carb questions

[son of trueno]

okay, so i have got to get this issue figured out. i keep reading articles and diet regiments that say all these different things about carbs during a cutting cycle. some say carbs are bad, others say carbs are good. i have read some that say to eat about 2 grams of complex carbs for every kilo of bodyweight, others that have guys eating absolutely no carbs at all. i did one of those diet with no carbs and yeah, i noticed results in what seemed like fat loss, really quickly. then the day i started to eat carbs once again i noticed that almost all that i had lost came right back... in a rediculously short period of time. without carbs i dont have any energy. anyways, i just want to know what is the safest shot for good fat loss. heres my stats,

6' 3"
195 pounds
12% bf

ive been fighting this visceral fat for several months now. i just need some good facts from guys with experience. im looking for all the help i can get. meal plans, meal times, nutrient timing, caloric intake, etc. thanks a ton guys.

 

[BDub]

The bottom line is a calorie deficit. Do whatever diet you can stick to while creating a deficit. Cutting carbs leads to quicker weight loss but its mostly water weight and glycogen depletion. That is why you regained weight in a short period of time.

Lyle McDonald knows his stuff and has a lot of science info on it.

Leangains.com is an intermittent fasting resource and Tom Venuto has info on the 6 meal a day type plans.

 

[son of trueno]

so would that explain the bloated feeling and look that i got when i started eating carbs again?
okay, and is there any generalized ratio for carb-bodyweight that helps know how many to eat?

 

[mrmorris]

Man your 6'3" and 195lbs, what fat are you talking about? You sould like you'd be skinny and need to gain like 20lbs, but that's just me talking. I must be one fat bastard, I am 6'2" and weigh 268lbs, then again I am what you called very big boned. And also have a large build.
Anyways it's true I lost 20-30lbs once and kinda went back to my old ways and it packs back on 3 times faster than it took to loose it.

okay, so i have got to get this issue figured out. i keep reading articles and diet regiments that say all these different things about carbs during a cutting cycle. some say carbs are bad, others say carbs are good. i have read some that say to eat about 2 grams of complex carbs for every kilo of bodyweight, others that have guys eating absolutely no carbs at all. i did one of those diet with no carbs and yeah, i noticed results in what seemed like fat loss, really quickly. then the day i started to eat carbs once again i noticed that almost all that i had lost came right back... in a rediculously short period of time. without carbs i dont have any energy. anyways, i just want to know what is the safest shot for good fat loss. heres my stats,

6' 3"
195 pounds
12% bf

ive been fighting this visceral fat for several months now. i just need some good facts from guys with experience. im looking for all the help i can get. meal plans, meal times, nutrient timing, caloric intake, etc. thanks a ton guys.

 

[mrmorris]

I am sure you could google the carb to bodyweight and find like a chart online or something similar. When I start eating more carbs I feel like a bloated fat ass. It could be your body reacting to the carbs since you have not eaten any in a while then all the sudden your body freaks and your GI systems go a little nuts as well?

Thanks, Morris

so would that explain the bloated feeling and look that i got when i started eating carbs again?
okay, and is there any generalized ratio for carb-bodyweight that helps know how many to eat?

 

[BDub]

so would that explain the bloated feeling and look that i got when i started eating carbs again?
okay, and is there any generalized ratio for carb-bodyweight that helps know how many to eat?

Yes, when your body stores glycogen it makes the muscles look bigger or fuller, and also holds water with it making you look "smoother" and slightly less cut.

This is a very generic diet set to your stats:

Cals (11 cals/lb) - 2145
a 780 cal deficit from your estimated maintenance calories of 2925 (15 cals/lb)

Protein (1.5 g/lb) - 292.5g

Fat - 65g

Carbs - 100g

All based off of: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-1.html

Most people normally just use a 500 calorie deficit giving you more room for carbs. My best advice though is to read that article which will help you tweak the generic model above to fit your preferences better.

 

[mrmorris]

Very informative info BDub!

Thanks, Morris

Yes, when your body stores glycogen it makes the muscles look bigger or fuller, and also holds water with it making you look "smoother" and slightly less cut.

This is a very generic diet set to your stats:

Cals (11 cals/lb) - 2145
a 780 cal deficit from your estimated maintenance calories of 2925 (15 cals/lb)

Protein (1.5 g/lb) - 292.5g

Fat - 65g

Carbs - 100g

All based off of: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-1.html

Most people normally just use a 500 calorie deficit giving you more room for carbs. My best advice though is to read that article which will help you tweak the generic model above to fit your preferences better.

 

[OnceWasFat]

Three water molecules bind to each glycogen molecule. When you severly cut carbs your glycogen stores are depleted and all that water goes with it. Meanwhile, your body really wants that glycogen back and becomes hyper-sensative. When you start eating carbs again, you store them away like crazy and a ton of water with them; thus the bloat and weight gain on resumption.

If you can't seem to get that last bit of fat off, it might not be your diet but your cardio instead. We all know that steady-state cardio uses fat for fuel, but some believe it also teaches our bodies to store fat so it's there when we need it. HIIT, on the other hand, taps into glycogen for fuel. Theory suggests that this teaches our bodies to become more efficient at storing glycogen while not caring so much about fat. If you're doing a lot of steady-state cardio but no HIIT, it might be hindering your fat loss efforts.

 

[son of trueno]

okay, thanks a lot for the advice on cardio training. i do cardio 3 times a week. and my "cardio" days are six mile runs, with high intensity intervals. and in the last month i have indeed noticed some improvements. not anything dramatic of course, but yeah, changes are going on. thanks for the help you guys.