Do you count all carbs?

[Roy_Mustang_Is_Hot_Stuff]

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Not all carbs are created equal. I don't have to count the five a day fruits and veggies, so I eat five to eight servings each day.

I eat whole grains and high fiber, less processed foods for energy. I steer away from potatoes without skins, white flour, white rice, processed sugar and HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) laden foods in favor of the fresh and raw stuff. I don't completely cut out carbs because my workouts suffer if I don't have some of the ready available energy.

The sugars I like are the low glycemic, such as honey, agave, coconut sugars, stevia for no calories, mostly natural sources. The less processed, the better, but I don't eliminate them.

I had to increase my protein intake because I started exercising again. I eat my carbs earlier in the day and less carbs later. That seems to push on the results for me. Hope this helps.

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[G_Rachens]

Gummy Juice

I'm trying to get my abs to show and was told I need twice as much protein as carbs, and low fat. intake

My problem is, the wheat bread I eat, fruit, vegetables, and everything else I eat have much higher carbs than protein. For example. the shake I drink before my workout has 320 calories, 1g fat, .5g saturated fat, 5g sugar, 65g carbs, 15g protein, and 25 different vitamins. The carbs there are already 3x the protein, so I add an extra 25g with Whey.

1 banana has way more carbs than protein. Same for every other fruit I love. Once or twice a day while walking I eat a Kelloggs Fiber Plus bar for the fiber, protein, and slight calorie boost to help me get through the day, but even that 1 bar has 120 calories, 5g fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 7g sugar, 24g of carbs, 9g fiber, and only 3g of protein. So again, getting way more carbs than protein from those.

Do you still have to worry about the carbs that come from Bars, workout drinks, fruits, vegetables, and wheat bread, ect? I don't see how I could ever eat twice as much protein as I do carbs

burning_eyes burning_eyes burning_eyes burning_eyes

[Mental Crazy Hinata]

I count carbs, calories, grams of fat, and everything else.
But it's just because I'm weird like that

[Frost Leaf Withers]

FatLossBoss

Hi Gummy Juice

If you want your abs to show the most important thing is that you have a sustained calorie deficit - i.e. you eat less calories than you burn. This is the most important because without this, you could be eating healthy foods but too many of them such that you'll be getting fatter!

So if I eat say 1600 calories throughout the day, I need to make sure I burn 1600+ calories during the day at the gym? Wont that put me in negative calories for the day?

Right now I only eat about 1400 calories a day even though I'm still not sure how many I actually need. These calories all come from healthy foods because I've been real picky and not eating anything that isn't a diet food. I can't say how many calories I burn for sure, but a 6 mile daily bike ride, 20 minute jog on the treadmill, and 1-2 hours of weight lifting and Ab exercises is sure to burn off a lot. By the end of the 20 minute treadmill session it estimates near 200 calories burned. I've been around 130lbs for the last two weeks, 129-132 but that's fine because I don't want to weigh less. Just get more toned and lose body fat %

[slapthefatcat2]

Sparkpeople has a wonderful counter for foods. Has everything you can think of in it's database, and some.

PS remember that no matter how much ab muscle you have, you won't be able to see it if there is fat there. Also, there is no such thing as spot reduction, you must lose fat around your entire body.

[Flynn MacCumhaill]

The 2:1 thing is just rule of thumb. Don't bother actually counting, just replace some of your carby things with more proteiny things. Unless you're actually training to be a high-level athlete or body building, you really don't need to be super-finnicky about it.

[Fryderyk Chopin]

I don't count trace carbs in non-starchy vegetables and nuts, but I do count the ones in starch sources and anything sugary, including fruits. Seconding the guy before me who said to eat more meat by the way.

[wildcat90z]

I do count carbs. And if you want to lose the fat, you should eat less fruits, contrary to most beliefs. And you add more meat to your diet, man. Protein rules!

[SamSamson33]

Hi Gummy Juice

If you want your abs to show the most important thing is that you have a sustained calorie deficit - i.e. you eat less calories than you burn. This is the most important because without this, you could be eating healthy foods but too many of them such that you'll be getting fatter!

Here are the most fundamental how to steps to making sure you get closer to your goal of getting visible abs:

1) calculate your maintenance level calories - in other words, how many calories does your body currently need to stay the same (not gain or loose muscle or fat)?

To do this you can use calorie calculators such as the one at http://www.caloriesperhour.com/

2) Calculate your diet calories.

To do this you discount your maintenance level calories by some percentage less than 25% (otherwise things can get a bit risky/unhealthy and you're likely to loose too much muscle).

for example, if your maintenance level calories are 2000, then a 20% calorie deficit is 1600 cal (2000*80% = 1600)

3) Make sure you follow a new diet in which you only eat the amount of calories you calculated in step 2 each day.

MyFitnessPal is a great ap that will help you keep track of this.

4) Optional but recommended: Pump iron / lift weights. If you don't do this it'll take longer to get your abs because your body will shed more muscle than fat.

For example, if you loose 1kg of weight without doing weights, chances are that at least 50% of that loss will be muscle and not fat (i.e. at least 0.5kg of your weight loss is muscle!).

In other words, you're loose less fat and more muscle so it'll take LONGER to get your abs.

I'm writing a more detailed post on this soon so be sure to watch my blog or follow the FatLoss_Boss on twitter and I'll show you when it's online. biggrin

Hope this helps

Rohan the Fat Loss Boss

[Miss Esa]

I count only net carbs in my diet.

[oTrissa]

No but I do count some.
Mostly on junk food only.

[Gexxdude]

If that works well for you smile I only eat around once a day after my workout haha so it's easy to calculate my calories and macros. You most certainly need more protein though.

[Frost Leaf Withers]

Gexxdude

Not all carbs are created equal. Depending on your workout plan, you may need more or less. What do you do?

I don't exactly count calories or the macros but I just know my carbs are higher than my protein.

On an average day I wake up at 9am, eat breakfast at 10am. (2 eggs + 1 piece of toast -or- Oatmeal + strawberry n' banana -or- Kashi Golean cereal)

Then I shower and get ready until I drink my workout shake at 11:30ish. Then I ride my bike 3 miles to the gym. I don't have a strict workout plan like most people do. I go from machine to machine working on whatever muscles aren't sore. I usually go for 3 sets and mess with the weight/reps depending on the day. I do a little with free weights and bench once or twice a week but I don't go all out like most people with the free weights and so I usually stick to doing the different machines for shoulders, chest, biceps, and everything else. After that I do a mix of running and walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes before going in the Ab room and working on that for 15 minutes. I drink my post workout shake (the same thing as my pre-workout) and then ride my bike back home. I figured the 65 carbs would be good for giving me enough energy to workout. I drink the same shake as a post workout because it seems good for replenishing my bodies nutrients.

By the time I get home it's around 4pm so I shower and clean up until I eat another small meal around 5pm. I only eat small meals and never make my stomach full. This meal is usually a chicken wrap, tuna, or chicken prepared in some other way with vegetables. Sometimes fish if I have the money. I then eat small again around 8pm and sleep some time between 10pm-midnight so I'll wake up at 9am and do it all again.

I thought about cutting my workout shakes in half to reduce carbs but then I'm worried I'll be too hungry to workout, and feel to weak after working out.

[Gexxdude]

Not all carbs are created equal. Depending on your workout plan, you may need more or less. What do you do?

[Frost Leaf Withers]

I'm trying to get my abs to show and was told I need twice as much protein as carbs, and low fat. intake

My problem is, the wheat bread I eat, fruit, vegetables, and everything else I eat have much higher carbs than protein. For example. the shake I drink before my workout has 320 calories, 1g fat, .5g saturated fat, 5g sugar, 65g carbs, 15g protein, and 25 different vitamins. The carbs there are already 3x the protein, so I add an extra 25g with Whey.

1 banana has way more carbs than protein. Same for every other fruit I love. Once or twice a day while walking I eat a Kelloggs Fiber Plus bar for the fiber, protein, and slight calorie boost to help me get through the day, but even that 1 bar has 120 calories, 5g fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 7g sugar, 24g of carbs, 9g fiber, and only 3g of protein. So again, getting way more carbs than protein from those.

Do you still have to worry about the carbs that come from Bars, workout drinks, fruits, vegetables, and wheat bread, ect? I don't see how I could ever eat twice as much protein as I do carbs