welp that went from a carbohydrate timing question in the health and nutrition section to the gear he should run because you cannot build a competitive physique without the use of androgens....
Let me explain: Yes, I have seen guys get good gains w PHormones. However, you will see better gains if you run real D bol, T bol, A drol etc.
And real gear actually has less sides and less liver toxicity than PH's. I have seen some really crazy liver panels from PH's.
Now, having said that, even with real steroids, I would never advocate running orals alone. Even if you dose twice a day you will still not have the kind of steady levels you get from injectables.
That is (partly) the reason that you always run a testosterone base regardless of the type of oral you are taking.
Now, if you run a test base of 4-500 mgs a week, and THEN stack it with a PH, yes, you should (assuming training and diet are on point) get excellent gains.
Now, back to diet. Lets say you are running test and a PH. You are training hard and consistently. You eat quality clean food. 175 grams of carbs/day is way, way too little, especially is all your other metabolic indicators are good.
You should be getting regular lab work, especially if you are taking PH's, as I have seen them to be much more liver toxic than regular gear.
Look at your TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). Endocrinologists have established that the range should be between 0.3-3 (ml/UL).
The lower the score the better. Mine is 1.77, and I eat 5k calories a day. If your TSH output is good, you will be able to lose fat eating much much more than 175 grams/carbs a day.
175 will send a signal saying "Oh ****, I am not getting enough food, better slow my metabolism down".
Now, if you are pre-contest, and say 5 weeks out and need to cut carbs more, you will add T3 to keep your metabolism running. Just remember that T3 is not something to be played with. It is preferable to instead cycle carbs and increase cardio IMO.