[LCHF - Low Carb High Fat Diet Ver 2]

CindiK, I would take a gel or two in your back pocket but only use them as emergency, keep your priority fuel source as nuts/nut butter if need be, but honestly if you are adapted you shouldn't need it at all for that distance. Using myself as an example, I'm 8 weeks into the LCHF lifestyle, although I've cycled on and off for the last year, but currently for the last 8 weeks, maintaining less than 30g of carbs per day. Had the same initial period of low power and feeling awful on the bike for about 4 weeks, my ftp power before was 389, during the first 4 weeks, I was battling to get it to 330, it's now back at 385 (with a 6 kilogram reduction in weight). So it does come back. I've raced 2 to 3 hour races/training sessions on water in the last 2 weeks with no adverse feelings at all. I'm riding up to 5 hours on water, at an intensity of about 75%. I would advise using an electrolyte if you are racing, with the lower sodium retention and higher effort/sweat I'd advise ensuring you have some electrolyte replacement. With a good LCHF breakfast I wouldn't worry too much....if in doubt an you have the luxury of a power meter on your bike I would limit the big efforts to around your ftp (which honestly is hard enough).

Thanks a lot, that confirms what we've been hearing about using an electrolyte. We use Rehydrate a lot and I used it on Epic 2010 and I've often thought that I have better response to it than an energy drink! :-) Thanks for the encouragement. All meals are provided, so I am a bit afraid of what that might be out in the bush, but will take my coconut oil - and I am sure I can get some eggs for a BPC! And a tin of coconut cream will go down well out there too. I dont have a power metre on my bike (yet) LOL, but being a woman I have a quite a good sense of it! There are some advantages, despite the hormones!!! Glad to hear that others have struggled with power and HR. I think mine was even less than yours, proportionally. Very chuffed to have pushed through and to see the numbers looking better. Ive only lost 2.5kg, but thats a fair amount to drag up hills. I do hear that this ride is fairly flat (will find out!) and sandy which suits me, its just the company that frightens! Thanks for your reply!

[LCHF - Low Carb High Fat Diet Ver 2]

The problem with trying to become fat adapted while still trying to remain competitive is just this - you go through a stage where it is just miserable. Probably varies, but for me I couldn't even ride an average race for the first four months without it being a miserable experience, and power only really came back at 6 months or so.

 

So - you probably have a couple of options:

1. realise that you are going to be uncompetitive for a couple of months (let's say 3 - 6 depending on how easily you adapt) and deal with it.

2. introduce some carbs back into your diet (Noakes reckons 200g/day in the lastest AskProfNoakes pod cast) and then reduce by 50g per fortnight / month and see if that brings some vooma back while still keeping you on track with getting carb adapted.

3. scrap the whole thing until you have 3 - 6 months clear in your calendar and then go cold turkey.

 

Regarding taking carbs, the theory goes that you shouldn't take carbs before the event starts as this will cause an insulin spike / low blood sugar etc. I normally only start taking carbs at 30min to 1 hour into an event.

 

JCZA does a lot of racing and he takes carbs before an event. So, it may be a horses for courses thing - try:

1. having a high carb breakfast bf event and take carb before and during event

2. not having a high carb breakfast bf event, start taking carb just before or at start of event.

3. not having a high carb breakfast bf event and only take carb when well into the event.

That way you will find out what works for you.

 

Noakes' comment (in another podcast) was something like 'if you think you need to take carbs (whenever) then take them' i.e. do what you believe will help as the mental thing is probably more important than whatever is going on physically (once fat adapted).

 

It probably doesn't make a hell of a big difference physically what you do once you are fat adapted so your mental state is probably more important to the race outcome. (That's me reading between the lines BTW).

 

Noakes also says that once you are fat adapted, if you eat carbs, the glycogen goes to muscle stores, not fat. So JCZA may have something in his pre-race breakfast.

Thanks for the info Dave. I have been banting for 8 weeks. REALLY struggled for a period, (at Cadence) with v high HR and very low Power. And couldnt find help anywhere. But I just continued and just recently, the power is back to where it was and the HR is back to where it was. Was really discouraging. So, when i ride, I dont know how I am going to handle, so on a 3h30 I take water and then some salami sticks in my pocket and a couple of strawberries or cherries. I am not sure if I need them. So I am experimenting. I am trying to keep my HR a bit lower and not race everyone up hills. Finding it really difficult not to have a coach or someone experienced to help me through this, as every cyclist I know is anti banting, esp the Cadence coach who just keeps telling me my power is down. LOL!! (Im old, nearly 50, so I ride for fun and love to race) Im very IR. I have to really have low (25g) carbs to be in ketosis and lose weight. Have eventually cut out cream and dairy most of the time (the last week) and this has helped to loose a 100g every few days. I have 2.5kg to lose. But now I have Tour de Tuli coming up in 2 weeks. Its 4 days of 65km/day. By that stage I will be about 11 weeks into Banting. Its not a race, so I have some grace, but we (my husband who is also on the diet and has got to his goal weight) in a group with Andrew McLean, so Im a bit worried. Any advice on what to do during the ride? I would like to try on water, but afraid of suffering on day 2. My long term goal is to lose the weight, but I certainly will do everything in my power not to keep the group waiting, so I might need to drink and eat the carbs to survive. Obviously avoiding all grains and sugar. Might eat more fruit if I have to. Do you have advice?

[LCHF - Low Carb High Fat Diet Ver 2]

@htone: Think I must try to attempt a similar experiment this weekend. I’m close to giving up; 12 days in on a very strict LCHF diet, no change in my weight. OK I do realise I’m 1.53m tall and only 5kg’s over, but still, would expected something at least (and I’m a woman, believe you guys have it much easier!)

 

Maybe I eat too much protein or dairy, maybe my portion sizes are too big, or could that 2 glasses of wine last weekend be the cause…I flippen don’t know anymore!

Marge, I cut cream and milk for a week - because I also stopped losing. I have 3 kg to lose (1.675m tall). I lost 800g this last week. Going to play around with it, but in the RMR book, Tim does say that we should watch dairy. I think its also a female thing. Men dont seem to struggle like we do!!