how many carbs a day is too much?

JamesMC · 05-Aug-05, 12:10 AM

what is the max % of carbs i should be eating a day if i want to loose weight?

today i had 19% fats, 21% protein and 58% carbs?

should i be cutting the carbs down? how is this?

**threenorns** · 05-Aug-05, 12:19 AM

it depends - it's calories that count in the long run. if you're eating too much, you're eating too much and you won't lose fat.

my preference is for timed-carb cycling - very low carbs on non-workout days (100 grams), higher amounts on weightlifting days (300 grams), and 200 grams protein daily, i don't bother with the fat grams or overall calories.

right now, my two-week average is 1934 calories, 58gr fat (28%), 175 gr carbs (34%), 173 gr protein (37%), which includes today's messed-up diet when i cancelled the gym at the last minute but too late for the diet and the messed up weekend when i was partying in the bush all day and didn't eat enough.

i haven't lost any weight at all (still 200lbs) but my waist is shrinking and my back's getting bigger

SNPiccolo5 · 05-Aug-05, 10:36 AM

Threenorns gave some really good advice. Cycling carbs allows you to build muscle/lose fat at the same time, or at least to not gain fat while building muscle, and not lose muscle while losing fat- hope that made sense.

Overall, lots would say your diet is too high in carbs and not enough protein. Your level of fats is good though. I would change it and see if you get better results.

-Tim

**Lady C** · 05-Aug-05, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesMC

today i had 19% fats, 21% protein and 58% carbs?

This is close to what I try to follow. There is WAY too much emphasis on LOTS of protein. It is simply over-rated, IMO. It depends on your goals, your activity type and how your body responds. Kenyan long distance runners (world record holders) eat a diet that is 70% carbs, 15% protein & 15% fat.

What are your stats - feed the muscle not the fat!

**Lady C** · 05-Aug-05, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by threenorns

right now, my two-week average is 1934 calories, 58gr fat (28%), 175 gr carbs (34%), 173 gr protein (37%), . . . i haven't lost any weight at all (still 200lbs) but my waist is shrinking and my back's getting bigger

Please don't take this wrong but . . .Don't you think that is too high of calories? Your ideal size is not much bigger than me and I target 1500 calories. My LBM is around 100lbs therefore 100 grams of protein is plenty. Don't feed the fat, feed only the LBM. If your lean mass is 173 lbs I would be extremely surprised.

**cursor** · 05-Aug-05, 12:16 PM

The way that your macronutrient values are balanced should vary depending on your activity level at any particular time. While your daily % split may be fine, I'd suggest that instead you pay attention to what you are ingesting just before that basketball game, or just after a weightlifting session ... or when at the bar on a Friday night. Knowing how your body responds to nutrition (depending on your metabolism and the type of stress being applied to your body) will help you make intelligent food decisions that are appropriate for any type of (in)activity level.

**threenorns** · 05-Aug-05, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady C

Please don't take this wrong but . . .Don't you think that is too high of calories? Your ideal size is not much bigger than me and I target 1500 calories. My LBM is around 100lbs therefore 100 grams of protein is plenty. Don't feed the fat, feed only the LBM. If your lean mass is 173 lbs I would be extremely surprised.

i'm down to 198.4 from 200 three weeks ago, but my chest has gotten bigger while my waist has shrunk

i think my "ideal" size is a little different than yours- i'm more into building muscle mass at the moment. i think i'll probably end up closer to 155 or 165 by the time i'm satisfied. i'm also no longer plagued with carb cravings and it's been a long time since i woke up in the middle of the night eating, lol.

also, according to fitday (which was close to other caloric requirement sites i tried), not including activity levels, i need just over 3000 cals to maintain my current bodyweight.

this eating system is one my trainer told me to start with, and so far, i'm very happy with the results.

veggieboy · 05-Aug-05, 01:19 PM

James, you need to reduce carbs to 30% and increase protein intake. Or, you'll become fat despite regular cardio and wt. If you wanna stay in shape, you have to drop carbs and add protein and fiber.

JamesMC · 05-Aug-05, 01:34 PM

ok thanks for the advice guys..im going to try and cut down on the cabs, ive been pretty good about the fats but i still need work!