In the modern world of low carbohydrate dieting, many women may think the only way to lose weight is to attempt to eat little to no carbohydrates on a consistent basis. The truth is that this may work if you only want to lose weight, but if you are attempting to build muscle or tone your body, you may be further from the truth that you know.
Carbohydrates in the form of fruits and vegetables provide much needed vitamins and minerals essential to repair muscle inflammation and to aid in recovery. These vitamins and minerals also provide your body with much needed beneficial substances to become healthier individuals.
According to experts, carbohydrates should make up roughly 50% of your total caloric intake per day. To calculate this, follow the equations.
Step One - Get Your Basal Metabolic Rate:
BMR = 655 (4.35 x your weight in lbs) + (4.7 x your height in inches) - (4.7 X your age in years)
Step Two - Figure Out Your Maintenance Level:
Maintenance Intake = BMR x [(1.375 if your mildly active) or (1.55 if your moderately active) or (1.725 if you're very active) or (1.9 if your extremely active)]
Step Three - Determine 50% of Your Caloric Intake as Carbohydrates:
Take your maintenance level and divide it in half. Then divide it further by 4 (which is the amount of calories present in one carbohydrate) and you have the number of carbohydrates you should be eating per day.
Carbohydrates provide the optimal choice of energy for your body in the form of glycogen, stored sugars in the cells. Often, when low carbohydrate diets are followed, the body goes into a state of cannibalism called ketosis, where the body begins to rely on protein and fat stores for energy. This causes the body to lose weight, from both fat and protein sources, but ultimately sacrificing hard gained muscle is not the ideal way to gain a toned, beautiful body.
Being on a prolonged low carbohydrate diet can also have side effects such as bad odor from perspiration, urine and breath as well as potential bone loss. It is important to eat the correct types of carbohydrates to maximize your potential and bring your muscle growth to unstoppable levels. Stay true to whole grain products with an emphasis on raw fruits and vegetables. Restrict your intake of white, refined grain products, baked goods, and other high glycemic carbohydrates.
Author Resource:
Richard likes to write about various interesting topics and has been doing so for years. His latest website is http://zebrablanket.org which provides information on what to look for in a zebra throw blanket .
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