Is being a better "fat burner" the be-all-end-all? Let me show you my own "fat burning" status and why it is only part of the story as an athletic individual.
My metabolic efficiency status leading into IMCDA
My higher fat, lower carb diet is making me feel...
I bet you secretly want to read that my high-fat, low-carb diet is making me feel:
Gross
Slimy
Fat
Slow
Sluggish
Well.. nope. None of that. Since I started my nutrition experiment in November 2012, here's what I feel:
Energetic
Healthy
Happy
Satisfied
Focused
For reals.
(and although I don't weigh myself often, I know my weight is stable from how my clothes fit.)
My weekly training has started to increase (I'll share what I'm training for soon, I promise) but I've averaged between 9-13 hours per week in the past month. I haven't yet re-tested my Metabolic Efficiency and labs since December, but I plan to do this in the next month to see how things are changing with my body's ability to utilize fat and preserve carbohydrate at different intensities on the bike.
In the meantime, I can gauge my metabolic efficiency throughout my every day by my steady energy levels, absence of sugar cravings, and observation that I stay full for a good 3-4 hours (sometimes more) after a meal. A bonus benefit is a great mood, right from the get go each day!
Additional good news is that my training nutrition is right where I need it to be. Meaning, I haven't needed to consume excess carbohydrate calories to fuel my workouts. An example was yesterday:
- 7:00am wake
- 7:15am tea with half and half
- 8:15am egg scramble (egg/egg whites, turkey sausage, feta, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions (all cooked in EVOO), avocado)
- 10:30a FoodieFuel + nut butter
- 11:15a indoor bike trainer for 2 hours 15 minutes, followed by 4 mile aerobic run (drank only water during the workout)
- 2:45p leftover coconut cashew chicken veggie dish with almond milk protein shake
- 6:30p ground buffalo + veggie "bowl" with salsa, cheese
My pre-workout nutrition (breakfast + snack) came to about 25 grams of carbohydrate, far less than what standard sport nutrition recommendations are these days. I had great energy during both the bike and the run with no hunger pangs whatsoever, nor did I feel I had to raid the refrigerator when I was done.
I am feeling great with this pattern of nutrition and am excited to see how my body responds as I begin to increase my training volume in the upcoming months. Here's to continued experimentation with Metabolic Efficiency Training!
-Dina
6 Weeks after Nutrition Experiment
In my previous post, I described the nutrition intervention I began in November 2012 to follow a higher fat, moderate protein and lower carbohydrate daily nutrition pattern. In this post, I want to share with you some of the exciting and interesting results...
