Carb Intake

I am 6 months post op and have began working out again aftering moderate exercise the past few months. I go to the gym 4 to 5 times a week (3 days on, 1 day off then 2 days on, 1 day off) depending on what I have on the go. Some days I have to DRAG myself in there because I have zero energy, my boyfriend says I need to be eating more carbs to fuel my workouts and I know everyones body is different . . . but I was wondering what kind of daily carb intake is for anyone reading this that trains about the same amount as me. I try to keep my carbs minimal, from 50 to 100g per day. I don't want to lose anymore muscle but I don't want to plateau forever from carb over load either.

I tend to do 30 to 45 of cardio (eliptical, stairs, rowing and/or treadmill), I mix it up 10 minutes of each or one for 30 minutes and another one for 15 minutes etc.

I then alternate days between core, back/chest, arms and leg strength training . . usually about 30 to 40 minutes.

Any insight you could offer would be appreciated.

Sorry, not much to offer on the carbs but if you are having to drag yourself into the gym, you may be over doing it a bit.  What intensity are you going at?  If you were anything like me, you had not done much exercise in years.  It takes a long time to build up your stamina. 

See my thread on MAF training.  It might offer some insight.  I know I feel better now after my run in the morning since I have backed off on the intensity.

Thank you for your response. I was quite active pre-surgery, I went to the gym and trained pretty hard (with a personal trainer) but wasn't seeing any results. I believe a factor in my low energy is that I also work 10 hr days, 12-13 with travel time, so when I get home I don't feel like going anywhere but once I am at the gym I am energized.

I will look for your thread . . thank you :)

Well yeah, 12-13 hour days would definitely de-energize me!

The interesting thing about MAF is the guy that came up with it stresses building an aerobic base.    He recommends going back to basics for people who are not progressing in their fitness or have other issues such as recovering from an injury.

This guy is a little controversial in his theories.  Some people love him and others not so much.  I figured I would try it out for a few months and see how it goes. 

I do find my workouts more enjoyable going at a lower pace. 

Thanks again . . I will definitely look into MAF, I love cardio but need to get my running desire back. I used to run 5k three times a week but tried that a month or so ago and it was not pretty ha ha!

I love the quote you have on stalls in your signature ;)

I exercise 1-4 hours a day, depending on the day, with a variety of different types of things.  The only adjustments I make to my diet involve meal timing.  I don't add carbs or other foods to compensate.  

Perhaps you're pushing too hard too soon?  Even if you were active pre-op, it takes time to ramp yourself up again to the same level of activity!  

Thanks for the response Gwen, I am going to try to push my afternoon snack later and make it more protein packed.

This may have nothing to do with carbs. What did your labs say and how long ago did you have them?  You could be short on Iron or be vitamin D deficient or need a B12 boost. 

I know that your boyfriend is saying what people normally say, but we aren't "normal" anymore. We have to take into consideration the fact that our diet has changed dramatically and we always have to be on the lookout for medical issues. 

I'd say---if you haven't done your labs in a while, have them checked and then go from there.

Good luck!

Thank you for the response. I am deficient in Vitamin D according to my last labs so they bumped up my Vitamin D but they never mentioned anything about B12, I will ask my dietician when I talk with her next week.

I explained to him that I just can't carb load like he can . . he is starting to get it ha ha! I started to take aminos in water before I go and that helps a bit.

I knw this post is from last month but i just wanted to put my input in. The whole energy thing definately has o do w the carbs if youre going that many days. i love your schedule btw. im 3.5yrs postop and in the 1st year dropped 150lbs mainly w cardio..ive gained 30lbs since than because of course your body gets used to it..the second year i insorporated strength training and even crossfit. I also have a trainer and a nutrition coach and we track macros which i hacent lately but when i was it was 164g protein and also 164g carbs and 45g fats...the carbs i would have would come from fruits and sweet potatos its not like i was eating junk but i was wired up for my workouts..yes labs are important and u always gotta have those in check but dont let anyone scare u into thinking carbs are the devil..junk food is soda is..ive learned anything in moderation dang it..especially when we work out...fuel that body girl