Hey there!
Sorry for the dearth of material on the blog of late. I have been pretty hammered with travel, the gym growing and frankly, just spinning with my book. I’ve been unlear how to divide the material and make it accessible to the lay-person while keeping the science-y stuff that many people are looking forward to. The direction I’m going is essentially 2 books in 1. The first book will be accessible to literally anyone. It will touch briefly on the health implications of insulin, autoimmunity and associated lifestyle issues, then just hammer the practical elements. book 2 will get deep on intermittent fasting, and a host of topics no one has really addressed in a formalized manner. I have some really good information, it’s now a matter of organizing it and getting it out.
My friend Andy Deas stayed with us this past weekend and he helped me to get organized and he kicked me in the ass to get the damn book done. When this project is wrapped up you will be able to thank him for much of the follow-through.
In the comments someone asked about leaning out. If you recall, I did a mass gain experiment about 9 months ago. Moved from 163-185. Strength was up, but I was pretty damn chubby. I have been following either CrossFit Football or Rutman’s ME-Black Box for training. For about 6 months I was still messing with some post WO carbs, typically about 50-70g depending upon the size of the WOD. Not surprisingly, my leaning out has been glacially slow. I thought back to when I just did cyclic low carb, what Poliquin had to say about leaning out (earn your carbs, be lean…) and I dropped to less than 50g of carbs per day with an occasional (once per week) larger carb meal that I just dropped in whenever. Result? Stunningly rapid fat loss. I’m about 178lbs but below 10% BF at this point. In general I’ve had 4 meals per day, large whacks of protien, just a little added fat and then loads of veggies. I have been using a post WO whey protein with coconut milk (40g protein, 20-30g fat) and I really like this. This was something I used in the past but this article from Mauro Dipasquale reminded me of the utility of a low carb PWO shake. I generally recommend against liquid food for fat-loss scenarios but as with all things, there are exceptions. Keep in mind, a low carb approach will NOT turn you into a CrossFit Super Star. It is however a nice approach to leaning out, getting healthy and not being a fat-ass for summer.
Robb-
What brand of whey protein do you use?
Buck-
It’s just a private label for a local supplement store. Any good quality WPI is good to go.
Robb,
I appreciate the balance you’re trying to strike with the book. I just bought a package of your articles from Performance Menu, and it was a major help. Some of it very accessible. Some of it warrants a slower, more deliberate reading. Apart from that, getting the wisdom from your old blog posts is a little piecemeal. Some of the best/most valuable stuff is buried in the (endless) comments! I gotta add my voice to the nagging chorus; we need that book. OK, that said, I really do appreciate the work you do.
So to lean out you were eating a total of about 5 blocks of carbs daily? Do I have that right?
I could use a little pre-summer leaning.
Thanks for the post. I’m so sick of being stuck at 17-19% bf!
I can not wait for the book! I’m looking forward to getting it in the hands of all my athletes! It’s overwhelming to try to boil these approaches down from a bilion sources on the web, and although I love learning from seminars and videos, it will be great to finally have a tangible reference that I can hand to someone and say, “here, read this. This is WHY I tell you to eat this way!”- and by someone much smarter than myself too!
I am confused on what your recommendation is for carb consumption. What I gather from 42 Ways to Skin the Zone is that using the Athletes Zone, I could consume up to 5x the fat blocks with a high post workout carb meal. Also, fat consumption post workout would be null. Is that correct? It sounds like in the linked article that a higher protein and fat meal, post workout, with little to no carbs is recommended due to prolonged protein synthesis and GH secretion. Where does cortizol and testosterone come into play with all of this? Doesn’t stress and exercise increase cortizol and isn’t cortizol involved in muscle tissue degradation? Insulin shuts down the production of cortizol, which would mean that a post workout meal higher in carbs would be beneficial, right? Or, could a post workout meal higher in protein and fat and little to no carbs be used to blunt the effects of muscle breakdown? Doesn’t a higher level of fat stimulate the production of testosterone and keep cortizol from rising too high? Please help me with some clearification. I am confused…. Thanks!
Sean-
I’ll do a post on this today.
Hey there! Just wanted to find out more about the post WOD shake and the fat content. I’ve been staying away from fat during that post WOD timeframe…
Bridget-
I’ll do a post on this today.
Would be great to combine your giant brain and Tim Ferriss’s in to one. He is beginning a book on hacking the human body and I would imagine the knowledge and experience you both have would make for a definite page turner. You can check out his post on his book here. http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/06/22/the-next-book-from-rapid-fat-loss-to-strongmen-a-guide-to-becoming-superhuman/
I’ve learned so much from your blog, can’t wait to read your book(s) 🙂
Thanks Brian! Quite a compliment. Back to work on my damn book!
Great work Robb on the fat loss. Cant wait for the book man!
Robb,
I wanted to get your take on my nutrition surrounding workouts. I have a sensitive stomach and a propensity to puke if I eat too much too close to a WOD. About 2 hours before a WOD, I eat some fruit (apple, orange, blueberries, strawberries), a handful of walnuts, macadamians, and pecans, and take 20-30 grams of a low end whey protein. I used to eat some kind of meat, but I find I can’t consistently keep it down that close to a workout. Within 30-60 minutes PWO, I take 40 grams of Syntrax Nectar whey protein isolate.
I have read that even fast proteins, such as whey isolate, will not break down to free amino acids fast enough to feed your body in the “anabolic PWO window,” and that free form BCAAs are the answer to getting free amino acids into the bloodstream as fast as possible. However I have also read that free form amino acids in powder form (the most reasonable way to consume them in any amounts) are not stable and will not provide the advertised effects. What is your take on BCAAs in general. Do you have a brand that you would recommend?
Zack-
I like BCAA’s…I’m blanking on a manufacturer…I think MRM? Give that a look. Ido Portal really likes large doses of the BCAA’s…upwards of 50g for mass gain efforts.
As a longtime follower of your writings i am deeply looking fwd to reading yr book.
Do we have an ETA please ?
I am also looking fwd to seeing pictures of yourself in your leopard print thong that i am assured are given to those passing the hallowed Crossfit Coach exam by way of a future means of bribary.
Robb – definitely looking forward to a book, I have your Eat Time video and love it! That’s not to mention several articles you’ve written, including the most impactful “how to eat” material I’ve read in your Shopping Guide. Thanks for what you do and making it so available via the web. My quick question is…can you share the specific recipe you use for the coconut milk protein shake? Any favorite tweaks to it?
Robert-
I have a whey protein isolate with sucralose. I throw ~50 go of that into 8oz of water. Then I add about 1/4 can of coconut milk and 2 heaping tblspns of unsweetened coco powder. Shake vigorously and it’s good to go!
Thanks for the update on the leaning out Robb. I had been wondering how that was going. I’m on day 4 of Paleo with only a couple exceptions so far. Some small amounts of salt (bacon) and some butter to seer my pork chops. So pretty good.
The PWO whey/cocomilk sounds good….I think I’ll try it. I get that super PWO “gimme a milkshake” hunger and want to feed the beast when the beast is hungry… or the beast get’s angry. GRRRR. See you in Aromas
Awesome Bob!
Hey Robb can you touch on this from the article:
“Since the presence of fat combined with protein and limited carbs does not decrease the insulin response or the absorption of amino acids and protein as it does with those who are carb adapted”
If I’m not on a low carb diet but want to reap the benefits of AA absorption and not take in large amounts of carb PWO, does this mean a high level of PWO fat will blunt absorption for me and be less anabolic? If so, what type of post workout meal would you recommend?
Tom-
It’s really tough to know…if you are highly insulin sensitive you will likely be fine with a low carb PWO meal. But without knowing your exact situation and goals it’s tough to tell. I’ll say this: I absolutely gain muscle and stay lean FAR better on a low carb approach. I may not turn the CF world on fire, but all other parameters are far better. If I genetically had better insulin sensitivity this might not be the case.
Great stuff Robb.
Can you provide a quick and accurate weight of your 4 meals.. unless you are using blocks.. are you roughly 5 ounces of meat at each meal, then loaded up veggies and a little fat.
Sounds like a very clean anabolic diet…
Thanks,
E
Eric-
Really tough to say…I think I down upwards of 10-12 oz of meat at many meals. Others are more along the line of 4 eggs. it’s pretty variable, especially when I’m on the road!
Robb
Not a fan of shakes. As far as a PWO meal, would grilled salmon and two tablespoons of olive oil be just as helpful as your whey/coconut milk concoction? No carbs period right?
thanks bro
JC
Justin-
For the purpose of the low-carb approach, yes I think you are good to go.
Robb,
Do you have a general time for when your book will be out?
Don-
tough to tell at this point. I am hoping to have it to the publisher by November but that may be overly ambitious.
All joking aside Robb i find all this putting weight on and losing it deadly interesting COS the general consensus seems to be that its about ‘will power and i’m of the opinion that our biochemistry underpining every act of supposed will power (suggesting that the ‘will/I/soul/me’ takes us where it wants ‘us’.
Likely started when we became hunters and thus had some measure of environmental control or perhaps a better word might be nudging or maybe delusion !
Fellows-
It is interesting stuff. Devany had some very interesting stuff on self image…way back when.
Sir is there any creedance to the Sears ‘no more than 500 cals at any meal’ mantra ?
Anybody have any idea pleasum ?
Fellows-
Being concise and somewhat diplomatic, I’d say “NO”. There is no compelling evidence to eat 15 small meals per day as Sears recommends.
Rob,
After reading the Dipasquale article I have a few questions. One, although cited well, much of what he is saying seems to be an info-mercial for his MRP LoCarb PWO drink. That alone will make me skeptical.
I typically have been looking to adhere to the “42 ways…” idea of PWO nutrition in that I essentially take in 70-80% of my daily carb intake after a WOD (typically in the form of sweet potato, raisins, or other starchy carbs) I have even experimented with the often purported idea of chocolate milk (I know it’s refined, but man…it seems to pep me right up!)
So, any thoughts or skepticism about the Dipasquale suggestion? I’m still trying to figure out my nutrition for endurance. BMack and CFE talk about eating whole food for extended endurance events (3+ hours) but I have yet to see anyone else in the CF community even tackle the subject and contradict what Cordain advocates in the “Paleo for Athletes”.
Thoughts?
Chuck-
I need to do a post on the differences between PWO for performance and PWO for body-comp and reversing metabolic derangement. As a short answer I think Dipasquales recommendation of a low carb PWO meal is spot-on for the right situation. Those situations can include muscle gain and reversing insulin resistance.
For your situation, the “42 ways” tweaks dovetail nicely with what Cordain recommends. From there it’s just experimentation to see what works best for you.
Shoooot, I never thought you were chubby, dude. NEVER!
AWWW…you’re just saying that!
Robb,
Where does this put the sweet potato and apple sauce PWO meal? Am I correct in assuming that the protein shake PWO is only good if you want to drop BF? Also, what do you think about the Advocare protein shakes? Thanks in advance!
Liz
Liz-
Two different strategies for two different goals. I’ll do a blog post on this as folks seem a little confused. I’m not really familiar with the Advocare stuff.
I suppose it goes without saying that the fat in the PWO whey and coconut combination doesnt go towards your daily fat blocks- like discounting the fat in animal protein?
KE-
If you are weighing and measuring then yes, you track it. I think you are referring to the fat-free nature of whey? If you are WAM-ing you do need to account for that. If you are just doing low carb it is not as critical, although keeping track of what you are doing is always helpful for making informed decisions.
I’m currently doing my own mass gain experiment — 154 lbs, 12 % BF, aiming at 180, 8%.
Would you recommend deleting carbs (replacing with 3 fat blocks), or are they necessary for mass gain?
Also, I’m reading Taubes’s book right now. So if it’s the type of calories that matters for fat loss, is the same true for muscle gain?
Michael-
there is no doubt it is easier to gain weight with carbs. That said, I think a lower carb approach (like the metabolic diet) keeps body-comp in better parameters. What you are proposing is not impossible but it’s an interesting problem. You want to gain a significant amount of weight, AND decrease your BF % by a healthy margin. The holy-grail!
Robb,
I’ve been following your blog and CFFB for about 6 weeks now. I just looked through the recipes on the performance menu and it seems that most of them have a very high number of fat blocks. Without weighing and measuring I have been eating about the same number of blocks of fat and protein. What would be the benefits of consuming 2-3x more fat blocks? Just to mention, I would like to gain about 5 lbs. (5’4″ 140).
Jason-
Quite simply, if you want to gain some engine you will need to eat! That 3-5x fat level is likely a minimum for you, especially if you lena towards to hard-gainer side of things.
Keep me posted on your progress and how you tackle this.
Robb,
How much has the low carb approach affected your Crossfit performance? I can’t wait for your book to come out!
Loni-
I’ve mainly been hitting CF football or Rutman’s ME-black Box. So shorter, heavier met-con + strength work. I know I could turn better numbers with a little more carb in the mix but here is a good example: My best Fran is 2:58. On this plan it was 3:35. A significant drop to be sure but I honestly do not have the level of suffering in me anymore to turn something like a 2:30. This might indicate I’m a pussy, or it might be an indicator I”ve been Crossfitting since ’02 and know when to push and when to pull back :0)
Hey Robb,
I had never heard of this method for leaning out, very interesting. I thought that post WO carbs were the be all end all, but I am going to try this approach. Obviously, you lost some strength when you began leaning out, but have you noticed a significant decline in performance since you eliminated the post WO carbs. For example how do you think that the lack of post WO carbs would effect your Fran or Helen times (or any applicable shorter met con)? When lifting heavy does the bar feel like it weighs a million pounds or do you feel like some of your strength gains have carried over?
Thanks,
Ben
Ben-
Once I adapted I felt fine and overall have suffered little if any strength loss. My back squat, press and DL are the same as when I was 185…I’m not about 176.
It’s taken some time but my performance on WOD’s has inched up. Something to keep in mind here is that there are very different reasons for doing a low-carb approach vs a Zone or conventional approach. I just feel better, look better and enjoy the low carb approach MORE than my relative uptick in performance in longer met-cons. this approach will not win one the CF Games but it’s easy and enjoyable.
Robb,
When you were taking the 50g carbs post-WOD, how many carbs were you up to every day?
Also, are there any foreseeable problems if you drop too many carbs too fast?
Thank you,
-Mike
Mike-
I was not tracking it closely. Likely 150+/day. If you drop carbs quickly you ill likely feel like crap for a few days to a week depending upon how goofed up you metabolism is. Once you transition however you should be pretty good to go.
Should we just keep posted to the blog for updates on the book and its release date?
James-
Yes, I’ll update here and at the Performance Menu site. Theoretically I’m supposed to be using Twitter to that end also but all I can come up with for twitter is “going to the bathroom. Eating. Going to the bathroom. Again.”
Robb, I had the (mis) fortune of sitting through a local RD’s “fundamentals of healthy nutrition lifestyles” class. 2 hours I’ll never get back. Straight out of the 80s (and unfortunately, the present too). 65% carbs, limit fats, choose from this great assortment of whole grain processed shit…make sure you get your fiber to prevent colon cancer and stay regular…oh yeah eat a vegetable here and there. I broke 3 pencils then just gave up jotting down all the downright fallacies.
Anyway, I had what started as a tactful exchange with her at the end till I was told “there is not discussion to be had, I’m a registered dietician, you are not.” It made me think of your “Tin Foil Hat.” One of the attendees of my recent Nutrition Seminar at CrossFit Hampton Roads made me the hat in the picture at this link(obnoxious google sites link):
http://786456855738864555-a-1802744773732722657-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/saveusafpt/Home/jeremytinhat.jpg?attredirects=0&auth=ANoY7coHcBZWWrZZJ9BxiDQCK73goszaxEOHOYVh-UdymPB3dupuiP45THs6nFqWIqMykrmv54lDW3Aae4dJFp6tiRaCoti1RN7AVDi2aza4JlxMDtrZdJnkAaaRqLK-_MnOwJW6C8BNjg36BLsee3oKDRMziLf_EG5L5Ho3b7Rlz1Pa9e2i579Qzg-mH3T1Pcnwu0AuSSlEwCCVTmb2R5bbMK-CbKN_mw%3D%3D)
You’ve got a huge melon, so it may take two rolls of foil, but I can have one made for you too. Note the finely manufactured reception antenna to make sure the voices are loud and clear. Regards
Jeremy
Jeremy-
Hook me up with a hat!! You will be my pal forever!
thanks I don’t want to be a fat ass all summer. So if You’re not into liquid after WOD….just a high protein snack?
Jen-
If you want to lean out quickly a low carb approach (less than 50g/day) + CrossFit will work miracles. You WILL NOT set any records on the LC approach, but if you just need to lean out look at it as a shift in focus. Let me know if you give it a go, and yes, shoot for solid food PWO.
Hey Robb!
Great to hear that the book is still chugging along. I’m waiting here with my credit card at the ready for when your operators are finally standing by. Keep it up man!
I just saw that the Garmin-Slipstream pro cycling team (or at least Vande Velde) has gone gluten free:
http://www.velonews.com/article/91925/christian-vande-velde-s-secret
Still on other grains, but it sounds like they’re happy with the impact on recover time and energy levels so far. For anyone in cycling, let alone pro cycling, to move away from bread and pasta is practically blasphemous. Gun for them at the Tour!
Steve!
Great find! That is going in our Constant Contact this week!!
Hi Robb,
Which whey protein blend do you recommend?
Thanks in advance.
Patrick-
Any good quality WPI is pretty good to go. At urging by Scotty Hagnass I’m going to try some glutamine for glycogen repletion.
Robb, I tried drinking exclusively norcal margueritas for the first time last weekend. I had a few too many; but, still felt great in the morning (relatively speaking). What type of lime juice do you recommend?
Thanks,
Patrick
Patrick-
Whatever they have on-hand is fine. Most of the bars in Chico have whole limes and I just ask for the juice of one lime. I think it’s a pretty telling experiment…you can still kick your heels up and have fun but the down-side is much less.
Hey Robb,
While studying Exercise and Nutritional Sciences at SDSU, one of our prof’s had a group of us dive into Ketogenic Diets.
I went on to experiment with variations of the Ketogenic Diet; including Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD), Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD) and Set Ketogenic Diet (SKD). This work by Lyle McDonald is a great reference on the subject…
http://books.google.com/books?id=JtCZBe-2XVIC&printsec=frontcover
Dr. Roman Malkov has written (re-written) a practical guide on Carb Cycling…
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781578263097
We have had some impressive results at LALANNE FITNESS, from fat loss to increased performance when following The Paleo Diet along with a Cyclic Ketogenic (low carb) Diet. Intermittent Fasting seems to enhance the approach.
Hope this info can shed light on the benefits of ketogenic diets and carb cycling.
ps… Coach Glassman shares an understanding of ketogenic diets. When digging through archives, I came across this…
http://crossfit.com/cf-archives/Archived_workouts/arc_mar/routine010303.html
Keep up the great work…
Hopefully I can get out to a CFN cert. soon!
Chris
Chris!
I LOVE the CLC/ketogenic diet approach. NOTHING comes close to this technology for reversing metabolic derangement, leaning people out and generally fostering a sense of success in people. Good on you guys for using this as the basis for your nutritional interventions.
Coach Glassman is quite familiar with the CLC approach. Many years ago we talked at length about the relative merits of the Zone vs CLC. He felt that work outputs on par with CrossFit were tough to fuel with CLC, but more strength oriented activities seemed to respond far better to the Anabolic Diet (he referenced Arizona State University…I believe the Track & Field program). I’ve noticed that partitioning the bulk of one’s carbs PWO solves many problems. It emulates the hormonal control of a CLC diet while allowing one to ramp up to the work and intensity of CrossFit.
Thanks for the great input Chris!
Thanks for the interesting link. It’s possible that a lot of the muscle injury that occurs with intense or long exercise may actually be due to catabolism of muscle protein to use for fuel and not just mechanical damage. I haven’t seen much written about this, but it has been well known for decades that amino acids get mobilized and used as fuel in endurance exercise at least, not just glucose and fat. I did find one paper that said there was less post-workout muscle soreness (from doing squats) when they supplemented with branched chain amino acids, compared with carbs. I’d love to hear more about this if you have more to say on the topic.
My husband uses a whey protein/coconut milk drink as an energy source for ultramarathon events and loves it. So it’s good during workouts too and not just after!
Cynthia-
I think you are spot on here, the BCAA’s/higher protein definitely offer a performance boost. Ask your hubby if he does not mind sharing his recipe on the shake.
Robb, I get twisted in my head on the whole Fat thing. I want to be lean and yet not become a total weak shit. So moderation is my goal on lean and strong. I know I need fat in my diet and I get it via bacon, Almond butter and other good stuff.
B-fast
Two eggs/3 strips of Bacon/ coffee with cream.
Lunch 1/4 pound roast beef with a side of cold slaw with some Russian Dressing.
Dinner, Beer..it had to happen. Grilled Tuna/spinach. Dark Chocolate dipped in Almond butter.
This is a very typical day for me. Not beer everyday and it was just one.
jen- that looks pretty solid to me. Good call on the Dark Chocolate + Almond butter! Yowza!
How are you looking/feeling/performing on this?
Ok, here’s his recipe: one 13oz can coconut milk, 1/2 C whey protein (34% protein, unsweetened), optional flavorings (1 tsp vanilla or almond extract, and/or 1-2 tbsp cocoa, 1-2 tbsp sweetener (Splenda, but you could use real carbs too such as dextrose or sugar), and water to dilute to ~44oz. The nutrition for the total volume is estimated as 820 cal, 82 g fat, 57 g saturated fat, 16 g carb with 11 g sugar (using only Splenda), 20 g protein. Of course, the proportions and flavorings can be adjusted to suit your needs and taste. This works well for him for a 50K run.
Hey Rob,
How did the idea of a “Beta” version of the book turn out? I am sure a lot of folks would be happy to pay up the $30 or so up front to get the Beta chapters and then a printed version once it’s finished. We’ll give you some feedback on whether it’s too science-y as well. 😉
Cheers,
Lukas
Lukas-
It’s just going to be a standard book…I’m working like crazy to just get it done.
I seem to be one of the few who do NOT lean out on low-carb / high fat diets. I tried zoning, then increasing fat blocks on zone, then a Keto cyclical stint. And for each of these, I gave it a solid 4-6wks. On all 3, my energy was terrible. My brain function was almost moronic. And in the end, I was gaining fat if anything. I have a nutrition background, so I am very specific with tracking calories / splits / blocks or whatever I need to.
I’m 5’4″, 128lbs, 17%BF. Trying to get to about 13-14%BF…While not suffering any performance output at CF.
If I go below 1600 calories, no matter what the Macro splits, my body seems to start storing fat like there’s no tomorrow. I can’t imagine ever trying a 12-block Zone diet again.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Am I just someone who has to do 60% Carbs every day to function?
I do have a history of Figure competing in which I had to drop calories down to 1400 for an extended period and cut out everything but Protein for 2 weeks. It kind of messed up my system for a few years. But I did get down to 10% bodyfat doing this. ** I wasnt eating ANY fat…In fact for 2 yrs my fat intake was probably less than 8% of total. (very bad, I realize now)
help?
Kari-
It could be a number of things…you may just be wired up to run on more carbs, you may have a little thyroid issue…zinc deficiency can play into this, fish oil deficiency. It’s tough to tell given the amount of information here but those are some areas you could investigate. How mucha re you training? How much sleep?
Rob –
Nice call on the shake – that is tasty!!
Thanks Robb — cause I seem stuck…
I do Crossfit 4-5X a week. Just recently forced myself to cut down to only 4X when possible. I’d like to do it 7 days a week…haha
I also play soccer 1X per week and sometimes a 30min morning run 2X a week (like to start the day w/ some peace and quiet in the fresh air.)
I sleep 9hrs a night. Sometimes also take a 30min nap.
I’m 39yrs old and find I just don’t recover like I used to.
I do take ZMA at night (2pills) as well as 6g of fish oil a day. Carlsons brand.
Just had my thyroid tested and it was something like 1.35 in the ‘normal range’ of 0-4.5. I don’t know which test it was. Something to do w/ T3/T4 reactive.
I did try the Anabolic (5days no Carb / 2day load) for like 6-8wks, and I might as well have been comatose. My brain had 0 function. And my energy was terrible. Even tried 13-14 days Keto to see if I needed longer to kick in w/ the fat burning.
thx again for any suggestions! 🙂
kari-
Up that ZMA a bit (3-4 caps/night for a few weeks, then back to 2) you might also consider adding a 150mcg of iodine/day. I’ve seen a surprising number of women who seemed to have normal thyroid REALLY benefit from the boost in iodine. Keep me posted!
I’m all over it. I’ll let you know in a few weeks!
In the meantime, I’m going w/ the following for nutrition:
1600-1700cal/ day
Approx macro splits: 40%C / 35%P / 25%F
Gluten free / Dairy free / Sugar free
Every 4th day increasing Cals by about 200-300 to keep metabolism from crashing.
I’m doing a Crossfit Strength-biased cycle starting today as well. Training Mon/Tues, Thurs/Frid.
Kari – your situation sounds similar to mine in the storing fat/brain fog area. I’m 29 years-old, 5’4″, 115 lbs, about 19% body fat (which, of course am trying to decrease), and pretty active – training 6 days/week with kettlebells and sandbags. I’ve only been following the reduced carb blocks/increased fat blocks for about 5 days now, but feel DUMB! Right now I’m averaging 1600 cals/day (no dairy or grains) and am feeling like I might be getting mushier. I’m afraid to increase my fat blocks any more…can anyone offer any guidance?
Also, when counting carb blocks how much do you consider the carbs in nuts/nut butters? I often include them for my fat blocks (in lieu of oils) but am not considering the carbs they contain.
Thanks for any offered info!
Jessica-
Yep, you count those fat blocks. Read the post I did recently on the Zone and athletic performance. You may not feel spectacular for up to 3 weeks as your body adjusts to the lower carb intake. This is largely dependent on what your carb intake was like previously.
Kari & Jessica
I had a similar uncomfortable experience the first time I tried really lowering the carbs and going paleo. Months later I’m finally brave enough to give it another go. This time it is a ton more fish oil (30 of the costco variety) and the carbs aren’t coming from calorically-dense nut butter this time…Maybe that also makes a difference for you. I’m still tweaking all of this.
It really has taken a lot of fish oil for me to actually notice something from it…