low carb and exercise
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twilasue54
Posts: 42 Member
So do I need to have carbs before i exercise? does it matter if it is weight liftiing or aerobic? I have been having 50-100 grams a day of carbs, but I notice it has been hard the last couple of time i did any weight lifting and we are not talking heavy lifting. I have only lost 9 lbs and I have been trying to do low carb for about 6 weeks. Of that 9 lbs though I lost 5 doing weight watchers. I know I an not as consistent with the logging and I have had some days I didn't really watch the carbs that well. Do I Have to go into Ketosis to lose or is it enough stay low?
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I'm keto (less than 50g/day) and I don't notice any sluggishness or low energy. I'm not sure what the answer is but from my experience if you don' t log... there are a lot of hidden carbs AND calories in many foods. I eat about 1800/day and aim to keep the carbs low but that's not so I can lose weight, it's so my cravings for sugary foods don't come back. I'm pretty sure you can't escape the fact that a calorie deficit is going to get your weight off. Not logging is a good way to underestimate your numbers! Good luck
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I've noticed the same thing - my performance suffers if I lower my carbs, but I have to lower my carbs to lose. So then it becomes a question of, which is more important at the time? Do you need to lift heavier weights/run faster/do whatever phyiscal activity better, or do you need to lose fat? It depends on my goal at the time. As much as I'd love to keep losing (I'm 5lb away from 100lb gone!), I also play rugby and need to keep my performance the best it can be. So I've settled for maintaining and not gaining in-season.0
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Thanks for the replies. I will try to get better at logging, and maybe eat something before i work out and see if that helps/0
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Yeah, you need to log.
No, you do not need to be in ketosis to lose fat.
You also shouldn't need to eat a bunch of carbs before you workout, unless you're running marathons or something of that nature.
I lift heavy, walk, and train with kettlebells. I stay around 60-70g carbs/day, mostly because I found I needed slightly more carbs when I started lifting heavy weights 3 x per week. Before that, I was training kettlebells and walking, and did ok with under 50g carbs/day.
I train fasted--so I haven't had anything to eat since dinner the night before. I have a cup of green tea (or coffee) and walk to the gym, lift for about 1.5 hrs, walk home. It's about 2.5-3 hrs with the walk and the gym time. Then I have my first meal. I don't have issues with energy or feeling weak at the gym, though I did initially. I think it took a little time to adjust and to figure out I needed a bit more carbohydrate.
I suggest just experimenting. Try different sorts of meals before your workouts and see what feels best to you. I tried eating a usual meal, waiting for it to settle a bit and then working out, also tried very small "meal" of just a protein shake and coffee. The shake/coffee worked ok, but the regular meal and waiting around did not.0 -
One important thing to know - "Carbohydrates are not necessary building blocks of other molecules, and the body can obtain all its energy from protein and fats." (that's straight from wikipedia with linked studies). Also from the same entry it says, "no carbohydrate is an essential nutrient in humans." That being said, in order to meet all of your nutritional needs you will need to consume food that has some carbs such as vegetables.
I was listening to a podcast the other day called, "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb show with Jimmy Moore" and there were two guest hosts Vinnie Tortorich and Anna Vocino. Vinnie Tortorich was talking about the way he trains people for marathons is to tell them not to go for the pastas, goo or sugary energy drinks, but to drink olive oil or eat cream cheese or olives. If you are interested in hearing more about what he has to say about it that part starts at about 37 minutes in to that episode. So it appears that even some hard core athletes can go on without carb loading. I would say different things work for different people, but I just wanted to mention this because I thought it was interesting and relevant to your question.0 -
Low carb can be a good option - but an extreme view can be negative. Fat/protein only diets are linked to many, many health problems so don't take it too far and make sure you are getting fats from healthy sources.
I personally have trouble exercising without some carbs beforehand. I eat 150-200g of carbs daily when I eat at 2000cals (high to you guys but a huge cut back from before for me). I think if you cut your carbs drastically and quickly, it is hard for your body to adjust. I used to have something like 350g a day but have slowly cut down, with my goal of under 150 a day ultimately.
You can maybe try having something with a small amount of carbs beforehand, like half a banana or half an apple perhaps?
edit: I have been losing steadily and am clearly no where near ketosis as I personally don't think it is healthy for your body - cutting out vegetables etc with all that good nutrients? no thanks. I would recommend lower carbs, just not to an extreme level.0 -
A person can be in keto while still eating a good bit of vegetables.0
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A person can be in keto while still eating a good bit of vegetables.
I am still yet to see any keto diaries that aren't full of bacon and processed meats, so please do prove me wrong if you know someone with a clean, healthy looking keto diary.0 -
I am still yet to see any keto diaries that aren't full of bacon and processed meats, so please do prove me wrong if you know someone with a clean, healthy looking keto diary.
Not sure if her diary is public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/2bmeagain12
I'll find you some more!! My activity level right now is higher than I can sustain on keto, so I'm not that low on carbs, but I know of "clean" keto'ers on here, for sure!0 -
I am still yet to see any keto diaries that aren't full of bacon and processed meats, so please do prove me wrong if you know someone with a clean, healthy looking keto diary.
Not sure if her diary is public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/2bmeagain12
I'll find you some more!! My activity level right now is higher than I can sustain on keto, so I'm not that low on carbs, but I know of "clean" keto'ers on here, for sure!
Another: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/Akimajuktuq
Sure, they both still eat bacon, but not like the ones you mean that eat a package a day!0 -
A person can be in keto while still eating a good bit of vegetables.
I am still yet to see any keto diaries that aren't full of bacon and processed meats, so please do prove me wrong if you know someone with a clean, healthy looking keto diary.
What specific nutrients are you concerned about people in keto not getting?
I feel like there's a stigma being perpetuated that if someone's in keto they must just eat bacon every day, avoid vegetables and not care about nutrients which is false for many. Not every ketoers diary is pure and perfect including myself for sure (and this is true for lots of people that follow a version of the standard American diet or as well), but I have seen many like myself actually eat much healthier and care way more about nutrition more than before. I respect that it's not for everyone, but I can say that this way of eating has greatly improved my life and my health. I do at least an hour of cardio every single day and I have so much more energy.
My diary so far today (I can stay in keto eating like this)
breakfast - half an avocado and cherry tomatoes
lunch - tuna with a bit of mayo
dinner - part of a low carb wrap (Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Square Lavash) with mozzarella cheese
snack - one serving of shelled pistachios0 -
I am still yet to see any keto diaries that aren't full of bacon and processed meats, so please do prove me wrong if you know someone with a clean, healthy looking keto diary.
Not sure if her diary is public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/2bmeagain12
I'll find you some more!! My activity level right now is higher than I can sustain on keto, so I'm not that low on carbs, but I know of "clean" keto'ers on here, for sure!
Another: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/Akimajuktuq
Sure, they both still eat bacon, but not like the ones you mean that eat a package a day!
Not an MFP'er (that I know of), but here's another:
http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/what-i-actually-eat0 -
I am still yet to see any keto diaries that aren't full of bacon and processed meats, so please do prove me wrong if you know someone with a clean, healthy looking keto diary.
I also suspect that we have very different ideas of what a "clean, healthy looking" diary is. I follow keto. I look at a diary with fruits and grains, and see unhealthy sugars. You'd probably look and see "clean and healthy". Obviously, we are coming from different perspectives and very different goals. Since my goal is to eat 70-75% of my calories from fat, my food selections are made to support that. Yes, that includes bacon. That's a "clean" food for me. Bananas and apples are not foods on my plan. If someone was frustrated at their weight loss had those items on their diary, those would be the first items I would suggest to be cut.0 -
For the original poster - you may want to check out the book "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance", which focuses on exercise for those following a LC lifestyle.0
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Bananas and apples are not foods on my plan. If someone was frustrated at their weight loss had those items on their diary, those would be the first items I would suggest to be cut.
I'm glad I finally found someone else who has problems with apples. I hate when I see apples suggested as "healthy", when their sugar profile (55% fructose) is the same as high fructose corn syrup! I don't eat them because I'm hungry again within 45 minutes, even if I have an apple with a meal.0 -
For the original poster - you may want to check out the book "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance", which focuses on exercise for those following a LC lifestyle.
This is an excellent book! I reference it often!0
