Low carb

[Christine Crawford]

What qualifies as a low carb diet? Less than 100g net carbs per day? 50g? Just curious. I'm at about 35-40g per day.

Thanks

[Scott Allen Hanson]

It depends on who you ask. Mark Sisson (Mark's Daily Apple) recommends about 100 g / day. Dr. Eades (Protein Power) and Atkins recommend less. The nutrition establishment thinks the Zone is low carb.

[Scott Clark]

I believe Sisson recommends 150g a day, or enough to stay out of ketosis. (unless one desires to be in ketosis)

[Joe Bernard]

read this (wfs):

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nut...-you-need.html

all you need to know about how many carbs you need.

[Jakub Kruhlik]

50g a day to prevent muscle breakdown.

[Christine Crawford]

Thanks guys. I was just curious because so many people throw around the term low carb and I have no idea what that means. So for an endurance athlete like myself, a few low carb days of 100g or less with two-three 200-300g carb days sounds like it might work for me. I just don't want to catch a ride on the sugar high wave again. It's awful! Like a junkie....when's my next fix. That is why I struggled with the Zone too. My body would respond negatively and would want sugar. I seem to eat less frequently on a high fat high protein plan but still get PLENTY of calories because I never met a steak or a block of cheese I didn't like.

[Joe NMI Miller]

Hey Christine:

I've been doing the Zone, more or less, since right after Howl at the Moon this year. I stuck to it and a reasonable caloric restriction pretty well except for the week before the Heartland 100 then went up on total carbs, but also a corresponding amount on the protein. I'm not a nutritionist but my rationale was as long as I'm eating good-type carbs (subjectively) and increase the protein too then where's the problem. I still took in the same rountine Powergel, Gatordade and PBJ during the race but on a regular day I do about 200-250 g carbs and 100-140 g protein. I've also trimmed off 15 pounds and 6% body fat since the Howl eating like this and doing my garage version of Crossfit. One of the things I find helps manage my carb/sugar craving is doing Paleo-type blocks with cheese around roast beef eaten at the same time as 1/2 and apple.

Hope this finds you well.

joe