The Fat Loss TroubleshootThis is your place to troubleshoot your fat loss problems from nutrition to training. This section is led by Leigh Peele, author of "The Fat Loss Troubleshoot," the ultimate fat loss manual. If your results have slowed or stalled this is the place to come for advice for all your fat loss needs.
I was wondering what is your opinion on low carb eating and fat loss, and carb cycling. Also, what do you think about body type dieting?
I have the characteristics of a classic endomorph, always have looked soft and always had trouble with the fat loss, as I tend to lose muscle and fat when I lose weight.
Been reading that people like myself should follow a lower carb diet as we tend to slowly deplete glycogen, can diet without carb for up to 7 days without depleting glycogen much, so low carbs is essential for us to lose fat. Lower than 100g a day. However, the recommendations are for carb cycling, where we alternate between periods of higher and lower carb intakes, but careful NOT to refeed as our carb sensitivity would cause us to gain fat back. So on the higher carb days, it would be less than 200g total in carbs, clean and low in fat.
Basically, Ive been endlessly trying to get past the point of comfort as far as bodyfat and weight.
Higher calories and carb diets leave me losing snail-slow and leave me frustrated. Lower carb and calorie diets work, but leave me tired, brain dead and pissy. I thought perhaps carb cycling would be the best of both worlds. Lose fat rapidly on diet days, and incorporate the refeeds for my sanity, glycogen replenishment to get me through workouts, and diet adherence.
Basically, Ive been endlessly trying to get past the point of comfort as far as bodyfat and weight.
Higher calories and carb diets leave me losing snail-slow and leave me frustrated. Lower carb and calorie diets work, but leave me tired, brain dead and pissy. I thought perhaps carb cycling would be the best of both worlds. Lose fat rapidly on diet days, and incorporate the refeeds for my sanity, glycogen replenishment to get me through workouts, and diet adherence.
Have you tried lower calorie/moderate carb? This is what works for me. It usually comes out to around 40/35/25 protein/carb/fat at a 30% deficit seems to keep me losing consistently without feeling drained and pissy.
Have you tried lower calorie/moderate carb? This is what works for me. It usually comes out to around 40/35/25 protein/carb/fat at a 30% deficit seems to keep me losing consistently without feeling drained and pissy.
Yes, gone down as low as 1200 calories, but the losses are slow. I am looking for a jump start and then to transition to something more reasonable. I did find a good one by J. Berardi, see below.
Higher calories and carb diets leave me losing snail-slow and leave me frustrated. Lower carb and calorie diets work, but leave me tired, brain dead and pissy.
Quick question then...
Can you take gaining like a mofo on high days it not let it get to you?
If not, if that will discourage, have you ever tried super low and moderate cycles?
Id love to hear more about the low/moderate cycles you mentioned earlier?
I am also working with some of the trainers on the John Berardi site to see if I can modify the GSD plan to incorporate smaller refeeds instead of the big refeed once every 14 days. Basically, I know I need to follow a lower carb, low calorie plan. But I also know I cant go for very long on a plan of 50gm carbs for a very long time b/c it will lead to some very bad behavior like bingeing and cussing.
Would it be so terrible if I did this:
Diet days: 120gm pro/60g carbs/50g fats (4-5 days)
Higher carb days: 120g pro/175g carbs/25g fats (2-3 days)
Higher carb days on weight lifting days of course.
I want to avoid too much carb loading weight gain if I can. Plus I have a tendancy to binge, feeling like Im never gonna get to eat again. (2 weeks is SUPER LONG)
The problem with small refeeds is there is no such thing. You can't kind of refeed, people who say that don't understand the point of a refeed IMO. You can break or eat at maintenance, but it may or may not provide yo with the optimal reset you are looking for.
People are starting to mislabel refeeds on the same level they mislabel NEAT and HIIT. They don't understand the root, just start reading articles, but not understanding what really makes them what they are. This isn't against you by the way, just been bugging me lately.
Anyway, what I was suggesting is hitting low, hitting moderate, then hitting a actual refeed, rinse a repeat. The reason people don't like refeeds is because it reminds them that they didn't really lose 4 pounds, they lost 1 if lucky and some water. The more you are understanding of this and just deal, the better your mindset is with the deficit. That being said, the lower you go, the more you actually lose in fat and sometimes the better the re-feed affects you because you are so depleted, especially if utilizing some training.
The problem with small refeeds is there is no such thing. You can't kind of refeed, people who say that don't understand the point of a refeed IMO. You can break or eat at maintenance, but it may or may not provide yo with the optimal reset you are looking for.
People are starting to mislabel refeeds on the same level they mislabel NEAT and HIIT. They don't understand the root, just start reading articles, but not understanding what really makes them what they are. This isn't against you by the way, just been bugging me lately.
Anyway, what I was suggesting is hitting low, hitting moderate, then hitting a actual refeed, rinse a repeat. The reason people don't like refeeds is because it reminds them that they didn't really lose 4 pounds, they lost 1 if lucky and some water. The more you are understanding of this and just deal, the better your mindset is with the deficit. That being said, the lower you go, the more you actually lose in fat and sometimes the better the re-feed affects you because you are so depleted, especially if utilizing some training.
Low would be almost a PSMF.
So with PSMF we are talking 50gm of carbs a day, correct?
What about moderate? Refeed?
when I did carb cycling my low was less than 20 grams. Really just green veggies only; meals were protein + 5-10 grams of fats + some green veggies (but not overboard...ONE serving or so). 50-75 grams was moderate. 100+ was high. refeeds were upwards of 200-300 grams when I did those.
when I did carb cycling my low was less than 20 grams. Really just green veggies only; meals were protein + 5-10 grams of fats + some green veggies (but not overboard...ONE serving or so). 50-75 grams was moderate. 100+ was high. refeeds were upwards of 200-300 grams when I did those.
Based on a small woman, mind you.
20g is like Atkins diet. I have bad experiences with that. I think my lower limit is 50g.
You know what is really confusing? Every "guru" says something different.
-Tom Venuto's low carb cycling limit for women is 114g
-Lyle McDonald says 50-60g
-J. Berardi says 10-15%, which for me comes out to about 50-60gms
Ive never heard as low as 20g though, except from Atkins when UR trying to acheive ketosis
which is why I qualified, saying I am a very small woman. My total cals were much lower, and in order to keep my protein and fat where they needed to be, my carbs HAD to go that low.
I don't know how TV came up with 114 grams, but that seems....a bit random to me.
Lyle and JB seem pretty good.
Oh, and ketosis is technically anything under 100 grams.
by definition it is less than 100 grams. that's just based on physiology and doesn't change from person to person. But, most people try to measure it through urinary ketones, which isn't accurate....for that, it can take far less to actually show up and can vary from person to person.
PMSF is basically a few carbohydrates as possible and only non starch veggies. As what constitutes different "low carb" diets...
From the FLTS...
Quote:
For the purposes of this discussion we are going to break down the sections of carb intake into five categories. Note that these categories are for discussion purposes and not technical classifications. Technical classifications change all the time as to what constitutes a high/low carbohydrate diet. While this runs pretty equal to what most sources and studies will claim, you may find some opposing views, but on a small scale difference (roughly 5%).
High Carbohydrate-A diet consisting of more than 70% intake being Carbohydrates.
Moderate Carbohydrate-A diet consisting of 50-70% intake being Carbohydrates.
Low Carbohydrate- A diet consisting of 30-50% intake being Carbohydrates.
Very Low Carbohydrate Diet-A diet consisting of 15-30% intake being Carbohydrates.
Keto- A diet consisting of 15% or less intake being Carbohydrates..
Thanks Leigh for the explaination. Wow, 15% or less is Keto. So that means for me, the 50gm carbs is definitely keto.
Well, i did it for a few days and actually felt pretty good!
So is it unheard of to alternate between keto and moderate carb intake, in the terms of carb cycling? I am interested in trying it, but dont want to screw up my body.
It is perfectly fine. For the record I give it to a lot of clients and it works out great. The catch is to just make sure to throw in a refeed and not make the training to intense.
I will work on making a more public and specific guideline in the future. Also-refer to other post where I mention refeeds for the future.
Hi Leigh,
Just wanted to say that the carb cycling is working great. Down 5lbs so far, and havent been feeling terribly deprived.
I have 4 low days consisting of:
10XBW
20%c, 40%p, 40%f
3 high days:
1.3XBW
40%c, 40%p, 20%f
I feel and look leaner. I am in the grind, which means I need to continue staying focused and I will start to see some nice changes. My body is in transition right now.
I do have so areas I need to improve, tightening down my weighing and measuring, and staying within my guidelines a bit stricter, but so far I am seeing results.
How often should I refeed and how much do you recommend? Just curious....
If you are in a groove and have a tendency to once you fall off, to fall off for a while, which some do, then (off the record) try and ride it out until you feel you really need to step back and take a break. Listen to your body, sleep, mental, etc.
Sometimes we have to break the rules a little, ya know. There is a huge difference between optimal and going for the gusto (within a certain reason of course).
are your high days maintenance levels or still at a deficit?
well, my intention is to be still at a deficit, but it hasnt been working out that way. Ive been eating between 1700-1900 calories, which is very close to maintanence.
As I get leaner, I need to make sure that I am always in that deficit until my diet breaks. This is something I know I need to do for my body, otherwise I will just continue without any real life progress.
Hi all, newbie ( as if you cant tell) . I purchased Leighs books and think im on the right track . I am also doing carb cycling 5 down and 2 up.( long story - hypothyroid issues-but so far so good) I was just wondering if i finished the day for example on 50g( say 20% ) carbs but 20g of this is fibre would this mean only 30g carb and my percent is lower??or to put another way do i count fibre carbs towards total carb % for the day -
sorry if confusing!!
Thanks very much
Hoping to sort out these last few pounds for once and for all
Cheers
Grace
Hi all, newbie ( as if you cant tell) . I purchased Leighs books and think im on the right track . I am also doing carb cycling 5 down and 2 up.( long story - hypothyroid issues-but so far so good) I was just wondering if i finished the day for example on 50g( say 20% ) carbs but 20g of this is fibre would this mean only 30g carb and my percent is lower??or to put another way do i count fibre carbs towards total carb % for the day -
sorry if confusing!!
Thanks very much
Hoping to sort out these last few pounds for once and for all
Cheers
Grace
Hi Grace,
How much are you trying to lose? I believe carb cycling is a more advanced type of program, and suitable for newbies, just my thoughts.
As for carb count, I count the net carbs, and this includes fiber. So 50g=50g. You dont subtract fiber.
input on low carbs and carb cycling
Linear Mode
