I'm not going to give you any specific numbers, because as we know every-body is different. Under normal conditions, carbohydrates are, and should be, your main source of fuel for your system. Let's get clear on this: carbs help fuel your mental, physical, and metabolic activity. Exactly how many carbs YOUR body requires is determined by the level of your activities. Days when you really go out and run like a cheetah after a gazelle, you might chew up (no pun intended) several hundred grams.
Here's what makes a low-carb regimen so effective: Your body is smart...God made it that way. And when you rob your body of carbohydrates, (fuel source #1) you force it to use it's reserve sources for energy usage...body fat or fuel source #2. And don't worry, because your body is smart, it can make the transition easily and effectively.
I know many "authorities" will state otherwise, but believe me it is a safe jump. However, there are some potential drawbacks to switching to fat for your bodies fuel source needs. Folks who don't necessarily "need" to engage in carb restriction might think they are experiencing a period of low energy. It's a matter of perception, and not typically physiology.
The cost and "risks" for Joe Sixpack short term are generally far outweighed (again, I cannot help it with the puns!) by the benefits of dropping some body fat. However, long term carb restriction, for most folks, signals your bodies survival mechanisms and soon enough the fat burning potential comes to a halt.
Here are some examples: Your bodies natural defense system (immune systems), reproduction, and tissue repair require substantial energy to be effective. When you cut the energy levels to bare minimums, your body makes adjustments and shunts power to perform them fully. As you can extrapolate from this, we can see that the same issues arise long-term on a low carb regimen that occur on a low-cal or low-fat diet. They lose their effectiveness as far as health benefits are concerned.
On the psychological side, most folks start to feel quite deprived on a low-carb diet. Almost none stick with it over the long haul. they may do the "start-stop" thing again and again. they just leads to frustration and depression. And when you lose hope, you just plain don't care anymore and quit trying.
In other words, the one area of your diet that you get to manipulate the most IS your carb intake. Again, much of it is determined by your current situation, what it has been in the past and where you want to be in the future.
The key is short-term restriction for effective fat loss. That length of time is generally very specific to the individual. A sound long-term strategy is to eat more protein than you need (stave's off the survival instinct), eat more of the good fats (Omega 3's) and change your carb intake often as your energy demands dictate.
Make your focus on improving, long-term, the quality rather than the quantity of your carbohydrates. In doing so you will avoid the feelings of deprivation, generally feel better and keep your metabolism elevated substantially.
Here are a few "rules" for guidance:
- Carbohydrates that occur naturally have a greater potential for problems when they are more "starchy" than sweet. Sweetness is only a problem when we have to add it to a food, so don't be afraid of fruits.
- Grains, corn, or potatoes should be avoided if you're on the fat loss trail, as well as sodas, fruit "juices" and alcohol. Drink water or green tea instead.
- Here's the good part: everything else is fair game on this plan...in moderation AND provided you enjoy the taste of it and you eat in its naturally occurring, unprocessed, unrefined state. In other words, eat it like God made it or don't eat it at all.
Examine your daily habits and routine. There are clues there as to how to structure your plans. You can overcome the occasional slip-up, overeating and variations because, as we said earlier, your body is smart be design.
What won't help is quitting altogether, so keep at it San Antonio. Fat loss is your destiny.
Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs. And please visit http://www.safatloss.com/ today.
