Right amount carbs in a low carbs diet

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Hi all, I am trying to reduce BF by eating low carbs 5 days per week.
I still haven't figured out what is the right amount of carbs. I am currently staying between 30 and 45 grams (around 10% of my daily calories).

After one week I have reduced my weight, but BF has increased. Something is wrong I guess.

Any tip?
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Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    You're having 5 low carb days per week? Why not just cut calories? That's what you have to do with a low carb diet anyways?
  • melmelrooroo
    melmelrooroo Posts: 6 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Calories are more important to cut than carbs. However, if you are cutting carbs, cut out all the processed/refined ones which probably also have sugar and fat added to them -- but cutting these you will basically be cutting highly-processed calorie dense foods.

    While you cut processed carbs, replace them with carbs from natural, unprocessed sources such as fresh, steamed, or baked (no oil/oil sparingly) veggies.

    Also, you will probably be more successful cutting belly fat if you lose more weight in general. If you are bloated, that may make you feel like you have more bf, but bloating is a sign you might not be eating right, so cut the processed foods, and eat more fiber from veggies.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    Calories are more important to cut than carbs. However, if you are cutting carbs, cut out all the processed/refined ones which probably also have sugar and fat added to them -- but cutting these you will basically be cutting highly-processed calorie dense foods.

    While you cut processed carbs, replace them with natural carbs from fresh, steamed, or baked (no oil/oil sparingly) veggies.

    natural carbs?

    Aren't all macronutrients natural???
  • Albertomarr
    Albertomarr Posts: 21 Member
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    I am also cutting calories, but not too much as I only want to loose BF, not muscles.
    During 2 days per week I eat more carbs (like 120-150 grams).
    Theoretically this diet should help to train my body to get energy from fat, not from muscles (which happens if I persist on a low carbs for too many dayw)... At least this is what it should happens.. But I am not sure
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    The body doesn't just use glycogen stores in the muscles as an energy source... it switches from fat, sometimes protein (gluconeogenesis) and carbohydrates in the form as glycogen.

    To be honest... I wouldn't bother with a low carb/keto diet. Just cut calories.

    If it's a LCHF diet... you're consuming a significant amount of fat. So you're saying "I'm teaching my body to use fat"... is that fat from the body, or dietary fat?
  • Albertomarr
    Albertomarr Posts: 21 Member
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    I mean from the body
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    I mean from the body

    Well by that logic... it doesn't work - does it?

    What'd be the point of consuming a high amount of fat only to have body use fat from the body?

    It doesn't make sense?
  • Albertomarr
    Albertomarr Posts: 21 Member
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    Calories are more important to cut than carbs. However, if you are cutting carbs, cut out all the processed/refined ones which probably also have sugar and fat added to them -- but cutting these you will basically be cutting highly-processed calorie dense foods.

    While you cut processed carbs, replace them with carbs from natural, unprocessed sources such as fresh, steamed, or baked (no oil/oil sparingly) veggies.

    Also, you will probably be more successful cutting belly fat if you lose more weight in general. If you are bloated, that may make you feel like you have more bf, but bloating is a sign you might not be eating right, so cut the processed foods, and eat more fiber from veggies.

    Probably I need to stay lower on calories as well, but I am actually loosing weight. Eating lot of proteins...seem not loosing BF
  • Albertomarr
    Albertomarr Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Calories are more important to cut than carbs. However, if you are cutting carbs, cut out all the processed/refined ones which probably also have sugar and fat added to them -- but cutting these you will basically be cutting highly-processed calorie dense foods.

    While you cut processed carbs, replace them with carbs from natural, unprocessed sources such as fresh, steamed, or baked (no oil/oil sparingly) veggies.

    Also, you will probably be more successful cutting belly fat if you lose more weight in general. If you are bloated, that may make you feel like you have more bf, but bloating is a sign you might not be eating right, so cut the processed foods, and eat more fiber from veggies.

    Probably I need to stay lower on calories as well, but I am actually loosing weight. Eating lot of proteins...seem not loosing BF
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    You're having 5 low carb days per week? Why not just cut calories? That's what you have to do with a low carb diet anyways?

    blackadder-headdesk-o.gif
  • strozman
    strozman Posts: 2,622 Member
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    A lot of people on here are anti-low carb diet, so you probably won't get many straight answers. (Years ago) My first cut I used low carb for 2 months (no re-feed) and anytime I needed to tighten up I used a variation of low carb for years. I now use ADF if I want to cut fast without worrying about carbs.

    FWIW, I only counted NET carbs, so that I could still have fiber in my diet!

    If you are dead set on low carb, then set your carbs at 100 for 2 weeks and see how your body responds. Track your overall calories too as you don't want to be in a big surplus. If you don't see good progress drop carbs to 50 for 2 weeks and see if you like it. I dropped my carbs to less than 20 and combined with cardio+weights and saw great results.

    JSYK alternate day fasting is/was wayyyyyyy easier for me to do than long term low carb dieting. I can eat and enjoy everything in moderation. I only track my protein intake (to make sure I get enough) when I use ADF which makes my life much easier
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
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    strozman wrote: »
    A lot of people on here are anti-low carb diet, so you probably won't get many straight answers. (Years ago) My first cut I used low carb for 2 months (no re-feed) and anytime I needed to tighten up I used a variation of low carb for years. I now use ADF if I want to cut fast without worrying about carbs.

    FWIW, I only counted NET carbs, so that I could still have fiber in my diet!

    If you are dead set on low carb, then set your carbs at 100 for 2 weeks and see how your body responds. Track your overall calories too as you don't want to be in a big surplus. If you don't see good progress drop carbs to 50 for 2 weeks and see if you like it. I dropped my carbs to less than 20 and combined with cardio+weights and saw great results.

    JSYK alternate day fasting is/was wayyyyyyy easier for me to do than long term low carb dieting. I can eat and enjoy everything in moderation. I only track my protein intake (to make sure I get enough) when I use ADF which makes my life much easier

    Your probably right, but I think due to the way OPs ask their questions sometimes, people are left wondering if the OP is asking a protocol question (which is legitimate) or if they are more on the mindset that this diet has "magic pixie dust/the one magic trick/5 foods you should never eat", that somehow makes fat loss better.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
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    Hi all, I am trying to reduce BF by eating low carbs 5 days per week.
    I still haven't figured out what is the right amount of carbs. I am currently staying between 30 and 45 grams (around 10% of my daily calories).

    After one week I have reduced my weight, but BF has increased. Something is wrong I guess.

    Any tip?

    @Albertomarr from you photo you do not look like you're at death's door so do not rush the results. :)

    It took me months to get something that worked for me figured out. Even then I did not lose a pound for six weeks but did lose inches of body fat.

    We are all different with different goals. My #1 goal is pain management.

    5% carbs (<50 grams daily), 15% protein and 80% fat macro has worked for me over the last year.

    After 30 days the pain was managed. After 6 months 40 years of IBS was cured. Over the last year my average loss is about 3 pounds a month eating 2600 calories daily.

    Google the subject and work to find what works best for you. WE are all different. Best of success.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Hi all, I am trying to reduce BF by eating low carbs 5 days per week.
    I still haven't figured out what is the right amount of carbs. I am currently staying between 30 and 45 grams (around 10% of my daily calories).

    After one week I have reduced my weight, but BF has increased. Something is wrong I guess.

    Any tip?

    How are you measuring body fat ?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    What'd be the point of consuming a high amount of fat only to have body use fat from the body?

    Eating carbs makes you burn them, at the expense of fat. Consuming fat doesn't do that. Obviously you want to eat less than you oxidise if fat loss is the goal.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    you can reduce carbs and even low carb without doing keto...I really so no point in doing keto if you're only going to do it 5 days out of the week.
  • boxtor
    boxtor Posts: 6 Member
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    It sounds like you're trying to do CKD. Searching for that may yield better results.
  • JodehFoster
    JodehFoster Posts: 419 Member
    edited August 2015
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    you can reduce carbs and even low carb without doing keto...I really so no point in doing keto if you're only going to do it 5 days out of the week.

    this.


    Your body will not have time to adjust what it's burning for energy in only 5 days, especially if you bombard it w/ carbs for two days in between. You're likely retaining the water after those two days that you lost the week prior.

  • Albertomarr
    Albertomarr Posts: 21 Member
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    boxtor wrote: »
    It sounds like you're trying to do CKD. Searching for that may yield better results.

    What is CKD?
  • Albertomarr
    Albertomarr Posts: 21 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    you can reduce carbs and even low carb without doing keto...I really so no point in doing keto if you're only going to do it 5 days out of the week.

    this.


    Your body will not have time to adjust what it's burning for energy in only 5 days, especially if you bombard it w/ carbs for two days in between. You're likely retaining the water after those two days that you lost the week prior.

    I don't plan to bombard with carbs for 2 days, just 2-3 grams per kg (in my case 120 grams per day, like 2 portions of pasta).

    Is it this the same way builder get rid of fat to get leaner and leaner?