Zero carbs? Definitely gonna fail.

And if you meant lowering amount of carbs. By how much? And what for?

Be wary of the source of information.

You don't exactly need to worry about lowering or eliminating carbs, what's more important is reconsidering your food type.

For example, replace rice with more vegetables and legumes.

Can't be any unhealthier than the usual Malaysian food, e.g. char koay teow or nasi lemak.

In fact, it is much healthier if compared to such foods. Added on with milk, that's even better.

The only lacking thing would be a significant source of vitamins and minerals, which the usual foodstuff as mentioned above don't provide anyway.

Actually it would be foolish to say food is unhealthy. In actual fact what's unhealthy is the selection process. For example, what's lacking in most diets are vegetables and legumes, very lacking. They are compensated with rice instead.

Maybe so. Combine that with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, and influx of refined foods.

Well you'd just have to run harder to burn off that rice or energy drink which had no health benefits. What's the point of taking it then.

To find your Body Fat % with just a measuring tape, use this (page 13 onwards)



To find Lean Body Mass (LBM),



To find Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR),



To find Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), multiply BMR with the appropriate physical activity multiplier,



This post has been edited by DT1: Jun 21 2012, 02:50 AM

Well, overconsumption is bad for health. That's all. If you're gonna ask for recommended limit, please google.

Key to quick recovery:

At least 6 hours of sleep, the more the better
Daily diet consisting of at least 1.6g of protein per kg of body weight
Nutritious diet with no major nutrient deficiency

Slow digesting protein, e.g. casein/milk before sleep
Whey protein blend (isolate and concentrate) pre-workout
High GI carbs + whey isolate post workout
If money is not an issue, BCAAs post workout

That should be all.

This post has been edited by DT1: Jun 21 2012, 03:21 AM

DIY. As below.



This post has been edited by DT1: Jul 1 2012, 02:46 PM

Reassess your maintenance calories. Either eat less, or incorporate exercise.

You don't need to add swimming if you're already on a good weightlifting regimen. If you want to add it in, do it in cold water, else don't bother. The only thing that you need to do for a nice physique is to watch your diet. To have a perfect one you'll need to weightlift. That's all to it.

This post has been edited by DT1: Jul 16 2012, 09:54 AM

Edited my post above.

Yeah, the main thing is to watch your diet. For your case, exercise works like a supplement. You can't run away from solving the diet part.

From this post you sound like a skinny fat person? Eat more. Force it down, with the right foodstuff. Be consistent. First week or two you will feel really uncomfortable, but as with everything in life, once you pass the first threshold, you're set for success.

How about something from a credible website instead.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/preven...800calorie.aspx

What's with the craze on low carbs? Just eat below maintenance, have a balanced diet, remove all junk and as much refined foodstuff as possible.

For beginners, there's no need for the obsession in my opinion. The eventual result will be the same, not much of a big difference in terms of duration. In obese people, what's more important is the removal of refined carbs and empty calories.

As djjd mentioned, you're messing up your digestive system. Your appetite is screwed as well. And as I've mentioned before, you gotta force feed yourself with the right foodstuff. Add on liquid nutrients, e.g. green powders and protein shakes if needed. Probiotics will also do good in sprucing up your digestive environment.

Yeah we're talking about the same things in essence. Just a different approach.

I go the easy way and say increase vegetables and legumes intake as much as possible, boiled eggs, and lean chicken meat.

When these are in place, the macronutrient distribution is usually in the right proportion, probably 60-20-20 or 60-30-10 or even 50-30-20 etc., with foods like legumes, vege, and milk making up the majority of the carbs.

On hindsight, while those are increased, naturally the person will need to cut down on other foodstuff due to available tummy space, in this case refined carbs and other nonsense.

There's no trying. Just set a goal. A certain amount of food to finish in a day. Force it down. Be consistent. Increase the amount gradually week by week. That simple.