Decreasing your carbohydrate intake

Dieting and training can be a hard take for most people as they begin to think about dropping the extra few pounds for the summer months. Everyone is different and can react individually to dropping carbohydrate intake but the key is to try and find what method works best for you.

Cutting carbs can be something of a dreaded season for a lot of people whilst training as there is a misconception that reducing your intake will lead to feeling lethargic and also reduce your muscular gains. This shouldn’t put people off as if your taper your diet to your own needs and you know your body well enough then you should still be seeing enough nutrients getting into your system in order for you to compete and train at your best. So let’s take a look at what you can do in order to achieve a successful carbohydrate depletion phase.

Increase your protein intake

Eating more protein will become your main replacement for the reduced carbohydrates you are cutting out. The extra protein should keep you feeling fuller for longer meaning a reduced carving for any unwanted carbs and it will see your muscle growth enhance and continue to develop. Given it’s filling quality it will be hard to overdo this side of your diet and research shows you can fill up to almost 40% of your diet with protein.

Choose brown over white

Try to incorporate brown seeded bread, rice and pasta if you have to eat them as the added amount of fibre and wholegrain will see you digest them quicker and easier. Aim to take your whole grains in complete forms where possible to really amp up the fibre and get your metabolism working overtime.

Quality over quantity

When dining there can be a tendency to eat in large carbohydrate quantities instead of aiming for quality smaller amounts. A small handful of quality brown rice will be better than a cheap brown plate load, so try not to be fooled when cooking at home simply by the sight of a portion. A small piece of quality dark chocolate can satisfy much more than a whole bar of milk chocolate laden with sugar.

Eat more vegetables

This sounds obvious to many when dieting but the key is to eat the correct types of vegetables. Avoid the starchy ones like potatoes and corn and aim to increase your broccoli, mushrooms and spinach/kale intake. There are not many usable carbohydrates in these alternatives and so there is no real danger in upping your daily dose of these types of vegetables. They will however add valuable nutrients and vitamins to your diet helping you to feel great whilst training.

Following these steps can really help towards your lowering of carbohydrates and can see you drop some unwanted weight quickly if done properly. Never forget the importance of the correct nutrients and vitamins when dieting as these can help to offset any potential imbalance when cutting carbs. Remember to eat the complex carbs high in fibre and whole grains and to eat the majority of your carbs in the morning and early afternoon in order to avoid storing too many late at night and into the next day. Finally remember that added protein should be your first port of call when cutting as the increased stress your body is under will need some balancing with an increase of muscle fuel and in order to keep your progress on track.

Have fun with it and always remember to just ‘Do The Damn Thing!’

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