Thread: Diet questions.... Need help desperately!

Originally Posted by bookstar

Hello,

Hi!

I got your PM but thought I would answer here as you posted similar questions.

I am wondering What I should do. I am currently on the 40/30/30 diet and eating approximately 1900 calories. I weigh 180 lbs, male, 5'7", 29 years old, and I think I have close to 30% body fat

That calorie content is probably ok for you - although it is close to what people suggest as the lowest calorie content for a given weight (10 x weight in calories) your BF is rather high (sorry - but it is true) and therefore the actual proportion of your weight that is metabolically active (that is, your LEAN mass) is only ~ 126 pounds and you are not that tall either, so it is not like you have the potential to have a huge amount of mass either (sorry - but is true too)...

I think starting at something around 2000 cals would be acceptable. You COULD start a little higher - 2200 cals - but at the end of the day it is up to you.

My goal is to lose fat and get skinny. I am not wanting to bodybuild or "bulk".

Point taken. At 30% BF and 180 pounds at a height of 5'7 I agree with you.

HOWEVER you do want to retain your lean mass - as this is what is going to get you to loose weight... So don't do anything stupid that will result in lots of muscle loss.

The good news is that the 'fatter' you are, the more likely you are to loose a greater proportion of fat to muscle - so that is a good thing! It means you can get GREAT noobie like gains!!

Anyway, My carbohydrate intake is around 180 grams. Is this considered low carbs?

Yes and no. In terms of the 'average' persons diet, it is 'low carb' and yes, in the sense that it is only 1g per pound body weight it is 'low carb' (it is right on the cusp of when you should consider re-feeds)... But, in terms of calorie ratio's it is ok... Although I am confused about which ratio you are using - 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein OR 30% carbs, 30% fat and 40% protein... (as 40% of 1900 is 190g and 30% is 140g carbs... so I am not sure where you got 180g...??). Anyway, once again, as you have a high BF% the grams per pound is not so important.

Knowing my diet, my goal, and my height, weight, age etc...Here are the things I would really like to know and I would greatly appreciate anyone's help/input.

It would also be nice to know what you do for exercise? Weights? Cardio etc...

1. How often should I do a "refeed", according to my diet, goal, caloric intake, etc... i.e., every few days, or once a week? How many days in a row if any?

With a BF of that level I really don't think you need weekly, fortnightly or even monthly re-feeds at the moment.

Just stick to a diet, aim for 8 to 12 weeks of CONSISTENCY and watch your results...

2. Should I lower my carbs from 180 grams? If I do, will that effect how often I refeed?

You could start with that level and see how you go... But it would depend on your activity level as to what you really need...

If you do lower your carbs, definately increase your protein - at the moment you are taking in between 140 and 180g (ratio question) which is threatening to become a little low for you. I would think that you should stick to around a minimum of 180g to 200g (which is 1-1.1g your total bodyweight BUT 1.4 to 1.6g your lean mass). Up to ~ 220g would be ok.

The protein will be more filling and will also increase your calorie expenditure (due to the fact that it needs more energy to digest, absorb and use than carbs). It will also help maintain your lean mass.

3. Will lowing my carbs from 180 grams speed up the fat loss process, as long as I do a refeed soon after and make sure I am not in starvation mode?

This is hard to say - some people will say yes, others will say 'no - overall calories count'.

At the end of the day, if you are getting adequate protein, adequate healthy fats, are in a calorie defeciency and you get your carbs from the right sources then CONSISTENCY is what is going to get you there...

'Starvation' is not just about your carb levels. It is about your overall calorie intake.

4. Instead of doing the 40/30/30 diet, should I maybe do, say, a low carb, high carb, no carb, low carb etc....per day diet? Would this be more effective at burning fat?

Once again, consistency is the key. Carb cycling is a good weight loss tool - it is great for maintaining your psychological health during dieting (allows higher carb days) while keeping an overall calorie deficiency AND preventing some of the metabolic concequences of low carb/low cal dieting (low leptin etc) but a 40/30/30 diet is fine.

In my opinion you probably do not need the carb cycle stuff. You just need a good, consistent diet in combination with weight and cardio training and a good dose of detemination and will power!

5. If I am doing a "no carb" day, should I follow it with a high carb (refeed) day, or low carb day?
Can we have fat on the no carb day? If so how many grams?

This depends on your rotation pattern. Some people simply follow no, low, high, no, low, high... Others do it differently depending on their own preferences, their response to the diet or their workouts schedules.

Yes you do have fat on no-carb days. You should read the article on Carb Cycling if you want more information.