How do you time your carbs??

[Sparkyp]

As i sit at 19% bf, 210lbs I consume 200-220g protein, 300-ish carbs, 2400-2700 calories and 40-60g fat.

I would eat my carbs evenly over 5 meals and a snack. Recently I’ve been consuming about 200g of carbs roughly an hour pre workout, intra and post workout. The remaining 3 meals are mainly protein and veggies leaving out the rice/sweet potatoes. My daily totals are still 275-300g carbs

curious on others philosophies. Seems what I come across is it’s best to get the carbs in and around the workout. Then you see people say eat carbs all day.

I will say that with my current macros the scale is not moving in either direction however I am down a waste size (34) and my shirts and jeans are snugger.

kind of glad I stopped with the 3500 calories, 250 protein etc etc. to much for no reason and at one point I was like 235lbs with 20% bf

 

[Dead]

How r u surviving on 2500 calories I need 3000 just to not die

 

[Sparkyp]

How r u surviving on 2500 calories I need 3000 just to not die

lol. It’s not easy. I eat very clean so I get my macros in. I’m almost 20% bf. Why would I eat in a surplus? My baseline bat this point is roughly 2500 calories. If dip below I start losing. I go above I start gaining weight.

The goal is to be 10-15% bf and still eat 2500-3k a day.

 

[johntt44]

Are you hanging on to your muscle mass ok?

 

[Mac11wildcat]

I do not completely adhere to “a calorie is a calorie” as the macro distribution and timing CAN affect performance and body comp.

IMO you’re doing it right. Pre-intra-post should be the priority; IE first carbs in, last ones to be taken out during dieting. From there, I’d say once 100g is pre and post and 25-50 is intra you’d want to go spreading added carbs working outward from your training (in general).

 

[Sparkyp]

Are you hanging on to your muscle mass ok?

Yeah so I do those dexa scans. Did one a few months ago. Bought 6 more. I’m not a pro bb nor even compare to you guys. I’m on test cyp 175mg e/w. About to throw In low dose var.

My goals are to be 200lbs and 10-12% bf (initially)

last year I was 230lbs and a big dude but I was 20+% bf. I looked good in a shirt but horrible with the shirt off. The more I ate the bigger and stronger I got but I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere.

I then realized that (I think) the rating these crazy amounts of food applies to guys/gals that are much further along and leaner than I.

I think people like me need to focus on fat burn while building lean muscle. Once we have that fat down, we start “bulking”

again..... i think this is the formula. Lol

Until I get my next dexa all I can say is my shirts are fitting tighter, I dropped a waste size from 36 to 34 but the scale hasn’t moved under 209lbs. As soon as I eat 3k calories a day I shoot right back to 220

 

[Sparkyp]

I do not completely adhere to “a calorie is a calorie” as the macro distribution and timing CAN affect performance and body comp.

IMO you’re doing it right. Pre-intra-post should be the priority; IE first carbs in, last ones to be taken out during dieting. From there, I’d say once 100g is pre and post and 25-50 is intra you’d want to go spreading added carbs working outward from your training (in general).

I do not completely adhere to “a calorie is a calorie” as the macro distribution and timing CAN affect performance and body comp.

IMO you’re doing it right. Pre-intra-post should be the priority; IE first carbs in, last ones to be taken out during dieting. From there, I’d say once 100g is pre and post and 25-50 is intra you’d want to go spreading added carbs working outward from your training (in general).

Thanks mac. You should start your own nutritional/training business. Your a smart dude with a great temperament and patience with newbies.

I appreciate the affirmation. I tried so many things religiously. The new one this time around is 45-60 minutes of cardio 6x a week, carbs mainly around workout and keeping calories low. The mirror says it’s working. My pants and shirts say it’s working. Statistically I’ll know when I do my next dexa I. The coming weeks

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Thanks mac. You should start your own nutritional/training business. Your a smart dude with a great temperament and patience with newbies.

I appreciate the affirmation. I tried so many things religiously. The new one this time around is 45-60 minutes of cardio 6x a week, carbs mainly around workout and keeping calories low. The mirror says it’s working. My pants and shirts say it’s working. Statistically I’ll know when I do my next dexa I. The coming weeks

Plot twist: I do

I offer diet/training coaching for guys that want to take it a step further. Still try to provide value for free here though.

as far as a Dexa scan, don’t be discouraged by what it says. Often I find people a bit unsettled by how high their actual bf% reads. Just know the mirror is FAR more important than the scan or scale.

 

[theOH]

A dietitian told my babies moma that one should take in their carbs before and after cardio. The cardio they were doing was bootcamp stuff.

i limit my carbs. I limit processed foods. This approach has been working for me.

 

[Dead]

A dietitian told my babies moma that one should take in their carbs before and after cardio. The cardio they were doing was bootcamp stuff.

i limit my carbs. I limit processed foods. This approach has been working for me.

that dieticians a god damn idiot. Like it matters

 

[Sparkyp]

I was watching something about bb-ers during the golden era and they rarely ate carbs or kept them to a min and imo they had the best bodies. If that’s the case then maybe we don’t need as many carbs? Idk

this new look in bb is amazing but def not as appealing to me compared to the 70s guys.

I’m still keeping my carbs down around 200-250g a day and trying to keep most of it around the workout to see what happens

 

[jJjburton]

I was watching something about bb-ers during the golden era and they rarely ate carbs or kept them to a min and imo they had the best bodies. If that’s the case then maybe we don’t need as many carbs? Idk

this new look in bb is amazing but def not as appealing to me compared to the 70s guys.

I’m still keeping my carbs down around 200-250g a day and trying to keep most of it around the workout to see what happens

I agree i perfer the 60-80’s look to the bbers now.

 

[Sparkyp]

I agree i perfer the 60-80’s look to the bbers now.

I’m just confused on this notion of eating a shit ton of carbs when in previous decades it wasn’t necessary. It’s not me challenging anyone just trying to understand.

if a person is 8-9-10% bf and eating carbs to bulk up I get it. But why does it seem that needing to eat 300+ grams of carbs per day is needed when someone is like 15% or more? Isn’t that counterproductive especially if your in a caloric surplus???

mom going of my exp. at 24% bf last year I was eating in a surplus and 350g of carbs and 250g protein. All 3 were not necessary and probably unhealthy. I shot up to 230lbs still at 24% bf. I looked decent with a shirt on but like the Michelin man with my shirt off.

I dropped protein, carbs and calories and I’m now 19%bf at 209lbs and look better.

this is complicated stuff. lol

 

[johntt44]

Lifting without carbs sucks. Just lower overall calories if youre cutting. I've done low carb, I get stringy from it. I do think eating the bulk of your carbs around training helps with energy and leanness. Im not talking 600c but 200-300c around training should give you the best of both worlds

 

[Perrin Aybara]

When I'm bulking carbs all day.

When cutting mostly carbs in the AM and around training with occasional carb up days.

Maintaining it depends on goals at the time, if trying to gain strength carbs all day, if working on body composition carbs in the AM and around training.

 

[DonaldPump123]

I spread them throughout the day no matter what. Honestly you think that bowl of oats preworkout is actually digested by the time you hit the gym? Take in carbs throughout the day and your glycogen stores will be full for the training.

 

[jJjburton]

I spread them throughout the day no matter what. Honestly you think that bowl of oats preworkout is actually digested by the time you hit the gym? Take in carbs throughout the day and your glycogen stores will be full for the training.

Well thats why you time complex carbs much longer from lifting then simple sugars. Simple sugars you only need 1 hour. Complex carbs more like 4-6 hours

 

[johntt44]

I spread them throughout the day no matter what. Honestly you think that bowl of oats preworkout is actually digested by the time you hit the gym? Take in carbs throughout the day and your glycogen stores will be full for the training.

I mean 2hrs before, and after working out. I eat jasmine rice but I eat carbs all day too.