Ok. I took the carbs out PRE workout but I find im not as motivated during the workouts. im gonna add some good carbs back into my PRE meal. Also Whats the best way to determine my maintenance cals as you suggested in your previous post?
I have never really counted carbs before because I have generally been in tune with how my metabolism works and where my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) was. Your BMR is just the number of Calories you need to live, breath, pump blood, etc. Thats a result of years of experimenting during wrestling, years that you obviously don't want to waste. I would suggest looking into the Harris Benedict Formula which is...
BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year ). Then apply the following to find the number of calories that you need to maintain weight at your current activity level.
If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9
Another method that gives you close to the same number is
Fat loss = 12 - 13 calories per lb. of bodyweight
Maintenance (TDEE) = 15 - 16 calories per lb. of bodyweight
Weight gain = 18 - 19 calories per lb. of bodyweight
Both these methods give you pretty close to the same number for the number of calories you need to
Maintain your weight. There are many other methods and equations out there to determine this number. The reality is that your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and therefore the number of calories you need to maintain your weight, can vary widely from person to person due to genetic factors. These ways of determining your BMR give you a starting point. It will most likely need a little adjustment on your part. It is essential that after you have figured out your BMR, adjusted for activity level, and then subtracted 500 or so calories a day for weight loss goals, that you stick to that number. If you don't you won't know how to adjust if it doesn't work out. So for example if the number you are shooting for is 3,000 calories a day for weight loss and you eat 2,000 one day, 4,000 the next, and 5,000 you won't know how to adjust when you don't get the results you want. If you do stick to the 3,000 calories and you aren't losing the weight try dropping it a little more. If you keep lowering your daily caloric intake from there without results, this could mean your initial number was too low and your metabolism stalled because you weren't getting enough calories. Remember, you are shooting for about 400-500 calories below your BMR that was adjusted for activity level. It may take some time and some work to find your BMR, but once you have figured it out, you will be able to adjust your diet to lose or gain weight without as much trouble. This is where cycleing the caloric intake on different days could come in like dreamweaver was talking about. I haven't tried it myself yet, but from what I have heard and the research I've done it sounds pretty promising. But first you need to find your BMR so you know what amount of calories to aim for on your low, medium, and high day.
The bottom line is that you need to stay a little bit under your adjusted BMR to lose the weight and to do so takes a little work and experimentation on your part.
I'm not a a profesional by any means, this is just what works in my experience and how many other wrestlers I know got down to lower weight classes without sacrificing muscle mass. I hope this helps.
Stick with it and good luck!
