I’ve got to start this article by saying that I am not a nutrition expert nor am I trying to sell you something (unless you’re interested in a 1982 Fiat 126). What you are about to read is an account of a diet I am currently following called LCHF. (Low Carbohydrate, Hight Fat) You may have heard of it by another name such as the Paleo diet. I’m not trying to endorse anything, this is a story of my struggle to shake the Carbs and my subsequent adventures.
If there any any vegans or vegetarians in the room please tell them to leave now. LCHF allows you to eat meat in larger quantities so as you can imagine it always ends up infuriating our carrot munching friends.
I was introduced to LCHF by my new running coach who is a staunch advocate for all things non-Carbo. I’ve been a regular runner for about 5 years now, competing in many marathons and trail races. Some people choose to stick to running 42km/26miles others want to take it to the limit and see how far they can go, I belong to the latter category. It’s been my goal to get to a level in my training where I can be in a position to run in the Spartathlon (www.spartathlon.gr – Athens to Sparta in 36 hours or less, 246km) without losing a leg, vital oran or my ability to communicate with my immediate environment. First stage is to forget everything you know about running. In my case very easy to do; I just got rid of a few words scribbled on a beermat. The next phase is to have all the usual blood tests and go through a performance test, you know the one on the treadmill with the mask monitoring your oxygen intake and other vital stats.
Going into the test I was feeling strong as an ox and quicker than a gazelle, actually I thought I’d done extremely well. The results told a different story. I wasn’t expecting to have my performance compared to that of a Kenyan marathon runner nor was I expecting it to be likened to an Asthmatic raccoon on crutches,wearing a heavy backpack! Another problem was the way I was burning energy, totally inefficiently meaning In my current state I wouldn’t even get as far as the first 100km. LCHF come into and take a bow.
What is LCHF and how does it work? Here is the theory behind it:
All digestible carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars in the intestines. The sugar is then absorbed into the blood, raising the blood glucose levels. This increases the production of the hormone insulin, our fat storing hormone.
Insulin is produced in the pancreas. In large amounts insulin prevents fat burning and stores surplus nutrients in the fat cells. After some time (a few hours or less) this may result in a shortage of nutrients in the blood, creating feelings of hunger and cravings for something sweet. Usually at that point people eat again. This starts the process again: A vicious cycle leading to weight gain.
On the other hand, a low intake of carbs gives you a lower, more stable blood glucose, and lower amounts of insulin. This increases the release of fat from your fat stores and increases the fat burning. This usually leads to fat loss, especially around the belly in abdominally obese individuals.
What to avoid: Sugar and starchy foods (like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes).
Sugar: The worst. Soft drinks, candy, juice, sports drinks, chocolate, cakes, buns, pastries, ice cream, breakfast cereals. Preferably avoid sweeteners as well.
Starch: Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, French fries, potato chips, porridge, muesli and so on. “Wholegrain products” are just less bad. Moderate amounts of root vegetables may be OK (unless you’re eating extremely low carb).
Margarine: Industrially imitated butter with unnaturally high content of omega-6 fat. Has no health benefits, tastes bad. Statistically linked to asthma, allergies and other inflammatory diseases.
Beer: Liquid bread. Full of rapidly absorbed carbs, unfortunately.
Fruit: Very sweet, lots of sugar. Eat once in a while. Treat fruit as a natural form of candy.
What to Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables growing above ground and natural fats (like butter).
What are the side effects?
For the first 15-20 days your body needs to adapt to the new eating regime so please expect the following: Stamping tantrums, the urge to torture people, dark moods. Headaches, fatigue, a little dizziness and heart palpitations are also very common in the first few weeks. Do not despair the side effects will subside as your body adapts and the fat burning process increases.
My progress and my thoughts.
I have to confess that my metabolism does not resemble retro-burners on the space shuttle. Even though I run 6-7 times a week I still have to watch what I eat. I’m not overweight but in the past I’ve had that irritating spare bicycle tire around my midsection, the one that makes you look silly when you wear stretch clothing. Depending on my dietary habits the tire would expand or contract. The most frustrating thing was that it seemed impossible to get rid of. After two months on LCHF I’m proud to report that the weight loss has been impressive. In the beginning there was a real craving for chocolate cake and fitness bars but that subsided after 20 days. I am feeling energetic and I’ve noticed an increase in stamina when on my long runs. Overall I’ve been very impressed with the experience and have decided to continue with LCHF.
The Minoan Runner 