Low carb macros for an active lifestyle

ElliieMental

I know you aren't all huge fans of the low carb lifestyle but I know for sure that eating that way keeps my cravings at bay and my weight in check.

However, I've lost 17 pounds now without doing any activity apart from walking to work and back and i've now rejoined my old gym - I'm so in love with their class time table that I can see myself being way more active than is my "big plan".

I want to change my macros from C5% / P35% / F65% to a higher carb level to account for my working out but I still want to keep it "low carb". Can anyone advise me if I raise my carbs slowly by 5% at a time - should I take that 5% from the protein or the fat? And also how far can I take this? How high can "low carb" go before it's no longer "low" ? Does increase the carbs beyond a certain point make the high fat loop hole obsolete? I know after a certain point it won't be "ketogenic" but this time i've been eating HFLC I've noticed my appetite shrink so much and my body is already leaner. I'm still very overweight though and have a sedentary job (for reference).

I would be sooooooo grateful for any help ..........

Natihilator

Can anyone advise me if I raise my carbs slowly by 5% at a time - should I take that 5% from the protein or the fat?

I'm no expert but it makes sense to me to take it from the fat.

ElliieMental

Can anyone advise me if I raise my carbs slowly by 5% at a time - should I take that 5% from the protein or the fat?

I'm no expert but it makes sense to me to take it from the fat.

It seems logical doesn't it? But this diet makes you look at your macros in a different way - protein has to stay moderate or else you can stall - but this is pushing outside my current diets boundaries so I'm not sure of the rules any more :huh:

PaleoPath4Lyfe

As you raise your carb level, fat level goes down. Low carb, low fat will result in hunger and high carb, high fat will result in weight gain and possibly inflammation.

Depending on how active you are should dictate your carb level.

ElliieMental

As you raise your carb level, fat level goes down. Low carb, low fat will result in hunger and high carb, high fat will result in weight gain and possibly inflammation.

Depending on how active you are should dictate your carb level.

That's really helpful thank you! So does protein always stay around 35%?

Shadowknight137

Just make sure you get 1g of protein per lb of body weight. That wil make up your protein percentage, whatever that may be.

From there get at least 0.5 grams of fat per lb of bodyweight, and fill in the remaining calories with whatever you like - in your case, more fat, less carbs. It's stupid to run off percentages, here.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

As you raise your carb level, fat level goes down. Low carb, low fat will result in hunger and high carb, high fat will result in weight gain and possibly inflammation.

Depending on how active you are should dictate your carb level.

That's really helpful thank you! So does protein always stay around 35%?

That sounds about right. 35% will roughly give you the 1 gram per lb of lean body mass. So as your weight goes down, the number of grams of protein will drop, but the percentage will remain constant.

ElliieMental

Just make sure you get 1g of protein per lb of body weight. That wil make up your protein percentage, whatever that may be.

From there get at least 0.5 grams of fat per lb of bodyweight, and fill in the remaining calories with whatever you like - in your case, more fat, less carbs. It's stupid to run off percentages, here.

That seems a lot of protein for my body weight? What's this rule based on?

ElliieMental

As you raise your carb level, fat level goes down. Low carb, low fat will result in hunger and high carb, high fat will result in weight gain and possibly inflammation.

Depending on how active you are should dictate your carb level.

That's really helpful thank you! So does protein always stay around 35%?

That sounds about right. 35% will roughly give you the 1 gram per lb of lean body mass. So as your weight goes down, the number of grams of protein will drop, but the percentage will remain constant.

1lb lean body mass seems more logical than my actual body mass lol. I'm 230 lbs and currently eating about 81g protein?

I'm a bit confused!

smileyyogini

Im not an expert on this...but since you will be more active you will also want more calories...I would just ad a carby/balanced snack before and a little carb right after your workouts. The rest of the day I would eat much like you have been.

Acg67

As you raise your carb level, fat level goes down. Low carb, low fat will result in hunger and high carb, high fat will result in weight gain and possibly inflammation.

Depending on how active you are should dictate your carb level.

Weight gain is dictated by calorie intake, simply consuming a high cho/fat diet while in a caloric deficit would not result in weight gain, except for people living in the cho/insulin is evil fantasy world

As for the original question, it depends on how active you are and how well you want to perform in your activities, low carb is not optimal for athletic performance despite some of the ignorance you may here from the low carb crowd that fat is the preferred fuel of choice

ElliieMental

As you raise your carb level, fat level goes down. Low carb, low fat will result in hunger and high carb, high fat will result in weight gain and possibly inflammation.

Depending on how active you are should dictate your carb level.

Weight gain is dictated by calorie intake, simply consuming a high cho/fat diet while in a caloric deficit would not result in weight gain, except for people living in the cho/insulin is evil fantasy world

As for the original question, it depends on how active you are and how well you want to perform in your activities, low carb is not optimal for athletic performance despite some of the ignorance you may here from the low carb crowd that fat is the preferred fuel of choice

Please don't misunderstand me, I know fat is NOT the preferred energy source but that's kind of the point. I have eaten a calorie deficit and led an active lifestyle and not lost any weight. It was a personal trainer that alterted me to the fact that even on "good days" my carbs were way too high. I think maybe you are generalising for a certain body type and metabolism as we are all different. You probably enjoy plenty of carbs, good work outs and a lean body - that's great for you but we aren't all so lucky,. I'm an endopmorph and there is no hiding from the fact - there is no disillusion in that mate..

ElliieMental

Im not an expert on this...but since you will be more active you will also want more calories...I would just ad a carby/balanced snack before and a little carb right after your workouts. The rest of the day I would eat much like you have been.

This is good advice thank you - i had planned on eating the extra carbs right before work outs for better performance - such as having milk in my protein shakes for example....

Acg67

As you raise your carb level, fat level goes down. Low carb, low fat will result in hunger and high carb, high fat will result in weight gain and possibly inflammation.

Depending on how active you are should dictate your carb level.

Weight gain is dictated by calorie intake, simply consuming a high cho/fat diet while in a caloric deficit would not result in weight gain, except for people living in the cho/insulin is evil fantasy world

As for the original question, it depends on how active you are and how well you want to perform in your activities, low carb is not optimal for athletic performance despite some of the ignorance you may here from the low carb crowd that fat is the preferred fuel of choice

Please don't misunderstand me, I know fat is NOT the preferred energy source but that's kind of the point. I have eaten a calorie deficit and led an active lifestyle and not lost any weight. It was a personal trainer that alterted me to the fact that even on "good days" my carbs were way too high. I think maybe you are generalising for a certain body type and metabolism as we are all different. You probably enjoy plenty of carbs, good work outs and a lean body - that's great for you but we aren't all so lucky,. I'm an endopmorph and there is no hiding from the fact - there is no disillusion in that mate..

Somatotypes are voodoo nonsense, so it is not a fact you are an "endomorph".

Have you read Atlas of Men: A Guide for Somatotyping the Adult Male at All Ages, which is where somatotypes were laid out? Do tell after reading that book you figured out you were an "endomorph"

ElliieMental

As you raise your carb level, fat level goes down. Low carb, low fat will result in hunger and high carb, high fat will result in weight gain and possibly inflammation.

Depending on how active you are should dictate your carb level.

Weight gain is dictated by calorie intake, simply consuming a high cho/fat diet while in a caloric deficit would not result in weight gain, except for people living in the cho/insulin is evil fantasy world

As for the original question, it depends on how active you are and how well you want to perform in your activities, low carb is not optimal for athletic performance despite some of the ignorance you may here from the low carb crowd that fat is the preferred fuel of choice

Please don't misunderstand me, I know fat is NOT the preferred energy source but that's kind of the point. I have eaten a calorie deficit and led an active lifestyle and not lost any weight. It was a personal trainer that alterted me to the fact that even on "good days" my carbs were way too high. I think maybe you are generalising for a certain body type and metabolism as we are all different. You probably enjoy plenty of carbs, good work outs and a lean body - that's great for you but we aren't all so lucky,. I'm an endopmorph and there is no hiding from the fact - there is no disillusion in that mate..

Somatotypes are voodoo nonsense, so it is not a fact you are an "endomorph".

Have you read Atlas of Men: A Guide for Somatotyping the Adult Male at All Ages, which is where somatotypes were laid out? Do tell after reading that book you figured out you were an "endomorph"

Where's the Atlas of WOMAN?? i might read that I didn't get the info from a book more from body building websites but it seems to make sense to me as some regimes have just NOT work - cals in vs out is too simplistic approach , it works for some yes but not all. My dad is 70 yrs old and severely obese but eats like a bird, all carbs of course but his cals are low. I'm sure it's a genetic resistance to insulin - my mother is also type 2 diabetic which she has controlled with diet. Lowish carb of course....

I appreciate all your comments don't get me wrong - I'm all for learning, from every angle. But your argument is not as convincing as the research I've read....

Firefox7275

Take your carb intake up high enough that you are not having to restrict the amount and range of produce you eat - this is critical to supply all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants you need for long term optimum wellbeing and recovery from your workouts. There is convincing research linking positive health outcomes to hundreds of grams of produce per day - by all means choose the low sugar, low starch stuff.

Also ensure you get plenty of soluble and insoluble fibre and minerals - I quick run through your diet and I see and abundance of processed foods, where are the nuts, seeds or dark green vegetables to replace the wholegrains, beans and lentils you are avoiding? How do you propose to replace the minerals you will be sweating out through increased exercise? Nutrition is about far more than macros, healthy weight management diet is far more about what you add in to your diet than take out.

There's plenty of unscientific rubbish written on bodybuilding and 'nutrition' websites, stick with published research, proper textbooks or at least books that review and reference ALL the research don't cherry pick to suit their angle.

Bakkasan

Definitely take from the fat as you raise carbs back. As much as I support LC, I wouldn't avoid any vegetables, even taters. I do however make choices based on glycymic impact just because it works for me.

katevarner

Um, if 35% of your calories is only 325 calories, you aren't eating enough. 1g of protein per lb. of lean body mass if you are trying to maintain your LBM. Replace some of your fats with carbs, particularly fruits and veggies, but dairy is good, too, altho it's certainly not all carbs.

Lower carb has always worked for me, and I kept my carbs around 100-125g while I was trying to lose this time.

Graelwyn75

Just add in some fruits, veggies and quinoa/sweet potatoes, healthy sources of carbs and you will be fine.

ElliieMental

Its true, veggies are my downfall but that's not the low carb diet that causes this, i would eat just as few (if not fewer) vegetables if i was eating any other diet.


It is something i am working on - today isnt the best example to judge my diet by :laugh:

ElliieMental

Definitely take from the fat as you raise carbs back. As much as I support LC, I wouldn't avoid any vegetables, even taters. I do however make choices based on glycymic impact just because it works for me.

I have a book about GI which I am getting around to reading ...... a colleague of mine lives by it religiously and she works out like a machine!! It's something I am going to try and work towards ...