clean source calories: carbs vs fats

[kickureface]

carbs are 4 calories per gram as are proteins.
fats are 9 cals per gram.

now my question is, as long as i eat clean (no processed and ****) from natural sources, does it matter where i get my calories from? i def will keep protein as high as possible, but for my other remaining calories, does it matter if its fat or carbs? fats really do help you get your cals up

i know carbs restore glycogen, probably does some other stuff but i guess thats the most important function.
but can fat do that? what does fat do?

thanks!

 

[shaunuk]

You'd ideally choose fats over carbs for extra calories, because:

- you're more likely to stay lean
- fats have biological uses in the body (promoting healthy cell function, etc)

However, you'll pretty much need some carbs in your diet to maintain optimum performance in the gym, specifically: pre-workout for energy release, and post-workout to restore glycogen stores. After training you need to quickly restore your depleted muscle glycogen stores. Fats won't do this. So some high gi carbs after a workout are good.

Fats have many uses, including hormone control, maintaining healthy hair&skin, acting as solvents for vitamins, etc. It can also be used for energy by converting the glycerol group on the lipid molecules to glucose.

-shaun

 

[Warboss Alex]

Yes, it definitely matters where you get your calories from. Carbs are an energy source which are NOT needed in huge amounts except for around your workouts and if you have an active lifestyle or very fast metabolism. Fats are another energy source but regulate a LOT of biological processes in your body.

My recommendation: get your protein in (1.5-2g per lb, or more, or less, whatever you want), plug in carbs where you need them, and get the rest from fats and fruits. Veggies are a free food which you should eat in huge amounts (the green ones anyway).

IF you're not gaining then you might need more carbs, or calories. But that's impossible to tell without knowing more about you.

 

[kickureface]

thanks guys.
so carbs mostly prewo and postwo and riddled in between the day if they just happen to come up in the food. and is there a reason you suggest getting calories from fruits mainlly with fats? and veggies a free food, im guessing its because they are low cal and have many health benefits, but dont lots of veggies fill you upfast and prevent you from eating more?
and ill concentrate more on fats now are natural peanut butter, almonds, flax seeds, and guacamole (all natural, no weird added stuff) good for fats?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Yes, because fruit and fat is the least likely thing to make YOU fat. And fruits will be dependent on your bodytype but in general they're safe if they're low GI: apples, berries, plums, pears, peaches..
Veggies do fill you up, that's the point, so you don't eat junk. Eat your protein, then your fats and veggies. Say broccoli with olive oil.
For your fat sources I'd add a form of fish oil, otherwise looks good. Eggs and meat too remember.

 

[Zeal]

Yes, because fruit and fat is the least likely thing to make YOU fat. And fruits will be dependent on your bodytype but in general they're safe if they're low GI: apples, berries, plums, pears, peaches..
Veggies do fill you up, that's the point, so you don't eat junk. Eat your protein, then your fats and veggies. Say broccoli with olive oil.
For your fat sources I'd add a form of fish oil, otherwise looks good. Eggs and meat too remember.

How about nice, greasy, fatty beef (not intended to sound homoerotic)? I'm talking a pound of the 80% stuff per day for lean muscle gain purposes.

 

[Warboss Alex]

that would be an excellent choice provided the rest of your diet was fairly low carb (and the meat wasn't your only source of fat).

there's not much else more anabolic than a pound of red meat every day, except maybe a couple of dozen raw eggs. I personally would combine the two. but the rest of the diet would have to be checked.

 

[kickureface]

mmm i forgot about red meats for a while -_- i do 3 eggs in the morning thought, i prob need to add mroe protein to that.
do i need carbs in the morning? after all its after sleep and the body = dead in terms of nutrients.

and what are your views on dark dark chocolate, like 80% dark chocolate no crap added?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Organic dark chocolate (think green and black's) is an awesome source of antioxidants but it does contain sugar so I wouldn't eat a block every day.

You don't NEED carbs in the morning. The body can run just fine on protein and fat and fruit/veg. Whether you yourself will need carbs at that time of day to help your individual goals is the question.

So: what are your goals, how big are you currently, how easily do you add mass.. be more specific.

 

[kickureface]

mmm im on a minibulk? more like trying to bulk without adding TOO much bf%. id say im around 16% or maybe 17% at 155lbs at 5'9. i do 3x a week rippetoes. i dont really know how easily i add mass as i have been at around 155 for a bit, mostly converting 1 or 2% bf into muscle. either way, im trying to keep the 4pack for a little bit while gaining muscle and then going on a small cut, aiming for 12% first and then maybe 10%.
right now im trying to eat as much as i can as clean as i can.
and for sugar, my chocolate bar has around 5grams per serving. the rest is basically fat. any other q's youre wondering about?
thanks

 

[Kev07]

if you want to get big, eat peanut butter, worked for me kinda, but i started gaining too much fat in addition to muscle so i decided to stop, it's high in fat and kinda high in protein (of course, organic only)

 

[Warboss Alex]

mmm im on a minibulk? more like trying to bulk without adding TOO much bf%. id say im around 16% or maybe 17% at 155lbs at 5'9. i do 3x a week rippetoes. i dont really know how easily i add mass as i have been at around 155 for a bit, mostly converting 1 or 2% bf into muscle. either way, im trying to keep the 4pack for a little bit while gaining muscle and then going on a small cut, aiming for 12% first and then maybe 10%.
right now im trying to eat as much as i can as clean as i can.
and for sugar, my chocolate bar has around 5grams per serving. the rest is basically fat. any other q's youre wondering about?
thanks

If you MUST have chocolate, have it in very small amounts. Don't go and have the whole bar. If it's organic cocoa then it's not unhealthy, but you gotta factor it into the rest of your diet.

17% bodyfat and having a 4-pack doesn't compute with me. Since having the abs is more probable, I'll assume that: at 155lbs your concern should be getting up to size. Spend the next year on a basic program (Rippetoe is good) and eating your way up to gaining 20-25lbs or so. Don't mess around with minibulks or cuts or culks or butters, unless you wanna end up at the end of the year at 158lbs.

Keeping that 4 pack should not be the priority, muscle mass should be - but this doesn't mean getting fat. Do everything in your power to stay lean (cardio as necessary, don't pig out on the carbs, don't mix carbs and fats much, lots of protein etc) and you won't gain too much fat.

Once at 175-180lbs you'll have a solid muscular base (which will increase your metabolic rate), making it easier to lose fat if you so wish.

If you're truly at 17% bodyfat though, you will need a different approach.

 

[kickureface]

i could get some pics by tomorrow. then maybe could you estimate my bf%? i tried that picture bf% to estimate, but the 15% picture they have there seems fishy. ithink it has abdominator in that one.
and what is wrong with fat/carbs in a meal?
and im kinda confused on your statement on 17% bf and 4 pack. whats the difference between having abs and 4 pack showing? if it helps any, i do decline 45lb weighted sit ups 10x then follow immediately with side raises while still on the bench (obliques) if that makes sense.
also, pigging out on carbs = bad. ok, but isnt fat more likely to convert into fat tissue more than carbs?
thanks for all your input wba!

 

[Throttle]

all else equal, fat is not as likely to turn into adipose (bodyfat) as simple carbs (sugar & starch) BUT simple carbs produce an insulin spike, and that means any extra calories in your system at that moment (including those from any other source) are much more likely to go to adipose. the only exception is postworkout when your muscles are starved for nutrition.

 

[kickureface]

heh so in general away from workouts, stay away from high gi carbs (above 60?) to keep fat as low as possible. damn the body is complicated.

 

[stronglifts]

carbs are 4 calories per gram as are proteins.
fats are 9 cals per gram.

now my question is, as long as i eat clean (no processed and ****) from natural sources, does it matter where i get my calories from? i def will keep protein as high as possible, but for my other remaining calories, does it matter if its fat or carbs? fats really do help you get your cals up

i know carbs restore glycogen, probably does some other stuff but i guess thats the most important function.
but can fat do that? what does fat do?

thanks!

Nice deduction. You're right: it's easier to gain weight on fat. I think it's also healthier to bulk on a high fat/low carb diet than on a high carb/low fat diet (insuline sensitivity)

Check out low carbs/high protein/high fat diets such as the anabolic diet (anabolic solution).

Carbs is for girls. Start eating less carbs (better: no carbs) for some weeks. You'll see what I mean.


-Mehdi