Difficulty with Macros

Hi,

I’m currently coming out of a bulk phase and wish to cycle carbs alongside intermittent fasting but having problems finding enough calories in proteins to reach my BMR. I’m currently 73kgs and my BMR is 2107 (including TEE) . As 100gr. of carbs equates around 230 cals from clean sources, having difficulty reaching up to my BMR on my off days, filling up the difference with protein. So far I’ve added 4 eggs, 2 cans of tuna, 300 gr. chicken and only reaching at around 1600 kcal. I do not wish to lose weight and this is becoming a little problem.
Will appreciate if anyone could chime in and maybe offer advice/menus etc. I cannot possibly eat more chicken/eggs/fish as they are currently coming off my ears, so to speak…
Cheers.

100g of carbs is 400 calories, regardless of the source

Upping your fats would be an easy way to get more calories

If I read this right I think your looking for more sources of protein? Based on what you say you eat I’m guessing you don’t eat beef?

A can of beans is about 420 cal with 24 grams of protein and 77 grams of carbs. Lentils are around the same. Turkey sausage and turkey bacon are good for variety as well. I can eat some weird things but sometimes I’ll mix vanilla protein powder with 8 oz of almond milk and put white rice in it like a rice pudding. Just some things at the top of my head.

Unfortunately that is not the case, 100 grams of brown fussili pasta has 354 kcal while 100gr banana has only 89 kcal.
And I cannot up my fats as I’m not willing to over the level that my macro dictates, besides the whole point of cycling the carbs is to burn fat and that would be counter productive.
Many thanks for your time, though.

Yes, beans and lentils are something I normally go for, forgot to mention them. I do eat beef, too.
To be honest, I have been eating so much food for the last two months during the bulk thatI had a dream of eating much less food now. Obviously that won’t be the case as I have to munch eveything that has protein in them just to make up the numbers.
Many thanks for your input.

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What about dairy like greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk?

There’s other stuff in pasta.

100g Banana

Brown Fusilli Pasta 56g

yes, but that’s not 100g of carbs, now is it? That’s 100g of pasta or banana.

bananas and pasta are not carbs there are carbs in them.

Of course, I think we both understand the kcal values, what I was trying to point out is they have ‘different carb values’ (fussili 67gr/ banana 23gr carb per 100 grams).

This is not true at all. Upping quality dietary fats is a great way to get to your caloric goal, especially if you’re already meeting your protein and carb requirements. Not sure what you mean by adding fats would be counterproductive to burning fat. Fats have 0 affect on blood sugar, keep you full for hours, and are a great way to keep the fat burning going. Fat doesn’t make you fat, excess calories make you fat. The point of carb cycling is to keep insulin low except for times when it’s really needed, which adding fats does. So, don’t be fat-phobic. Especially if you’re not having carbs in a meal, you should be having good fats.

If you’re trying to get to 2100 cals, and are currently at 1600 cals, and your protein and carb requirements are met, then you can/should certainly fill the rest with good fats to meet your caloric goal. What else would you fill them with?

That being said, adding nuts/nut butters, grass fed cheese, avocado, fattier cuts of meat like steak or ground beef, salmon, olive oil, farm raised bacon, whole eggs, are all great ways to get cals in with quality fat sources.

In my experience calories from fats and carbs are fairly interchangeable in a diet within reason. My recommendation is to hit your protein, make sure you are getting a decent amount of fiber, then hit your calorie goal. That’s like 95% of results covered.

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Thanks for your input. I was having olive oil, almonds, nuts etc. in moderation but guess you’re right about where to get the extra calories if proteins are met in the macro setting on a carb recycle. Will have to go back to the board and recalculate now.
Many thanks.

Your Objective

…is to increase your calorie intake while minimizing carbohydrate intake.

That leaves you increasing your consumption of Protein and/or Fat. Your best option is as per…

Yogi1’s Post

“Upping your fats would be an easy way to get more calories.”

robstein Post

“Upping quality dietary fats is a great way to get to your caloric goal, …”

You Fat Marco Limit

…needs to be readjusted to a higher level; this is most logical approach.

Doing so will enhance you “Fat Burning Effect”, with the decrease in carbohydrates and the increase in fat, you will shift from burning glucose/carbohydrates to utilizing fats/ketones for energy.

The Protein Option

Since you “Won’t” consume more fat that only leaves you with protein.

One of the main issue with increasing your calories by consuming more protein on a low carbohydrate diet is…

  1. Glyconeogenesis: Your body will convert protein into glucose that should be used for maintaining or increasing muscle mass. Most likely you won’t be consuming enough protein to do two jobs.

  2. A high protein-low carbohydrate diet means you are glucose dependent, burning glucose NOT than fat.

Gluconeogenesis means you are on a carbohydrate diet even though your carbohydrate intake is low. You might as well just consume carbohydrates because the effect is the same.

Take Home Message

Your macro difficulty issue is self imposed but something you can fix.

Kenny Croxdale

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