Answers to Everyday Questions : I’m doing a low-carb eating plan, will this cause me to have to start over?

I’m doing a low-carb eating plan, will this cause me to have to start over?

One Response to “I’m doing a low-carb eating plan, will this cause me to have to start over?”

1. cyn_texas said :
   December 1st, 2010 at 5:37 am

   You filled up your glycogen stores & now will have to wait for them to deplete again, but just keep on keeping on. You slowed your weight loss by 3 days but it’s not a major disaster. Luckily for you that you had all those empty glycogen stores, I doubt if any of that cake went to fat storage.

   There is no reason to ever go off a low carb way of eating, you slowly re introduce carbs to your way of eating and as long as you don’t exceed 9grams of carbs an hour (144 carbs a day) you will never trigger insulin (the fat storage hormone) no matter the calories. Most of us do low carb most of the time and occasionally cheat and slip back into low carb the next day. If you gain weight, drop your carbs a few grams til you slide back into loss mode. Who wants to spend their life on semi deprivation? The longer you don’t do carbs, they really kind of lose their appeal. (Tastes like wet dough) I still cheat with sugar occasionally. It’s just not a regular part of my life (as it was preAtkins, nearly 6 years ago, when I felt it controlled me & I had no control)

   You can also cheat easier than someone in glycolysis. IF you trigger insulin, all those carbs that would go to fat cells on someone in glycolysis instead fill up the empty glycogen stores & go to muscles for burning instead of fat cells. Which would slow weight loss but if you’re in maintenance, weight loss is not a concern. (neat little bonus package) Some folks with massive amounts of weight to lose, do weight loss, maintenance & back to weight loss mode – gives them a cheat period without blowing anything.

   The rungs to reintroduction of carbs in 5 gram units – all available to very active people in as little as 11 weeks. Make sure you do them in order & you can skip a rung if you do not intend to include it in your permanent way of eating, such as the alcohol rung.:
   * (minimum week 3 – maximum 25grams day) Acceptable vegetables, larger quantities
   * (minimum week 4 – maximum 30grams day) Add 5grams Fresh cheese
   * (minimum week 5 – maximum 35grams day) Add 5grams Nuts and seeds
   * (minimum week 6 – maximum 40grams day) Add 5grams Berries
   * (minimum week 7 – maximum 45grams day) Alcohol can be added if desired
   * (minimum week 8 – maximum 50grams day) Add 5grams Legumes
   * (minimum week 9 – maximum 55grams day) Add 5grams Other fruits
   * (minimum week10 – maximum 60grams day) Add 5grams Starchy vegetables
   * (minimum week11 – maximum 65grams day) Add 5grams Whole grains
   If you are continuing to lose or maintain (whichever is goal) in week 12 and beyond, you continue to add 5grams a day per week til you reach your personal carb level.

   Many people gain weight on high carb, then switch to low carb to lose weight & then are shocked when they return to high carb that they gain weight. (Isn’t insanity defined as doing the exact same thing, in the exact same way and expecting different results??) Many people can return to moderate carb levels but very few can really eat all they want of sugar and maintain weight or health.

   You will lose more body fat eating protein and fat (don’t eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast eat all you want but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter and half an avocado a day (you’ll need added potassium). Keep the calories high and the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Adding in green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace.

   Your body won’t release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow your metabolism to compensate and store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering your calories, it will continue lowering that set point, til you can survive off nothing and store fat on anything. The body will only release it’s fat stores if it knows there is plenty of food.

   Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) and exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat.

   The core of the Atkins program is converting your body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). You need to keep your fat levels at >65% of your calories, if you don’t your body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis).

   Simple carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice) triggers insulin which can store the calories you eat into fat. The more protein you eat the more the fat burning hormone glucagon is released. The more carbohydrate you eat the more the fat storage hormone insulin is released.

   High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger and unbalance other hormones. Controlling your insulin level will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so you will gain lean muscle even without exercise. Any exercise will greatly increase your muscle mass with high HGH levels.