How many Carbs should i intake in my Diet?

[free_spirit]

Hi guys,

I'm still kinda mystified at how many Carbs should I eat? I swear I don't eat 2500 calories a day.

Can someone advise me how many carbs I should be eating.

My aims is to bulk up but I wanna stay lean and not get fat.

I'm 152 lbs, 23 years of age and 5ft 10 in height.

I trained for a good 2-3 years in the past, then stopped for a year, got really thin.Now I've been training 2 months with I feel relatively good results in strength and lean muscle.

I just jog once a week as my main Cardio active excercise.

I've just started Protein Shakes and using Body Fortress Whey Protein (temporary Protein Shake from Holland and Barret, was convient to buy over the counter) which is 25gram per scoop at 17Grams of Protein and 7Grams of Carbs, 1 Gram of Fat.

I have just created my main Diet below, also taking into consideration Carb usage for more active periods of the day.


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MY DIET

MEAL 1 - Oats and Banana (50 Carbs) and Whey Protein Shake *1.5 (25 g Protein & 9 Grams Carbs)

MEAL 2 -(Lunch 4 Eggs and Ham (30g Protein),2* Bread 24 Carbs, Apple (18 Carbs), Soya Protein Shake (15g Protein), Yogurt Or Crisps = 22 Carbs

(I sometimes have 2 slices of Toast with Peanut Butter with Meal 1 if I do my Workout after Meal 1, then I don't ussually have bread with Meal 2 but I make sure I mix the dextrose and oats in Meal 2 as this becomes my pwo instead of Meal 3.)

Work Out

MEAL 3 - 2 (and a little bit)* Whey Protein Shake Scoops (40grams Protein & 18 Grams Carbs) with Oats and Dextrose (40 Carbs), Another Apple Or Banana (20 grams Carbs)

MEAL 4 - Dinner - Fish, Or Chicken * 2 (40 grams), Peas ( 20 frams Carbs) with Potato (30 grams Carbs)

MEAL 5 - Night - Whey Protein shake (20 grams Protein & 9 Grams Carbs) ,Ham with Tin of Tuna Or Salmon. (30 grams Protein)

Total Intake

Total Protein = 25 + (30 + 15) + 40 + 40 + (20 + 30) = 200
Total Carbs = 59 + (18 + 22) + (18 + 40 + 20) + 50 + 9 = 236

Calories

Protein Calories = 4 * 200 = 800
Carb Calories = 4 * 236 = 944
Fat Calories = 45 * 9 = 405 Approx from Hidden Meat Fats & say from the Whey Protein Shakes above

T Calories = 2149

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Firstly, does my calculations seem OK?

It seems well below 2500 but is my maintaince Calories level lower, I feel I will get fat if I eat more starchy carbs?

Is the less Carbs the Better, I only recentlyeat more Carbs because my friend suggested I should be aiming for 350 grams for good muscle bulking, but I feel this is too much (fatten me up)? Yet I've seen some bigger guys post their diet and they are eating below 100grams of Carbohydrates?

Watching Milos Sarcev "Secret of the Pro's" on Nutrition is a great Video and I learnt alot. But he didn't really emphasis on the CARBS part as much as I'd like. Did he say 1gram of Carb per LB?

I'm sure I have the Protein intake sorted. But back to my original question, if you could please help from the information provided above.

How many Carbs should I be taking? Should I aim for more or less? What is my ideal? Is there a general rule of thumb?

Thank you, really appreciated!

[mkrulic]

I like 40/40/20. how did you come up w/ 2500. Im thinking more like 3000.

[free_spirit]

I was just saying the GDA is 2500 Calories and I'm below it. Yet I think my Calorie maintaince level are around 2000, can this be right and if possible?

[sam_sneed]

Without knowing your Base Metabolic Rate any diet is useless.

Go here find your bodyfat percentage.
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-f...at-formula.php

Then use your Lean Body Mass not your total weight here.
www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Read the stickies on bulking and create a diet we can critique based around these factors.

Good luck

[john1181]

I' Confused....why Does A Diet Have To Always Be The Same?isnt It Better If Everyday Isa Different Calori Intake That Way The Metabolism Is Always Trying Toadjust?also, On Non Workout Days You Shouldnt Be Eating That Many Carbs..more Fiberous Carbs..also I Believe That The Most Carbs Should Come In The Breakfast And Also Afer The Workout If Your Not On A Cutting Diet..thats Just Me...or Maybe Is Better To Have Either Starchy Or Fruit Carbs Only With Your First 3meals Andtherest Fiberous...idk, It Seams To Me That Your Body Can Adjust To The Amount Of Carbs You Give It..correct Me F I'm Wrong Guys But When I Used To Eat Spaghetti Or Rice With Every Meal I Mea Every Meal I Had A Lot Of Power Then When I Cut It Down I Lost A Lot Of Power/endurance But Then Fter A Month Or Two I Was Right Back Up With Not Even A Fractionof The Carbs I Was Consuming..weird Ish

[mkrulic]

I was just saying the GDA is 2500 Calories and I'm below it. Yet I think my Calorie maintaince level are around 2000, can this be right and if possible?

dont go with the gda. sam is right, finding your bmr and adding in calories consumed during exercise and then adding 500 is a good approach. I did it the easy way and googled maintance calorie calculate and then put in your stats. I came up w/ 2500 and then I added 500 to get to 3k. at 3k I would break it down like this:
protien @ 40% of 3k = 1200 cals
1200/4 = 300 grams
carbs @ 40% of 3k = 1200 cals
1200/4 = 300 grams
fat @ 20% of 3k = 600 cals
600/9 = 67grams

[DSM4Life]

Milos Sarcev "Secret of the Pro's" recommends a 50/50 split then to work from there for bulking.

[mkrulic]

Milos Sarcev "Secret of the Pro's" recommends a 50/50 split then to work from there for bulking.

zero fat?

[DSM4Life]

zero fat?

No such thing, well there is but not in reality. Almost every source of your protein has some amount of fat in it (chicken, turkey, meat etc) but your goal is to just keep fat to a minimal. Keep in mind you still want to take in your healthy essential fats.

[mkrulic]

No such thing, well there is but not in reality. Almost every source of your protein has some amount of fat in it (chicken, turkey, meat etc) but your goal is to just keep fat to a minimal. Keep in mind you still want to take in your healthy essential fats.

thats what I thought. I was trying to understand what he meant by 50/50