TRYING to lose weight

[cheese_sausage]

hi,

well, u know, low-carb diet is very popular now. general question, how much carb in a day is considered low? which level is considered high??

i can't live without carbonhydrate, so i try to avoid in either at lunch or dinner. is it good?? or do you have other advice in dieting and losing weight?

thanks alot

[sfalexi]

I have no idea what's considered low/high. I think it's a good idea to avoid a high carb meal towards the end of the day though. But if you want to find the stats, an internet search would be your best bet. And don't forget exercise. Diet is good, but diet + exercise is a winning combination. Just a half-hour to an hour a day of some sort of exercise will keep you healthier than diet alone.

Alexi

We need Ironlift here.

[Ironliftr3]

Someone beckoned?

Moderate carb (Zone type), low carb, No carb (including Atkins and Cyclictic Ketogenic Diets), I've done them all.

What personally works best for ME, and most of the people I train, is avoiding the NO carb diets (Atkins, CKD), and sticking to what I would consider "low carbs". This generally means about 75-80 grams of carbohydrates per day, ingested all at once, preferably immediately after a workout. Alternately, they can be taken in early in the day, when insulin resistance is low, the earlier the better.

I've found no significant decrease in fat loss by ingesting 75-80 grams per day, but you will feel a HELL of a lot better (if you've never done a true ZERO carb diet, you feel like DEATH after about 2-3 days), and you're workouts will be much more effective.

Remember to eat enough fibrous vegetables, as these carb contents are negligible and will keep the 'system' working.

I would also recommend a one meal 'carb up', typically on a weekend, where you eat whatever you want, within moderation. Want pizza and ice cream? Eat it, but NOT "A" pizza, and a gallon of ice cream. This carb up will
a) replenish glycogen stores thus providing more energy during the week for your workouts b) give you something to look forward to, so you don't feel you are on an ENDLESS diet, and
c) help you maintain your sanity.

And I of course agree with Alexi, you need a combination of diet AND a workout program to truly and effectively change body composition.

PS - you CAN live without carbohydrates. The question is do you have the DISCIPLINE to do so. I can guarantee you will achieve your goals MUCH faster if you do so.



Feel free to post or PM me if you have any specific questions.

[cheese_sausage]

wow, thanks for the reply!!!

of course i can live without carb, but it's not necessary. it's not bad at all. it's delicious.

yes, i am doing exercise as well. question 1: some say we should do cardio or weight training in consecutive days. i do some running and stair climbing for about 30 mins in the morning, at night, i do about 20 mins exercise to tone muscle. every single day. is it bad??

2) also, i will go a backpacking trip in oct, i wanna get more energy as well. would the same exercise be effective too?

3) off topic, i would go brazil and argentina this oct. for about 2 to 3 weeks, anybody interested?

[Zekk_T_Strife]

I've lost 71 pounds on a controlled carb, normal protein, low fat, low calorie diet. Basically don't assume fat is the enemy. Don't assume carbs are the enemy. Don't assume its just calories or just cholesterol. All of them bunch up and make you gain wait when eaten to excess. I had an allowance of 100 carbs per day. If I saved my carbs I could go out and get Wendy's or eat a normal meal. I agree completely with Ironlifter about avoiding no carb diets. True, you will lose weight rapidly but you won't be losing fat, you'll lose muscle. Even though you are putting protein back into the body, your body is getting NO carbs which it uses for your everyday fuel so it just turns the protein you eat right to glucose (sugar) and uses that then turns around and uses your muscle tissue as its reserves. So you'll lose weight really fast, but as soon as you get off of it you'll gain it all back and then some. The worst news is all that weight you gained back is pure fat. So basically you can trade in 30 pounds of good muscle for 40 pounds of fat. I'd say Ironlifter is pretty right on about the best kinda diet. Just start with that and alter it until you find exactly what your body reacts best to and you got it. Good luck to ya.

[squirrley]

I lost 45 pounds in watching calories and fat, but exercised my ass off!!! Didnt pay ANY attention to the carb thing. Which hell I didnt know-just did what I thought was working for me. Iron knows his stuff-

BY the way Iron- I STILL HAVE NOT had any Big Macs!!!

[sfalexi]

Hmmm . . . I wonder how much I weigh now . . . . it's kinda funny. No matter WHEN I way myself, whenever I check a "height/weight" chart, I'm always considered very obese! Tsk Tsk. If only they knew me!

Alexi

[Zekk_T_Strife]

Yeah, I think the Body Mass Index is kind of flawed. If you have more lean tissue than the average person then you're gonna rank as obese but you're really a LOT more fit than some scrawny thin dude. I've seen your pictures, BMI is crap.

[sfalexi]

I think it's better to look at a body fat test than the BMI.

Alexi

[Zekk_T_Strife]

I agree completely.

[Illusional]

i agree. i think that the atkins diet is all fake because how does one come to give up carbs yet eat all the fat they want?? hrmm..

raverboy

[cheese_sausage]

thank you guys.

i wanna know how you find the motivation to lose weight? this is the nth times i try to lose weight, to be honest.

[sfalexi]

First off, don't look for weight loss right off the bat. First take your measurements. Hips, butt, arms, thighs, chest, etc. You'll notice changes in the measurements probably much quicker than a 'drastic' change in weight.

And when you start seeing those changes, that's when you'll be more motivated. What motivates me to work out is (wierd I know), watching buff guys in cartoons. I just see them all jacked up and I'm like, 'Damn. I wanna be like that guy'. Stupid, but it works for me.

Alexi

[Illusional]

losing weight also doesn't happen overnight. the hardest part about a diet is actually sticking to it. raverboy

[cheese_sausage]

Originally posted by sfalexi
watching buff guys in cartoons. I just see them all jacked up and I'm like, 'Damn. I wanna be like that guy'. Stupid, but it works for me.

Alexi

well, when i see the supermodel in magazines, i have the same thought too. but i think they look tooo skinny and unhealthy. they have it just for career purpose. so those supermodels don't motivate me now.