BURN Fitness 101: Going Low Carb? Here’s How WE Do It!
One excellent way of dropping extra body fat is to cut carbs. But like most “diets” people attempt, most people who “cut carbs” are doing it wrong. They may see some initial progress, but then either drop off the low-carb program quickly, or flounder with no better results eating low-carb than they did with other options.
For the first time EVER, I’m eating a very low carb program, and it’s working nicely. I’m NOT starved for blood sugar, and I’m not “hangry” (the temperamental feeling you get from low blood sugar)! Let me give you some insight into what I’ve been doing, dropping into the mid-single-digit body fat levels in my mid-forties!
First… Are you cutting calories, or just cutting carbs?
At BURN, we are advocates of NOT cutting huge amounts of calories out of your diet. Many of our clients are actually eating MORE calories with us than they were before they came to BURN, and of course getting better results. We believe in both TRAINING your fat off, and INCREASING your metabolism, as opposed to STARVING your fat off, and crushing your metabolism in the process. Personally, I am in a SMALL calorie deficit (for me), but I’m also training 6 days per week, about 35-45 minutes per day in the gym, and walking the dogs 2-3 times per day. Walking the dogs is NOT a strenuous activity anywhere near treadmill work. They need to stop and sniff stuff every 15 feet! Of course I also work MANY hours per day on my feet… so I burn more calories at “work” than most.
There are thousands of studies and articles out there for you to read by people with MUCH more knowledge than myself about the science of low-carb than I have, so I will leave the SCIENCE to them. In this article, I will just discuss MY experiences, and give you some tips on what I’m doing that works!
I’m STILL eating 3000-3100 kcal per day, low carb. Your calorie needs will be different based on your weight, current body composition, and activity level. Come see us if you don’t know what those levels are! Make sure when you start cutting carbs that you INCREASE your calories from protein and fat! If you just remove the carbs from your normal diet, you’ll be cutting WAY too many calories out. Low-carb dieting does NOT work through starvation. It works through changing the way your body gets its energy, which for many results in freeing up more body-fat for fuel. To keep your metabolism high, you MUST increase your fat intake, and for many, also increase protein.
My carb intake is currently sitting at 20% of my total calories. For ME that is 150g of carbs (600kcal per day). My fat intake (40% of my calories) is a whopping 133g of fat per day (1200kcal), and my protein intake is also 40% (300g per day, and also 1200kcal). At this intake, I’m dropping about 1.5 lb of body-fat per week, with minimal muscle loss. My body fat has dropped from my normally low 10%, into the 7% range. This week, I’m dropping it further… Closer to 15% carbs. Like every other diet, making gradual changes is more effective than a fast change. Give yourself about a week for each drop in 10% of carbs.
What am I eating?
Lots of whole eggs, lots of chicken, lots of steak and ground beef (and turkey), tuna and mahi-mahi (the only fish I can eat due to allergies), and protein shakes (and bars). These provide the bulk of my protein and some fat. I prefer to eat real foods, as opposed to shakes and bars, but my career and meal timing requires me to eat multiple meals WHILE working.
For dietary fat, I’m eating egg yolks, coconut oil, avocado, BACON, SAUSAGE, and other wonderful atypical “diet foods”.
I DO EAT CARBS! I have just substituted specific carbs for my normal starchy carbs. My goal for carbs is sugar-free, high BULK, high water content carbs that fill me up, but add very little calories. Great options include LOTS of squash! Yellow squash, zucchini, spaghetti squash, are great bulk for meals with minimal carbs. Mushrooms, cucumber and other similar veggies fill you up, without adding carbs. I eat a lot of meals from a single bowl.
Last night’s dinner was 6 oz of grilled chicken breast chopped small and stirred in with stir-fried yellow squash, zucchini, and fresh basil in coconut oil, tossed with sliced olives, and crumbled feta… drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. It was amazing! It was filling, loaded with flavor, and nailed my macros perfectly. My snacks are either Atkins bars (or other brands with similar macros), or protein shakes. My typical protein shake is 50g of whey protein with frozen blueberries and coconut oil. Again… a macro-perfect “meal”… with high-bulk, low-carb carbohydrates (that happen to carry a ton of anti-oxidants). My calorie content of my breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals are similar to my snack-meals.
Low carb eating, DONE RIGHT, is a highly effective alternative to low-fat eating for burning off body-fat. For many people, it works MUCH better. You have to stick with it for a while to maximize it benefits, making the shift in your system to a fat-burning mode… but once your body switches in a few days… the fat drops off. BUT… remember… keep the calories UP! Keep your metabolism cranking, train hard frequently, and stay DEAD on your macros using a phone-based app. “Eye-balling” your nutrition simply DOES NOT work.
And of course…
If you need guidance and accountability in your nutrition… come see us at BURN!
If you need guidance and accountability in your training… come see us at BURN!
We will get you dialed in with the right calories, macros, and foods. We will get your training intensity UP, yet completely safe and effective.
Studio Training, Online Coaching… we do it all.
One excellent way of dropping extra body fat is to cut carbs. But like most “diets” people attempt, most people who “cut carbs” are doing it wrong. They may see some initial progress, but then either drop off the low-carb program quickly, or flounder with no better results eating low-carb than they did with other options.
For the first time EVER, I’m eating a very low carb program, and it’s working nicely. I’m NOT starved for blood sugar, and I’m not “hangry” (the temperamental feeling you get from low blood sugar)! Let me give you some insight into what I’ve been doing, dropping into the mid-single-digit body fat levels in my mid-forties!
First… Are you cutting calories, or just cutting carbs?
At BURN, we are advocates of NOT cutting huge amounts of calories out of your diet. Many of our clients are actually eating MORE calories with us than they were before they came to BURN, and of course getting better results. We believe in both TRAINING your fat off, and INCREASING your metabolism, as opposed to STARVING your fat off, and crushing your metabolism in the process. Personally, I am in a SMALL calorie deficit (for me), but I’m also training 6 days per week, about 35-45 minutes per day in the gym, and walking the dogs 2-3 times per day. Walking the dogs is NOT a strenuous activity anywhere near treadmill work. They need to stop and sniff stuff every 15 feet! Of course I also work MANY hours per day on my feet… so I burn more calories at “work” than most.
There are thousands of studies and articles out there for you to read by people with MUCH more knowledge than myself about the science of low-carb than I have, so I will leave the SCIENCE to them. In this article, I will just discuss MY experiences, and give you some tips on what I’m doing that works!
I’m STILL eating 3000-3100 kcal per day, low carb. Your calorie needs will be different based on your weight, current body composition, and activity level. Come see us if you don’t know what those levels are! Make sure when you start cutting carbs that you INCREASE your calories from protein and fat! If you just remove the carbs from your normal diet, you’ll be cutting WAY too many calories out. Low-carb dieting does NOT work through starvation. It works through changing the way your body gets its energy, which for many results in freeing up more body-fat for fuel. To keep your metabolism high, you MUST increase your fat intake, and for many, also increase protein.
My carb intake is currently sitting at 20% of my total calories. For ME that is 150g of carbs (600kcal per day). My fat intake (40% of my calories) is a whopping 133g of fat per day (1200kcal), and my protein intake is also 40% (300g per day, and also 1200kcal). At this intake, I’m dropping about 1.5 lb of body-fat per week, with minimal muscle loss. My body fat has dropped from my normally low 10%, into the 7% range. This week, I’m dropping it further… Closer to 15% carbs. Like every other diet, making gradual changes is more effective than a fast change. Give yourself about a week for each drop in 10% of carbs.
What am I eating?
Lots of whole eggs, lots of chicken, lots of steak and ground beef (and turkey), tuna and mahi-mahi (the only fish I can eat due to allergies), and protein shakes (and bars). These provide the bulk of my protein and some fat. I prefer to eat real foods, as opposed to shakes and bars, but my career and meal timing requires me to eat multiple meals WHILE working.
For dietary fat, I’m eating egg yolks, coconut oil, avocado, BACON, SAUSAGE, and other wonderful atypical “diet foods”.
I DO EAT CARBS! I have just substituted specific carbs for my normal starchy carbs. My goal for carbs is sugar-free, high BULK, high water content carbs that fill me up, but add very little calories. Great options include LOTS of squash! Yellow squash, zucchini, spaghetti squash, are great bulk for meals with minimal carbs. Mushrooms, cucumber and other similar veggies fill you up, without adding carbs. I eat a lot of meals from a single bowl.
Last night’s dinner was 6 oz of grilled chicken breast chopped small and stirred in with stir-fried yellow squash, zucchini, and fresh basil in coconut oil, tossed with sliced olives, and crumbled feta… drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. It was amazing! It was filling, loaded with flavor, and nailed my macros perfectly. My snacks are either Atkins bars (or other brands with similar macros), or protein shakes. My typical protein shake is 50g of whey protein with frozen blueberries and coconut oil. Again… a macro-perfect “meal”… with high-bulk, low-carb carbohydrates (that happen to carry a ton of anti-oxidants). My calorie content of my breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals are similar to my snack-meals.
Low carb eating, DONE RIGHT, is a highly effective alternative to low-fat eating for burning off body-fat. For many people, it works MUCH better. You have to stick with it for a while to maximize it benefits, making the shift in your system to a fat-burning mode… but once your body switches in a few days… the fat drops off. BUT… remember… keep the calories UP! Keep your metabolism cranking, train hard frequently, and stay DEAD on your macros using a phone-based app. “Eye-balling” your nutrition simply DOES NOT work.
And of course…
If you need guidance and accountability in your nutrition… come see us at BURN!
If you need guidance and accountability in your training… come see us at BURN!
We will get you dialed in with the right calories, macros, and foods. We will get your training intensity UP, yet completely safe and effective.
Studio Training, Online Coaching… we do it all.