15 May 2012

fat cycling diet

A question:
Ketogenic Diets work well for me.
High Fat/Low Carb. Like Atkins.

But even Atkins said that his diet is not an excuse
to gorge ourselves on all the fat we can shove into our mouths.

Like Miss Becky said:  We are not LumberJacks. (link)
We (probably) don't need to eat half a pound of bacon,
Half a case of eggs, half a block of cheese for breakfast every day -
Just because we can. 
And then rinse and repeat for lunch, dinner, and snacks.
All the while waving the LoCarb banner -
And asking ourselves why it isn't working like it once did.

People say we are "Keto-Adapted."
Well, I say that our SAD diet is "Carb-Adapted!"
And not very well! Fats are much better for us than carbs.
Ironic, isn't it?

We can - and do - burn dietary fat for fuel.
But the weight loss comes when we burn stored fat.
We can store fat even if we eat too much fat -
Yes - even on a high fat diet. Obviously.
Burning stored fat is, of course, the goal of any weight loss diet!

But, going low-carb/ low fat, we start to get all sick.
We need fat in our diet; we don't need carbs.
So the elegant answer might be to not go all crazy - 
But just to cut back. A wee little bit.

I ask myself this: "What Would A Regular Person Do?"
Probably not eat globs of butter all day.
Even if it is really good butter.
Would a Regular Person drink quarts of Heavy Whipping Cream?
Whilst standing in front of the fridge? I think not!
High Fat Diets are so filling, we shouldn't need to.
Aye - there's the rub!

So I had an idea. What if there was a plan to
eat less fatty beef (high fat and proud of it)
and meat more chicken and fish (lower fat - with no added butter)?
The protein intake would stay about the same from day to day.
And the extra calories could come from non-starchy veggies.
Like Salads, Green Beans, and Summer Veggies.

It is probably also a very good idea to eat meats of different kinds.
Like Fish, and Chicken, and Pork. And Organ Meats. Bone Broths.
I am not a wild fan of Pork (except for Bacon) so I'll leave that one off.
But a couple of days a week, eat something other than Muscle Meats.

And then my Fellow Cruiser Susan and I came up with a Plan.
We actually had the same idea at the same time.
What if a person "cycled" off of High Fat Meat a few days a week?
And on those days cut the fat way back.
To see if the body would then burn the stored fat.
We are already in Ketosis. 
And in the absence of Carbs, the fat burning would come from 
Stored Fat - not Dietary Fat.


The Low(er) Fat Chicken and Salad Day
75 grams of fat is still not considered Low Fat.
12 grams of Carbs is still under Induction Levels,
So it won't disrupt the so-called Apple Cart.

The Low(er) Fat Fish and Salad Day
The Lower Fat days include a protein shake (no fat)
For one meal. And two cooked meals.
The Regular Fat Beef Day Weighs in at nearly 150 grams of fat.
With Bacon, Eggs, Butter, and Cream.
But No Salad or Protein Drinks on these days.
The goal is to keep Protein moderate.... not high.
So the excess won't convert to glucose - 
And get stored as fat.

Chicken and Salad Day
The Coconut Oil (MCT oil) stays to ensure Ketosis.
It also makes a good salad dressing base.

Tuna and Shrimp are really Low Fat.
65 grams of Dietary Fat a day here.

Beef and Full Fat - Zero Carb
About 150 - 175 grams of fat a day.
That is the zone I thrive in, by the way!

It's really just a sane diet.... I am tired of all things insane.
With variety. A healthy way to eat - mindfully.
I'm already tweaking the numbers - 
This is just a starting point. For example:
25 grams of Protein is a good amount for a meal.
NOT 75 per meal.... and 5 meals - NOT!
But it would still be ok to go up in the protein department.
This plan is moderate protein. Maybe pretty low.
It's ok to go up to 1 g/kg of lean body mass... as they say.
We'll just see! Come on! YAYAYAYAY!

9 comments:

  1. Interesting concept . . . Might not work for everybody, but if it works for you, go for it!

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  2. If you could have more variety, less fat, remain in ketosis, and perhaps lose a little weight, I think you're on to something.

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  3. I think you have a great plan! I definitely like changing things to stay on top of things and I know you do too :)

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  4. Yep. That would be the hardest part for me, on an all beef diet. I LIKE fish and chicken!! I really, really enjoy eating them. Green Veggies, too!!

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  5. I will be keeping track of your progress. I aim for high fat, moderate protein, and low carb...it is working for me now and I like it!

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  6. Appreciation for great content. I’m certainly glad I had taken the time to learn this.

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  7. this does work I do something simular for my contest prep....starting on 2 low 1 high first week then adding a low day every week so after say five weeks I'm doing 5 low to 1 high..

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