If I asked you whether you thought you had more energy available on a carbohydrate diet versus a no-carbohydrate diet, what would your first thoughts be? Most people will say that you probably have more energy on a carb diet because carbs=energy, but there is a lot of research that indicates the opposite.
I'm watching a really great lecture by Jeff Volek, titled "The Many Facets of Keto-Adaptation: Health, Performance, and Beyond". It's embedded at the end of this post if you're interested.
Early in the lecture he talks about the fuel storage that we have in our bodies. There are 2 types of "tanks" that he describes: A Carb Tank and A Fat Tank.
These "tanks" refer to our storage capacities for fuel. Carbs are mainly stored in skeletal muscle as well as the liver. We are able to store roughly 2,000 calories in our "carb tank" while we are able to store more than 10x that amount in our "fat tank" (see slide 1 below).
Have you ever wondered why our bodies store fat? We actually store fat from excess calories so that in the scenario where we are starved and without food, we can have access to energy for a prolonged period of time. This means that our bodies are extremely efficient when it comes to storing away extra calories for later.
The problem with a carbohydrate-rich diet is that most people eat more carbohydrates than their body can burn in a given day and the "storage tank" for carbohydrates is very small (about 2000 calories). If you eat more calories than you burn, then your body will store those additional calories as fat and thus, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you consume, then your body will "feed" on some of those fat stores and you will lose weight.
Another great point that is made is the insulin spike that occurs when you eat carbs. After eating a carb-loaded meal, your body has to burn those carbs before it can begin to access the stored fat for fuel. This is one of the major reasons why a proper ketogenic diet can lead to faster weight loss than a regular carbohydrate-filled diet.
When in Ketosis, your body will continually be in a state of optimal fat burning for fuel. But please note that a caloric deficit is still needed in order to lose weight - I feel like a lot of people skip this part because they think that a Keto diet is some sort of "magic pill" that means they can eat however much they want, as long as it's not carbs. This is not true. If you eat a caloric surplus (even while remaining in a ketogenic, fat-burning state) you will still continue to gain weight. Your body cannot access your fat stores if you're constantly consuming more than it can burn. It's that simple.
It's for this reason that I keep meticulous notes on what I eat throughout the day so that I can stay in a caloric deficit. I also tend to eat the same (or roughly the same) thing every day. It makes tracking a lot simpler when each day is almost identical!
Day 14 Log:
Weigh-In:
| Start Weight (lbs) | Goal Weight (lbs) | Weight Lost (lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| 198 | 173 | 7 |
| Today's Weight (lbs) | Fat Mass (%) | Body Mass BMI |
|---|---|---|
| 191 | 23.4 | 23.6 |
Workout:
Push (Chest/Tri/Shoulder) Day:
| Movement | Weight lbs | # Reps | # Sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Bench | 185 | 6-8 | 4 |
| Incline DB Bench | 75's | 8-10 | 4 |
| Lateral DB Raises | 30's | 12-15 | 4 |
| Anterior Delt Raise | 70 | 12-15 | 4 |
| Seated Arnold Press | 40's | 12-15 | 4 |
| Cable Rope Press Down | 50 | 12-15 | 4 |
| Cable Rope OHP | 25 | 12-15 | 4 |
| Cardio | 10 Minutes - Stair Master |
What I Ate Today:
| Meal | Food |
|---|---|
| 0 | Bulletproof Coffee (2 TBSP Half & Half, 2 TBSP MCT Oil) |
| 1 | 4 Eggs, 2 Slices of Cheddar Cheese, 4 oz deli corned beef |
| 2 | 8 Oz Steak Sauteed in Garlic and 1 TBSP Avocado Oil, Broccoli topped with butter |
| 3 | 8 Oz Ground Turkey and Stir Fry Vegetables with 1 TBSP Olive Oil |
| 4 | 1 PowerCrunch Protein Bar, 1 Avocado, 1 serving nuts |
Here's the Question of The Day, don't forget to post your answers in the comments!
QOTD: Do you track what you consume and what you burn each day in terms of calories? If so, what tracking method do you deploy? Do you use a tracking app or do it more "intuitively"?
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave your thoughts below and I look forward to seeing you in the comments!
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