Welcome back and congratulations on getting more Real World stuff done

I am no expert (well, shut up then ...) but I understand that relatively low-level cardio will burn primarily fat for fuel and carbohydrate is only tapped into at higher intensities. So, if you are running at a decent clip then you will need to top the muscle glycogen stores, which can be done by, say, eating some fruit.

If I were just walking, even all day, then I would not change my carb intake as my body is getting energy from my fat stores, primarily. Having said that if I fancied an orange/apple/whatever I would have it as this is probably a sign my body needs some top-up and if you are exercising then your body is probably in good metabolic shape to deal with the fructose/whatever accordingly.

I don't think anyone got fat eating apples

It all depends on the exercise intensity and listening to the body I guess ... MFP will only look at the calories burnt and not how they have been burnt.

More intense exercise = More leeway would be my rule of thumb.

Yes!! THIS!

Let me say that when I do bootcamp, I die about 15 minutes in sometimes. When things get intense, I think some people would do better with a little bit more carbs. With this being said, I think I read somewhere that you should eat them within an hour of working out, and that they would be used up within your workout, therefore when you're done, you're still in ketosis.

I also aim for 50 or less a day - when i did lower than that, working out was pure hell. And you're doing much more intense working out than me. Why don't you try it? Eat your "extra" carbs an hour before and see if it makes a difference. Our bodies are like puzzles. I think no two are the same. I actually am going to toy with this, too. I am wondering if I eat a few berries before my workout if that would give me a little boost.

And I would have to disagree ever so slightly on no one got fat eating apples. Just be sure those apples don't bring back strong cravings for carbs! Then you're in trouble!

This article was kinda neat: http://getfitguy.quickanddirtytips.com/should-you-eat-carbohydrates-before-exercise.aspx

And I would have to disagree ever so slightly on no one got fat eating apples. Just be sure those apples don't bring back strong cravings for carbs! Then you're in trouble!

Folks with insulin resistance would have problems eating the majority of fruits that are available today. Personally speaking: my limit would be about 3oz of a grannysmith apple before I have the Insulin response that it causes....

Yeah, an apple leaves me starving 45 minutes to an hour after I eat one. Even if it's with a meal. I'll eat a slice occasionally (like a few times a year).

OP: if it's truly an orange you are craving and you feel you are vitamin-deficient, it could also be an electrolyte imbalance - oranges are high in potassium.

I scale my carb intake to my activity level so I cycle a bit, and try to get them from limited rice, sweet potatoes, and bananas (besides veggies), as this tends to result in better performance and less insulin response (I'm insulin resistant). DeadVim has a point, the type and intensity of the activity level somewhat dictates what energy pathway is used (I say somewhat, as it also depends on if you're a fat burner or sugar/carb burner and your fitness level/metabolism level and where you change from primarily burning fat to burning sugar). Lifting heavy + running lots of sprints + other power movements = a bit more carbs, for me, as these primarily use stored glycogen. So I try to eat to replace what I've burned and replace my stores, rather than a huge carb overload. My muscles and liver only hold so much!! (much less than the typical American diet..but I digress)

I'm not sure what kind of exercise you do primarily, if you are an endurance athlete or not - but Loren Corain wrote a book about the Paleo Diet for Athletes that is suited for low-carb endurance athletes (though I wish he would have mentioned that, it's not applicable to most team sports at all that use a mix of low and high intensity). It's for like marathoners/cyclists/tri-athletes, where your race lasts longer than an hour.

A fair point about the apples for those who are insulin resistant. I guess my comment about nobody getting fat was a bit throw-away. Can I change it to carrots?

Personally I think fruit is way overrated for weight management and I tend to avoid it. Berries are my choice if I'm going to have some, preferably from my garden to bypass whatever horrors supermarket fruit have in them.

Nope. Sorry. No can do. Even Carrots are on the hit list of "extreme moderation" for Insulin Resistant patients too! lol!!!!!

Darn that pesky starch.

I sort of knew this, I've become irrationally paranoid about the very little carrot in my supermarket salad mix.

Does "Nobody got fat eating leafy green vegetables" pass muster?

And I would have to disagree ever so slightly on no one got fat eating apples. Just be sure those apples don't bring back strong cravings for carbs! Then you're in trouble!

Folks with insulin resistance would have problems eating the majority of fruits that are available today. Personally speaking: my limit would be about 3oz of a grannysmith apple before I have the Insulin response that it causes....

I do hear from people - when they hear how I eat - "I can't live without my fruit." Mind blown. Probably because I've never been a big fruit eater though.

Does "Nobody got fat eating leafy green vegetables" pass muster?

Looks 'kosher' to me! LOL!

One of my co-workers eats fruit all.day.long. And then wonders why he can't lose any weight on Weight Watchers (because fruit is "free").

I try to eat mostly berries, but I'll try a bite or two of other fruits occasionally (it's easier for me to do fruit in moderation than say, cookies or ice cream! lol). And I agree with things tasting more sweet now - I can eat plain (FULL FAT) REAL greek yogurt with just some berries, and it's delicious. No sweetener needed. I do use some cinnamon (also supposed to help insulin sensitivity, woot!). That's dessert for me!

I don't seem to get much of a response from carrots, however I don't like them enough to eat much at a time of them. Unless they are cooked and smothered in butter! But even then, I prefer savory veggies to sweet (and they are very sweet to me when cooked).