So this is my last week on a low carb fat loss diet but I am confused on whether I should increase my carbs or increase my fats and protein. Can I gain LBM with higher fats and protein and low carbs as long as I increase my calories above maintainence?
Why would you want to low carb sucks.
Just trying to get clarity. So much info out there. Guess I am also have carb-a-phobia.
Yes.
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Thanks again!
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You should probably increase all three. You donât have to go high carb to gain muscle but some carbs around training could definitely help performance and recovery.
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Donât be scared of carbs!
Indeed!
There is absolutely no reason to follow a low carb diet unless you at the end stages of a contest prep, or are pre-diabetic. Gaining smart LBM is all about training hard, and recovering smart. You obviously need to eat enough to grow, but it doesnât take a ton of protein, 1g per pound is enough. Put fats at 30% and use clean carbs for the rest. Carb quality can certainly have an impact on how much fat you may or may not gain, so play it safe and use clean carbs like oats, potatoes, fruit, veggies, to keep a good physique.
Thanks everyone. I will bump up my carbs with good carbs and see how it goes.
Or if you have difficulty controlling your carb intake, and tend to overindulge.
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I personally wouldnât, but I remember in a Mark Bell video about ketogenic diets that itâs possible, and that an athlete had a successful bulk off a ketogenic diet.
Important to remember that low carb and ketogenic are not the same thing. Lots of folks who eat low carb never enter ketosis.
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If one has trouble with over indulgence than they should eat them pre/intra workout and close to bed time.
What would you consider low carb? Alpha had said he was low carb and was eating over 300g a day.
Really doesnât matter what I think. There are people consuming <20g/d of carbsâan amount that would qualify as âlow carbâ in anyoneâs bookâwho still arenât in ketosis.
No, need to be carbphobic.
How many grams of carbs are you eating now? What are your macros?
How much do you weigh, what are your goals, how do you train?
These are all things that should be considered.
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Can you? Sure,⊠is it going to be as ideal or as easy as if you had a more carb dense plan? USUALLY NOT. I say usually, because weâre really speaking in very broad strokes here.
Carbs are necessary not just as we continually read âto fuel the trainingâ, but also in the actual process of building new tissue and the recovery process itself. Now, Iâm NOT saying that you need to be an absolute carb warrior, because there are plenty of variables to consider. What I am saying is that I certainly wouldnât suggest a traditional âlow carbâ approach (less than 100g a day for an average 175 lb hard training male) in hopes of putting yourself in a situation optimal for muscle gain.
Try to remember that all THREE macronutrients are part of the equation. Any approach that plays down or restricts one or more macros, or that isnât meeting your daily caloric needs (which doesnât mean eating 10,000 calories), is going to inhibit what is actually possible.
I will stress that if youâre just ending a low carb diet, any sudden jump in your intake will unquestionably result in a very noticeable amount of water retention (~4 : 1 ratio of water to stored glycogen!) so donât freak out thinking you turned fat overnight.
S
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Thanks, I have been doing carb refeeds every other week so I can see the water retention. My plan is to slowly bump carbs up to get some more calories from carbs, then start bumping up all 3 macros to get into a slight surplus. Just not sure how that will work.
Since everyone has different physiology, try what youâre suggesting and see how it goes. No one can accurately tell you how it will pan out until you try it.
Just wondering,what would you consider âbad carbsâ? White flour? Candy? Tablesugar?
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