yes by wheat i meant whole grain. im referring to a article i read that the body compositions of people trying to cut, one with complex carbs and one with simple carbs, showed that they are essentially the same in the end. is this incorrect?

Yes and No.

As I just explained to you, simple carbs are metabolized faster and spike your insulin. Complex carbs are metabolized slower and keep your insulin response low. The lower the insulin response, the more efficient you can cut.

Calorie deficits are key across the board, regardless of macros, however - high protein and low carb will be the most efficient in an equal calorie environment because of the lowered glycogen stores.

Moreover, without insulin spikes from simple carbs, your body is more apt to continue to burn fat and remain in catabolic drive.

Tests that say complex/simple carbs are identical when in a caloric deficit are not looking at long term progress and the person as a whole. Complex carbs, which also contain much more fiber than simple, will help keep you fuller longer and also allow you to avoid constipation.

It's been proven that individuals who aren't prone to diabetes, I.E work out/aren't over weight or sedimentary should not be worrying about insulin spikes. At the end of the day it's totally cals in vs cals out, or energy expenditure... am I wrong?

Have any experience with the "MyFitnessPal" iPhone app? Been using it for a few days to track calories, and wondering how reliable it is. I know it's not perfect but it's definitely much easier than trying to calculate and keep track myself. It's recommending a target net of 3,410 daily to gain 1lb/week (6'1, 188 currently).

i see, thanks!

is 1 body part a day, 5 days a week along with 30-40mins of hiit cardio with 30-40mins of cardio on the off days too much cardio?

Unfortunately not completely correct.

If it was simply about calories in vs calories out, I challenge you to eat a 500 cal deficit of ONLY sugar. Pure table sugar. You can also take a multivitamin and mineral to ensure you at least have proper micronutrient.

From there, compare that to a person who is on either CKD (cyclical keto diet) or a reduced carb calorie deficit diet.


You will notice the groups with lower carbs or no carbs will see greater energy levels, increased fat loss, and decreased muscle loss.



Insulin spikes by themselves don't increase fat gains. However, there are a few things to consider. When glycogen is depleted, your body is able to burn fat directly. Carbohydrates convert into glycogen. Simple carbs convert into glycogen faster than complex carbs, and thus send you out of catabolism much faster than complex carbs. Your fat burning potential is increased by limited the simple carbs for this reason.

Secondly, decreased overall carbs will also assist with lower glycogen levels - but in optimal environments, CKD is the best with no carbs and a constant stream of ketones to convert fat to energy.

Thirdly, simple carbs are typically devoid of fiber, and thus can actually slow down your digestive system. In doing so, your body can also respond with slower fat loss, decreased energy, and so forth.

Fourthly, you must also consider that complex carbs, which digest much slower than simple carbs, will have a sustained energy effect rather than the instantaneous energy followed by letdown of simple carbs.

Lastly, total calories in/out is good - but you also must have your macros in check. Without enough protein your body will not be able to repair itself or even commit to efficient fat loss. Without enough fat, your testosterone levels will decrease sharply, especially on a caloric deficit. Lastly, carbs are the least important as they only provide glycogen and energy (when not in ketosis). Lack of energy from lack of carbs can be supplemented with caffeine during a cut for optimal results.

It's a baseline like anything else. If you want to do things properly, you must calculate them yourself, in an exact manner. That being said, if you simply want something to do the basics, I'm sure it's fine.

Not at all. That would be fine.

Hey Raynor, should I do cardio on days I'm lifting later in the day? I don't have the option to do it during that workout session but hours later I do, I'm clean bulking at the moment but I'd be doing it for heart/lung health not for cutting, it wouldn't hinder gains would it as long as I'm eating well, pushing myself with the weights, and getting good sleep right?

This post was edited by wanteddead2 on Feb 11 2013 09:33pm

So I'm tired all day long even on days when I'm off work and I have no idea why. I get at least 8 hours of sleep each night too. I spend all day yawning and wanting to go to sleep.

It's messing with my workouts and everything else. Any idea why this might be happening?