Low carb mornings are hell!

I'm lifting 3 days per week with twice a day cardio. I'm natural for now, I need to lose about 50 pounds of fat, then go for size.

My carbs are around 50 grams per day on off days, and when I get outta bed in the morning, I stumble around like a zombie for about the first 90 minutes. I drop ****, run into walls, spill my coffee and protein drink, etc. Two mornings ago I put water into my shaker and started mixing, then realized I hadn't put the **** protein in yet! So I put in the protein, forgot to secure the lid on the spout, and shook it vigourously! :wg: Ruined a nice white shirt. :chinese:

Also, I have an uncontrolable urge to nap when I get home from work, even though I hit an ECA stack in the car on the way home.

The rest of the time I actually fell energized, and I'm usually a morning person.

What gives? Somebody help before I fall off my stationary bike.

bro if thats the case then you should up the carbs a bit, just my 02 but you sound pretty lapse for thought? seems like its really affecting your motor skills:)

Try upping your fat intake a little.... see if that gives you any extra energy.


Mike

Drink some coffee. You don't need the carbs, your body is currently adjusting, and you need to push through the beginning. I'm so used to it now that I'm sluggish as hell when I eat too many carbs.

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Originally Posted by rambo

Drink some coffee. You don't need the carbs, your body is currently adjusting, and you need to push through the beginning. I'm so used to it now that I'm sluggish as hell when I eat too many carbs.

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Same here.... when I eat an assload of carbs I feel like going to sleep afterwards \


Mike

I've adjusted to the low carb I think. It's been 5 weeks since I started. The weird thing is that after about an hour to hour and a half, I start to "wake up" regardless of whether I eat carbs (or anything for that matter). I have experimented with a small amount (20grams) of carbs before bedtime, (I know this is probably the worst possible time) and I wake up normally. Has anyone else ever noticed this with themselves?

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Originally Posted by elicotton

I've adjusted to the low carb I think. It's been 5 weeks since I started. The weird thing is that after about an hour to hour and a half, I start to "wake up" regardless of whether I eat carbs (or anything for that matter). I have experimented with a small amount (20grams) of carbs before bedtime, (I know this is probably the worst possible time) and I wake up normally. Has anyone else ever noticed this with themselves?

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weird...never experienced it before..the only reason that might make me wake up after i just fall asleep is probably the weather..it **** hot over here at my side....geez

My bet is that your problem has nothing to do with your carb intake and has more to do with the amount and quality of sleep you are getting. Also, the fact that you have 50 lbs of fat to lose is a powerful indicator that your heart needs to work harder than someone with a lower bf%. Why do you think your problems have anything to do with diet?

What's your resting heart rate (just curious)? How much cardio are you doing(I know you said twice a day, but at what intensity and duration?)

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Originally Posted by elicotton

I'm lifting 3 days per week with twice a day cardio. I'm natural for now, I need to lose about 50 pounds of fat, then go for size.

My carbs are around 50 grams per day on off days, and when I get outta bed in the morning, I stumble around like a zombie for about the first 90 minutes. I drop ****, run into walls, spill my coffee and protein drink, etc. Two mornings ago I put water into my shaker and started mixing, then realized I hadn't put the **** protein in yet! So I put in the protein, forgot to secure the lid on the spout, and shook it vigourously! :wg: Ruined a nice white shirt. :chinese:

Also, I have an uncontrolable urge to nap when I get home from work, even though I hit an ECA stack in the car on the way home.

The rest of the time I actually fell energized, and I'm usually a morning person.

What gives? Somebody help before I fall off my stationary bike.

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Yeah just drink a cup of coffee as soon as you wake up.

Why do you think your problems have anything to do with diet?

Because when I'm not dieting, I don't have the problems.

What's your resting heart rate (just curious)?

74 bpm

How much cardio are you doing(I know you said twice a day, but at what intensity and duration?)

A.M. 30 min stationary bike, with 3 periods of 3 minutes as fast as possible.

P.M. approx 2.2 mile run in approx 20 minutes.

I do this four days thru the week, take the day after leg day off. On the weekends I will jog/walk 5 miles either Sat or Sun, but no bike. So, Cardio 5 days per week.

Yeah just drink a cup of coffee as soon as you wake up.

I drink coffee along with 200 mg caffeine pill as soon as I wake up. It just makes me stumble around faster. :lol:

Thanks for everyones input. I think I'm just going to up my carbs in the evening and see how that works.

I really dont think that adding some low gi carbs in your first two meals are going to hurt your progress so long as those meals contain no fat and you are still at or under maintenance calories.

Oatmeal in meal 1
Yams or brown rice in meal 2

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Originally Posted by inheritmylife

I really dont think that adding some low gi carbs in your first two meals are going to hurt your progress so long as those meals contain no fat and you are still at or under maintenance calories.

Oatmeal in meal 1
Yams or brown rice in meal 2

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Actually...adding carbs in meal one will stunt the fat burning process created in the am cardio session....it won't hurt per se, but it can slow down the results...

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Originally Posted by inheritmylife

I really dont think that adding some low gi carbs in your first two meals are going to hurt your progress so long as those meals contain no fat and you are still at or under maintenance calories.

Oatmeal in meal 1
Yams or brown rice in meal 2

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Actually...adding carbs in meal one will stunt the fat burning process created in the am cardio session....it won't hurt per se, but it can slow down the results...

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Originally Posted by majorpecs

Actually...adding carbs in meal one will stunt the fat burning process created in the am cardio session....it won't hurt per se, but it can slow down the results...

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Depends on how much time elapses between his cardio and meal 1 though.

Correct me if I am wrong but cardio basically stops burning fat at optimum levels once your heart rate reaches normal levels.

D

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Originally Posted by Diesel

Depends on how much time elapses between his cardio and meal 1 though.

Correct me if I am wrong but cardio basically stops burning fat at optimum levels once your heart rate reaches normal levels.

D

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Sort of. The studies I've read indicate that this is true, but the fat burning lags behind the change of heart rate. So, you know how it takes about 20 minutes of cardio before lipolysis starts? It also takes about 30-45 minutes to stop after your heart rate returns to normal. Considering that your heart rate returns to normal anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes after you finish (depending on your condition), lipolysis can continue for about an hour after you finish cardio.

What is referred to above, I believe, is that there is a hypothesis that not only will a protein/fat meal not stall lipolysis, but it could in fact extend the period in which it occurs. I have yet to find any studies on the matter, but in theory it's possible.

You are about to fall off the bike because of your type of cardio.

Slow the h*ll down, DON'T GO ALL FOR PERIODS OF 3 MINS, and only go for 30 mins. You are replicating HIIT, which is indicative of people eating carbs after (uses lots of muscle glycogen), and some even BEFORE the HIIT session!

Up your frequency to 6-7 times per week. Go about 70% of your Max Heart Rate for a period of 45 minutes. Watch t.v., read a book, etc., it'll go by fast, you'll be burning fat, and you should feel a TON better after the session during the morning, etc.

Make sure your fats are on par for meal 1 as well. These little changes can very well make an entire world of difference!

~SC~

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Originally Posted by SwoleCat

You are about to fall off the bike because of your type of cardio.

Slow the h*ll down, DON'T GO ALL FOR PERIODS OF 3 MINS, and only go for 30 mins. You are replicating HIIT, which is indicative of people eating carbs after (uses lots of muscle glycogen), and some even BEFORE the HIIT session!

Up your frequency to 6-7 times per week. Go about 70% of your Max Heart Rate for a period of 45 minutes. Watch t.v., read a book, etc., it'll go by fast, you'll be burning fat, and you should feel a TON better after the session during the morning, etc.

Make sure your fats are on par for meal 1 as well. These little changes can very well make an entire world of difference!

~SC~

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We have a winner.

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Originally Posted by SwoleCat

You are about to fall off the bike because of your type of cardio.

Slow the h*ll down, DON'T GO ALL FOR PERIODS OF 3 MINS, and only go for 30 mins. You are replicating HIIT, which is indicative of people eating carbs after (uses lots of muscle glycogen), and some even BEFORE the HIIT session!

Up your frequency to 6-7 times per week. Go about 70% of your Max Heart Rate for a period of 45 minutes. Watch t.v., read a book, etc., it'll go by fast, you'll be burning fat, and you should feel a TON better after the session during the morning, etc.

Make sure your fats are on par for meal 1 as well. These little changes can very well make an entire world of difference!

~SC~

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To chime in my agreement on this. For years I was doing very high intensity cardio. It helped me lose weight so i kept doing it even though many people- who I respected gave me the advice that SwoleCat is now giving. I had a desperte fear that by decreasing the intensity I would gain my weight back.

Just under a year ago, I started to cut back to the low intensity cardio. The wieght has not come back and if anything it makes it easier to gain muscle. Many of the problems that I had been experiencing related to the high intensity cardio went away, such as contant electrolye imbalances for which I had previously been compensating for through nutrtional supplements.

Agreed, fitness need not always be "rough" or "demanding" , but rather just consistent!

~SC~

:bcool: Alright already! I'll slow down a little! But only because Swole insists! I mean, I'd rather bust my ass for nothing, but hey, yall the experts. :wg:

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Originally Posted by elicotton

:bcool: Alright already! I'll slow down a little! But only because Swole insists! I mean, I'd rather bust my ass for nothing, but hey, yall the experts. :wg:

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Remember the key is to make sure you do it - every day at 45 min if possible, but to do it at a rate where you are 65-70% of your target heart rate.

Still twice daily?

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Originally Posted by beenie

Remember the key is to make sure you do it - every day at 45 min if possible, but to do it at a rate where you are 65-70% of your target heart rate.

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just wondering if you meant 65%-75% or is 75 too high? i usually keep around 70, but occasionally reach near 75. so now i want to know if i am overdoing it?

Everything in moderation will (in the mosy part) not hurt you but benfit you.

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Originally Posted by elicotton

Still twice daily?

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That one is a good question to which I do not know the answer. I personnaly have never done cardio twice a day, but conceptually it seems like a great idea. I shall be really interested in hearing what other board members think about low intensitit cardio twice a day- I assume you mean like two 45 minute sessions, right?

This should only be done, MAYBE, the last 2 weeks or so during a cutting endeavor when you are close to your goal. You should really be able to obtain a ripped look w/cardio once per day and a great dietary outline. Double cardio can really tear you down if you aren't careful w/it.

~SC~

Thanks guys. I'm going to rethink my diet over the weekend, I'll be posting it in a couple of days.

Hey Swole, how do you feel about HIIT cardio in the morning on an empty stomach?? I usually do a warm up walk at 3 mph (im on a treadmill) for the first 3 minutes....then I start jogging at about 5-5.5 mph for 2 minutes, then I start doing 30 sec jogging, then 30 sec sprint (7-8 mph) then back down to jogging for 30 sec and repeat this for about 15 minutes if I can take that....

Is this good for cardio, or do you think that the running at 70% heart rate is more effective in burning fat?? The HIIT seems to work pretty well for me, but if it means Im burning off muscle too, then i want to stop now...

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Originally Posted by NeedPaintoGain

Hey Swole, how do you feel about HIIT cardio in the morning on an empty stomach?? I usually do a warm up walk at 3 mph (im on a treadmill) for the first 3 minutes....then I start jogging at about 5-5.5 mph for 2 minutes, then I start doing 30 sec jogging, then 30 sec sprint (7-8 mph) then back down to jogging for 30 sec and repeat this for about 15 minutes if I can take that....

Is this good for cardio, or do you think that the running at 70% heart rate is more effective in burning fat?? The HIIT seems to work pretty well for me, but if it means Im burning off muscle too, then i want to stop now...

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i suppose this has been brought up countless times..HIT cardio is a nono unless you don't mind sacrificing ur hard earned muscles..the reason for doing low intensity cardio at the recommended heart rate is to trick your body into using fat cells as energy throughout your workout, which in turns mean that you are burning fat! On the other hand, HIT is a high intensity cardio,thus you are using muscle glycogen as a direct energy source..which you definitely do not want it to happen..hope this helped clear things up a bit for yyou bro..this is a great site..and there are many great helpful bros here..try reading all the threads and posts..and you will find some answers to your questions! :wg: