# Low carb diet and mountain biking



## berettadave (Apr 24, 2012)

I just bought a tallboy LT to help me start getting in shape. I'm on a low carb diet(not to the extreme though) and so far I'm doing well. I've lost 40lbs so far but have a long way to go. I feel though that sometimes I run a little low on energy after riding a while. I try to ride at least a couple of miles every day or every other day. In addition, at least once a week I put in around 10-12 miles riding some easier trails. What would be a good "fuel" to help fight this. I even wonder if it wouldn't hurt to load up on carbs when I know I'm going to ride? I just don't want to do anything that would affect my progress on my diet. I'm sure as I lose more weight this won't be as big a deal but for now, I need to find something that might help.

Thanks
Berettadave


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## Eazy_E (Sep 30, 2011)

If you don't want to eat more grams of carbohydrates, you've got to tailor your intensity level to your intake. You can run on fat almost indefinitely, but once you cross the threshold, fat oxidation doesn't work. This happens at about 55-75% of your max heart rate. As long as you stay under that, you should be good, but if you have to attack some hills or something, you're gonna get gassed pretty quick. At least that's how it seems to happen with me.

I'd say stick to sources of carbohydrates that are high in nutrients and fibrous. Yams and squash are good, along with fruits. Mark's Daily Apple has a lot of good info about this.

Essentially though, you're going to be trying to do two things at once, and neither will be optimal.


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

You can increase your carb intake a little bit before the ride, but don't eat more calories than you plan to burn off.


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

berettadave said:


> I just bought a tallboy LT to help me start getting in shape. I'm on a low carb diet(not to the extreme though) and so far I'm doing well. I've lost 40lbs so far but have a long way to go. I feel though that sometimes I run a little low on energy after riding a while. I try to ride at least a couple of miles every day or every other day. In addition, at least once a week I put in around 10-12 miles riding some easier trails. What would be a good "fuel" to help fight this. I even wonder if it wouldn't hurt to load up on carbs when I know I'm going to ride? I just don't want to do anything that would affect my progress on my diet. I'm sure as I lose more weight this won't be as big a deal but for now, I need to find something that might help.
> 
> Thanks
> Berettadave


I don't want to assume too much, but we need more information.

Describe "feeling like you run a little low on energy after riding a while". Is it after 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, 2 hours, etc....? What kind of effort (your pedal effort) are you exerting when you feel like you are running low on energy? Are you mashing a big gear, or spinning in a gear that doesn't fatigue your muscles so much? I am assuming, weight wise, that hill climbs are difficult at your current weight and most of your energy may be zapped doing climbs. That gets better with training and weight loss. The more you lose, the less you have to carry up a hill.

Timing your meals and what you eat before you exercise can have a huge impact on energy spikes and crashes. Carb wise, it's pretty much what you eat the day before that will fuel your ride. When do you eat before you do your 10-12 mile longer ride?

You may just need to ride more - a lot more to get better in shape. It may not have anything to do with your fuel source at this point.

Since you have already lost 40 pounds, I assume that you are well out of the initial 2 week induction phase. Sounds like you are in the phase where most of your daily carbs should be coming from fribrous vegetables, fruits and whole grains - which should be more than enough to fuel the limited amount of riding you are doing per week. Atkins used to have a nice section of their website devoted to athletes who are low carbing and daily carb intake is higher than a non-athletic low carber would be eating. Maybe they still do, but I haven't checked in years. If you were riding 8-9 hours a week which included some intensity/higher-effort rides, a longer duration endurance ride, etc....then upping your fuel source would be needed. You don't sound like you are at that point of exercise, so I wouldn't worry too much about your energy levels on your shorter duration rides too much.

But what about running low on energy on the longer rides? A product such as Hammer Nutrition's Heed drink mix would be my suggestion to put in your water bottle. It's a much better product than sugary drinks like Gatorade or Powerade (avoid 'em at all costs). You should be fine for any duration that is 90 minutes or less on water alone. However, once you start to get close to the 2 hour point - having a drink mix such as Heed will keep you from running out of energy. Or a packet of GU energy gel mid-ride to fuel the 2nd half of your ride and keep you from running out of energy might be the ticket.

More questions would be about your typical weekly riding structure. How far? How fast? How long? Do you do intervals? Are you riding in Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, etc... (zone being your heart rate)? Do you take a rest day or two per week from your bike training? Are you adding distance and intensity every week? How soon after a meal do you ride? How long does it take you to ride 10-12 miles on the easier trails? On your longer efforts, do you eat a recovery snack or meal within 30-60 minutes following your exercise?

That being said, I did the Atkins diet quite a few years ago and lost 30+ pounds (dropped from 212 to 177) - all the while training and competing in a XC season. Most of my riding was shorter duration, higher intensity riding as the race durations were not too long at the time.

All the best in your continued weight loss and mountain biking. Just fill us in a bit more on your details.

BB


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## berettadave (Apr 24, 2012)

Thanks for the replys everyone.

Bruce, I normally ride in the middle front gear(36) and the 15 tooth rear gear. Most of my riding is on non technical trails but with a fair amount of uphill(I do have to switch gears for this). Yes, you are correct that I get gassed easier on the uphills. I'm not riding rugged technical trails though. I'm not trying to push the pedals as hard as I can for more than a few minutes at a time. More of a steady cadence. I do try to push hard on the flatter ground just to get my heartrate up. When I do this, I do get tired after a few minutes. I'm new at riding(been many years) so I'm not trying to push it too hard yet. I believe you are correct in saying at this point I probably just need to lose more weight. I usually ride after work so I would say it's usually around 4.5-5 hours after eating. I know that's probably not ideal but it's the only time I have to ride during the week. I do not eat anything while riding or immediately after. Maybe I need to. I know that sometimes when I ride, I feel like I have much more energy than other times. Being I just started riding, I have not really paid attention to how well I ride compared to what I ate earlier. I will start doing this so maybe I can see a trend there. I try to avoid the bad carbs and most of what I get is pretty much from what you mentioned. Most of my carbs are in the form of carrots, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower etc. For snacks, I usually keep almonds, peanuts, strawberries etc.

I do use the NUNN tablets in my hydration pack when I ride( I know they are not an energy supplement though). I have not tried the Hammer Nutrition drink mix you speak of. I notice the GU packs and some of the other supplements are loaded with carbs and I just didn't know if that played well with this diet even when riding. I do NOT use any of the gaterade drinks or anything else with sugar. If the GU or Hammer Nutrition supplements really work that well, I will give them a try.

I do know that even though sometimes I feel like I have a little less energy on some rides vs others, I can still see that overall, I am feeling better and I have gotten better with my riding than when I first started about a month and a half ago. Maybe I shouldn't be worrying about it right now.

I'll try to pay better attention to what I eat before riding so maybe I can answer some of your previous questions a little more accurately.

thanks again for your input.

Dave


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## kjlued (Jun 23, 2011)

First off, congrats on losing 40lbs. Don't know your goals but keep up the good work. 

That being said, carbs have received a bad rap over the years but they are not your enemy. They are an essential part of your healthy lifestyle especially if you are entering in to an active lifestyle. 

In my opinion (and yes opinions do vary) no/low carb diets are bad. 
They are a lazy persons diet which you are not since you are exercising. 
Most people get on them, lose the weight and when they start eating carbs again, they gain everything back plus some. 

What is more import is where you get your carbs from. 
Think closer to the earth. 
Fresh fruits and veggies, whole grain/wheat bread. 
Brown rice, wheat pastas
etc

Proper balance of proteins and carbs will give you the energy you need to sustain your activities and help in building muscle. 


Also, you say you ride 4.5 to 5 hours after eating. 
Well, you should never go that long without eating. 
You should eat about every 2.5 to 3 hours. 
Just smaller meals 
Now a meal can be something as simple as a nutrition bar or shake. 
I eat 6x a day and usually split the meals between whole foods and meal supplements.
Breaking your meals up will help to speed up your metabolism. 

Try eating a small meal about 2.5 to 3 hours before the ride and eating something like a Clif Bar right before the ride. They are light but have the essential carbs to give you energy.
Also after a work out try and drink a protein shake as soon as possible. It will help with the recovery and in preventing your body from cannibalizing muscle tissue. 

It sounds crazy, but if you want to loose weight you must eat.


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## Eazy_E (Sep 30, 2011)

kjlued said:


> It sounds crazy, but if you want to loose weight you must eat.


Yeah......

Where did this eat every other hour stuff come from? Do people honestly think that humans evolved needing to have a meal six times a day? What other apex predators do that?

Honestly, I'm a fan of the Intermittent fasting diet for fat loss, muscle gain and health method. There's a lot of great info there about fasting. I ride all the time on an empty stomach and it's not a problem, for me, anyway.

If you like to eat all the time, go ahead, but if you're low carb, you probably won't feel the need to eat very often. It's a lot easier to just eat big once or twice a day. You'll also find you have a lot more time in the day when you aren't wasting as much of it preparing and eating meals.


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## SnowMongoose (Feb 18, 2007)

Eazy_E said:


> Yeah......
> 
> Where did this eat every other hour stuff come from? Do people honestly think that humans evolved needing to have a meal six times a day? What other apex predators do that?


When is the last time you had to hunt down a Cheeseburger Easy?
Are you denying the effectiveness of more, smaller meals?
Keeping the metabolism up seems pretty straightforward to me, as does the advantage of eating more often being helpful for avoiding bouts of hunger if one does three meals a day.

As for 'wasting time' cooking/prepping food constantly, it's not a problem if you keep easy food around.
I rock protein bars often, snack on nuts and fruit, and when I cook, I typically prepare more than I'll need, so I have food on hand whenever I need it.
(Also makes for easy lunches to take to work, as well alternatives to eating out when you're wiped after a ride/work shift/whatever)

FWIW, I stick to low carbs pretty consistently, and I don't have any issues running out of energy... but I'm also stupid active and have been low-carb for a few years.
Disclaimers: I dropped 50 pounds a few years ago, and many of my dietary choices are tilted towards Jiujitsu training (and the associated weight-class shenanigans), but the strategies I employ get me through 50 hour work weeks with riding, rugby, and BJJ loaded on top. YMMV.


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

berettadave said:


> Bruce, I normally ride in the middle front gear(36) and the 15 tooth rear gear. Most of my riding is on non technical trails but with a fair amount of uphill(I do have to switch gears for this). Yes, you are correct that I get gassed easier on the uphills. I'm not riding rugged technical trails though. I'm not trying to push the pedals as hard as I can for more than a few minutes at a time. More of a steady cadence. I do try to push hard on the flatter ground just to get my heartrate up. When I do this, I do get tired after a few minutes. I'm new at riding(been many years) so I'm not trying to push it too hard yet. I believe you are correct in saying at this point I probably just need to lose more weight.


Riding a mountain bike requires using a lot of different cadences and power output due to the terrain and soil changing so often. Work those gears on the climbs. The comment that you get tired after a few minutes of pushing harder on a flatter ground concerns me. I am hoping it is because you are pushing rather hard - or in cycling terms, a higher wattage than you are able to sustain for more than several minutes. If that's the case, this is a very normal thing. We are limited with the amount of watts we can sustain for a certain duration. If you are going all out on the flats as you describe, the lactic acid builds up quickly and the legs are screaming at you to back off. That's a normal interval and I would advocate that you slowly add some of that type of high end work into your weekly routine (maybe on 2 of the days out of the week). The shorter the duration, the harder you can go (20-30 seconds for example). A lot of us work up to 20 - 30 minute intervals which are, of course, at a lot less power wattage (or in layman's terms - how hard you are pushing on the pedals in a tall gear at a particular cadence) than the shorter duration intervals. The reason intervals are good for mountain biking is that it is a cycling discipline that is filled with constant requirements for bursts of power with short recovery times before the next burst is required. It's not an easy discipline because of that and is understandable you are getting tired if just getting back into it and are overweight. Riding hilly terrain comes with built in intervals, so that is good. Usually the best place to do intervals is on paved surfaces so you can control things a bit better in terms of duration.

Anyway, that's a long way of simply saying you can easily ride yourself into better mountain biking shape via saddle time.

What I'm hoping is not creating the fatigue on those flats where you tire after a few minutes would be your heart. The obvious thing, of course, is to be cleared by your medical team for this kind of higher heart rate exercise.



berettadave said:


> I usually ride after work so I would say it's usually around 4.5-5 hours after eating. I know that's probably not ideal but it's the only time I have to ride during the week. I do not eat anything while riding or immediately after. Maybe I need to. I know that sometimes when I ride, I feel like I have much more energy than other times. Being I just started riding, I have not really paid attention to how well I ride compared to what I ate earlier. I will start doing this so maybe I can see a trend there. I try to avoid the bad carbs and most of what I get is pretty much from what you mentioned. Most of my carbs are in the form of carrots, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower etc. For snacks, I usually keep almonds, peanuts, strawberries etc.


Dave - it's already been addressed - but that is not a good way to go on a ride at all! 4.5-5 hours is way too long of a time gap between eating and exercising. Your tank is empty before you even climb on the bike. No wonder you are tiring. The ideal window is 2.5 - 3 hours before, but some can go as far as 3.5 - 4 hours before, depending on the type of ride and if they use gels and an energy drink. A good snack about 1.5 - 2 hours before is a must in your case. A small box of raisins, an apple, a few almonds with some fruit, etc... .

There is a 30-60 minute window post-exercise that is the most ideal for a recovery snack/drink/food to replenish glycogen stores. Missing that window will result in prolonged recovery time and the distinct possibility of you feeling even more tired on the bike the next day. It's a vicious cycle (pardon the pun) of fueling and exercise. Miss your windows (before exercise and after exercise) and you will probably feel lousy. I would advocate you read up on that and pay more attention to the fueling windows. I bet your bike riding will improve, you won't fatigue as easier and you will be able to actually improve the quality of your exercise which will drop more weight.



berettadave said:


> I do use the NUNN tablets in my hydration pack when I ride( I know they are not an energy supplement though). I have not tried the Hammer Nutrition drink mix you speak of. I notice the GU packs and some of the other supplements are loaded with carbs and I just didn't know if that played well with this diet even when riding. I do NOT use any of the gaterade drinks or anything else with sugar. If the GU or Hammer Nutrition supplements really work that well, I will give them a try.


A Hammer Nutrition Gel pack is about 100 calories and since you are out of the induction phase, eating a 100 calorie gel pack while you burn several hundred calories is not going to set you back. It will delay that tired feeling or lack of energy you are getting enough so that you can finish your workout. I wouldn't do a gel and an exercise drink unless you are real going to hammer on the bike for 2 hours +. One or the other would be sufficient. You can control how much of the powder mix you use as well - so it could be a low calorie bottle you mix based on how much of the mix you put in the bottle. Hammer uses complex carbs in their drink products as opposed to simple carbs found in many other products advertised as Sports Drinks (read: Gatorade). That's why I recommended Hammer to you. Their gels do not add in simple sugars, but they are made with natural fruit which of course has simple sugars in it. You may want to avoid that if you are worried about it, and simply go with the complex carb drink mix. If you are really going all out during an exercise session - or for a longer duration where the volume will burn calories, I wouldn't worry too much about one gel pack.



berettadave said:


> I do know that even though sometimes I feel like I have a little less energy on some rides vs others, I can still see that overall, I am feeling better and I have gotten better with my riding than when I first started about a month and a half ago. Maybe I shouldn't be worrying about it right now.
> 
> I'll try to pay better attention to what I eat before riding so maybe I can answer some of your previous questions a little more accurately.


Easy to see that the fueling window before and after your exercise routine is contributing to why you feel better on some days than others energy wise. That being said - we all feel different at times even if our nutrition, stress, sleep, biorhythms, etc... are consistent.

Keep up the exercise and weight loss. It's a wonderful lifestyle change for your health, mind and outlook.


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## sumgai (Apr 3, 2009)

I recently took a metabolic test, which analyzes at which HR your body burns fuel from fat/carbs and what HR your body reaches anaerobic threshold, where your body can no longer burn fat to sustain energy demand by high intensity exercise. 

This is very useful in training. I spent 75% of my training rides at or just under 146bpm to train my body to produce more power at the same HR. I spend 25% of my training time at my AT to push that point higher in my HR range.

As a mountain biker, you will constantly run in zones 2 & 3 with periodic bursts in zone 4. Zone 5 would be appropriate for a final 100 yard or less sprint at the finish of a ride/race. Zone 5 is virtually impossible to recover from while still riding.

To fule your body based on these zones, eat plenty of protein and healthy fats and limit your carbs; however, you do want to eat within 2 hours or so of a ride/race and take in more calories and electrolytes as you ride. The amounts depend on your body weight and your fitness level.

Limiting carbs too much will not allow you to ride very long. Your body is always burning carbs when riding, but the goal is to pull as much from fat stores as possible. My charts shows about a 50% fat/50% carb mixture until I hit the upper end of zone 3, then the fat fuel drops and my body uses more carbs but at that point I can't last very long. If I over-rev into zone 5, I'm pretty much toast.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

According to Hickson and Wolinsky in their book Nutrition in Exercise and Sport, a diet consisting of approximately 60% or more of complex (starch) carbohydrates is recommended after strenuous exercise in order to promote glycogen replenishment. With adequate consumption of complex carbohydrates, coupled with extra rest, most of the glycogen replenishment occurs within 24 hours. If a diet high in protein and fat is consumed, glycogen replenishment may take longer than one week.

I tried a low carb diet to get from 168 pounds down to 152 pounds (I'm 60 yrs old and 5'9" tall) several years ago. I also record a lot of my ride times. I'm back up to 162, which seems to be my optimum, after going back to sufficient carbs, for me. My times are better at 162 than they were at 152. Eating few carbs, I suspect I kept my liver from loading up sufficiently on glycogen. You can "burn" fat without carbs readily available, but my understanding is that the body does this more efficiently with some carb availability.

During the mountain biking season, I'd suggest titrating up on your carbs until your ketone levels go almost to zero (being on a low carb diet, I'm assuming you are monitoring this with test strips). That way you'll still, more slowly, lose weight, but increase the opportunity for your glycogen storage to go up.

Once you get to your ideal weight, you'll have to do this anyway, otherwise you'll put the pounds back on pretty fast.


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## Eazy_E (Sep 30, 2011)

SnowMongoose said:


> When is the last time you had to hunt down a Cheeseburger Easy?
> Are you denying the effectiveness of more, smaller meals?
> Keeping the metabolism up seems pretty straightforward to me, as does the advantage of eating more often being helpful for avoiding bouts of hunger if one does three meals a day.


All I'm saying is, humans, along with most other mammals at our spot on the food chain have evolved to go long periods of time without eating while being active via foraging.

Multiple studies have shown that short term fasting will actually do more to increase your metabolism than constantly eating will. In a couple of studies, participants actually lost weight while fasting despite being on a diet(when they would eat) that should have been a calorie surplus. Fasting has also been shown to increase growth hormone levels. There's a lot of benefits to it. Just read around.

I'm not saying it's the end all be all, I'm just saying that eating all the time has no real scientific basis, outside of individual preference. If it helps you achieve your goals, it works, but there hasn't been any scientific evidence backing it up as being anything special.


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## kjlued (Jun 23, 2011)

Eazy_E said:


> All I'm saying is, humans, along with most other mammals at our spot on the food chain have evolved to go long periods of time without eating while being active via foraging.
> 
> Multiple studies have shown that short term fasting will actually do more to increase your metabolism than constantly eating will. In a couple of studies, participants actually lost weight while fasting despite being on a diet(when they would eat) that should have been a calorie surplus. Fasting has also been shown to increase growth hormone levels. There's a lot of benefits to it. Just read around.
> 
> I'm not saying it's the end all be all, I'm just saying that eating all the time has no real scientific basis, outside of individual preference. If it helps you achieve your goals, it works, but there hasn't been any scientific evidence backing it up as being anything special.


Makes sense, if I don't eat, I lose weight. :lol:

However, we are not just talking about a diet, we are talking about a with exercise.

I have read around and everything I have read confirms 5-6 meals a day. 
Also worked in a gym in the nutrition center. Every trainer I have ever known says 5-6 meals a day. Everyone I have ever known with extremely great fitness eats 5-6 meals a day. I also know when I do the 5 to 6 meals a day, I get more fit quicker and have more energy.

I am sure there are studies that show what you are saying as there are many things that work but I eating smaller meals more often definitely works better. I have seen it in too many numerous cases.


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## irishpitbull (Sep 29, 2011)

No carbs makes the pitbull grumpy and sleepy.

I do 5 meals a day with about 250g of carbs spread over the day on 2000 cal diet. I rock a 6pack and use to bench 300lbs before I sperated my shoulder.

Proof irishpitbull's BodySpace - Bodybuilding.com


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

kjlued said:


> I have read around and everything I have read confirms 5-6 meals a day.
> Also worked in a gym in the nutrition center. Every trainer I have ever known says 5-6 meals a day. Everyone I have ever known with extremely great fitness eats 5-6 meals a day. I also know when I do the 5 to 6 meals a day, I get more fit quicker and have more energy.


This is known as confirmation bias

Edit: The leangains site shows it as well, BTW.


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

irishpitbull said:


> I rock a 6pack and use to bench 300lbs before I sperated my shoulder.


Before "sperating" your shoulder, how does benching 300 pounds do anything to benefit XC mountain biking?


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## kjlued (Jun 23, 2011)

irishpitbull said:


> No carbs makes the pitbull grumpy and sleepy.
> 
> I do 5 meals a day with about 250g of carbs spread over the day on 2000 cal diet. I rock a 6pack and use to bench 300lbs before I sperated my shoulder.
> 
> Proof irishpitbull's BodySpace - Bodybuilding.com


Bodybuilding.com is a great website with some great information on both working out and diet. I just started back in to working out again and have used that site a good bit for information. :thumbsup:



BruceBrown said:


> Before "sperating" your shoulder, how does benching 300 pounds do anything to benefit XC mountain biking?


No, but it can help you get the ladies.:lol:


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

So I was reading up on intermittent fasting and came upon these videos:
Caution: foul language 
Before:






1 month later:






I find it funny how they have trouble with words over 3 syllables. in-ter-mit-tent.


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## irishpitbull (Sep 29, 2011)

BruceBrown said:


> Before "sperating" your shoulder, how does benching 300 pounds do anything to benefit XC mountain biking?


LOL nothing but you look pretty damn good in lycra.:thumbsup:


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## kjlued (Jun 23, 2011)

beanbag said:


> So I was reading up on intermittent fasting and came upon these videos:
> Caution: foul language
> Before:
> 
> ...


That would be known as Confirmation bias

What I can't believe is you chose those two morons to try and confirm your beliefs. lol
I am sure there are much better sources than the doofus twins.
(I seriously hate their videos)

However, their video seemed to deal with taking off stubborn fat which is where I could see a benefit with IF. The 5-6 meal plan seems to be a more stable life plan. (IMO).

But in their words, "you can do whatever the **** you want" :lol:

One thing I have learned over the years is when it comes to diets and the right ways to work out, there are tons conflicting opinions and there are tons of sources that will "prove" one way or the other. Doesn't necessarily mean the other is wrong.

I guess I will continue to do my way as it has achieved great results. 
I got off it and the weight came back on
And now that I am back on it, my results have been great.

Good luck and stay healthy with whatever you choose :thumbsup:


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

I came back here to post an update.

After I saw the twin moron videos and read a little bit on the leangains site, I decided to try the reduced eating window version of intermittent fasting. Basically, this means you just choose, for example, a 6 hr time period during the day where you can eat whatever and whenever you want. I figured I had a body composition a lot like the twin morons, i.e. totally ripped everywhere except for a little bit of stubborn fat right below the belly button. (OK, I am lying about the totally ripped part)

The background is that about 1.5 years ago, I tried the paleo/low carb diet and immediately dropped about 20 lbs in 2-3 months, but then my weight was steady for about a year.
Anyway I gave Intermittent Fasting a shot and I dropped another 10 lbs in about 2 months, and my utility belt is about 1/2 the size as before. Also lost 2 inches on my waist.


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## chas_martel (May 14, 2006)

google hiit and tabata

it might change your thinking about how to lose weight 

there is also a bunch of info about hiit on pubmed


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

chas_martel said:


> google hiit and tabata
> 
> it might change your thinking about how to lose weight
> 
> there is also a bunch of info about hiit on pubmed


ehh, that sounds like too much trouble.


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## delusional (Jun 16, 2009)

Eat Carbs. Ride Bikes.


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## durianrider (Mar 16, 2009)

Twin Muscle Workout MUST restrict their cals cos they are trying to lean up to my level. They even made a few vids giving me flack about how much leaner I am than them.

TMW vs The Durianrider : Battle of the striations. YEAR ROUND STRIATIONS. - YouTube

I eat 600 carbs per day. Single digit body fat all year long.

If you want to drop weight and keep it off go high carb low fat vegan fo sure. It resets your hormones.


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## MotownDanny (Jan 23, 2013)

Good info in this thread, I am also on a low-carb diet under advice if a RD.


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## Bdabike (Jan 27, 2013)

Great info here.


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## berettadave (Apr 24, 2012)

Well, I've been riding the bike about three times a week since I last posted. I have tried not to go as long between eating like some suggested. The riding has really gotten easier and I've continued to lose weight. I have now lost over 75 lbs and I feel better than I have in 20+ years. I can tell i've put on quite a bit of muscle in my legs so i'm not losing actual weight as fast but im in much better shape and im losing fat. I only ride after work but I usually get in at least 10 miles every time, usually more. I don't tire as easily and I can tell I recover faster when I do get gassed. I've been using some of the gel packs before I ride or a drink additive(cytomax). Seems to help and I don't get cramps either while riding. 

Happy to say I'm definitely improving and getting closer to my weight goal.

Thanks for all the pointers
Dave


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## Bdabike (Jan 27, 2013)

Have you paid attention to your heart rate while riding? The reason I ask, I am just getting into making mtb ing my thing, again. Wore a heart monitor today for the first time and kept my heart rate at 75%-80% max for 45 min. Took a half hour for it to get below 50% after the ride.


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## Orthoguy (Dec 4, 2011)

Awesome progress Dave. Your lifestyle changes are going to pay huge dividends for you.


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## berettadave (Apr 24, 2012)

I have never used a heart rate monitor. I've looked at
Getting one but honestly, I don't know how to use it for
my weight loss. How do you know what your maximum
heart rate should be? Where is the point your heart rate 
should be for maximum fat burning? Is this something 
that is an individual thing or is there some standard "calculation"? About all I know is burning more fat/ calories
than you take in results in weight loss.

Dave


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## Orthoguy (Dec 4, 2011)

Here is a quick primer on heart rate as it relates to burning fat. This should address your questions.

Fat Burning Heart Rate | LIVESTRONG.COM


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## berettadave (Apr 24, 2012)

Orthoguy,

Thanks for the info. Very informative.

Dave


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