Hello everyone. I’ve been on a low-carb diet for the past 4 months–I’ve gone from 230 pounds to 194 pounds in that time period with very little loss in strength (lifts are 260 bench, 300 squat, 350 deadlift, 165 overhead press).
Recently, my weight has stalled. I’ve been doing some research and I’ve discovered that my intake of fats has been too low, so for this past week I’ve been adding more good fats to my diet (mostly from olive oil). I keep my calories very low during the day (usually around 1900-2000 with around 160 grams of protein, less than 40 grams carbs, and as of now around 80-90 grams of fat).
What I want to know is if there is anything else that I can do to get the scale moving again (such as laying off of the diet for a few weeks or changing my intake of nutrients somehow). I am a wrestler and I’m looking to make it to at least 185 pounds (so I have the option of wrestling at the 180 pound or 189 pound weight classes).
I’m on a solid lifting routine and I do some sort of endurance/conditioning outside of practice at least 3 times a week (mostly barbell complexes or some sort of Crossfit-type workout).
Thanks in advance for the help. If you need anymore details on my diet/routine, please ask.
[quote]Aphamos wrote:
Hello everyone. I’ve been on a low-carb diet for the past 4 months–I’ve gone from 230 pounds to 194 pounds in that time period with very little loss in strength (lifts are 260 bench, 300 squat, 350 deadlift, 165 overhead press).
Recently, my weight has stalled. I’ve been doing some research and I’ve discovered that my intake of fats has been too low, so for this past week I’ve been adding more good fats to my diet (mostly from olive oil). I keep my calories very low during the day (usually around 1900-2000 with around 160 grams of protein, less than 40 grams carbs, and as of now around 80-90 grams of fat).
What I want to know is if there is anything else that I can do to get the scale moving again (such as laying off of the diet for a few weeks or changing my intake of nutrients somehow). I am a wrestler and I’m looking to make it to at least 185 pounds (so I have the option of wrestling at the 180 pound or 189 pound weight classes). I’m on a solid lifting routine and I do some sort of endurance/conditioning outside of practice at least 3 times a week (mostly barbell complexes or some sort of Crossfit-type workout).
Thanks in advance for the help. If you need anymore details on my diet/routine, please ask.[/quote]
Increased fats may help, try that for a week or two and see how you go. Also try walking 45-60 min everymorning before your first meal, just make sure you have 10-20 grams of BCAAs before your walk.
Another thing to keep in mind, if you have been on a low cal diet for 4 months your metabolism may be slowing down. I personally dont diet for more than 12-15 weeks, after that i notice too much loss in muscle mass and strength, try increasing calories for 3 or 4 weeks to get your metabolism moving again.
i’m all for a lower carb, higher protein/fat regimen, but i think you’ve gone too far. i personally like the 40(carb)30(protein)30(fat) breakdown that Dr. Sears outlines in his book “The Zone”. you’re currently on 38% protein, 48% fats, 14% carbs. i’d incraese my total intake for a while. you can do it for 1 meal, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month even. experiment with it. and i would definitely increase my carb consumption. keep it low GI.
[quote]Aphamos wrote:
Hello everyone. I’ve been on a low-carb diet for the past 4 months–I’ve gone from 230 pounds to 194 pounds in that time period with very little loss in strength (lifts are 260 bench, 300 squat, 350 deadlift, 165 overhead press).
Recently, my weight has stalled. I’ve been doing some research and I’ve discovered that my intake of fats has been too low, so for this past week I’ve been adding more good fats to my diet (mostly from olive oil). I keep my calories very low during the day (usually around 1900-2000 with around 160 grams of protein, less than 40 grams carbs, and as of now around 80-90 grams of fat).
What I want to know is if there is anything else that I can do to get the scale moving again (such as laying off of the diet for a few weeks or changing my intake of nutrients somehow). I am a wrestler and I’m looking to make it to at least 185 pounds (so I have the option of wrestling at the 180 pound or 189 pound weight classes).
I’m on a solid lifting routine and I do some sort of endurance/conditioning outside of practice at least 3 times a week (mostly barbell complexes or some sort of Crossfit-type workout).
Thanks in advance for the help. If you need anymore details on my diet/routine, please ask.[/quote]
As sikunt suggested, you may have been on low kcal intake for too long. Bump it up a few hundred for 2 weeks KEEPING RATIOS THE SAME, and drop the conditioning work during this time as well. Simply focus all your efforts on you strength sessions. After the 2 weeks, start again…maybe at first by adding the conditioning work back in, THEN dropping intake as you progress.
I too recently found(after way too long) that my fat intake was too low in comparison to my protein intake which left me as more of a protein burner than a fat burner. Since switching it up, keeping kcals the same, my progress is finally improving.
Great information guys, I really appreciate it. I think I’m going to go with some sort of controlled-carb approach for a few weeks (increasing carbs on my lifting days while still staying moderate on my off days) and see how that goes. Hopefully I’ll end up with some strength gains and a boost in my metabolism so that the next fat loss stage works well.
there is no way in hell you’ll boost your metabolism back up if you keep your carbs that low. the reason you’re progress is stalling is because your carbs are so low. a higher fat and lower carb regimen is the easiest/safest/maintainable body-fat loss regimen, but you’re taking it too far. if you’re a 193 man working out often with a good deal of muscle mass you do not need to be going as low as 40 for long periods of time. increase your total intake for a while while dropping the relative amount of fat and increasing the carbs. you can significantly increase your total intake and your body will adapt, and you won’t gain body-fat, for some people this will last longer, and for some it will only last for a short period of time. as soon as you notice that your body is starting to put some body-fat on, drop the total intake down again.
CT…
I know you talk alot about spiking the insulin and have carbs right before the workout more than after…
I talked to Sam Grassi (greens + guy) about this topic and then Brad King. Im sure you know them. They BOTH said to have only a little protein before the workout and NOT to have carbs. said have the carbs after the workout.
If I can rmeebr there reason was because you want to deplete the glucose stores so your body can burn the fat instead of glucose first. Something like that. Does it matter if im trying to bulk up or lose fat. What do you say? And whats your theory on spike the insulin BEFORE, which goes against both of these huge experts.
from what my understanding CT’s approach is based on the principle that jolting up insulin levels before a workout will allow the nutrients in blood to be soaked up by muscle cells during the early stages of the workout. this is for hypertrophy.
the other approach is for body-fat loss. during a workout glycogen stores in the muscles are used to whatever degree. the body has to then replenish this store, from fat or glucose. this helps to create a caloric defecit which theoretically → fat loss.