Carb Problem...I think

[WEBB]

Ok so i am 24 days out from a competition and weighin 235 right now...I am exactly where i need to be and i do not need to lose any more fat, just kinda stay right here. the problem is with my diet i feel like my carbs are so low that i am going to start losing muscle and at 6'1 i cant afford to lose any.
Diet
40 min cardio heart rate at 126, then abs and calves 3
protein shake (40g protien) after cardio before starting abs and calves
1st meal 8 egg whites 1/2 cup of oats
2nd meal chicken breast and 1 cup brocolli
3rd meal chicken breast and 1 sweet potatoe 1 cup brocolli
4th meal chicken breast and 1 cup brocolli
5th meal chicken breast and 1 cup broccoli 1 tbsp flax oil
train
protein shake (40g protein)
6th meal 8egg whites
6 litres of h2o daily

Now as you can see i am only getting like 75 grams of complex carbs most of which are in the morning. I generally feel flat all day, and zone out a lot. Also last week i was feeling great and full, but now i feel flat. i cannot lose any muscle, and i dont wanna stop cardio, so i was thinkng of throwing in another sweet potato with meal 5, or adding oats to my pwo shake. Also i have ketone sticks and when i check them through out the day i am in Ketosis a few time especially later on after the gym and what not.

PLease help me out here, i can not lose anything, but i dont wanna come in fat either. i am going to see my dietician on friday but i want your opinions also.

Thanks fella's
WEBB

[Giants11]

I would most certainly add carbohydrates to you Pre workout meal if you want to avoid muscle loss. A pro/fat meal is one of the best ways to ensure a catabolic environment.

[SwoleCat]

That's weird because I've always had just protein/fat before my training and I do just fine. I have my carbs in the a.m., but after that it's pro/fat until training time.

I guess we're all different.

~SC~

[WEBB]

Yeah that is what i figured...my carbs have not changed since i started the comp diet but since my BF% has come down to where i need it to be, i do not have the fat for energy, so i am starting to get light headed and i think my body might be turning to muscle as energy source...so i have decided to go with another sweet potato at meal 5 which is pre workout and i will also up my oats in the am to 3/4 cup...this should allow me enough carbs for energy and not enough to turn to fat, and also ensure that glucose from carbs is my energy source not fom muscle....i will continue to use thos eketone sticks and make sure i stay just a ketoacidosis...

Swole, i have been going with that diet i posted for 4 weeks and now that my BF% is down i think that i need a little more is all...if my BF% was a little higher i would continue to just go with the pro/fat pre training...

[Giants11]

Only reason I say pre wo carbs are important;

Is because you cannot utilize fat as an energy source during High intensity exercise. Therefor all the protein you consume will be converted to glucose, which we all know is inefficient at best, to fuel your muscles. Instead of the protein doing its job which it to help aid in repair its used as fuel. Now if you filled up glycogen stores immeadiately prior to training, you would utilize the carbs as your fuel source, which is prefered by the body anyways and let the digested amino's flow to the damaged muscle to aid in protein synthesis.

Not to mention, there are some intruiging new studies that show a pre workout pro/carb may be just as important as a post workout pro/carb meal.

[taiboxa]

Only reason I say pre wo carbs are important;

Is because you cannot utilize fat as an energy source during High intensity exercise. Therefor all the protein you consume will be converted to glucose, which we all know is inefficient at best, to fuel your muscles. Instead of the protein doing its job which it to help aid in repair its used as fuel. Now if you filled up glycogen stores immeadiately prior to training, you would utilize the carbs as your fuel source, which is prefered by the body anyways and let the digested amino's flow to the damaged muscle to aid in protein synthesis.

Not to mention, there are some intruiging new studies that show a pre workout pro/carb may be just as important as a post workout pro/carb meal.

ditto

[Jakt]

just remember you will get a little flat... and if your taking AS, then low carbs shouldn't really kill muscle loss much

[mwolffey]

That's weird because I've always had just protein/fat before my training and I do just fine. I have my carbs in the a.m., but after that it's pro/fat until training time.

I guess we're all different.

~SC~

ditto....personally id add oats pwo, it would be a good time to throw in carbs imo and help protect some muscle

[taiboxa]

just remember you will get a little flat... and if your taking AS, then low carbs shouldn't really kill muscle loss much

he is prepping for contest bro and is like 4-6weeks out

[WEBB]

well i never really got a clear cut answer, but i appreciate all the help...i am going to add a sweet potatoe to meal 5 and a 1/4 cup to my morning oats... i will seee how i am doing after a few days and readjust if necassary....

Thanks again fella's

[SwoleCat]

We're all different so just find something that works for you.

I'm not into studies as much as I'm into real world application, as that's how I learned what was best for me.

Even in the pic in my avatar, I had nothing but eggs/whey/flax for my first meal, then chicken with asparagus as my second meal, and I trained 2 hours after that 2nd meal. So, I was totally carb depleted that day, but again this works for me.

~SC~

[WEBB]

ya but your a freak...just kiddin man...i totally understand the theory of what works for one guy might not work for another, but i guess i was just looking for a few general thoughts, and that is what i got in a round about way....i am going to go with an extra sweet potatoe at meal 5 and add 1/4 oats in the morning after cardio....i will be able to tell fairly quickly how it is workin for meand if it is to much i will scale back, and go from there....i am 23 days out now, and i have a bit of time to play, but i dont wanna make any drastic changes, just enough to stay where i am till it is time to deplete, and i think this is gonna do the trick...Thanks again....