggest.

The body still needs carbs for energy.

Pebble321

I limit my carbs bc I am pre-diabetic. I wouldn't limit them that much unless you have a medical reason. Or talk to your doctor and see what they suggest.

The body still needs carbs for energy.

This is great advice. 30g carbs a day is VERY low and you will find it hard to stick to that... so why set yourself up to fail?

Sp1nGoddess

For me I find that between 50 and 100 carbs is good. That allows me plenty of veggies & some fruit. I've heard some trainers say that if you have fat to lose you don't need carbs.... but you do need a minimum to keep your brain happy, at least I do... = ) It's best to stay away from white, sugary or starchy carbs. Once you get used to a reduced carb intake you will find that your blood sugar stabilizes and you don't get hunger pangs or that urgent need to eat.

BlaireV

I limit my carbs bc I am pre-diabetic. I wouldn't limit them that much unless you have a medical reason. Or talk to your doctor and see what they suggest.

The body still needs carbs for energy.

This is great advice. 30g carbs a day is VERY low and you will find it hard to stick to that... so why set yourself up to fail?

I second this. Unless you have a medical reason, there is no need to limit your carbs.

Qarol

For me I find that between 50 and 100 carbs is good. That allows me plenty of veggies & some fruit. I've heard some trainers say that if you have fat to lose you don't need carbs.... but you do need a minimum to keep your brain happy, at least I do... = ) It's best to stay away from white, sugary or starchy carbs. Once you get used to a reduced carb intake you will find that your blood sugar stabilizes and you don't get hunger pangs or that urgent need to eat.

Exactly that. For me, at least...

CaseRat

I eat upwards of 200g carbs almost every day. I've lose 2.5kgs in the past 3 weeks since the beginning of my body-fat cut. Carbs aren't bad.
Keep in mind I only rarely eat junk food with 'bad' carbs as they are called by some, usually ice cream, very rarely. Even then I keep it within my calorie goals for the day. I always ensure to have at least 150g protein per day, too. That number's usually around 200g though.

masterofktulu

To me it seems more leaned against eating the bad carbs like refined sugars, or unhealthy wheat products like white bread tons of white rice, big portions of unhealthy pasta and bagels and stuff. I eat a lot of carbs but they are the good ones and I have had consistent loss and feel great

ElPumaMex

I had fell off the wagon for a while, but am back on now and exercising regularly. My question is, should I be limiting my carbs to a certain amount? I've heard other people tell me about limiting carbs to 30g a day, but this just dosen't seem do-able on a daily basis. Thoughts?

Instead of a specific number of grams, I recommend you go for a percentage of your target daily cals.

For example, my goal is 45% Carbs, so at 1830 cals that is 824 cals for Carbs.
Each gram of Carb is 4 calories, as I am sure you know, so that comes up for me as 206 grams of Carbs.

Arkie_Ali

Thanks guys! I don't have a medical need, I was just wondering as a general diet rule. This helps a lot!

salxtai

In the simplest way possible:
Cal in < cal out = weight loss

what you do with macros in that regard is irrelevant, provided they don't send you over calorie limit.

From a more refined point of view,
Carbs = supply brain, muscles with glycogen. This is the more effective energy for it to use. High GI food will burn through faster and give bigger insluin spikes (ie. the tiredness you feel after a meal), low GI burn slower and don't cause a big spike/change in blood sugar levels.
Fats = Good fats help to lower cholesterol, bad fats clog arteries. Not used preferentially as an energy source unless the body in is in ketosis (low glycogen availability) this is the basis of the paleo diet.
Proteins = longer to digest, keep you full longer. basic building block of muscle.


A mixed diet that hits all those macros is what you should aim for, exception being if you have other medical conditions (Crohns, diabetes etc), where in which case you need to fiddle with them - get medical advice for this.

My diary's public if you want to have a look at how macros vs. calories break down in a non-restricted diet.
I eat what I want macro-wise, and just keep close to my limit as possible.

TinkrBelz

I do around 100-120 carbs per day. And I do around 150-200 of protein per day.

This seems to work for me and it is a lot easier to manage than when I was trying to stay under 50.

Anomalia

I don't have the will power to keep my carbs that low!

solpwr

Lots of great information to read here:
Www.dietaryguidelines.gov

RachelsReboot

Lots of great information to read here:
Www.dietaryguidelines.gov

Ummm yeah the US gov dietary guide lines, I'd think long and hard about letting the government tell you how you should be eating.

akiramezu

I've done it in the past, where i've had less then 10 g carb a day, 3-4 times a week.
Infact i'm doing it today, and if you have the will power to do it, then go for it, if not
don't even bother, because you'll end up binge eating

atjays

This is great advice. 30g carbs a day is VERY low and you will find it hard to stick to that... so why set yourself up to fail?

Not only that but the withdrawls can be down right terrible. I went atkins diet last year, zero carbs . I was one miserable person for about 5 days, my body hated me. After that though, it was fine. I wouldn't recommend exercising on a low carb diet, but you will drop a few pounds quickly. Ultimately it's not sustainable long term and really the only people that should be using it are for medical reasons.

akiramezu

This is great advice. 30g carbs a day is VERY low and you will find it hard to stick to that... so why set yourself up to fail?

Not only that but the withdrawls can be down right terrible. I went atkins diet last year, zero carbs . I was one miserable person for about 5 days, my body hated me. After that though, it was fine. I wouldn't recommend exercising on a low carb diet, but you will drop a few pounds quickly. Ultimately it's not sustainable long term and really the only people that should be using it are for medical reasons.

And athletes such as myself who try to cut weight as fast as possible before weigh ins. =]

DulceDollie

I started eating around 25 NET carbs a day on January 5th of this year. I've lost 30 lbs as a result and I find it very do-able. AND I'm vegetarian, so I don't use meat as a food option. It's an adjustment at first but gets much easier as you go along. Other people might disagree but it's what's been most effective for me, and it's the healthiest I've ever eaten in my life. Before, I filled my day with sugars and empty carbs. I hardly got any protein, healthy fats or vegetables. You'd be surprised at what you are capable of. Anyway, that's just my opinion. Good luck.

skywa

30 g of carbs a day? how do they even survive?! Dx

Helloitsdan

I started eating around 25 NET carbs a day on January 5th of this year. I've lost 30 lbs as a result and I find it very do-able. AND I'm vegetarian, so I don't use meat as a food option. It's an adjustment at first but gets much easier as you go along. Other people might disagree but it's what's been most effective for me, and it's the healthiest I've ever eaten in my life. Before, I filled my day with sugars and empty carbs. I hardly got any protein, healthy fats or vegetables. You'd be surprised at what you are capable of. Anyway, that's just my opinion. Good luck.

How has your body fat% changed in comparison to your lean mass?

If it hasnt you may have failed.....

BrianSharpe

Maybe they meant 30% of your calories from carbs (which is still a little low).

Carbs are not your enemy, you need them for normal day-to-day functioning (your brain runs almost exclusively on carbs).

athensguy

Lots of great information to read here:
Www.dietaryguidelines.gov

Ummm yeah the US gov dietary guide lines, I'd think long and hard about letting the government tell you how you should be eating.

Their recommendations are reasonable and based on research. I'd think longer and harder about believing some low-carb diet being pitched on a message board or in a book written for profit motives.

Zichu

I think trying to go on low carb diets aren't the best idea for losing weight. If you can keep it up for the rest of your life, than great, but if you can't you will just gain the weight back. You need the energy for every day activities, chores and such.

If you have to do this for medical reasons, then do it, but if you don't, why bother struggling through a diet when you could have everything in moderation for the rest of your life. You would need a little of willpower to keep up a low carb diet for the rest of your life. To be honest, you really shouldn't be looking for diets, you should be looking a change in life. I was reading the newspaper today and saw an article about a woman who has tried 61 different diets from the age of 16 till now, she's 45 and she keeps losing weight, putting more weight on. She can't stick to a diet because really, diet's don't work for the long run. I don't think many people can handle a weight loss diet long term, so they tend to drop it because it's boring or too hard and just put weight back on.

Just eat your carbs, protein, fat and enjoy life. Everything in moderation is the key to weight loss, health and a happier life.

dinosnopro

Macronutrient NeedsOnce you work out calorie needs, you then work out how much of each macronutrient you should aim for. This is one of the areas that is MOST often confused but This should NOT be based on a RATIO of macro intakes. (eg: '30:40:30 or 40:40:20') Your body doesn't CARE what % intake you have. It works based on SUFFICIENT QUANTITY per MASS.

So to try to make it as simple as possible:
1. Protein: Believe it or not - Protein intake is a bit of a controversial issue. In this, the general recommendations given in the 'bodybuilding' area are nearly double the 'standard' recommendations given in the Sports Nutrition Arena.
The GENERAL sports nutrition guideline based on clinical trials suggest that in the face of ADEQUATE calories and CARBS the following protein intakes are sufficient:
STRENGTH training -> 1.2 to 1.6g per KG bodyweight (about .6 / pound)
ENDURANCE training -> 1.4 to 1.8g per KG bodyweight (about .8 / pound)
ADOLESCENT in training -> 1.8 to 2.2g per KG bodyweight (about 1g / pound)
BUT researchers acknowledge that protein becomes MORE important in the context of LOWER calorie intakes, or LOWER carb intakes.
Recent evidence also suggests that protein intakes of 3g/kg help with physiological and psychological stressors associated with high volume or intense training

It is important to note that ADEQUATE v's OPTIMAL is not discussed. And one also needs to consider thermogenics/ satiety/ and personal preference.

General 'bodybuilding' guidelines for protein would be as follows:
- Moderate bodyfat = 1-1.33g per pound TOTAL weight [or ~ 1.25g/pound lean mass if bodyfat known]
- Very Low bodyfat or Very Low Calorie = 1.25 - 1.75g per TOTAL weight [or ~ 1.35 - 2g/pound of lean mass]
- Very HIGH bodyfat, Inactive, = 0.8 to 1g per TOTAL weight [or ~ 1 x LEAN mass]
Anecdotally, most find these HIGHER protein intake better for satiety, partitioning, and blood sugar control. So UNLESS you are specifically guided to use the GENERAL sports nutrition guidelines, I would suggest the BODYBUILDING values.


2. Fats: Generally speaking, although the body can get away with short periods of very low fat, in the long run your body NEEDS fat to maintain general health, satiety, and sanity. Additionally - any form of high intensity training will benefit from a 'fat buffer' in your diet - which acts to control free radical damage and inflammation. General guides:
Average or lean bodyfat: 1 - 2g fat/ kg body weight [between 0.40 - 1g total weight/ pounds]
High bodyfat: 1-2g fat/ LEAN weight [between 0.4 - 1g LEAN weight/ pounds]
IF low calorie dieting - you can decrease further, but as a minimum, I would not suggest LESS than about 0.30g/ pound.
Note 1: Total fat intake is NOT the same as 'essential fats' (essential fats are specific TYPES of fats that are INCLUDED in your total fat intake)...


3. Carbs: For carbs there are no specific 'requirements' for your body so - but carbs are important for athletes, HIGHLY ACTIVE individuals, or those trying to GAIN MASS. [carbs help with workout intensity, health, & satiety (+ sanity)].
If you are an athlete involved in a good volume of training I would suggest you CALCULATE a requirement for carbs as a PRIORITY - then go back and calculate protein / fat:
Moderately active: 4.5 - 6.5 g/ kg (about 2 - 3g/ pound)
High active: 6.5 - 8.5 g/ kg (about 3 - 4g/ pound)
INTENSE activity: + 8.5g / kg (more than 4g/ pound)

For 'other folk' - to calculate your carbohydrate intake you simply use it to fill in the calories left over from fats/ protein:
carb calories = Total calorie needs - ([protein grams as above x 4] + [fat grams as above x 9])
carbs in grams = above total/ 4

this is part of this post at bodybuilding .com, it gives a very good break down of macro numbers.
link to whole post

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981&page=1

zombilishious

Find what works for you, and definitely talk to your doctor. Everyone's different. I love carbs, but try to steer clear of anything except whole grains (with a snack like a fiber one brownie or a granola thin). I personally did the low carb thing, lost 65llbs, and gained almost all of it back. Because I'm trying to build lean muscle, increase endurance and burn fat, I stick to no more than 130 grams a day (striving for 110), and take in about 150g protein a day - from lean meats, a few nuts and a protein shake daily. I talked to my doctor before I started, and she's in agreement with it. I find I love the higher protein because I feel full, but I'm not sluggish the way I was when I did low carb - I have energy to get through my workouts.

caroline1991

I keep my net carbs below 30g a day but I don't find it particularly difficult. I think it's all about finding what works best for you. I'm sure I could lose weight eating more carbs per day but whenever I up my carb intake I go over the top and end up eating way too much. Plus I find myself feeling bloated whenever I eat large amounts of carbohydrates like bread or a bowl of rice.

lsapphire

Try basing your carb intake on an equivilant Diabetic program.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I limit my carbs bc I am pre-diabetic. I wouldn't limit them that much unless you have a medical reason. Or talk to your doctor and see what they suggest.

The body still needs carbs for energy.

There is NO biological need for carbs. We can survive and have plenty of energy merely eating protein and fat. Fat is also an energy provider.


To the OP, you will have to experiment and see what level of carbs (and different types of carbs) to see where you feel your best and are able to lose weight easily.

Personally for me, my carbs come from mostly vegetables and a bit of fruit. I no longer eat grains, legumes, lentils. I eat "some" nuts and seeds.

I try to stay away from any foods that are deemed to be inflammatory. I am more concerned about having great health than to be "skinny". I don't care what the scale says as long as I am healthy.

Sidesteal

I had fell off the wagon for a while, but am back on now and exercising regularly. My question is, should I be limiting my carbs to a certain amount? I've heard other people tell me about limiting carbs to 30g a day, but this just dosen't seem do-able on a daily basis. Thoughts?

People with insulin related problems such as diabetes will tend to do better on lower carb programs. Assuming normal insulin function, there's really no need to low-carb although it's certainly not harmful to do so.