all from a protein breakfast ?

cgres123

The last two weeks I have been changing things up for my breakfast. I would always have oatmeal, banana and cinnamon with walnuts. I was turning things around two weeks ago and having egg whites with cheese turkey paddies or thin bacon every other day. Now this last week I had the full protein breakfast all week.

This was an easy week for training as I raced last weekend. SO, I have noticed that when I start my workouts in the AM, usually about 1.5 hours after I eat, I have my normal energy levels but within about 30 plus minutes I feel weak. I'm wondering if this is the body burning through its carbo stores, as the last time I ate carbs would have been 10 hours prior?

For an experiment today I'm doing a long run and had 3 cups of applesauce with a banana and will report back with the results later.

I spoke with Penny Wilson last weekend about dropping 15 lbs for a marathon coming up in late November she has me counting calories. So for the week I have done so and weighed in Friday as usual and lost 4 lbs in a week? I'm sure counting calories has a tad to do with the results but I'm wondering if eating that protein breakfast and the body burning its fat stores for energy in my AM workout has anything to do with it?

I am also wondering how long it takes to get use to working out without crabs as it really feels like crap ? It is like the body not wanting to keep up with the mind as the mind is saying we have done this hundreds of times move it.

GMAN 19030

Posted By David McLaughlin on 29 Jun 2013 09:16 AM

I am also wondering how long it takes to get use to working out without crabs as it really feels like crap?

They make shampoo for that.

cgres123

Ha ha.... duh

Peter Wick

Some of your problem might be due to the way (or not) your body mobilizes fat stores (particularly brown fat) for energy when you're exercising. I'm a type II diabetic and when I was really eating poorly and weighed about 230 lbs, I was totally dependent on eating sugars for exercise energy at all. Add in the insulin resistance that develops with a high HbA1c level (a 3 month average indicator of your blood sugar) and I was always on the edge of bonking - and did so often. Like a boss.

When I switched over to a more healthy diet that now consists of proteins, nuts, vegetables, fruits, dairy and minimal sugars (when my will power is engaged), I struggled just like you did. It took several months for my personal biochemistry wake up to the changes as the insulin resistance slowly eased. Insulin is a hormone that essentially sends a message to the body that it should take what nutrients it can get out of the blood stream and store them away for later. In particular, it tends to do that by converting glucose into fat stores. As you know glycogen stores are only so big but fat stores are ever expanding if you let it happen. If your insulin is always high it is hard for your body to mobilize fat stores for glucose. Making the switch takes time. Sticking with it as you wait takes great patience.

John Withrow

I agree with Peter. I switched to not fueling any workouts from November through around March. It took me a while for my body to adapt, but also took a while for my mind to adapt that I could do a workout with no fuel. I just kept telling myself during workouts that my fuel was my own fat. Eventually, I built up to some pretty monster workouts with nothing but water. My biggest was a trail run that I woke up for around 4am and drove to the trailhead only sipping on water. It was about 15 degrees out for the run and my water bottles froze within 15 mins and I did a 3.5 hr hilly trail run with zero nutrition but by that point I had built up to it over time and I had a ton of confidence with it. I was one of the few people on the run that didn't bonk and everyone else fueled before and during the run with carb products... My point is simply that it takes time to ween your body and your mind off of the constant sugar drip. Now that I'm in mid-season, I have added carbs/sugars back in during training and racing, but feel like I now have 2 sources of fuel during exercise (glucose and body fat).

FWIW, now that I eat gluten free, I also dropped my oatmeal or cereal breakfast and eat an omelet every morning with peppers, onions, spinach, cheese, and walnuts (this plus a banana is my normal recovery meal because I workout before eating). Also as Peter said, my snacks are nuts or fruit and I eat a ton of fats through avocado, salmon, etc. I'm as lean as I have ever been. I literally eat all day, but it's clean and healthy stuff and I haven't 'bonked' on a workout all year.

cgres123

Thx all an interesting experiment I'm working through. Well I did an 8 mile run Saturday fueling up with applesauce and a banana 2 hours before the run and mentally/physically it was much easier with the carbs vs. a protein breakfast and working out.
I think I will hang with the protein breakfast then workout during the weekdays and see what kind of weight loss I can achieve. On weekends TBD.

Swanie

My personal experience with proteins for breakfast is in April I ended my OS and started a 10 week run focus for a BQ in June. I was at my normal training weight 195, I started to have eggs for breakfast instead of loaded oatmeal as I had throughout JOS, between the 65 mile weeks of running, protein for breakfast and counting my calories (1800+workout calories) I dropped to 183 in 10 weeks. I had been trying to drop below 193 for 4 years. Since the marathon I have gone back to oatmeal for breakfast and gone back to 185 and holding. Back to eggs for breakfast for me.