Bodybuilders are not the best role model for everyone muscle wise, and maybe sometimes they take their body fat just way too low. However, everyone can learn and mimic the actions of bodybuilders to decrease body fat and improve body composition. It is a fact that the art of bodybuilding or body sculpting is literally achieving the best leanest body composition. So even though we may not want to look like a bodybuilder, especially one on steroids, we can learn a lot from how bodybuilders eat and exercise to achieve a better fat to muscle ratio. After all they are the best at it. The question remains so how many carbs to lose weight?
Most bodybuilders that I have studied consume a 40, 40, 20 split of carbs, protein, and fat. 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat. This split really works, and I say that from experience. This is usually the split that I do when trying to have a lean look. To figure out your 40, 40, 20 split you first have to figure out how many calories you should be having a day. Then take that number and take 40, 40, 20 percent from that number respectively. Afterwards you divide the number you get for carbs by 4 because there are 4 calories in every gram of carbs.
It is important to exercise if you want to be able to eat more carbs without hitting spillover. Spillover is a big no no when trying to lose weight with carbs. It occurs when you’re body’s carb “gas tank” is full and stores any extra carbs as fat. By exercising your body demands more carbs to be used in the muscles.
When asking how many carbs to lose weight per day we want to really make sure that we are more focused on the quality of the carbs. Try to go for slow digesting carbs like brown rice and quinoa throughout the day. Also do not eat the carbs too late at night. Try to stop eating carbs after 6 pm. White rice and simple carbs are only to be eaten before or after a workout.
Do not listen to the experts that tell you to stuff yourself with fruit. I’ve seen many clients really back track by doing this. Fruit will be converted to sugar and give you a big insulin spike. You can get just as fat from fruit as you can from candy if you eat too much of it. Green veggies are your best friend to chow down.