To have Carbs or not to have Carbs :S Please help.

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ChenSTA87
ChenSTA87 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there. My trainer says that the best way to loose body fat and gain muscle is to have less carbs, at least half if not more less.

I really want to have a more fat free waist line. Is his claim true and healthy for me? Should I consume more carb and just loose fat at a slower consistant pace or consume far less carb and loose fat at a faster pace?

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  • Healthyby30
    Healthyby30 Posts: 1,349 Member
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    The thing about being restrictive is, when you stop restricting whatever it is, you will gain the weight back. Only change things that you can live with for the rest of your life. Eat carbs but eat healthy carbs. Fruits, veggies, whole grain pastas, breads, quinoa, brown rice..things like that. Remember this is not a diet but a lifestyle.
  • chacaruso
    chacaruso Posts: 261 Member
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    You need a balance of protein/carbs and fat. All things in moderation. Stay within your calorie count and just try to add a protein at all meals. That should work.
  • heyzoos
    heyzoos Posts: 21
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    Your trainer is typically right, when his client eats mostly carbs and not particularly good ones. Is this true for you? Even if you ate nothing but carbs under your calorie limit you would lose weight, but that would include lean body matter as well (muscle, bone, organs). Eating a higher proportion of protein should preserve more of your muscle, in theory.
  • alantin
    alantin Posts: 621 Member
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    I used the Finnish Olympic Committee's guide for athletes for my macronutrient goals which are:

    Carbs: 60%
    Protein: 15%
    Fat: 25%

    (Note. This won't work if you are on a low calorie diet. Then you need to tweak it a little to get enough protein!)

    They had a very detailed explanation for this balance and how it helps maximize performance by providing you muscles with enough glycogen and fatty acids for energy and protein for building blocks.

    What weight trainers usually maintain is that the more protein you get the better, but an interesting point I read was that If you train with insufficient glycogen (carbs) reserves, your body begins to break down muscle protein for quick energy , which is pretty counter productive.. The truth is that eating excessive amounts of protein provides no benefit that the studies can show. In fact, it can actually damage your liver in the long run. Carbs are the main source of energy when exercising and you should favor complex or slow carbohydrates.

    About 0.8 - 1.0 g of protein per a kilogram of your weight is enough to cover your protein need.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Based on the research, it doesn't matter if you chose a low carb plan or a high carb plan. Both lose about the same amount of weight in a 6 month period. But, like was previously stated the only way to keep the weight off is to chose a plan that works for you for the rest of your life. It's not a "diet" its a lifestyle of eating to maintain health. As for what is healthiest for the body, eat your carbs. Carbohydrate in the form of glucose is the only source of fuel for the brain. If you don't eat your carbs, then the body will be forced to convert fat or protein to glucose. The body doesn't like to do anything with fat except store it, so your protein gets used to make glucose to fuel the brain. After that, then your body has to convert more protein to glucose in order to start the production of ATP (the body's actual fuel source) through glycolysis (carb burning) before it can get to the krebs cycle and electron transport chain where fat is burned to produce ATP. By using all your protein intake for those things, you may have to get into your protein stores (muscle) to do it all. That's why a lot of the people on low carb diets actually lose weight quickly at first, because it is water that is stored in the muscle they are breaking down. Also by using your protein for energy production, you don't have it for other functions in the body, like muscle building. Whereas, if you are consuming carbs, then they can be used for energy production and spare your protein for building muscle instead.
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
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    The thing about being restrictive is, when you stop restricting whatever it is, you will gain the weight back. Only change things that you can live with for the rest of your life. Eat carbs but eat healthy carbs. Fruits, veggies, whole grain pastas, breads, quinoa, brown rice..things like that. Remember this is not a diet but a lifestyle.

    I'm sorry, but this just isn't true. It's not like there's a tank of carbs in your gut that empties and refills. Some people reaspond well to a limited carb diet and some don't, but when you lose fat you lose fat, regardless of the special diet you used to do it. I found that limiting carb intake helped me feel full longer, and including more carbs made me feel hungrier sooner. This was specific to me, but for that reason and that reason alone I did use a low carb diet while losing weight. If someone was to find that their body did respond well to a low carb diet, then went to a more balanced diet when they wanted to maintain, as long as the calorie numbers were followed, they won't gain anything back.

    In the end, the main thing that will lead to weight loss is calories in vs. calories out. Shifting around carbs, proteins and fats is just a way of optimizing your weight loss, and will only help when you find out how they affect you specifically.
  • ChenSTA87
    ChenSTA87 Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks for everyones advice. It has been very helpful. The main message I got is that I should consume Carbs in moderation?

    Before my diet I was having one bowl of rice or 3 slices of bread, large noodles etc per meal. I cut carbs out nearly completely for a week but I am realizing this is not sustainable. Im gona try keep under my calorie cout and enjoy carbs in moderation. What would be a sustainable split of carb vs protein that I can keep up in my lifestyle? I was thinking like 30%veg, 30 % carb, and 40 % protein.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I lost 25 pounds and three dress sizes in 12 weeks and ate carbs to my heart's content. Just make sure you're eating mostly complex carbs (the occassional treat isn't going to hurt you as long as you're sensible about it).

    There's actually a vast amount of research showing that complex carbs melt belly fat specifically. They are also necessary for brain cell growth and energy.
  • alantin
    alantin Posts: 621 Member
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    What is your daily calorie amount and weight?
    40% protein sounds pretty high..

    With low calories (1400 Kcal a day) I did 50% carbs, 25% protein, and 25% fat.
  • gillleeman
    gillleeman Posts: 397 Member
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    I'm reading Anita Beans Guide to Sports Nutrition at the moment and basically everything alantin said I agree with.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Thanks for everyones advice. It has been very helpful. The main message I got is that I should consume Carbs in moderation?

    Before my diet I was having one bowl of rice or 3 slices of bread, large noodles etc per meal. I cut carbs out nearly completely for a week but I am realizing this is not sustainable. Im gona try keep under my calorie cout and enjoy carbs in moderation. What would be a sustainable split of carb vs protein that I can keep up in my lifestyle? I was thinking like 30%veg, 30 % carb, and 40 % protein.

    It's a flexible scale, really. The ranges for the macronutrients recommended by the Institute of Medicine are 45-65% carbs, 10-35% protein, and 20-35% fat. If you are eating a variety of foods, you may notice that you are moving around the ranges from day to day. The actual amount from each range that a person needs is dependent on a lot of factors. People with diabetes or insulin resistance need the lower end of the carb range and have to make up those calories in proteins and fats. People with cancer risks need to cut the fat and make up those calories from carbs and protein. People with kidney issues need to cut the protein and make up those calories from carbs and fat. Also the type of training you do will influence what you need. If you do a lot of weight training, you will need more protein. If you do a lot of cardio or endurance training, you will need more carbs. So, I'd want to look at your health history and workout plans to say a more specific range for your needs and goals.
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 21,740 Member
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    I've lost my fat eating a liberal amount of carbs as well. My ratios are 55% carbs, 25% protein, and 20% fat.
  • ChenSTA87
    ChenSTA87 Posts: 7 Member
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    Cheers for the feedback.

    BTW my Daily Caloric allowance is 1580cal in order to loose 1.5 pounds a week according to Fitnesspal. My current weight is 84.5kg.
    I usually eat up to 1450cal a day on top of exercise that reduces it to a net worth cal of about 1200.

    Todays consumption includes:

    Breakfast- 2 toast, Jam, Spaghetti.
    Lunch- 1 cup rice, Steamed Ribs 200g, coleslaw (150 calorie), scrambled eggs
    Dinner- 1 cup rice, steamed ribs 200g, Mixed vegetables boiled.

    Exercise- 1.5 hours walking moderate pace, 15 minute jog at 6mph.

    Can I have some feedback on this daily consumption in regards to if its too much carb consumption and if it will help me loose weight?
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
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    Cheers for the feedback.

    BTW my Daily Caloric allowance is 1580cal in order to loose 1.5 pounds a week according to Fitnesspal. My current weight is 84.5kg.
    I usually eat up to 1450cal a day on top of exercise that reduces it to a net worth cal of about 1200.

    Todays consumption includes:

    Breakfast- 2 toast, Jam, Spaghetti.
    Lunch- 1 cup rice, Steamed Ribs 200g, coleslaw (150 calorie), scrambled eggs
    Dinner- 1 cup rice, steamed ribs 200g, Mixed vegetables boiled.

    Exercise- 1.5 hours walking moderate pace, 15 minute jog at 6mph.

    Can I have some feedback on this daily consumption in regards to if its too much carb consumption and if it will help me loose weight?

    Forget about total carbs. Instead, focus on eating complex carbs. Simple, sugary carbs all day will have a devistating affect on the sustainability of your diet as well as your overall health. Switch to wheat spaghetti and brown rice if you haven't already.

    I'm more concerned about your calorie intake. If your suggested total every day is 1580 calories to lose 1.5 lbs/week, and your consuming only 1200 calories a day, then your calorie deficit is over 1100/day. Although some people can get away with it, this deficit will almost always be too much, which will result in a downshift in your metabolism. Even the suggested 750 calorie deficit is pushing it. Remember, if your metabolism slows too much, it can bring weight loss to a halt and drive you crazy. Try to get your 1580 calories. Some days you can go under, but others you should go over. Anything from 1300-1800 calories is acceptable for you, as long as you move around inside that range and don't go low every day. Remember, your body doesn't want to lose fat. The more you push it, the more your body will fight back to keep its fat stores.
  • alantin
    alantin Posts: 621 Member
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    How tall are you?
    Going by your profile picture, I would say that 500 Kcal a day deficit might easily be pushing it!

    This post is a great help in determining the appropriate deficit for you!
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

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