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Date Posted: 20:04:49 09/08/02 Sun
Author: Sherry
Subject: Metabolism etc.
In reply to: Alex de Jong 's message, "Sherry, sounds interesting!" on 17:18:43 09/08/02 Sun

Well my metabolism has seemed to me to be very sluggish for some time now.

When I first started Atkins I lost at a rapid rate. Dropped 50 pounds in about 8 months. Then for the next 2 years I couldn't seem to lose one pound below 232. I did in that time take off about 23+ inches around different measureing points.

I figured I just had too sluggish of a metabolism, and I did miss a lot of meals, didn't eat that much, probably slowed myself down big time. So in May I started forcing myself to eat more. Started losing, but couldn't keep up the force feeding.

So instead I decided to rev my metabolim up by lifting weights and have been doing that since June of this year. Lost another 9 pounds. This week I took it a step further and started the Body for Life program. What this involves is a 12 week session of intense weight lifting and aerobics sessions The weight lifting lasts for 46 minutes three days a week alternating upper body and lower body workouts, the aerobics lasts 20 minutes three days a week on alternate days from the weights. Sunday is a rest day.

You also need to keep your metabolism reved by eating 6 small meals a day. Protein and some carbs they say.

According to the weight lifters, your muscles need glycogen stores or they start metabolizing themselves. The objective in any weight lifting program is to build muscle not tear it down by using it as fuel.

Glycogen (from carbs) is a "short term" fuel if you will. Your body uses it first. Then goes and tries to get what it needs from stored energy (fat). You want it to go to the fat and not to the muscle for fuel. For this reason most body builders recommend eating more carbs than most dieters do.

Personally I don't know if the body builders are right. Essentially you need to watch your own body and see if you are able to keep your energy levels up enough to DO a tough workout. IF not then you should probably increase carbs. Someone like me who has been on Atkins as long as I have, probably has a better ability to metabolize ketones than someone who isn't used to it. (At least that was Nat's idea). I don't know if that is accurate or not, but Nat said she is able to work out on 30 grams or so of carb, so she assumes that as long as I've been doing this, I might have the same results.

Regarding "short distance fuels" your glycogen stores are used first. If you don't have any your body is forced to metabolize something else. That is the idea behind CKD dieting which is what it sounds like your friend is doing. Very low carb, then carb up. Refill glycogen stores for energy, and then low carb for fat burning. I suppose it works. Perhaps the FREE day on BFL is along the same principals. Don't let your body know what you are trying to do to it. Keep it guessing. Bodies get very efficient at hanging on to whatever fat stores they have. If they think you are trying to starve them, they will rebel. If you feed them plenty, they will respond the way you want them to.

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