Carb Question

Some advice about carb intake, please.

I am 5 months post op and have lost 70 pounds. My energy level is picking up. For 2 months was crashing at 6:30-7 PM and going to bed.

I've been running 4 miles 4-5 days per week,  4 miles on the elliptical and weight training 2 days a wee****ep my calories around 800-900, my carbs are usually around 30grams and protein > 70 grams.

I find that I need to up my carbs to 40-50 gm if I run for 2 consecutive Days. I also need to have a portion of those carbs the evening before I run. I run at 5 AM. Otherwise my run can be somewhat difficult. My hydration is fine.

Has anyone else needed to adjust their carb intake based on activity level?

 

 

adjust your run not your carbs , you need to keep the cals down to loss you will not lose if you raise the cal , run less till your body adjusts then slowly increase the distance

Running less won't do for me. I don't increase my calories. 2 days a week when I do consecutive running days, I will increase my carbs at little By having a Quest bar. They are fairly high in carbs (22-25 g). The rest of my meals are dense protein and small amounts of non starchy veg.

i've been consuming the same 800-900 cals per day for about 2 month. I'm still losing 8-10# per month. I think once I adjust, I'll eliminate the 2 weekly Quest bars.

Thanks for the response

I have kept up a strenuous exercise routine on a very low carb diet. I had no carbs before my half marathon. I got heat exhaustion, but I didn't bonk! If you're curious, you might read The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance.

Severe fatigue like that could be caused by other things, I would probably talk to my doctor if it kept up.

I do a lot of cycling; before I got pregnant, I was regularly doing 2-hour rides at a decent pace. I found that I felt MUCH better if I had a few carbs about half an hour before I hopped on my bike-- not a ton, maybe half a packet of instant oatmeal (~15g carbs)-- and then something else after about an hour like a slice of wheat bread with some PB. For long, intense rides (35-40 mi+) I'd pop a few M&M's or jellybeans, but that's not something to do on a regular basis.

If you feel like your body needs carbs, you can do it without upping your calorie intake too far, and you don't see your loss slowing down, then run with it!

I had to adjust my carbs so I could eat a bit more about 30-45 minutes before my HIIT exercise class.  I don't know that eating the carbs at night is going to do anything for you by 5:00 a.m., actually.  

I would adivse you to up your protein to closer to 100 grams a day with all that exercise.  

I don't count my carbs, but my diet tends to be lower carb based on the foods I eat. I run a lot. When I'm training for a half marathon and getting into the long runs I take a quest bar with me and try to eat a bite every mile. This was my plan for the last one I ran. Of course things never go as planned! The day of the run it was a lot hotter than my training runs and my stomach felt off. I didn't eat anything and was fine.

Listen to your body. Everybody is different. If you need a few more carbs then eat them. You aren't adding that many and you're certainly burning them off during your run.

I made the mistake of thinking I "needed" some carbs a couple of times and drank a fresh pressed juice before a run and got dizzy because of it. My body has adapted to running on a lower carb diet, but I do eat fruit and the occasional potato and RX bar, so I don't know how low my low is. I just stick to natural, whole, unprocessed foods and supplement with RX bars, Quest Bars and protein shakes.

Jen

Thanks for the replies. I perform better consuming the few extra carbs the night before because I cannot eat anything before I exercise. It just sits in my stomach and I feel as though I have a boulder in my stomach while I exercise- not comfortable.

When I drink water during workouts with my trainer I can't immediately do excercises on my stomach...I'm talking small sips. 

I think as long as I am losing then I'm okay.

OOohhh! Great NSVs today:

1. I saw my PCP for the first time since my sleeve. Her jaw fell to the floor and she apologized for her initial reluctance.

2. Had a blood draw at PCPs office. Told the phlebotomist that I didn't have good veins and was a difficult stick. She put the tourniquet on a the veins were so prominent...easiest blood draw ever😄

Nice when the vessels aren't buried beneath mounds of fat.