no to low carb diet?
I read on the Dash Board here someone saying they were on a no carb diet. That information didn't register with me until yesterday as I was talking to a friend who was overweight and had been told that weight watchers was not the best fit for him to use for losing weight.
As I was talking to my friend about a low carbdiet he said he was allowed about 50 carbs a day, I think that might be an apple? Anyway, I was wondering how an athlete can be on a no carb diet or minimum carb diet and still have the energy to train?
What would a day of food look like for that athlete?
What were the results of that kind of diet on your weight?
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I used to think otherwise, as I had done Atkins, and just couldn't play sports (at that time, Soccer) worth a darn. But, reading the book, it's clear there were a bunch of things I'd been doing that were sabotaging my efforts.
Paleo-ish diets (pretty much produce and protein only) are "low carb", which just means no starches (ex, potatoes, grains, etc). People seem to think that low carb means you aren't eating carbohydrates.
You eat enough fruits and veggies, you get plenty of carbs (one of three macronutrients, the other two being protein and fat) as an energy source. I trained for IMAZ2011 on a mostly paleo diet, and never lacked energy (except the first few weeks of transitioning).
Just my $.02.
I'm sure Dr. Penny will chime in, but I think she looks for topics like these in the Nutrition forum.
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/11526/Default.aspx
SO now I'm 2 weeks carb free and I feel great. (aside from the issue mentioned in my thread which has been "fixed") No noticeable performance impact. Actually had a kick-ass bike test last week. Went from 163 to 177 ftp.
The weight loss isn't there though. Week 1 I was down a pound to 145 but have been bouncing around 146-147 since. I'm sure it is a result of water retention cuz I'm taking in so much extra sodium so I'm not too worried for now and will stick with it for a bit longer. It was a little vague in the book about counting calories. I always thought you didn't have to on this type of diet but perhaps I need to. (I am tracking but sometimes over)
So here's what I eat (and I'm NOT a good example of how they really want you to eat....Def supposed to eat more fruits & veggies)
Bfast #1- Protein shake w/ 1/2 scoop Body Fortress WHey, cream and Calorie Countdown choc milk
Bfast #2- 1.5-2 scrambled eggs w/ cheese, 3 strips of bacon
Lunch- burger w/ cheese or a salad w/ "full fat" dressing and chix or steak
Snacks- Peanuts, almonds, Power Crunch protein bar, or Wheat Nuts
DInner- SOmething like lunch
I end up with around 40 carbs a day. A few here and there w/ ketchup, nuts, cream, protein powder. I drink Powerade Zero for WKOs and randomly. During longer riders, I have individual little pouches of peanut butter.
THe book said the transition takes 2-3 weeks but I think it was faster for me, but I totally think results will vary widely by person. My history (in original forum post) makes this type of diet appropriate for me.
Happy to answer any other questions.