Carb up

(Karen) #1

I understand the principal, I think. I’ve read a bit and watched videos, but does anyone here carb up?? How much?? How often?? Does it help??

(Tim W) #2

Many folks will enter a carb addiction “roller coaster” after consuming carbs (I know I do).

If I consume more than 100 grams or so, I start a 2-4 day roller coaster of carb craving, with a sugar craving that would kill a horse.

I find that the longer I go without a significant amount of carbs, the less I want them and the better I feel.

Just for reference, I lift weights 3 times a week and run 30-50 miles a week, so you don’t HAVE to have carbs for exercise either…

Good luck!

Tim

(Karen) #3

Thank Tim. I can’t have one bite either, but some claim it resets your system somehow

(jilliangordona) #4

Leann Vogul is a great resource for this. https://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2016/09/keto-carb-ups-cyclical-ketosis/

It really is something that depends on the person. I occasionally carb up with higher carb veggies, never anything like pasta. It helps me with my mood sometimes as well as with insomnia and breaking plateaus. Doesn’t work for everyone though.

(Tim W) #5

I’m read the same in various places (Tim Ferris promotes cheats day etc…) but I think it could be a slippery slope that some with surely use to “sugar up” VS carb up…

Personal experimentation is certainly the key. If you do decide to use it as a protocol, I’d suggest “healthy carbs” like sweet potatoes etc. Be very careful of the simple sugars etc.

#6

Yep, runner here and former believer in carb loading. I run without carbs all the time now.

(Ken) #7

It’s very subjective. Not only the what and when, but also the why? In the context of a heavy training athlete who’s using CKD or TKD, it’s a very structured process usually including periodic complete glycogen recompensation. This is designed to prevent metabolic slowdowns, and includes caloric restriction when not in recompensation. For those not fitting this description, both the reasoning and the methodology are different.

So, the question becomes are they necessary? Again subjective. For someone going through the hormonal adaptive process of switching from carbs to fat, they probably are not. Once lipogenic adaptations have been reduced/eliminated, they certainly become an option. Once a degree of lipolytic adaptation occurs, it’s very difficult for your body to readapt to storing fat, without the resumption of a Carb based, insulin secreting, nutritional pattern. At most, the occasional Carb intake will cause a little glycogen recompensation, manifesting itself as weight gain, but only in the form of water which is quickly depleted with the resumption of the lipolytic, fat based pattern.

IMO, there are benefits, not only metabolic, but psychological as well. I always give people the option of limited Carb intake after the first two weeks of sustained lipolysis/ketosis. It’s initially limited, in the form of a meal or so, once a week of a favorite someone has missed. I stress that this is an option, not a requirement. In many cases, myself included, initial lipolytic success very much reinforces the lipolytic pattern, with people so happy that they are actually losing fat wanting to become even stricter. IMO this is when potential problems can develop, such as reducing fat or severely restricting calories in hopes of accelerating the fat loss process. These can potentially cause metabolic effects that can slow the fat loss process. A one pound fat loss per week is both reasonable and healthy. In the obese, it also allows the skin to tighten up naturally, take it from me, it happens.

So, the real question becomes, “Can you cheat?”. Sure, and on a limited basis, it’s metabolically beneficial. The more so as you go on and eventually restore a balanced insulin-glucagon secretion pattern. Do you have to? Not necessarily, especially if no evidence of metabolic slowdown/starvation response occurs. The main effect being that it will temporarily halt fat loss. Once in maintenance, you can be very flexible, understanding that your Carb intake in types, amounts, and frequencies has to be such that it doesn’t lead to chronic overcompensation of glycogen, which triggers the lipogenic resistance reactions that cause fat regain.

(SleepyMotherOf3 🇬🇧) #8

Once a week I eat whatever chocolate and sweets I want, followed by ice cream and some cake. Next day straight back in to IF and LCHF and I stay strict for the rest of week. Doing this lost ave. 1lb per week year one, 0.6lb per week year two.
Yes, I could loose faster but I want my skin to tighten with the weight loss and knowing I can eat treats once a week keeps me on it. I am happy doing it this way but can understand how for some one treat would be difficult to recover from.

(Jacob Wagner) #9

I can see some value (if you can handle it) in carefully bringing up glycogen stores before endurance athletics. However, its probably not a good idea of you are insulin resistant (as I am).

–Jacob

(Tim W) #10

Great write-up and response! Thanks!

(Karen) #11

OK, I had actually watch some of the healthful pursuit videos, but a also read that if you are increasing carbs at a meal or for that day, that you need to decrease fat that day. Correct??