Need advice, MFP settings, low carb

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8rules
8rules Posts: 169
in Food and Nutrition
Doing a 2 week experiment on very low carbs, I am setting my caloric balance to allow for only 0.2 pounds a week weight loss, so anything over that should come from dietary change.

I am eliminating my 2 allowed daily servings of grain (which I do enjoy greatly)

Shooting for under 50 grams of carbs a day but allowing myself to hit 100 grams if from nature's oven and raw or steamed.

I do between 60 and 120 minutes exercise a day, at least 30 minutes of that is often very high intensity such as heavy bag rounds or interval work. I do a fair amount of base cardio, not for weight loss mind you, but to improve my cardio system for boxing (good base cardio = recover between rounds much faster).

I am seeking input on percentage people set their dietary goals to for carb/fat/protein. Currently I am set to 20% from carbs, 30% from protein, 50% from fat, but feel I should reduce carbs more and increase fat and protein, to really make this little experiment worth it.

I am not looking for advice telling me I am doing things wrong, this is an EXPERIMENT to find that out on my own body.

Replies

  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    I guess it depends on what your goal is with your body. Are you trying to get your body to look competition ready? Is your goal really to lose weight, or to become more muscular?
  • drvvork
    drvvork Posts: 1,162
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    I'm set at 60 carb / 40 fat / 150 Protein
  • 8rules
    8rules Posts: 169
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    I guess it depends on what your goal is with your body. Are you trying to get your body to look competition ready? Is your goal really to lose weight, or to become more muscular?

    Personal goal: I am very strong, I wish to lose weight, maintain fitness levels.

    Goal of this experiment: As everyone cycles in out of ketogenic over 24 hours, unless you wake up and eat, I want to spend more time in a ketogenic cycle (but not 100 percent) with no goal and learn the effects it has on my training, energy level, weight, strength, sleep, sex life, mental acuity, etc...
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    The first few days, you will probably take a hit to your energy level, training, etc. After you adjust, you should regain that, possibly even excel. I wouldn't go lower than that at least at first for carbs. You still need them, and 50-100 could easily be hit with fruits and veggies, even if you stick to the lower carb ones. Good Luck!
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
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    I recently started this and usually eat 50% fat, and aim for 30%protein and 20% carbs. I am trying to keep my carbs under 100g/day and even with just fruits (1 per day) and veggies I am struggling with this!! I do still eat cheese and nuts, but cheese (at least the kind I have ) has very little carbs, and nuts usually 5-6g/serving. I am considering doing a carb cycling thing, but gonna see how this works for a couple weeks.
    Let me know how this works for you. I noticed when running today that I really had no energy at all, only did 4 miles, so hoping that my energy level improves. Prior to this past 4 days I usually ate about 180-200g carbs per day...
  • xalligator
    xalligator Posts: 33 Member
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    Currently trying to get back into ketosis. Macronutrient goals are set to 15% carb / 45% fat / 45% protein. With a calorie goal of 1200, that allows for about 30g of carbs. Had energy loss in the very beginning(a year ago), but after a month or so my performance was back to normal.

    I want to say two weeks won't be enough for you to see significant results from your experiment. By then end of that time, you probably won't even have gotten over the "low carb flu"!
  • 8rules
    8rules Posts: 169
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    Currently trying to get back into ketosis. Macronutrient goals are set to 15% carb / 45% fat / 45% protein. With a calorie goal of 1200, that allows for about 30g of carbs. Had energy loss in the very beginning(a year ago), but after a month or so my performance was back to normal.

    I want to say two weeks won't be enough for you to see significant results from your experiment. By then end of that time, you probably won't even have gotten over the "low carb flu"!

    Perhaps, but I have found that 3 years of high intensity training has given me a high level of body awareness. If I need to longer, I will.

    Please describe what you mean by low carb flu? First I have heard of it.
  • xalligator
    xalligator Posts: 33 Member
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    Perhaps, but I have found that 3 years of high intensity training has given me a high level of body awareness. If I need to longer, I will.

    Please describe what you mean by low carb flu? First I have heard of it.
    In many cases of people switching to low carb from a higher carb diet, within the first week or so as the body adjusts to metabolizing more fat and protein instead of carbs, there's a period of energy loss, brain fog, general fatigue, and sometimes even negative mood changes that can last anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks. Workout recovery also may take longer.

    Low carb flu doesn't happen to everyone, but it is A Thing. When I started low carb, after a week, I had all the symptoms plus some night-time nausea for about two days. Now I don't get it even if I fall off the wagon for a while and start again, but it's definitely something for first-timers to watch out for.

    Check out Google sometime if you want to know more: http://www.google.com/#&q="low+carb+flu"
  • 8rules
    8rules Posts: 169
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    Thanks for that heads up.

    I have done some intermittent fasting and weekend fasting and tolerated it well, so hoping I am going to be exempt from the low blood sugar flu.

    If not, you warned me :)

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