How many grams of carbs do you eat? I'm confused!
ShannonKirton
Posts: 304 Member
So going paleo was a pretty great idea and so far I feel awesome. The food is also great and I'm happy to say I've expanded my mind when it comes to trying new foods. My question is simple....how many grams of carbs do you eat in a regular day. I've read in a few places that you should try to keep your carbs under 100g which seems feasable, and this being my second week of paleo, I've done pretty well losing 2 pounds. In other forums while doing research however, I see people going as low as 20g of carbs and I wonder how they can still walk around! I work out 4 days a week and my workouts tend to be relatively intense. Advice please, cause I'm totally confused!!
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I use the recommendations and calculator from this:
http://eattoperform.com/2013/03/17/how-crossfit-athletes-should-do-a-calorie-deficit/
I've found that more carbs (especially at night or pre-wo) makes for better energy :happy: I used to stay under 100, but now I go for more like 150. For reference, I am 5'-2", female, 130lbs and I crossfit 4 days/week.0 -
Is that link specific to crossfit athletes though? I don't do crossfit but my classes at the gym and my personal workouts still work up quite the sweat!0
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I think it could be applied to any intense training.0
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Ok great. Thanks for the link. So far it seems to recommend 150g of carbs for heavy trainers, so right now I'll try to stick around the 100g mark give or take a few grams in either direction. I'm still looking to lose weight and reach my ideal weight which is probably around the 150lb mark or so, but not sure.
This is also still a relatively new journey (paleo) for me, and I'm still in the "figure it out" stage.
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I am between 50g and 100g every day... I think your goals are looking good!0
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Thanks Having just used the calculator SnicciFit provided the link to, it recommends the same 100g that I'm aiming for now. 0
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I don't worry about it too much. Primarily because it is hard to get over 100 grams if you only eat veggies, nuts and berries.0
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It really can be a personal thing and an evolving thing. Early on, going low carb is difficult for most. I started out 100-150 - I am now easily able to go to 20g in a day and I have a TON of energy. I workout 5x a week very intense and prefer to burn my fat in workouts rather than glucose from carbs.
This does require a person to have become fat adapted though and I don't recommend it early on. In the end sometimes higher carbs is better, but depending on your personal insulin sensitivity , you may need to be 50g or so to really get traction. It just depends is the real answer.0 -
I try to keep mine between 60-80 grams but don't feel bad going higher on strenuous workout days. I try to have any fruit that I'm eating that day either before or right after my workout though.0
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I do around 110 grams of carbs, i eat about 2200 calories0
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I have my macros set to 20% carb 40% protein 40% fat. It seems to be working pretty well. That tends to come out around 100-120g carbs a day (from veg/fruit - i love my bananas) on about 1800-2000 cals/day. I train 6 days a week. See how you go on 100g. I found when I went higher it had no positive effects on my energy for running or working out, but I think it's a very individual thing and may vary day to day even for one person. Sometimes I need to eat before I work out or I bomb-out energy wise. Good luck 0
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I use the recommendations and calculator from this:
http://eattoperform.com/2013/03/17/how-crossfit-athletes-should-do-a-calorie-deficit/
I've found that more carbs (especially at night or pre-wo) makes for better energy :happy: I used to stay under 100, but now I go for more like 150. For reference, I am 5'-2", female, 130lbs and I crossfit 4 days/week.
How does this apply to a crossfitter who needs to drop 40/50lbs of fat, as well as wanting to be stronger/fitter?0 -
For weight loss, you carbs should be between 50-100g per day. 100-150g is maintenance.0
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I'm juggling my desire to improve performance at CF/weight lifting and my desire to lose weight and come off my bG meds (i'm t2 diabetic and still have a good 50 or more lb. to lose). Right now I've chosen to sacrifice some performance gains and focus on weight loss/tighter bG control. That means I'm eating lower-carb than my CF trainers would like; my goal is <50/day but it usually averages out to <100.0
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100-150 should be good for the days you work out. Under 100 is fine for days you are less active.
I was a little carelessly low carb for a bit then tried some heavy squats and was fatigued 2 sets it. I realized i was already out of glycogen. Since I've been more mindfull of getting over 50 grams of carbs my workouts are going better.0 -
Thank you all for your advice. Most days I will try to stay under 100g as mentioned so that I can still lose weight. Once I am happy with a certain size and number I will up the carbs a little so I can maintain. Everyone's advice has helped me a lot as I was pretty confused and worried that I was not on the right track. Thanks for your guidance
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I use the recommendations and calculator from this:
http://eattoperform.com/2013/03/17/how-crossfit-athletes-should-do-a-calorie-deficit/
I've found that more carbs (especially at night or pre-wo) makes for better energy :happy: I used to stay under 100, but now I go for more like 150. For reference, I am 5'-2", female, 130lbs and I crossfit 4 days/week.
That link was really useful to me, thank you. I was always under the impression that I was not eating enough calories despite what MFP 'recommends'.0 -
Thanks everyone, that was really useful info! I find it pretty easy to stay under 100g carbs for the day as I only really have high carb veggies with lunch.0
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I do 85g or less per day of carbs. More than that and I can't stop eating! I'm an endurance athlete (marathon runner trying to get into triathlons) and haven't had an issue with the lower carbs.0
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I try to keep mine under 75 per day and that seems to work the best for me.0
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I use the recommendations and calculator from this:
http://eattoperform.com/2013/03/17/how-crossfit-athletes-should-do-a-calorie-deficit/
I've found that more carbs (especially at night or pre-wo) makes for better energy :happy: I used to stay under 100, but now I go for more like 150. For reference, I am 5'-2", female, 130lbs and I crossfit 4 days/week.
How does this apply to a crossfitter who needs to drop 40/50lbs of fat, as well as wanting to be stronger/fitter?
They talk about that in the article. You should do a 10% deficit (that is an option in the calculator) if you have been restricting calories and slowly work your way up to eating to your TDEE.0 -
Since no one has really put a source out there other than the CrossFit one -
Most of the numbers here are based on Mark Sisson's "Carb Curve," which states:
- anything under 50g is "rapid weight loss" (and it's not generally recommended to stay here long, though it can be done if you know what you're doing), it's also into keto mode. (Ketosis - the state in which your body starts producing ketones as an alternative fuel to sugar. Not to be confused with the rare, but potentially deadly state of ketoacidosis.)
- 50g-100g is the "weight loss sweet spot," where most people do well with losing weight in this zone. You'll probably naturally fall here if your carbs are coming from non-starchy veggies and moderate low-sugar fruit (potatoes and their ilk can jack it up quick, though, so keep that in mind)
- 100g-150g is the "maintenance zone". If you're active and maintaining weight, you can probably sit comfortably in here somewhere with no ill effects. (Doesn't mean you have to, though, so if you're at or close to maintenance, you don't have to feel pressured to up your carbs.)
- 150g-300g is the "weight gain zone". If you eat in here, you'll likely gain weight. You're pretty much guaranteed to if you're sedentary. Endurance athletes might be able to sit on the lower end here without ill effects, but not most people.
- 300g+ is the "danger zone". On a regular basis, not even endurance athletes can really counter the effects this many carbs can have on the body, yet this is where most people on the SAD, even healthy versions, sit (in no small part thanks to the Food Pyramid's recommendation of 6-11 servings of grains per day, plus fruits and veggies; the grains alone can get you pushing 250g, add in 5 servings of fruits and veggies and you're looking at 350g+).
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/#axzz2YrMr4UoE
If you haven't already, check out Primal Blueprint, Mark's Daily Apple, and the "Recommended Reading" post that's floating around on this forum.0 -
I too would recommend using Mark Sisson's book as a guide. But in addition to that, listen to your own body. On days where I do cardio in addition to strength training I need more carbs. I can tell when I haven't had enough based on my energy levels and how quickly they recover. Guidelines are great, but your body has ways of telling you what you need if you listen.
I believe even Mark mentions that carbs should be adjusted based on activity level. For example, on active days you might be closer to the higher end of a range, on less active days on the lower end, etc.0
