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Carbs?!

jamacianredhair
jamacianredhair Posts: 230 Member
in Debate Club
So I am about 15 lbs from "goal weight" I put a number on it but that number is subject to change.

Once I hit goal I am very interested in body recomposition. I am currently doing research on the subject and figuring out the macros for training/non training days.

I understand the concept of training days that is easy. But what the heck should I eat on non training days?! I know, I know. High protein/fat, low carbs... But what types of foods. I'm looking deeper into macros and alot of veggies and "white stuff" contain alot of carbs. Should I just stick to lean cuts of meat on off training days? /boring

I know ill get that one smart *kitten* but I'm legit looking for some advice and I'm legit serious about making this a life style change so I don't want to get bored with my food.

Any advice is appreciated, thank you, I love you, bye bye <3<3<3

P. S. Don't be scared to dumb it down for me, I mean really dumb it down. I'm smart but it takes me a minute to grasp things. Once the light bulb goes off I can run with it. Thanks again :p

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited April 2016
    On lifting days I eat the foods I like.
    On non-lifting days I also eat the foods I like.....

    Just eat a balanced nutritious diet, you don't have to carb cycle or calorie cycle. Messing around like that just makes adherence harder and I very much doubt it makes any significant difference anyway to training performance or recomp results. Your body's systems are running 24x7 and don't stop/start just because you are training or not that day.

    Talking of cycling - when I'm out riding I might be hitting 500g of carbs (like yesterday).
    Zero need to go low carb to recomp - it's your fuel of choice for intense exercise.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    There is no need to carb cycle.

    That said, if you eat higher cal on training days and less on rest days (I don't, mostly), it makes sense to vary the carbs and hold fat and protein (generally thought of as minimums) more constant.

    Easiest way to cut down on carbs somewhat (assuming you aren't eating lots of sugary treats) is to cut down on starchier sides. For example, I think of a meal as protein, veg, and starch (fat comes with the protein or can be added in cooking to the veg or used to flavor things, like cheese or nuts or olives, as well as being in some other foods, like avocado). So to cut carbs I'd probably reduce the starch part (the amount of potatoes or sweet potatoes, size of my pasta serving) or leave it out of some meals and replace it with non starchy veg (even things like winter squash and root veg, which fill the role of a starchy side, have a lot less carbs and calories than potato or bread or rice, IME).
  • jamacianredhair
    jamacianredhair Posts: 230 Member
    Thank you!! It did feel hard, I found a blog on mfp that said multiply this, add that and my brain started hurting. Thinking about restricting the foods I eat made me nervous that I would be set up for failure. I don't like posting questions but I'm glad I asked. :)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    There's a monster thread in the maintaining weight forum with examples of people doing recomp in many different ways from those focussed on aesthetics to those like myself who see recomp as an added benefit of getting stronger/fitter/faster.

    Worth a flip through - http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

    Nice quote from Eric Helms:
    "The main thing we want you, dear reader, to take home from this article is this – recomposition is normal. It happens – less so in trained individuals, but much more in untrained, new lifters. It’s not necessarily something to aim for, but be aware of it and how it can affect your scale weight if you use that as a metric to gauge progress for either you or your clients."
  • jamacianredhair
    jamacianredhair Posts: 230 Member
    So a few years ago I lost alot of weight real fast. I'm talking 40 lbs in about 3-4 months. I ate at a deficit everyday and focused on cardio and didn't eat back exercise calories. Very unhealthy.

    This go around I've been working out 6 days a week at the gym, focusing on various muscle groups each day etc. I eat more on days I lift because I'm hungry and on day 7 when I don't work out I eat less. (not as hungry) I've only lost 20 lbs in a year, but everything is tightened up and I'm getting cut.

    Is it possible that I've been doing recomp this whole time and didn't know it?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,388 MFP Moderator
    If you haven't chosen a program yet, I would highly recommend looking at this list for a structured lifting program. Strong Curves and NROL4W are some of the most recommended.

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