LCHF - Low Carb High Fat Diet Ver 2

[HappyMartin]

Was 8 weeks off with an injury and got sloppy with my eating. Kept up with the protein and fats but upped the carbs a bit too much. Picked up almost 4kg.

 

Being trying to get it down but in a half hearted fashion. Body fat up at an alarming 14%. I don't adhere full time to LCHF but use a lot of the info so have been dropping the carbs. Slowly at first then more and more. Lost 2.5kg in the past 3 weeks. Now it is falling off me.

 

Saturday I raced and bonked. First time in ages. Despite gels and stuff just fell apart after my group averaged almost 40 km h for the first 50 km. could not receiver and limped home.

 

Yesterday ate very small portion of oats with coconut oil. Cheese and tomato for lunch with olive oil, no carbs. Supper was 2 soya sausages. Breakfast was 3 eggs scrambled with butter. Snacks today nuts and a protein bar. Lunch is cheese and a carrot. Afternoon snack is a protein shake.

 

I sure do feel like hell at the moment. Woolie headed. Dull. Soon as I drop another 1.5kg I will ease up and slowly add some carbs back to stabilize my weight and energy. Another week I think.

[thatsme]

Martin sounds like you and I are on the same track (got sloppy, gained, getting it off again at the moment) - I definitely also plan to start upping carbs again once I've settled back to a good weight level, but it is a bit disturbing how quickly it piles back on at even slightly higher carb levels. Eish. I mean, I knew it would happen based on the literature, but still a not so great experience. Hope you can reset yourself somewhere your body's happier. Thanks for sharing.

[htone]

The longer you stay off carbs, the "harder" they hit when you do start taking them again, is my theory. A few bites of bread and I blow up like a balloon, or get sloppy with carbs in general, and the kilos pile back on. So I guess the right thing to do is really to only use the carbs while training to try and offset that with exercise, otherwise there is either a gut / IBS type action or weight gain as a price to pay... in fact, I get a gut reaction ON THE BIKE if I take carbs during an exercise session nowadays, so for me even sneaking the odd hamburger bun is a no-no...

[thatsme]

Yeah, that does worry me - the absolute last thing I want to do is stuff up my metabolism somehow so that I can never eat carbs again. I do plan to stick with this, but I definitely foresee times when I won't be lchf - traveling for eg.

There do seem to be some people out there who think there are negative metabolic consequences for lc though, but I haven't been convinced by anything I've read yet - anyone else done research in that direction?

[Cuppa Bru]

I cursed carbs in general last week because a pizza gave me heartburn.

Experiemnted with a plate of potato wedges @ M&B yesterday and didn't have any heartburn.

Regardless, post-exam pig-fest is over. Strict LCHF again for me from here on out!

[HappyMartin]

I keep fats constant. When I want to drop weight I up protein a bit and cut carbs back sometimes heavily.

 

Once at my target I bring the carbs back up. I try for quality carbs. Carbs is what I vary.

[Helpmytrap]

The only times I have a carb heavy meal is directly after I ride, I cook some oats, well partially cook them, I just bring them to the boil. It takes about 2min and then I add cocoa powder, cinnamon, cream, butter, coconut oil, 2 egg yolks (makes it nice and creamy and ups the protein) and half a teaspoon of raw honey.

How hard I ride depicts the amount of oats I make, it varies between 50-100g of uncooked oats (30-60g CHO). It seems to be working for me in the last week and a half.

 

So my weight is stable because besides for the post ride recovery meal, the rest of my diet is LC with no ill effects.

I'd say it is a good approach, only indulge in carbs during and after exercise. This way I don't become carb intolerant and I get enough carbs to train properly.

[HappyMartin]

Helpmytrap I believe you have nailed it.

 

I love the oats idea. Going to borrow that.

 

For those of us using carbs to race and immediately after as a recovery I was given the following idea by and motorbike enduro rider for a recovery drink He suggested mixing coke and milk. It gives sugars but not as much as coke which is good and the milk contains protein. He says it is very refreshing and goes down easily. We drank this mix as kids a and I always liked it. Called it a Brown Cow. I'm going to give it a go

[jcza]

The only times I have a carb heavy meal is directly after I ride, I cook some oats, well partially cook them, I just bring them to the boil. It takes about 2min and then I add cocoa powder, cinnamon, cream, butter, coconut oil, 2 egg yolks (makes it nice and creamy and ups the protein) and half a teaspoon of raw honey.

How hard I ride depicts the amount of oats I make, it varies between 50-100g of uncooked oats (30-60g CHO). It seems to be working for me in the last week and a half.

 

So my weight is stable because besides for the post ride recovery meal, the rest of my diet is LC with no ill effects.

I'd say it is a good approach, only indulge in carbs during and after exercise. This way I don't become carb intolerant and I get enough carbs to train properly.

 

Been doing the same, also been reading up about glycogen depletion and how to prevent it (bonking). Found the following very interesting.

 

Glycogen depletion can be forestalled in three possible ways.

 

1. During exercise carbohydrates with the highest possible rate of conversion to blood glucose per time (high glycemic index) are ingested continuously. The best possible outcome of this strategy replaces about 35% of glucose consumed at heart rates above about 80% of maximum.

 

2. Through endurance training adaptations and specialized regimens (e.g. fasted low-intensity endurance training), the body can condition type I muscle fibers to improve both fuel utilization efficiency and workload capacity to increase the percentage of fatty acids utilized as fuel, sparing carbohydrate use from all sources.

 

3. By consuming large quantities of carbohydrates after depleting glycogen stores as a result of exercise or diet, the body can increase storage capacity of intramuscular glycogen stores. In general, glycemic index of carbohydrate source doesn't matter since muscular insulin sensitivity is increased as a result of temporary glycogen depletion.

 

Finally, if it’s a question of fueling longer aerobic workouts, endurance athletes, while they don’t need to indulge in the worst of the traditional carb loading, will need to make compromises to the Primal style. If they are “classically trained” in doing long workouts at 75-90% VO2 max, their bodies will simply require more glucose (and, hence, muscle glycogen) to accomplish the feats asked of them. In that case, ketones can’t play much of a role. On the other hand, it is possible – over a long period of time – to redirect gene expression to favor fat and ketone metabolism even at higher workloads. But this requires that the training be done at much lower heart rates for longer periods of time. That becomes the only way to recommend endurance athletes adapt their training and diet regimens to maximize fat burning efficiency.

[Face Plant]

guys please give me some advice:

 

i am in my second week of LCHF and all is okay but i am really worried about fuelling on the bike, i have no idea what breakfast to have pre race, what to use on the bike and after, i had my first LCHF rides last weekend and i am feeling sluggish as hell! i am really worried that if i go long distances i am going to bonk if i dont take in Carbs, my normal routine pre LCHF was oats for breakfast, Cytogen and water on the bike with race food or 32GI food bars and gels for the end of the ride if required.

 

can somebody with experience please give me some feedback on your fuelling

[jcza]

guys please give me some advice:

 

i am in my second week of LCHF and all is okay but i am really worried about fuelling on the bike, i have no idea what breakfast to have pre race, what to use on the bike and after, i had my first LCHF rides last weekend and i am feeling sluggish as hell! i am really worried that if i go long distances i am going to bonk if i dont take in Carbs, my normal routine pre LCHF was oats for breakfast, Cytogen and water on the bike with race food or 32GI food bars and gels for the end of the ride if required.

 

can somebody with experience please give me some feedback on your fuelling

 

Its a long journey and it is normal to feel sluggish. If you do LSD (Long Slow Distance) you should be able to ride on water only without breakfast. Maybe take something along just in case? I started with 2 bottles and pockets filled with gu and bars and ended up training with 1 bottle of water only. If you keep the heart rate low you'll be ok.

[Face Plant]

Its a long journey and it is normal to feel sluggish. If you do LSD (Long Slow Distance) you should be able to ride on water only without breakfast. Maybe take something along just in case? I started with 2 bottles and pockets filled with gu and bars and ended up training with 1 bottle of water only. If you keep the heart rate low you'll be ok.

 

Thanks jcza but I am more concerned about high intensity long distance rides/races what i dont understand is if i use carbs on the bike how does it effect Ketosis and how long would it take to get rid of the effects? the reason i am asking is everybody knows the saying that one bad meal wont make you fat but one good meal wont make you loose weight but does this kind of theory apply with LCHF? what i am thinking is to maintain a LCHF diet but use carbs on the bike... would this work?

[HappyMartin]

Face Plant different people will have different ideas. Fortunately what you get here is not just theorizing but practical experience

 

For racing I have a light pasta meal the night before. Unusual for me because I don't generally eat carbs in the evening. Then race morning I eat a protein breakfast. I'm vegetarian so it's usually an egg based affair.

 

Once the race starts Ill pop a gel or whatever I have. I seem able to tolerate anything in terms of gels. Havnt tried it but I suspect I could get by on plain sugar. I eat and drink as much carbs as I find time for. I don't hold back at all. Once off the bike I'll drink sodas and stuff and eat whatever for about an hour. Then the insanity ends and it's back to normal.

 

Training I use energy drinks. If I'm doing intensity training then back on whatever carbs I can carry and get down. Base training will be one bottle of water and one of an energy drink.

 

If I'm doing hard consecutive days I will use a recovery drink mostly for the convenience and because I like it

[jcza]

Thanks jcza but I am more concerned about high intensity long distance rides/races what i dont understand is if i use carbs on the bike how does it effect Ketosis and how long would it take to get rid of the effects? the reason i am asking is everybody knows the saying that one bad meal wont make you fat but one good meal wont make you loose weight but does this kind of theory apply with LCHF? what i am thinking is to maintain a LCHF diet but use carbs on the bike... would this work?

 

Personally I tried high-intensity without carbs and bonked. I then tried UCAN (super starch) and bonked. Finally I settled on living LCHF but racing with carbs. Pre-race I eat butternut, sweet potato and similar veg instead of pasta buit during the race its high gi. Immediately post-race it will also be carbs. Training is generally water only, even at higher intensity. Takes a while to get used to it.

[Face Plant]

Face Plant different people will have different ideas. Fortunately what you get here is not just theorizing but practical experience

 

For racing I have a light pasta meal the night before. Unusual for me because I don't generally eat carbs in the evening. Then race morning I eat a protein breakfast. I'm vegetarian so it's usually an egg based affair.

 

Once the race starts Ill pop a gel or whatever I have. I seem able to tolerate anything in terms of gels. Havnt tried it but I suspect I could get by on plain sugar. I eat and drink as much carbs as I find time for. I don't hold back at all. Once off the bike I'll drink sodas and stuff and eat whatever for about an hour. Then the insanity ends and it's back to normal.

 

Training I use energy drinks. If I'm doing intensity training then back on whatever carbs I can carry and get down. Base training will be one bottle of water and one of an energy drink.

 

If I'm doing hard consecutive days I will use a recovery drink mostly for the convenience and because I like it

:clap:

 

Thanks Martin,

 

you have just made my day! i do however assume that weight loss will be compromised due to the intake of carbs? i dont even expect to have carbs after a ride but before and during i will be a happy man

[Face Plant]

Personally I tried high-intensity without carbs and bonked. I then tried UCAN (super starch) and bonked. Finally I settled on living LCHF but racing with carbs. Pre-race I eat butternut, sweet potato and similar veg instead of pasta buit during the race its high gi. Immediately post-race it will also be carbs. Training is generally water only, even at higher intensity. Takes a while to get used to it.

 

i like your approach of living LCHF but racing with carbs have you still managed to drop weight with this approach?