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Everyone eats carbohydrates. You pretty much can’t get around it. We need carbs for energy after all.
But the questions still remain: how many carbs should I eat in a day?
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Are there drawbacks from eat too little or too many carbs?
What are the side effects of eating carbs or abstaining from eating carbs?
Well once again, as with protein, it depends on what you do on a daily basis. Furthermore, ingestion of carbs should be focused more around the question:
WHEN should I eat carbs during the day?
As with how much fat to eat in a day and how much protein to eat in a day, it all depends on a couple factors:
- job
- insulin resistance
- activity level
- target body weight
- exercise goals
- lifestyle
The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as stated by the Department of Health and Human Services, suggest that roughly 50% of your daily calories come from carbs. Thus, a person who eats approximately 2,500 calories per day should take in about about 300 grams of carbs. This number is not altogether bad for the average American, but we have to take into consideration the sources of those carbs.
These are the kinds of carbs to avoid at all costs:
- sugary snacks and pastries
- sugar-sweetened soft drinks or fruit juice
- candy
- cookies
- regular fried greasy chips
- processed, packaged snack foods
- high sugar kids cereals
- processed white flour products such as white bread and pasta
These foods offer virtually no nutritional value, and they contain far too many calories. Some of these foods also contain saturated and trans-fats that are bad for your heart, and sugary foods can lead to such maladies as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Specifically if you are already insulin resistant, you should avoid these bad carbs as they will just ruin your day by making you tired, slow, dumb, and hungry.
Instead choose these kinds of carbs:
- fresh fruit
- vegetables
- whole wheat and whole grain products
- beans, nuts, and other legumes
When Do I Need More Carbs?
People that exercise with high intensity or with prolonged endurance, can benefit from a high carbohydrate intake before exercise. It is feasible to consume a high carbohydrate meal before a marathon, or a moderately high carbohydrate meal before lifting weights or martial arts training. It is not a good idea to consume too many carbs in one sitting, but 50 grams is not out of the question if you are preparing for a physically draining event.
During and after exercise is also a key time to consume carbs. In fact this is the only time it is recommended to consume sugary carbs. I tend to sip on Gatorade during a workout and my post-workout drink contains about 40 grams of carbs in the form of dextrose. If allowed to choose, I would choose Biotest Surge as my post-workout drink of choice. This is a product that is specially formulated to replenish lost glycogen stores and restart protein synthesis after a demanding workout.
When Do I Need Fewer Carbs?
There is no need to eat carbohydrates at night. Ever. Some folks believe in consuming a high-carb meal the night before an event like a marathon, but I just don’t see it. I would say eat that meal in the morning if the event is in the late morning or early afternoon. The best time for a high carbohydrate meal is in the morning, when your body is prepared to uptake glycogen for energy for the day. Lunch should be a moderate carb meal as you don’t want to get that ‘bonk’ feeling in the middle of the afternoon. Also consider that if you don’t plan to exercise during the day then there’s really no need to gulp down many carbs at any point in the day.
Carbs and Fat Loss
If you are on a fat loss diet, then there’s definitely no need to eat more than 100 grams of carbs in any one day. I don’t necessarily support Atkins, but there are valid points to that diet. When I am in the middle of a hardcore cutting phase, trying to get as lean as possible in a given time frame, I will only consume 20-30 grams of low glycemic index carbs for breakfast.
For lunch I will try to avoid most carbs, opting for whole grain bread or a salad if necessary. My pre-workout drink is typically 1/2 a serving of Biotest Surge, I sip on Gatorade during the workout, then finish off with 1 serving of Biotest Surge after the workout. On non-workout days, I skip all of that and choose a protein bar, cheese, or a meat snack instead.
Dinner is always low carb during a diet. Soup, meat and vegetables, and salad are all great choices for low carb dinners. Appropriate snacks are meats, cheeses, protein bars or shakes, veggies, and other super-low carb foods. Typically in the midst of a diet phase, I eat around 75 grams of carbs on a non-workout day, and maybe 120-140 grams of carbs on a workout day.
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In conclusion, I recommend that if you are moderately active, you should derive maybe 30% of your daily calories from carbs. Sure, my opinion differs from specialist government agencies, but that’s only because I have seen low carb diets work. I have also seen Americans grow obese and suffer from a long list of carbohydrate induced diseases.
A 200 lb man on a 2500 calorie diet would probably eat maybe 180 grams of carbs in a day, all from unprocessed whole food sources. A 140 lb woman on a 1500 calorie diet might only eat 100 grams of carbs in a day.
Someone on a strict diet might limit themselves to 50 grams of carbohydrates a day regardless of sex or weight. Just remember to avoid those nasty sugary processed carbs so that you can stay healthy, avoiding energy crashes and adult-onset type II diabetes.
See also:
How many grams of fat should I eat?
How many grams of protein should I eat?
Looking for Protein Powder?
Choose Project Swole recommended Optimum Nutrition protein powder.
Optimum Nutrition protein powder comes in about 20 different flavors, and is available in 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, and 10 lb containers. Click here to order.
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What powder do you recomend for me 140 lbl woman that is trying to maintain my weight. Have you tried ProEnergy line of products? they seem so good to the ear but I cant find any public reviews. Thanks
Jill: I swear by Optimum Nutrition. That’s pretty much all I ever use, although I used a lactose free protein powder called Nutribody recently, but the taste was whack. Click here to get yourself some optimum nutrition protein powder.
i say just eat the stuff you dont feel guilty eating and go for an hour walk a day,, eat …Accually eat in the morning like a good sized breakfeast… medium lunch and a nice yogurt bannana or salad for supper with fruit snacks in between… GO ahead, eat bacon and eggs for breakfeast… if u wanna loose weight either way…but just walk for an hour, waybe 10 mins on the treadmill in front off the tv… bounce on a trampoline…
this is a very bad diet example , there is hardly any carbs needed to help get you through the day the avergae calories is 2500 for men , and 2000 for woman.
Oh OK FiTnEsSkNoWiTaLl, we’ll just put all men on 2500 calorie diets and all women on 2000 calorie diets regardless of their age, weight, height, and goals. I always wanted to have a group of fat women clients who just get fatter and a group of male clients who can’t gain muscle because their calories are too low. Brilliant!
EXERCISE!!!! post it//steven -_-*
Steve
I have a 79 year old sister and probaby myself including are borderline diabetics can you tell me on an 1800 calorie diet how many grams of carbohydrates should I be eating and what about grams of sugar? I know carbs turn into sugar but when reading label how many grams of carbs and sugar should I be counting.
thank you
Mary: I would suggest eating minimal sugar at all times. Keep your carbs complex. You should really ask your doctor or a nutritionist for answers to these questions, but as a former nutritionist, I would say you should be eating between 100-150 grams of carbs a day, spread out throughout the day, avoiding sugar when possible. If you test your blood sugar regularly, you will know if you need to up the carbs, for instance if your blood sugar drops too low for any reason.
I wanted to know about how much protein my 14 year old should be having. He is playing football and weightlifting at school.(Freshman).He is 5’8 and 112 lbs. He wants to add some weight and muscle but we heard that you should not give your teen protein because they will start to grow outward instead of heightwise. What do you recommend?
Hi Steve, I weight 180lbs at 5’10″ and my goal is to reach 140-150. I just started walking about 45 minutes a day at a very fast pace. High impact exercise is not an option.
At this point I am not thinking really about building muscle, I just want to lose my beer gut (I rarely drink any more).
What do you suggest my goals should be? TIA
…also, I’m 38 and small boned.
Hi Steve,
I am still trying to get in shape and rid of the last 3 stubborn lbs from pregnancy. I train high-impact aerobics & spinning a combination of 6x a week. I am wondering how many carbs I should be eating to get rid of the last few lbs with out losing the energy I need for my work outs. I am 5’2″/ 114 lbs.
Thank you!
Lynn
Lynn: I would keep my carbs under 100 grams a day, but would eat at least half of them before my workout, so that I would have energy during the workout. For you I might suggest 20 grams for breakfast, 20 grams for lunch, 20 grams before your workout, and 20 grams after your workout. Keep to eating complex carbs, including an apple before the workout, oatmeal for breakfast, and whole grain breads during the day. Just some ideas for you. Let me know what you think.
Steve,
I am 59 yr old(F)weigh 175.Would like to see
145-150.My main form of exercise is walking and I hope to return to swimming 2-3 times per week.I work nights and seem my life is just eat,sleep,work.I tried reducing carbs for a quick start and after 2days felt horrible.(20GM)My kcals were under 1000 for a day.One l#/wk of weight loss is labourious.
I’d like a quick start and a eating plan that won’t destroy my metabolism any further.
Hello i have a problem.. i want to make my own diet and i cant i dosnt now how calories i need per day and carbs and protein i want to gain muscle y have 200 pounds weight and 24% fat, 5 ft 09in hight.
plase i need your help tanks!!
Hi I am a 27 year old female. My weight is 125lbs and I am 5.8 in height. I have recently started doign some weight training in order to tone my body. I have been bringing up my protein intake to approx. 110grams a day. I try not to eat too many carbs. I guess when I think about it, I consume about 1700 calories a day. Is this going to make me fat??
I notice you said that a person looking to lose fat should not eat more than 100 grams of carbs per day. According to Nutrition Facts labels that about 2 apples a day. Am I missing something here?
Marty: one apple has about 20 grams of carbs, so you could eat 5 apples in a day. The point of eating low carbs to lose fat is that you avoid sugary carbs altogether and only take in a minimal amount of other carbs. The focus of a low carb fat loss diet is to eat higher protein and healthy fats instead of carbs.
I am a 14 year old girl who is about 132 and I’m 5’4. I want to weigh at least 120. I’ve been doing pretty good on a low carbs, low sugar diet. So far I’ve lost 16 pounds, but recently I’ve come to a stopping point, and can no longer lose weight, no matter how hard I try. It’s pretty stressful, can you help me?
hi steve, im 150lbs, 26, 5’8 (so rather thin)and want to bulk, i have my training sorted on mon,wed,fri. Reading your info i have decided on this. 200g protein, 400-450g carbs, 60g fat, 3000 cals (as a starting point). Does this sound ok or would you make adjustments? Would you keep the units the same on workout and none workout days? When i do eventually come to cut, you outine great adjustments to the ratios, over what period of time on average would a cutting diet be? GREAT SITE BY THE WAY MATE. Cheers, Adam
Also Steve, when cutting should i keep my weight training to fatique as it is now, but add in cardio as well (if so how often and for how long). At the moment trying to bulk i doing little if any cardio. Thanks again. Adam
Hey Steve, I’m a female that weighs 140lbs and I’m 5 Ft. 1/2 in. tall. I want to tone/sculpture my body (all definition). I don’t really have a weight goal, however I do want to lose the bulk. I just started working out two days ago by running four blocks (3x’s total of 12 blocks) resting 10 min. in between each run (starting off small as a beginner). I don’t eat meat, nor do I have a problem sticking to certain diets.
I want to know if you can give me some pointers on how I can get my body very tight and lean (all definition), I don’t use weights ’cause my body bulk up really fast.
What exercise should I do? How many calories, total fat, carbs, and protein should I consume daily?
PLEASE HELP, I”M DESPERATE!!!!
JWA: I think you should start to use weights, but use high reps and light weights to start off. Moreso, I think you should focus on HIIT and HIRT training to melt the fat rather than heavy lifting to build muscle or strength. Read this article on HIIT and this article on HIRT, which I hope to update soon… possibly today. Also remember that diet is responsible for 80% of your progress. Furthermore, there is no need for you to use any NO supplements. Nitric Oxide will not be necessary for your fat loss plan.
Oh, and Steve one more question…
Do you suggest that I use any supplements? I’m asking because a friend of mine suggested I start taking “NITRIC OXIDE”, what do you think?
“THANK YOU!!!”
Again, I like the NO supplements. Not all the time, but once in a while it gives the workout a nice boost. Still, I don’t recommend it at all for fat loss.
Adam: I think you are on point for bulking. When cutting, you will probably switch at least one strength training day to a HIRT routine and add in at least one HIIT session each week.
Amy: I suggest either modifying your diet decrease calories – or – decrease carbs and increase protein – or – start exercising differently, perhaps adding a HIRT or HIIT routine into your weekly schedule – or – all of the above.
Melanie: without knowing anything else about you, I calculate your maintenance calories at about 1625 a day. 1700 shouldn’t be a problem, and NO it certainly won’t make you fat.
Hey Steve,
I’m 20, 5’5 and 114lbs, for the last year or so, my calorie allowance has fluctuated, I usually try to keep to 1200…but lately i’ve been encouraged by close friends to aim for atleast 1700. I’ve started going to the gym twice a week..unfortunatly more than what I was previously doing. I was worrying about this 1700-2000 causing unwanted weight gain, it seems so much! It’s an irrational fear but i’d love to eat normal again, is 1700 a good place to stay without gaining?
Kowski: To maintain 114 lbs, you probably can eat around 1550-1600 calories a day, maybe even a little more. 1700 may not be pushing it too much but that’s probably the upper limit. I recommend going to the gym 3 times a week for either full body resistance training, HIRT training, HIIT training, or a mixture of all three.
Steve,
I am a big fan of your article. Here is my nutrition story:
I am 18 years old and about 6 foot 2 inches. Last February I got up to an out-of-shape 210 pounds. Raw fat, very little muscle, so I went on a low-carb diet, consuming roughly 30-40 carbs a day. In 6 months I got down to 165 pounds, now a fat skinny with almost no muscle. SO I started to lift and eat a full protein and carb diet, but as I did that I gained a lot of fat back initally in the process. Recently Ive trimmed back down while lifting. I have gotten stronger and am up to 180 pounds. I consume carbs in the morning before I lift and after along with a protein shake. The rest of the day is little to no carbs. Is that a good idea? Can I expect to get stronger doing that? I’m consuming about 100-120 carbs a day at this point, all whole grains before and after workout. I fill lunch and dinner with various meats and nuts and drink a lot of water.
Thanks,
Mike
Mike: It sounds like you will maintain low body fat and probably make OK training progress following that kind of diet. You probably need to consider eating more carbs if you want to really gain muscle fast, plus I have no idea what your total calories look like, or anything else really about your diet or training plan. I can only offer that suggestion with such limited knowledge.
I lift 7 days a week, but different muscle groups. I eat around 1800-2200 calories a day, usually about 300 before workout, 600 after, and about 1000 over the rest of the day. My lifting is short and compact, my chest exercise for example is usually like 3 sets of dumbell bench, flies, and push-ups and then same type of thing for abs afterwords. Workout usually takes about 40 minutes. I do that for chest, biceps, triceps, abs, and legs. I my goal is to be ripped, cut, toned, whatever you want to call it. I am in the best shape of my life right now for sure in terms of body-fat percentage, I’m just wondering if you think I can have success over the long haul following that approach. I want to gain muscle as fast as possible without gaining any fat and preferably losing a little more fat that is “stubborn fat”.
Thanks,
Mike
Mike: If you want to maintain the way you look and function now, which as you say is “the best shape of my life “, then keep doing what you are doing. However, if you want to gain muscle faster, stop doing things like ‘flies’ and push ups. Push ups can be useful but only if they are plyometric, clapping, one-arm, or some other type of explosive push up. Start using the very best compound exercises and consider using 3-4, 45 minute, full body workouts each week. When you start to gain the extra muscle, your metabolism will be elevated, and you will ultimately lose ‘a little more fat that is “stubborn fat”’. Also, 7 days a week of training is too much. You should at least take one full day off each week, preferably 2.
Also, if you really want to gain muscle start incorporating a small protein dense meal later in the day. You say your last meal is at 5pm, but you could probably toss back a protein shake or eat some cottage cheese around 8-9pm or before you go to bed.
Furthermore, I’ve been reading lots of studies and expert opinions that say carbs + protein before a workout is best for muscle gain and fat loss. Therefore, consider adding something with a bit more protein to your Wheaties. Consider some egg whites, a piece of meat, or a 15-20 gram protein shake. Milk has protein, but not very much of it.
And if it helps this would be an average day i guess:
6 AM: Bowl of Wheaties
615-7 AM: Lift
7 AM: Whey Protein Shake (2 servings) with 2 cups of milk. 2 pieces of whole wheat bread toasted with egg beaters
12 PM: Nuts, Almonds, Cashews roughly 600 cals worth. Salad w/ tomatoes and sunflower seeds.
5 PM: Venison (Deer meat, it’s lean) or Tuna or Grilled Chicken or Meatloaf, something of the sort.
Water supply throughout the day.
I’m also taking a 100 mg of Zinc a day to help boost testosterone for lifting and for defining my “man boobs”.
hey steve my names andre i weight 265 im trying to lose about 50 ibs i workout four times a week with weight and i wondering if eating 300 grams of carbs is to much for me and if i can eat more than a 100 grams if good fats too
300 grams of carbs is quite a bit for a fat loss diet, even at a bodyweight of 265. Good fats are important, but when you add up your protein, carb, and fat intake, it should be less than the product of your goal bodyweight * 12. If your goal is a 220 lb bodyweight, you should eat no more than 2600 calories a day – and even that might be on the high side.
sorry i forgot to say im 6’2
I am a 46 y/o female, 5’2″ and 215lbs. and I am not active at all. Oh I walk the dog occasionally but I would love to lose this and get down to my normal size which is around 110. I don’t understand this carbs and protiens and stuff. How much carbs, protein, fat, calories should I eat daily?
Nancy: You’d need to eat about 100-120 grams of protein, 100-150 grams of carbs, and 40-70 grams of fat (depending on the protein and carbs you eat). Aim for 1440 calories a day to start, and adjust that number based on your progress.
Hey, I’m really new to being healthy, and could use some tips. I’m 15, 5 ’5, 150 lbs. Grew up eating however and whenever I wanted. A lot of pop and trash. But when I finally reliezed that I was overwieght, I really wanted to change. Have been struggling with it as my parents don’t really care about being healthy. I’m fairly big in frame naturally, but I want more muscle and to not be overwieght. I do at home workouts like jumping jacks, pushups, crunches, streaches, walks, and leg workouts. What kind of workouts should I focus on, and what should my calorie intake be? I’ve tried to figure it out, but I’m confused, there are so many ways.
Esther: Get a gym membership. Do a full body workout routine 3 days a week and HIIT cardio 2 days a week. Do any extra calisthenics and stretching on your own time. I am assuming you are female and your goal weight is probably about 120-130 lbs, since you are 5’5. That being said, I think you should start with 1550 calories a day and 120 grams of protein. Keep the carbs under 150 grams a day and avoid sugar. As you lose fat you should adjust your calories based on your progress. Losing more than 3 lbs a week after the first couple weeks is not that good because you are likely sacrificing muscle mass, so make sure you are eating enough protein and calories. Losing less than 2 lbs a week is not that efficient either, so make sure you are eating few enough calories to lose fat.
Thanks so much. I’m unsure as to what would be good foods to eat tho. Could you recommend a nutrition book I could check out or something?
You can check out Gourmet Nutrition by John Berardi. He’s the nutrition guru.
I am 39yrs old, 6’2″ and 225lbs. I am interested in lifting weights and building muscle as well as losing some weight. Mainly the “belly fat”. Can you please tell me what kind of calorie, carb, and protein intake is best. Thank you for your help.
Joe: You are going to have to read the articles buddy. I can’t write a custom program for everyone. Lift heavy, do cardio, eat 12 x your goal bodyweight in calories and 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal bodyweight. Any other questions, you’ll have to read the articles.
Hi, My name is sarah and I’m 19 5’5 and I weigh 153 and I have about 3 months to lose as much weight as possible my goal is 20. Is that a good amount?And how should I go about it?
Steve,
II have gained about 20 lbs since quitting smoking in Nov. 09 and I am trying desperately to get it off. I am weight training and am on the treadmill for 30-45 a day. How many carbs should I be eating per day to drop this stubborn belly weight?
I have started a regiment last week so advise if I should be doing something different,
6AM 2 scoops of whey,1 banana, 1c.skim milk and ice cubes.
9am. can of tuna with 7 whole wheat crackers
noon 6-8 oz of lean protein with 15 grams of wheat rice/pasta or hummus
3pm 2oz hummus with 7 wheat crackers
6pm same as noon.
9 more hummus.
It seems like a good regiment but I am taking in alot of carbs. 70-100 or so.
Please advise.
RS
RS
Hummus rocks. Consider replacing your 9 pm hummus with cottage cheese. 70-100 grams of carbs is not alot. That is how much I recommend when on a pretty strict fat loss diet. Healthy carbohydrate intake can be upwards of 150-200 grams a day for a normal healthy diet. I think you are doing good and should stick to your plan for a month, but try to change up the foods a bit so you don’t get bored and totally sick of your diet plan – especially after the first 3 weeks. Also consider occasionally replacing your endurance cardio with HIIT and HIRT routines.
hi steve, i am 16 years and I maintain a weight between 135-140Ibs i am about 5.8″ .. I used to weigh 117 and I felt more healthy with that weight but lately i feel like i am over eating. I run 20 minutes everyday and exercise on the wii fit and other things but all exercising seems to do is make me eat more.. i feel like its impossible to losee those 10-15 pounds. hellppp! Is there any food that i can eat that will fill me up but not make me gain weight? Thanks …
That’s a good question. Drink more water, eat more fruits and veggies. Also try to eat more lean protein to fill yourself up. Try low calorie foods like Jello and light popcorn. Avoid calorie dense foods like peanut butter and whole milk. Don’t eat junk food. Start lifting weights in addition to your running and WII Fit stuff.
Hi Steve,
I’m 19 Yrs. old I’m 5’10 and 230lbs I would like to get down to around 190 what do you recommend? Weights or Gyms are not an option?
Justin: You will have to cut your calories down, eat tiny meals quite often, and do as many body weight workouts as you can, with HIIT and other cardio workouts included when possible.
steve how many grams of carbs and calories does 1 cup of rice have?
I’m not sure. Check out FitDay’s rice calorie counter page for that info.
Steve, I have lost over 50 lbs, but am stuck for the last two months with the next 10 lbs. Goal is a total of 100, so I am 1/2 way there. I was OK for the first 50. I walk 3 miles a day and now have started 6 miles 3 X week. I’m no longer diabetic. Yeah! I am confused as to how much carb and protein intake. Could this be a problem with this plateau in that I’m not doing it right after all????
Thanks
Congrats on your weight loss to date. Consider adding strength training to your routine, 3 times a week, for 45 minutes a session. You can use a women’s full body routine for fat loss or make up some HIRT routines of your own. Protein should be .8 grams per pound of goal body weight. Carbs should be somewhere between 70-150 grams a day, although 70 is very low and should be used only on days when you are not exercising. You can do it, but it might be time to step up the intensity a bit. However, please don’t do anything that your doctor tells you not to do.
Hey Steve,
I’m 30 yrs old 5’6″weigh between 145-150 lbs. Very athletic and been lifting regularly for 10 + yrs. I have around 10-11% body fat which I am aware is low. My question is to maintain my weight range and possibly gain a little more muscle (0r keep growing)and still be cutting fat I changed my food intake and was wondering if it sounds like it will produce for me. I eat between 1800-2200 calories a day( average usually between 55-70 grams of fat,120-135 carbs,165-190 protein, and about 40-50 sugar) Carbs come from veggies,wheat/grain products,fruits and some from protein bars/meal or breakfast bars in mornings: Most of the fat is from 3 sources: roasted/unsalted almonds,either almond butter or peanut butter and then obviously the Protein bars.(By the way not to get off the subject but i started eating Naturally More peanut Butter with omega 3&6 and flax in it and haven’t gone back to old brands since-great stuff..)Anyways I lift M-F: Monday: Chest,back,legs-circut training, Tuesday:bi,tri,shoulders-circut,Wed:Jump Rope intervals and ab training,Thu:Chest,back,legs-circut and Fri:bi,tri,shldr-circut..off sat/sun..Do you think I need to change anything? I should add that the circuts are completely different: ie: Monday(C,B,L)is 3 movements for each body part ususally a 3-5 for strength,8-10 3 set and a 2 set 12-15 rep. Thurs:(C,B,L)2 movements per body part consisting of 8rep-4 sets for one and 10 rep 3 set for the 2nd movement..
Any imput will help..thanks
Your maintenance calorie level is about 2000 calories a day. If you eat more than that, you will gain weight. If you eat less than that, you will lose weight. The amount of protein is good, but to gain muscle consider eating closer to 200 grams of carbs each day. Also be sure you are using a post-workout shake like Biotest Surge Recovery.
I think I get the gist of your workout. It seems to be tailored to gaining muscle and minimizing fat gain, but I’m not sure why you have two days devoted to arms and shoulders. I would change that aspect of it so something more like:
Mon – Chest, Shoulder, Tris, Abs
Tues – Legs, Back, Bis, Calves
Weds – HIIT and Abs
Thurs – Chest, Shoulder, Tris, Abs
Fri – Legs, Back, Bis, Calves
Sat, Sun – Off
Hi Steve i really am happy to know there is someone out there that can actually help people by suggesting stuff reflecting their individual stories. My situation goes like this and i would really appreciate your help.
- 18 years of age
- 195lbs
-5’11″
My goal set in mind is losing 40lbs. i personally have no clue how to do that. What i’ve been doing so far is running on the treadmill everyday for 30minutes losing 400 calories. My diet plan consists of eating only positive carbs such as whole wheat breads, egg whites, fruits, vegetables. I have no clue if what im doing as of now is even potentially the “right” workout and diet but if you could read over this i would really appreciate if you could tell me what you think about what i’ve been doing and please if you have suggestions feel completely free to state them i really do want to lose the 40lbs before july of 2010.
Thank you
-Will
40 lbs is a lot to lose at 5’11, but you can probably lose at least 30 lbs by July if you exercise and eat right. I am going to give my recommendations based on the assumption that you are healthy, have no medical issues, and no injuries. If you do have any of those, please talk to your doc first.
First you should get on a weight training program like full body fat loss for men.
Next you should calculate your daily calorie requirements, which should start with your goal bodyweight x 12, so 155 x 12 = 1860 calories in a day. That number could increase or decrease based on your fat loss. If you are losing more than 3 pounds a week after the second week, then consider adding 100 calories to your daily routine. If you are losing 1 pound or less, subtract 100 calories and go from there.
Make sure you’re getting 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal body weight, so about 155 grams a day.
Keep your carbs under 100 grams on days when you are not working out, and under 130 grams on days when you are working out.
Keep eating those healthy foods and try to drink a gallon of water a day.
You should keep a food log too. Write down what you eat, the serving size; and the number of calories, grams of protein, grams of carbs, and grams of fat in each meal. This will help you better track your calorie consumption, and I promise the knowledge you gain will stick with you for the rest of your life… at some point you will just know the calorie and macronutrient content in most of your favorites foods and you will be able to guage your daily intake in your head.
Dear Steve,
I appreciated all the tips. I am starting to use them in my routine. Although i have one specific question that i am hoping gets a really detailed and specific answer. I do not know what to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner that will be under 100g of carbs when im not exercising and 130g of carbs when i am exercising. Could you please give me a detailed list of specific foods like for example egg whites and almonds. What im trying to say is can you help me set up a daily-weekly food menu/schedule for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I would really appreciate your help. I understand that avoiding junk food is good but i would like to know what the “ideal” food is that i should be eating when im on a serious fat loss diet and workout. Thank you steve and i hope to hear from you.
- Will
Sorry Will, but I really can’t do that. I am not a licensed nutritionist so I can’t legally write you a meal plan. Just stick with low carb foods like lean meat, eggs, cheese, and nuts. Also choose foods full of complex carbs like beans, whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. You can use a post-workout recovery drink like Biotest Surge Recovery, which does have some carbs. If you really want to do this right, you will keep a food log and write down what you eat, serving size, calories, protein, fat, and carbs; and keep track of your progress.
Hi Steve.
when counting carbs and calories, do you include those that are in creatine or other supplements as part of your dailey intake?
thanks,
Chris
Yes. But there shouldn’t be many calories in creatine.
Hey Steve, I am taking cell tech hard core pro series and it shows:
310 calories and 77g of carbs.
One last question. I am 45 220lbs 24% body fat. I am starting the
Full Body Fat loss for men routine. My goal is to get to 190lbs and 12-14% body fat and put some muscle on. Here is my diet: 2300 cal 136g carbs 220g protien and 87g fat, 56g of the fat comes from 4 tbl spoons of flax seed oil thru out the day to get my calories up, a total of 5 meals plus the cell tech creatine mix after my work outs. Will this work?
Your input would be very appreciated.
Sounds good to me. Consider taking the creatine before your workout and a post workout recovery shake like Biotest Surge Recovery after your workout.
im 5’5 and weigh 220lbs. i want to loose major weight. how many carbs should i have daily?
70 carbs on non-workout days, 120 carbs on workout days, with most of them coming after the workout. One day a week you should bump it up to 200 carbs but keep it clean. Fruits, veggies, and whole grains! NO SUGAR!
Steve,
I am a 20 yr old female weighing 148lbs and I’m 5 foot. I want to get back down to 120. I do 40 mins of cardio 6 days per week and do 20 mins of weight training with small 10 lb weights. How can I get rid of these 28 pounds ? I was thinking about reducing my carb intake to 100 per day. Any suggestions? I really need to get this weight off..
Brittney
Hi Steve,
I posted a few months back and appreciated your feedback so much! I am back with another question. I have continued to work out 6x a week with high impact aerobics/weight training and spinning. I have the working out part down. It is the eating that I can’t quite figure out. My quads are bigger than the last time I posted. The only thing I have done differently is probably eaten more carbs. If I trim down on carbs and continue with the my work outs, will my body (especially quads) be leaner -or- should I not do as much spinning and squats? I really enjoy my work outs, but want to be as lean as possible. Currently, I am 5′ 2″ 117lbs and 32. Thank you!
….oh and ideally I’d like to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 110 or at least fit in those jeans