bigbassbrent's Journal, 22 April 2014

I’ve been doing some more reading since I decided to up my carbs to 100g per day and now I’m pretty sure that I don't want to sick with that plan. I also know that I do not want to be on a pure ketogenic diet since I have already lost most of the weight that I planned to lose and I feel like the ultra-low carb diet is lacking some in basic nutrition. This leaves me where I am now, uncertain.

I do not want to go back to a high carb and low fat diet since I really enjoy the ultra-low carb ketogenic lifestyle. If I eat 100g of carbs per day, this is close to the point where I would need to be concerned with keeping the fat down and it is not really “low carb” in the scope of things. I am going for optimal health, and I know that high fat combined with too many carbs can be a recipe for disaster. (high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.)

I also want my body to remain “fat adapted”, which means that I want to keep all the systems in place to easily run my body on fat or sugar, not just one or the other. I did a lot of hard work to get my body burning fat as its primary fuel and I want to keep it mostly that way because it feels awesome and keeps you burning fat instead of storing it.

From what I have learned, the term “fat adapted” means that when your body’s glycogen supply runs out, it easily switches from using glycogen as fuel to using fat for fuel. All of the fat burning mechanisms are already in place to do this as a result of prolonged low carb dieting. When one is fat adapted and skips a meal, the body simply switches to using fat for fuel without the ravenous hunger associated with skipping meals on a high carb diet. When you eat a high carb diet your liver stores glycogen to fuel your activities. When your liver runs out of glycogen and your muscles still need more, you must eat again (and your body definitely lets you know you need to eat) to refill the depleted glycogen or you will “crash”, “bonk” or “hit the wall” so to speak. When fat adapted your body can easily switch to burning fat instead of “crashing”. This may not be optimal for performance, but I am not a hard core athlete nor am I trying to break any weight lifting records. I just want to be healthy and fit. So, with that being said, here are my revised macros that I plan to stick to for the rest of the month and see where it puts me.

Workout days: 80g carbs (max)
Off days: 50g carbs (max)
Protein: 155-165g
Fat: The rest of my 500 calorie deficit

Diet Calendar Entries for 22 April 2014:
2406 kcal Fat: 156.50g | Prot: 105.19g | Carb: 42.75g.   Breakfast: HEB Heavy Whipping Cream, coconut oil, coffee. Lunch: Kraft Ranch Dressing, Central Market Spring Mix, Pork Chops (Center Rib, Bone-In, Cooked, Pan-Fried). Dinner: Sweet Baby Ray's Original Barbecue Sauce, Hormel Pork Loin Back Ribs. Snacks/Other: Planters Salted Peanuts (1 oz), Michelob Ultra Light Beer, HEB Jumbo Virginia Peanuts. more...
2768 kcal Activities & Exercise: Sitting - 2 hours and 30 minutes, Resting - 2 hours and 35 minutes, Desk Work - 7 hours and 30 minutes, Walking (brisk) - 4/mph - 30 minutes, Driving - 2 hours and 25 minutes, Standing - 1 hour, Walking (slow) - 2/mph - 1 hour, Sleeping - 6 hours and 30 minutes. more...

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Comments 
In case anyone feels the need to read more about this, another term for "fat adapted" is "metabolically flexible".  
22 Apr 14 by member: bigbassbrent
You may want to have a look at carb back loading. I posted about it in the group posts. I've been using, and I believe Chad has as well. I tend to agree with the use of 'dirty' carbs to spike insulin levels post workout to store carbs quickly in muscle tissue. It's a quick insulin spike up whisking away the carbs and then essentially the crash back down afterward since the carbs are out of your system. I believe it works best with someone who's already relatively lean. I'm about to give it a try with 2900 cals on workout days and 2300-2400 cals on the off days with my carbs on the off days at 50 or under. My carbs are higher than you intend on the workout days. You may want to check with Chad. I believe he was trying it with 'clean' carbs on his cut. It may be what you're looking for. Perhaps somewhere between the two of our approaches. 
22 Apr 14 by member: northernmusician
As usual, nice insight NM, thanks. I will allow you to be my guinea pig as I watch your progress. After reading your comment, I noticed what I planned on doing is somewhat of a carb backload with my higher carbs being on workout days. Now, I know “high carbs” is a relevant term, since 80g to me is double what I have grown accustomed to, but wouldn’t be enough for you to make it till noon. I just really like how I feel burning fat for energy. It’s a steady stream of energy that lasts all day long. Too bad ketogenic not the best diet for weightlifting and optimal nutrition or I wouldn’t have any thoughts of changing. Right now I feel better at age 41 than I did when I was 30. I don’t want to lose this feeling. This past week, eating up to 100g carbs per day I felt my acid reflux coming back. I took pills for that for the past 6 years and didn’t like the side effects. Don’t want to go back to taking ANY daily pills, which I guess is why I have become a “carb-a-phobic” since the low carb diet fixed all of my ailments.  
22 Apr 14 by member: bigbassbrent
If you are still trying to lose weight, don't worry about upping your carbs at all, your body is fat-dependant for energy now, and fat will fuel your workouts just fine. Drink coffee with heavy cream 1 hour before your workouts and you will be fueled plenty. Your body doesnt need carbs at all, but you do need fiber, so make sure you take in at least 25g of dietary fiber per day. 
23 Apr 14 by member: chadlius88
You could also look into a carb-free intra-workout BCAA drink if you are OK with supplimentation, I drink 1 scoop of Amino Energy by optimum nutrition with 1 scoop of MET-Rx BCAA 5000 (Unflavored) which gives me 8 grams of essential aminos during my workout. But some people dont like the idea of suppliments, so its up to you what you want to do. Oh and my intra-workout drink I just described is 10 calories (from 3g of sugar used to sweeten the Amino Energy) 
23 Apr 14 by member: chadlius88
I am fine with supplements, I take several right now.  The main reason I am adding more carbs is for better nutrition. It is not so much performance related. I don’t feel that a keto diet is 100% nutritious. I really don’t need to lose much more weight, maybe 10 pounds by looking in the mirror. My waist size is where I want it. I just need to give my belly area some time for the skin to tighten back up. I have a little bit of stomach fat left but not much at all. I have been adding 16g of dextrose to my post work out shakes for the last two workouts. Then when I get to work I follow that up with some steel cut oats and fresh berries. I am not as sore after workouts compared to when I was on the full keto diet. I feel like the workout intensity has increased with the extra carbs. I also drink my coffee with heavy cream and coconut oil before and during my workouts. It feels like I am on the right track for now! 
23 Apr 14 by member: bigbassbrent
Also, add in some leafy greens (Kale, Spinach, etc.) They are packed with the nutrients you are afraid of lacking and contain no carbs (only fiber) and also have 5g of protein per serving. Little bit of balsalmic binegar mixed with olive oil thrown over raw greens....good to go. :D 
23 Apr 14 by member: chadlius88
Vinegar* if my callused fingers would operate properly then maybe I could spell. 
23 Apr 14 by member: chadlius88
If you're still considering carb back loading, you could put whatever carbs you're ingesting in that 2 hour post workout window. It would give the glycogen boost to the muscles while keeping you in a keto energy situation. Keto isn't dependant on no carbs as much as it is how and where those carbs will be used. As long as you get them during the two hour window, they won't be used as energy from the blood stream - they'll be whisked into muscle tissue for ATP production during your next workout. 
23 Apr 14 by member: northernmusician
Roger on the green leafy veg, red leader. I do spinach several times a week and at lunch I usually include a spring mix salad which has some kale. Sometimes I will sauté kale at home with some butter, bacon and onions. Delicious! NM, thanks on the 2 hour window info. I need to eat my oatmeal at home because today I ate it 3 hours after my work out. 2.5 hours after the oatmeal and my blood sugar is at 119. I think that’s ok.? 
23 Apr 14 by member: bigbassbrent
Chad and NM, what are your carb targets per day? workout vs off day? 
23 Apr 14 by member: bigbassbrent
I'm hitting about 150-200 gr carbs per day on workout day during the post workout time period. On non workout days I'm just now going to cycle down to about 2300 to 2400 calories which will put average calories about 150 above maintenance for each day over the week. During that day, though the theory is that it should be pretty much straight keto diet over that time, I will be eating my fruits and veggies, but again, only in the evening when I'm more insulin resistant.  
23 Apr 14 by member: northernmusician
I should say I'll try to keep it within 100 grams on the off day. Don't forget I'm bulking. 
23 Apr 14 by member: northernmusician
Maybe a 50 30 20 split? 50% Carb Calories, 30% Fat Calories and 20% protein calories. Seems healthy.....  
23 Apr 14 by member: Torzie206
For me it's more like 15% carbs, 30% protein, and 55% fat. I do the low carbs because of insulin resistance / prediabetes. 
23 Apr 14 by member: bigbassbrent
I don't adjust my diet based on on/off days. You don't grow in the gym, and you don't recover the day that you workout either. When I'm bulking I eat 400-500g of carbs per day, every day. When on a cut I try not to go over 100g per day, but that can vary. 
23 Apr 14 by member: chadlius88
NM or Chad, do you have any good links you can send me so I can read about the evening insulin resistance thing NM is talking about and/or good links about post workout carbs. This is a new area for me and I am trying to wrap my head around it all. Oh, and now it looks like all of our diets are similar, except for when Chad bulks with the mega carbs.  
23 Apr 14 by member: bigbassbrent
MEGA CARBS!!! 
23 Apr 14 by member: chadlius88
All kidding aside, My body handles carbs well, so I can get away with it, and let me tell you, the energy levels in the gym when I eat like that are through the roof. Strength increases also come very quickly, unlike right now where I am at a plateau due to the deficit. Come July I will be very happy once again! 
23 Apr 14 by member: chadlius88
Everything I've read supports 50% Carb| 30% Fat| 20% Protein as a basic plan and you adapt around that basic formula as you and Brent have done. Let us know is the research bears out. 
23 Apr 14 by member: LuC2

     
 

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