Needing Help With Carb Amounts!

getabsbysummer
getabsbysummer Posts: 19 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I know this subject is probably talked about again, and again AND again, but I just wanted to get some realistic opinions on eating with your macros, particularly the carbs!

Formerly a South Beach AND Atkins yo-yo dieter, I have persevered like you have no idea to refrain from eliminating carbs from my diet. I know how easy it is to lose the weight, and fast, when you do low-carb, but it has always bounced back + some. So I've already lost weight with MFP, and I was following the carb amounts MFP gave me (50 or 55%). my amounts were about 200g per day with the amount of calories I was given. But my weight loss has stalled, and I'm debating on reducing my carb amount, but by how much?

I work a desk job sort of (I'm an EMT) and am sitting all the time, but I'm on my third round of insanity (6 days/week) plus I run 5km twice a week, and do 1-2 full-body weight lifting sessions per week. Some days to stay in my macros I'm even eating 230g of carbs! I eat 6 meals a day (300-400 cals each) every 2-3 hours.

So is carb amount effecting how my weight loss has stalled? And if I should reduce my goal on MFP, what's a good number to start with? (without turning into an Atkins dieter again)

Specs: 25 yrs/5"3"/183 pounds/hourglass

Replies

  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Carb intake has absolutely nothing to do with fat loss. All that matters for fat loss is total calorie intake. Setting proper macros is important. Adequate protein intake is important for muscle preservation during weight loss, or muscle building during weight gain. Adequate fat intake is important for hormone production, nutrient absorption, brain and organ function, as well as hair and skin health. It's best to calculate your fat and protein macro and just set the rest of your calories as carbs
  • getabsbysummer
    getabsbysummer Posts: 19 Member
    ok so if I'm plateauing then it has nothing to do with my carb intake? kus I'm under my daily caloric goal by a 100 (unless it is a rest day then I eat all 1200 I'm given)
  • roxigirl89
    roxigirl89 Posts: 39 Member
    I am not an expert here but shouldn't we change our exercise routine every 6 weeks? It looks like your body is use to amount of exercise you have been doing for so long. Another thing about Insanity - i tried it and it didn't work for me as i was gaining muscles. Usually i am ok about it but not when your jeans feel tight. Regarding carbs - 230g is quite huge number for me . Again, it can be ok for one person and may be too much for another.

    Something i read on line: A diet that is higher in carbohydrates will tend to result in higher water retention both inside and outside the muscle. When carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, they attach to a water molecule and are stored as glycogen in the muscle.
    Nearly every gram of glucose is stored with about 3 grams of water . Since the average person stores over 1000 grams of glycogen, that can result in several pounds of extra water weight.
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    ok so if I'm plateauing then it has nothing to do with my carb intake? kus I'm under my daily caloric goal by a 100 (unless it is a rest day then I eat all 1200 I'm given)

    So basically u eating under 1000 cals a day on average ?
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Why are you eating different calorie intakes on different days? Also, when you say rest days, what are you doing on exercise days? Strength training? Cardio? Both? You should not be eating so little. 1200 calories is absurdly low...
  • getabsbysummer
    getabsbysummer Posts: 19 Member
    No LOL...I love food too much to do that to myself, I should probably open my diary to public, not just friends, so you could see I am eating about 1800-2300 per day (2300 approx on days when I do cardio & weights)...but I usually just leave out 100 calories at the end of the day in case I under-estimated some food on MFP
  • getabsbysummer
    getabsbysummer Posts: 19 Member
    yes, the 5km runs twice a week I just added in about 2 weeks ago (training for 10k) and I'm using insanity to keep my cardio for days when I can't run outside, kus the treadmill just doesn't cut it.

    yah I read something like that too just now as I was browsing the net. 230g I think is way too much for the amount of time I sit at a desk (12 hrs day/14 days a month).
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    No LOL...I love food too much to do that to myself, I should probably open my diary to public, not just friends, so you could see I am eating about 1800-2300 per day (2300 approx on days when I do cardio & weights)...but I usually just leave out 100 calories at the end of the day in case I under-estimated some food on MFP

    I'd suggest you calculate your calorie intake using TDEE and calculate your macros, so that you'll be eating the same calorie intake everyday to stay more consistent instead of eating different calorie intakes on different days. Also, you should definitely be doing heavy weight lifting to failure to preserve muscle mass while losing fat.
  • creativerick
    creativerick Posts: 270 Member
    I eat alone zone principles of 40/30/30

    40 percent carbs.


    If you are stalling, 2-3 weeks of no weight loss, drop your calorie intake by 300 calories daily. All calorie intake calculations are estimates.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    I eat alone zone principles of 40/30/30

    40 percent carbs.


    If you are stalling, 2-3 weeks of no weight loss, drop your calorie intake by 300 calories daily. All calorie intake calculations are estimates.

    Your body does not work on percentages. Calculate macronutrient intake based on body weight, not some arbitrary percentage of your calorie intake...
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    I am not an expert here but shouldn't we change our exercise routine every 6 weeks? It looks like your body is use to amount of exercise you have been doing for so long. Another thing about Insanity - i tried it and it didn't work for me as i was gaining muscles. Usually i am ok about it but not when your jeans feel tight. Regarding carbs - 230g is quite huge number for me . Again, it can be ok for one person and may be too much for another.

    Something i read on line: A diet that is higher in carbohydrates will tend to result in higher water retention both inside and outside the muscle. When carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, they attach to a water molecule and are stored as glycogen in the muscle.
    Nearly every gram of glucose is stored with about 3 grams of water . Since the average person stores over 1000 grams of glycogen, that can result in several pounds of extra water weight.

    First off, if you were losing weight, you were not gaining muscle mass. Jeans tightening usually means you gained fat, it's doubtful that muscle mass increases lead to tightening jeans. Also, about the glycogen, unless you go low carb, your glycogen stores are going to be full most of the time, so water weight will not fluctuate very much at all. Also, fat loss is all that's important, don't get hung up on water weight from glycogen.
  • getabsbysummer
    getabsbysummer Posts: 19 Member
    No LOL...I love food too much to do that to myself, I should probably open my diary to public, not just friends, so you could see I am eating about 1800-2300 per day (2300 approx on days when I do cardio & weights)...but I usually just leave out 100 calories at the end of the day in case I under-estimated some food on MFP

    I'd suggest you calculate your calorie intake using TDEE and calculate your macros, so that you'll be eating the same calorie intake everyday to stay more consistent instead of eating different calorie intakes on different days. Also, you should definitely be doing heavy weight lifting to failure to preserve muscle mass while losing fat.

    oh, I've honestly never even heard of that. So I should try to eat the same amount everyday despite if I burn more on more days? I use a HRM to calculate burns, so I've been eating more in accordance with what I burn (hence that 500 calories flucuation).

    I checked a TDEE website and it's suggesting 2300...but If I want to lose weight, should I pick a number like 2000 or 2100 and eat that daily (except the rest day of course...which I take completely off)

    Currently my workout schedule is:
    THURS: Insanity + 5km run
    FRI: Insanity + 30 minutes of weights
    SAT: Insanity
    SUN: 5km run + 30 minutes of weights
    MON: Insanity
    TUES: Insanity
    WED: rest day
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    I eat alone zone principles of 40/30/30

    40 percent carbs.


    If you are stalling, 2-3 weeks of no weight loss, drop your calorie intake by 300 calories daily. All calorie intake calculations are estimates.

    Your body does not work on percentages. Calculate macronutrient intake based on body weight, not some arbitrary percentage of your calorie intake...

    Agreed

    Heres why

    Say I eat 3500 calories a day and I follow 30% protein . that equates to 263g protein . Way too much for my body weight I don't need that much protein ( same will go for most people) . Rather work on 0.85g-1g per pound for protein and 0.4g per pound body weight for fats , fill the rest in with carbs / fats / protein .

    That's the issue I find with percentages . They over do certain macro nutrients and its usually the protein
  • getabsbysummer
    getabsbysummer Posts: 19 Member
    I eat alone zone principles of 40/30/30

    40 percent carbs.


    If you are stalling, 2-3 weeks of no weight loss, drop your calorie intake by 300 calories daily. All calorie intake calculations are estimates.

    yes I have considered dropping it more than just 100 per day, and I heard 40/30/30 is good for most people...my only issue when I tried to do 40/30/30 once is that it was just way too much protein, and I got the "protein gas" if you know what I'm talking about :|
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    If it's saying your TDEE is 2300, then to lose weight, you want to eat at TDEE - 20% which would put you at 1840 calories, or if you'd prefer, you could do TDEE - 15% which puts you at 1955 calories. That should be your calorie intake every day regardless of your workout that day. Also you should calculate your macros. I would highly recommend starting heavy weight lifting
  • getabsbysummer
    getabsbysummer Posts: 19 Member
    If it's saying your TDEE is 2300, then to lose weight, you want to eat at TDEE - 20% which would put you at 1840 calories, or if you'd prefer, you could do TDEE - 15% which puts you at 1955 calories. That should be your calorie intake every day regardless of your workout that day. Also you should calculate your macros. I would highly recommend starting heavy weight lifting

    Been lifting as heavy as a can for the last two months, which did slow my weight loss (trading out fat for muscle obviously). But I had to cut down to 30 minutes for the last week and half kus I'm working night shift now.

    Thank you so much...honestly I never even considered trying a different formula...all I know is that 2300 calories of good food for some days was almost too much for me to eat!!

    I'll start doing this ASAP and I'll let you know how it goes :)

    calculating all my stuff right now.... *thumbs up*
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    If it's saying your TDEE is 2300, then to lose weight, you want to eat at TDEE - 20% which would put you at 1840 calories, or if you'd prefer, you could do TDEE - 15% which puts you at 1955 calories. That should be your calorie intake every day regardless of your workout that day. Also you should calculate your macros. I would highly recommend starting heavy weight lifting

    Been lifting as heavy as a can for the last two months, which did slow my weight loss (trading out fat for muscle obviously). But I had to cut down to 30 minutes for the last week and half kus I'm working night shift now.

    Thank you so much...honestly I never even considered trying a different formula...all I know is that 2300 calories of good food for some days was almost too much for me to eat!!

    I'll start doing this ASAP and I'll let you know how it goes :)

    calculating all my stuff right now.... *thumbs up*

    Yea no problem, just remember that with TDEE, you don't eat back any exercise calories. Your exercise has already been factored in so you eat the exact same calorie intake every day, whether that be TDEE - 20% or 15%

    Good luck :-)
  • getabsbysummer
    getabsbysummer Posts: 19 Member
    If it's saying your TDEE is 2300, then to lose weight, you want to eat at TDEE - 20% which would put you at 1840 calories, or if you'd prefer, you could do TDEE - 15% which puts you at 1955 calories. That should be your calorie intake every day regardless of your workout that day. Also you should calculate your macros. I would highly recommend starting heavy weight lifting

    Been lifting as heavy as a can for the last two months, which did slow my weight loss (trading out fat for muscle obviously). But I had to cut down to 30 minutes for the last week and half kus I'm working night shift now.

    Thank you so much...honestly I never even considered trying a different formula...all I know is that 2300 calories of good food for some days was almost too much for me to eat!!

    I'll start doing this ASAP and I'll let you know how it goes :)

    calculating all my stuff right now.... *thumbs up*

    Yea no problem, just remember that with TDEE, you don't eat back any exercise calories. Your exercise has already been factored in so you eat the exact same calorie intake every day, whether that be TDEE - 20% or 15%

    Good luck :-)

    Will do :D !
  • GiGiBeans
    GiGiBeans Posts: 1,062 Member
    You said: Been lifting as heavy as a can for the last two months, which did slow my weight loss (trading out fat for muscle obviously). But I had to cut down to 30 minutes for the last week and half kus I'm working night shift now.
    .....

    Just to be sure, how long has your stall been? If 2 weeks that could be your answer. I'd reduce 100 cals at a time until I start losing again if that's the case. As you lose weight you'll have to keep reducing to continue to lose more and I'm a fan of eating as much as possible to avoid having to eat child size portions down the road.

    If a month tho yeah shoot for 1900ish.
  • perrymick
    perrymick Posts: 79 Member
    If it's saying your TDEE is 2300, then to lose weight, you want to eat at TDEE - 20% which would put you at 1840 calories, or if you'd prefer, you could do TDEE - 15% which puts you at 1955 calories. That should be your calorie intake every day regardless of your workout that day. Also you should calculate your macros. I would highly recommend starting heavy weight lifting

    Been lifting as heavy as a can for the last two months, which did slow my weight loss (trading out fat for muscle obviously). But I had to cut down to 30 minutes for the last week and half kus I'm working night shift now.

    Thank you so much...honestly I never even considered trying a different formula...all I know is that 2300 calories of good food for some days was almost too much for me to eat!!

    I'll start doing this ASAP and I'll let you know how it goes :)

    calculating all my stuff right now.... *thumbs up*

    Yea no problem, just remember that with TDEE, you don't eat back any exercise calories. Your exercise has already been factored in so you eat the exact same calorie intake every day, whether that be TDEE - 20% or 15%

    Good luck :-)

    I work to TDEE -20% and I'm seeing steady weight loss, so think this is some good advice.
  • fitspo145
    fitspo145 Posts: 81
    This might be helpful to your purposes:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    I rounded up my protein and rounded down my carb intake (which is still 218g) although these are my macros for maintenance. Perhaps at TDEE-20% the formula will give you a lower recommended carb intake. :smile:

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