Since work has been crazy crazy lately, I decided I'd do 2 weeks of low-carb (under 30g a day) and jump on the elliptical for 15-20 min before I leave for work.

The goal of losing a few pounds before another PH cycle worked well, but today I hit the weights and didn't my session suck!! I could lift nowhere near what I could 3 weeks ago, and even after dropping some weight off I couldn't hit any reps, either!

So this is my theory, and please tell me what you all think because I really dunno.....

Yesterday was the last low-carb day, and I started eating carbs again this morning after 2 weeks of low carb. So, I need a day or two to "soak up" some carbs for more energy/drive/strength...

-And/or- I didn't eat enough in general to maintain my size the last 2 weeks, so I lost a good bit of muscle. I felt I ate more than needed of fats and protein, tho.

So any ideas? I was just getting into the swing of things with the low carb because I may start cycling, and going two weeks was an easy way to figure out what I could and couldn't eat.

Thanks!!

were you lifting during this 2 weeks of low carbs?

Low carb diets have to be planned. Without carbs, your body uses the amino acids in muscle for glucose during anaerobic training - like weights.

The targeted ketogenic diet is probably your best bet. Eat carbs pre workout and post workout. Pre workout, to use the glucose from grain during workouts; post workout, to spike insulin. Then, the rest of the day go low carb and medium protein/high fats.

Something like the Atkins diet for a weight lifter is not only dangerous, but is also going to result in serious muscle and strength loss.

For a person that doesn't workout, here is what I would do.

Meal 1- protein/carb
Meal 2- protein/fat
Meal 3- protein/carb
Meal 4- protein/fat
Meal 5- protein/fat

So at night you fall into ketosis, but still have glucose to spare during your anaerobic workouts like HIIT. Everyone trying to lose weight should some form of cardio.

i loose massive strength and rep levels doing the low carb approach, hence why i don't - my ego plays too large a role in what i do at the gym, and sometimes i wish it wouldn't - being shredded would be nice.

JudoJosh - nope, just the elliptical in the AM is all I could find time for

kingk0ng - I like the targeted ketogenic diet you mentioned....sounds very easy and makes a bunch of sense...Thanks!!

suncloud - I'm never gonna go strictly low-carb again, and I'm glad I'm not the only one that had this issue!! I'm just glad there's an easy fix....more carbs!!

Thanks everyone!

Low carbs and cardio dont mix with maintaining strength. You would have retained more muscle and strength by diet alone or with limited resistance training.

Originally Posted by MongoSS

Low carbs and cardio dont mix with maintaining strength. You would have retained more muscle and strength by diet alone or with limited resistance training.

That is why you cycle your carbs around your training, so you use carbs during the cardio; yet at the same time you increase your metabolic rate throughout the day when in a carb deficit and guess what you use then? Fat.