I'm baaaaack! Need some help..
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beansNboo
Posts: 23 Member
Hi fellow low-carbers.
I was a big fan of low-carb (also low-ish fat and HIGH protein) diet for several years and had great success. However, I recently got swept away with the em2lw trend and have since "rounded out". I'm not happy with how my body looks, and (more importantly), I'm not happy with how my body feels. A meal of complex carbs causes my stomach to expand to the point where I look 6-months pregnant (I'm not). I would like to figure out a way to incorporate eating a little more (I dislike following calorie limits, I much prefer macros) while still maintaining a low-carb lifestyle.
I know all about low carb meal tricks/ cheat days/ ketosis, etc. What I'm curious about though, is how do I maintain a reasonably low carb diet while having enough energy for proper heavy lifting workouts? My stats: 5'5 female, 30 years old, hovering between 130-135. I noticed a HUGE change in my strength when I upped my cals, but now I'd like to tweak my diet to lower carbs, or perhaps eat carbs at most appropriate times relative to working out.
My current goals are 100 carbs, 30 fat, as much protein as possible. I used to average around 50-70 carbs on most days. Again though, looooow energy. (And I know many of you do the high fat thing. Just not for me. I tried it and had a real tough time with that. My body prefers 30-40 grams of fat/ day)
Thoughts? And thanks for any support...!
I was a big fan of low-carb (also low-ish fat and HIGH protein) diet for several years and had great success. However, I recently got swept away with the em2lw trend and have since "rounded out". I'm not happy with how my body looks, and (more importantly), I'm not happy with how my body feels. A meal of complex carbs causes my stomach to expand to the point where I look 6-months pregnant (I'm not). I would like to figure out a way to incorporate eating a little more (I dislike following calorie limits, I much prefer macros) while still maintaining a low-carb lifestyle.
I know all about low carb meal tricks/ cheat days/ ketosis, etc. What I'm curious about though, is how do I maintain a reasonably low carb diet while having enough energy for proper heavy lifting workouts? My stats: 5'5 female, 30 years old, hovering between 130-135. I noticed a HUGE change in my strength when I upped my cals, but now I'd like to tweak my diet to lower carbs, or perhaps eat carbs at most appropriate times relative to working out.
My current goals are 100 carbs, 30 fat, as much protein as possible. I used to average around 50-70 carbs on most days. Again though, looooow energy. (And I know many of you do the high fat thing. Just not for me. I tried it and had a real tough time with that. My body prefers 30-40 grams of fat/ day)
Thoughts? And thanks for any support...!
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Replies
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There is a subreddit called ketogains that is focused on low carb, while building lean body mass. I think you want info onTKD - Targeted Ketogenic Diet.
http://www.reddit.com/r/ketogains/
the right hand side var has a lot of material.0 -
Amazing! Thanks. I knew this was the place to come for help!
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I've also noticed my performance suffers when I don't eat as many carbs, it's a fine line to walk. My tips: I avoid grains and carbs come from bananas and sweet potatoes (and rice occasionally too, but the bananas and sweet potatoes have tons more nutrients. Rice is fairly nutrient-empty), and right after a heavy workout. Then the glycogen is more likely to go into my muscle cells, where they are hungry for energy, than my fat cells. I can get by on less than 100 carbs/day and lose, but yes, performance suffers. If I average right around 100g/day (more on heavy lift days, less on rest/cardio only days) I can lose; 100-150g/day performance is better, but weight stays the same or I just lose a lot slower. It kind of depends on where I am in my training schedule, my goals, etc. I also noticed I tended to eat more the day after a heavy lift session (not necessarily carbs, but definintely would want more protein!).`About 50% of my calories still came from fat; I aim for at least 100g protein/day and would go as high as 150+g on/the day after heavy lifts.
Best of luck figuring out what works for you! :flowerforyou:0 -
The trick to having plenty of energy on a low carb diet is to go very low, under 30 grams, so that your body burns energy from ketones rather than carbs. Keep your protein moderate and increase fat.
Check this discussion out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/951085-think-you-need-carbs-for-exercise-think-again0 -
The trick to having plenty of energy on a low carb diet is to go very low, under 30 grams, so that your body burns energy from ketones rather than carbs. Keep your protein moderate and increase fat.
Check this discussion out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/951085-think-you-need-carbs-for-exercise-think-again
Depends on the type of energy your activity requires - heavy weightlifting is way different than endurance running (referenced in the study linked above), and uses glycogen stores much more and much sooner (depending on weight/reps/sets used). But the better keto-adapted your body is, the longer/further you can go running on body fat, vs. glycogen for energy (and therefore don't need to consume as many carbs).
This explains what I mean: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/energy-metabolism-in-muscle0 -
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/cyclical_ketogenic_diet.htmThe trick to having plenty of energy on a low carb diet is to go very low, under 30 grams, so that your body burns energy from ketones rather than carbs. Keep your protein moderate and increase fat.
Check this discussion out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/951085-think-you-need-carbs-for-exercise-think-again
Depends on the type of energy your activity requires - heavy weightlifting is way different than endurance running (referenced in the study linked above), and uses glycogen stores much more and much sooner (depending on weight/reps/sets used). But the better keto-adapted your body is, the longer/further you can go running on body fat, vs. glycogen for energy (and therefore don't need to consume as many carbs).
This explains what I mean: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/energy-metabolism-in-muscle0
