Quote:
Originally Posted by kittygirl
I am starting to do research in order to start a low carb (under 20 grams/day, 1600-2000 calories a day) program. I've been doing some readings in the forum and I am curious about exercising during the first few weeks of low carb. Is this a good idea or a bad idea?
I would probably be doing 30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week to start and a majority of that would be on an incline bike and I would do it steady state, trying to keep my hr around 120 ish most of the time.
More importantly I would like to start a lifting program. I would be doing probably 4 days of weight training per week, and I would be lifting heavy (what I mean by that is pushing myself and lifting as much as I am able to lift).
I guess my concern is that of having enough energy to workout. I know the first few days are rough and I don't plan on going to the gym then. But after that I'm wondering if being on a low carb diet you can do just as much at the gym as you could on a meal plan with unrestricted carbs. Are there any supplements I'll need being low carb? And also curious about a good postworkout recovery snack/meal.
Any advice appreciated, thank you!
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Kitty,
I can't make specific recommendations based on a forum post, but just in general:
I wouldn't recommend that anyone exercise (other than walking) for at least the first two weeks of beginning a VLC diet, and it can take as long as six weeks to fully adapt.
Aerobic exercise and weight-lifting of the kind you describe have many benefits, but they are extremely unlikely to have any benefit for fat-loss. Only high-intensity interval training has been shown to produce fat-loss that comes anywhere near to justifying the investment in time. Whatever benefit exercise has, it appears to come from hormonal/metabolic adaptations (increased insulin sensitivity for one) not "burning calories". Also, the volume (aerobic 3x/week, weights 4x/week) you describe isn't necessary and you're not likely to sustain it for very long, either from fatigue or overuse injury.
Once adapted to a VLC diet, the energy available for exercise will come from adequate rest and recovery periods. My opinion is that no one who exercises for general fitness or fat-loss needs to exercise every day, or even every other day. It's not a question of being able to do as much as you could, you just have to do as much as you need.
"The Art and Science of Low Carb Living" probably has the best supplement recommendations. For exercise specifically, sodium, potassium and water.
If you work-out between meals, I don't think a post-exercise snack is necessary. Otherwise, a VLC snack or, if you're not hungry, nothing.
I don't mean to dampen your enthusiasm in any way, but combining a new, VLC diet with a very ambitious exercise program is likely to be too much, too soon. Start slowly and keep in mind that it's the quality of exercise, not the quantity, that counts most.
Sam