Carbs and Cardio

[Nick9973]

Hi there,

I read somewhere (maybe it was DANDR) that you can eat more carbs if you exercise more. I adhere to a strict 20-carb-a-day food intake and also do intense cardio for 1.5 hours daily. My question is: even though it says I CAN increase my carbs, do I really NEED to? I am content with 20 a day and feel full all the time... plus I'm losing pounds just as fast as I did the first time I was on Atkins! (4 pounds in 4 days.) Any thoughts? Thanks!

[liv]

If you started in October last year it is probably time to increase carbs. Induction with 20 carbs (most of them from Veggies) is only meant to be a temporary thing and we are supposed to start to move up the rungs. It is healthier for you and it prepares you for a lifestyle that is supposed to be lifelong of moderate carb eating.

However it I understand your post right you indicate that you restarted Atkins just now four days ago? In that case you would follow the rules and eat less than 20 carbs for the whole induction (14 days minimum - no matter how much you exercise) After those 14days you move in to the OWL (On-going-weight-loss) phase and increase your carbs gradually.

[Nick9973]

Thanks that's what I figured, but just wanted to be sure. I certainly don't want to go into starvation mode because I burn everything off at the gym! I'll wait on the increase in carbs until I'm ready for OWL in a week or so.

[carbless_in_seattle]

you won't go into starvation mode by eating too few carbs, starvation mode is caused by too few calories, calculate your BMR and find out how many calories that is, if you feel you need to increase calories to avoid the effects of starvation mode, don't increase carbs, increase healthy fats/proteins and get your calories there.

[Nick9973]

Great! Thanks! That makes sense. I think I need to increase my fats anyway... I'm think I'm slipping into the dangerous "low-fat atkins". Yikes!

[carbless_in_seattle]

Originally Posted by Nick9973

Great! Thanks! That makes sense. I think I need to increase my fats anyway... I'm think I'm slipping into the dangerous "low-fat atkins". Yikes!

oh God, me too!

I've been stalled for a while now and am trying to figure out the culprit. and although i put EVOO on my salads everyday and have a little bit of cheese (not always though), i think I've eliminated a lot of necessary fat intake from my diet. I'm going to increase my fats and see if i get a weight loss boost cause all protein/veggies isn't cutting it.

I think im about 30g/fat a day short.

[Kent]

My suggestion for carbs and cardio is to see what works best for you. Some people swear they need the extra carbs before aerobic exercise like running. Others like myself can do marathons or P90x without needing any beforehand. I haven't felt the need to add anything before besides perhaps a little caffeine in the morning. If after a few weeks of exercise, you find yourself tailing off abnormally afterwords (needing to sleep) or dying after 10 minutes, add 5-10 carbs immediately (w/i 30 minutes) before or after. Then allow yourself another few weeks to readjust.

[Nick9973]

Thanks! I haven't experienced any abnormal feelings after cardio. Well, at least I don't feel like I need to sleep. I'll just stick to 20 for now. I only have one more week to go before OWL.

[ttdriver]

If you feel fine at 20, then stay at 20! No need to mess with what's workin' fer ya!



Betty

[carbless_in_seattle]

don't add carbs AFTER a workout!

after a work-out, your body has used up it's carb reserves and gone into fat burning mode, your body continues to burn fat for hours after you workout. if you eat carbs after you workout, your body is just going to burn those.