Exercise on LCHF
ajmurray1234
Posts: 163 Member
Hello,
I was wondering if anyone here exercises on LCHF; if so what do you do.
I was wondering if anyone here exercises on LCHF; if so what do you do.
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Replies
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I bike, walk, lift things(not formal weights), and do a small amount of body weight exercises. Nothing extreme, but it's not for lack of energy, it's for lack of time!
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ajmurray1234 wrote: »Hello,
I was wondering if anyone here exercises on LCHF; if so what do you do.
I exercise lots, and intensely at times
Today was a good long hard ride in the hill country. Panting sweating and basically full exertion at times climbing insane hills.... As part of a long 50 mile ride.
Yes I know it is almost crazy.
I have lost 140 pounds of fat on this way of living. And exercise is a big part of it
Me today now doing it the low carb way.
Don't ever let anyone tell you LC does not work. It does work!
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Curious about this as well.
I just got back into LCHF, and I'm doing some lifting and walking. Lifting (Stronglifts 5x5) I do 3x a week, and walking about 45min/day avg with the dog. That's dedicated walking time though - I am sure I get a decent amount of steps in that I don't count just by living in NYC. Right now I'm aiming for about 25g of carbs per day, we'll see how it goes. I may need to get it up to 50g at some point, need to read up on that.0 -
KittensMaster wrote: »ajmurray1234 wrote: »Hello,
I was wondering if anyone here exercises on LCHF; if so what do you do.
I exercise lots, and intensely at times
Today was a good long hard ride in the hill country. Panting sweating and basically full exertion at times climbing insane hills.... As part of a long 50 mile ride.
Yes I know it is almost crazy.
I have lost 140 pounds of fat on this way of living. And exercise is a big part of it
Me today now doing it the low carb way.
Don't ever let anyone tell you LC does not work. It does work!
Do you get dizzy? I love working out, but I'm afraid I won't be able to sustain a good workout on 20 grams of carbs.
Like this morning, I was on the treadmill and 20 minutes in, I had to stop and focused on resistance training instead.
Great Job on your workout, though!
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The first month my work outouts sucked. Dizziness, exhaustion, fatigue. Now I have no problem. I run 6 or 7 km three days a week as well as walk the others and then lift weights.0
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AngInCanada wrote: »The first month my work outouts sucked. Dizziness, exhaustion, fatigue. Now I have no problem. I run 6 or 7 km three days a week as well as walk the others and then lift weights.
You look AMAZING! How long did it take you to lose the weight?0 -
ajmurray1234 wrote: »AngInCanada wrote: »The first month my work outouts sucked. Dizziness, exhaustion, fatigue. Now I have no problem. I run 6 or 7 km three days a week as well as walk the others and then lift weights.
You look AMAZING! How long did it take you to lose the weight?
The first pic is May 4th, second pic on my birthday September 10th.0 -
I try to walk at least 2 miles Monday through Friday at a good brisk pace. Not up to jogging yet. I also do some body weight and resistence band exercises a few days a week for strength. I average 22g carbs total and haven't had any issues unless I was dehydrated. Pickle juice is my friend! Or broth... But I love pickles!0
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Because I'm morbidly obese I do LCHF with little to no exercise. Members of this group have lost over 100lbs that way, so it can be done.
As weight drops for those of us carrying debilitating amounts we can begin exercising again.
For those already exercising - let yourself get fat adapted and endurance improves, short burst not so much.
Great answers on here!0 -
ajmurray1234 wrote: »KittensMaster wrote: »ajmurray1234 wrote: »Hello,
I was wondering if anyone here exercises on LCHF; if so what do you do.
I exercise lots, and intensely at times
Today was a good long hard ride in the hill country. Panting sweating and basically full exertion at times climbing insane hills.... As part of a long 50 mile ride.
Yes I know it is almost crazy.
I have lost 140 pounds of fat on this way of living. And exercise is a big part of it
Me today now doing it the low carb way.
Don't ever let anyone tell you LC does not work. It does work!
Do you get dizzy? I love working out, but I'm afraid I won't be able to sustain a good workout on 20 grams of carbs.
Like this morning, I was on the treadmill and 20 minutes in, I had to stop and focused on resistance training instead.
Great Job on your workout, though!
It is a process to get what people call fat adapted
Google this
Mitochondria endurance training
It isn't new. The NFL and lots of endurance athletes do it. You basically retrain your body to use a higher mix of fat as fuel instead of all carbs. You literally become a fat burning matchine
It takes a month or so to feel it. I still take carb electrolyte drinks with me and use them. Just not near as much as others. I had a cliff bar and one GU electrolyte sugar pack today during the ride. That helped with the unexpected intensity. A flat terrain 50 miles I drink maybe a 40 calorie Gatoraide and call it good. This was a new course and way harder than any of us knew !
You can get fat adapted thru consistent exercise while fasted. It is a bit challenging but you rip the body fat off. You literally burn it off as you exercise.
Best wishes on your fitness goals!0 -
Curious about this as well.
I just got back into LCHF, and I'm doing some lifting and walking. Lifting (Stronglifts 5x5) I do 3x a week, and walking about 45min/day avg with the dog. That's dedicated walking time though - I am sure I get a decent amount of steps in that I don't count just by living in NYC. Right now I'm aiming for about 25g of carbs per day, we'll see how it goes. I may need to get it up to 50g at some point, need to read up on that.
You may struggle some when you're just getting back into low carb. Performance tends to drop for the first... 3-6 weeks on keto (I think that's about the right timeframe), but it will recover back to about where you were before once you're adapted.
There's nothing wrong w/ going up to 50g carbs at all, but if you're newly getting back into things and are otherwise happy with your 25g/day goal, you may want to wait a couple months to see where you're at after adaptation before you mix it up for workout purposes.ajmurray1234 wrote: »Do you get dizzy? I love working out, but I'm afraid I won't be able to sustain a good workout on 20 grams of carbs.
Like this morning, I was on the treadmill and 20 minutes in, I had to stop and focused on resistance training instead.
I'm sure KittensMaster will respond w/ more details, but I know that he's mentioned in the past adding some carbs on his most intense rides (which is a totally viable thing to do once you're fat adapted and seriously pushing yourself).0 -
For me, I've been going to the gym for the last year 3x a week and have never had a problem sticking to my 20g carb limit. I've just started a structured lifting program this week and am excited to see how that goes (I'm doing Ice Cream Fitness which is similar to Stronglifts 5x5 with more accessory work on top of the big compound lifts). So far so good, but its very early for me on that. I also do yoga once a week currently, which actually feels pretty intense for me b/c I have poor flexibility and a weak core that I need to work on more.
You may want to check out http://reddit.com/r/ketogains. One of the mods there, darthluiggi, has been on keto for well over a decade and is a serious heavy lifter. There is some info in the ketogains FAQ on a couple of plans for the most intense performance athletes to supplement some carbs in the form of dextrose before a workout (called TKD - Targeted Ketogenic Diet over there). But for most of us, its just not needed, and I'd recommend spending a number of months on keto for most folks just sticking with the standard low carb diet before experimenting with that stuff.0 -
"You can get fat adapted thru consistent exercise while fasted. It is a bit challenging but you rip the body fat off. You literally burn it off as you exercise."
Are you saying you can get fully keto adapted faster with exercise?0 -
"You can get fat adapted thru consistent exercise while fasted. It is a bit challenging but you rip the body fat off. You literally burn it off as you exercise."
Are you saying you can get fully keto adapted faster with exercise?
Yes
Absolutely
I do burn off glycogen quickly doing a 3000 calorie burn ride. I have been at this a while and have lots of extra muscle mass.
Diet is primary for most people. The vast majority.
I would say unless you are really into some intense cardio and HIIT type 100% HRM level exercise to put your primary emphasis on diet.
There are lots of people on here at different exercise levels
You may be able to do cardio level exercise (80% and up of your max heart rate) and burn out your blood sugar
That is what I do. I eat a Snickers before workouts some days
I may not be the best example for you, but your answer is Yes!
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This is last week
A good bit of exercise on low carb lifestyle
There were 2 days of weight lifting but it does not get counted.
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I run, lift weights, walk the dog, cycle a bit. I try and do something every day. It was exhausting when first changing over to LCHF but 27 days in and i am back to where i was before fitness wise and 17lbs lighter.0
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I'm not keeping up with Captain America up there ^^, but I exercise pretty much every day. I'm keto with 17:7 IF.
I walk daily, usually an hour, sometimes more. I practice yoga 5-6 days per week, length of time varies. Most weekends are 15-20 minutes. Weekdays when I'm alone, 1.5-2 hours. Yesterday, I added bicycling back into my exercise routine. The walking and yoga are both done mornings and fasting. The bicycling I'll slide in wherever I can, probably evenings.0 -
I appreciate this question and the responses - I have been hesitant to go lower carb because, although I need to lose about 10-15 pounds and belly fat to be at a good racing weight, I am afraid of my runs not going well. I run 3-5 miles 3-4 days/week.0
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KittensMaster wrote: »
It takes a month or so to feel it. I still take carb electrolyte drinks with me and use them. Just not near as much as others. I had a cliff bar and one GU electrolyte sugar pack today during the ride. That helped with the unexpected intensity. A flat terrain 50 miles I drink maybe a 40 calorie Gatoraide and call it good. This was a new course and way harder than any of us knew !
You can get fat adapted thru consistent exercise while fasted. It is a bit challenging but you rip the body fat off. You literally burn it off as you exercise.
Best wishes on your fitness goals!
That sounds awesome! You're motivating me to exercise more! I'm very sedentary. I've been walking but I think I need to increase my walk length and frequency.
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mountainrun73 wrote: »I appreciate this question and the responses - I have been hesitant to go lower carb because, although I need to lose about 10-15 pounds and belly fat to be at a good racing weight, I am afraid of my runs not going well. I run 3-5 miles 3-4 days/week.
You may struggle for the first few weeks, but it's definitely worth it. I ran about the same as you, and I loved running totally fasted. No need for carbs. No need for any fuel except for body fat. I could run fast, run long, my recovery was quick, and I didn't even breathe hard.
Some of that is just plain old-fashioned exercise adaptation, but some of it is a special feature of muscle adaptation to a low-glucose environment, and to me, it's the coolest aspect of "fat adaptation."
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Ok, so I just need to get past the first few weeks...I already run fasted most days. My tummy doesn't do well with food first thing in the morning or before runs (I run in the morning). Just coffee. Sometimes a few sips of green smoothie. There is a difference depending on what I eat the night before: a giant bowl of lentil soup seems to work better than chicken and veggies.
Did you reduce your workouts while adapting? Or did you just push through and put up with the heavy legs feeling?0 -
Taking a break for the first couple weeks is the standard advice, but I didn't know that when I started.
There were times when I really felt bad. Lifting weights kicked my butt. Lightheaded, weak-kneed, thinking about dialing 911.
After some sessions I felt fatigued and just general malaise. Then I discovered the magic of sodium! Instant relief from a couple dill pickles! Ever since then, I've been the reluctant sodium evangelist around here. Ask me if you want to know how/why it works.
So take a break if you'd like. Definitely take it slowly at first. But it's the stress of high-intensity muscle use that triggers the mitochondrial adaptations that Kitten mentioned above. Some say it takes 3 weeks to grow the new mitochondria, but some studies suggest it only takes a week.
Edit: there are also studies that suggest less-is-more if you want to lose weight with exercise. Limit sessions to 30 minutes, and you may not get so hungry afterwards.0 -
Taking a break for the first couple weeks is the standard advice, but I didn't know that when I started.
There were times when I really felt bad. Lifting weights kicked my butt. Lightheaded, weak-kneed, thinking about dialing 911.
After some sessions I felt fatigued and just general malaise. Then I discovered the magic of sodium! Instant relief from a couple dill pickles! Ever since then, I've been the reluctant sodium evangelist around here. Ask me if you want to know how/why it works.
So take a break if you'd like. Definitely take it slowly at first. But it's the stress of high-intensity muscle use that triggers the mitochondrial adaptations that Kitten mentioned above. Some say it takes 3 weeks to grow the new mitochondria, but some studies suggest it only takes a week.
Edit: there are also studies that suggest less-is-more if you want to lose weight with exercise. Limit sessions to 30 minutes, and you may not get so hungry afterwards.
Ah so I need to develop patience! I am getting back into running in the past few months after a year and a half of on again, off again and about 25 lbs weight gain. I've lost about 10, maybe 15 so far (I don't step on the scale too often). I definitely need to shed some fat, and I keep reading about the success of a lower carb approach. I suppose since I don't see any 5ks I want to do after next weekend, I may try to stick it out with low carb in October. But taking time off...running is my antidepressant. Or at least deal with lead legs. And sodium! OH! I think I recall reading something about that in Wheat Belly.
I am one of those people who doesn't typically get hungry after exercise...the endorphins make me not want food for some time after, and I do better with smoothies or protein shakes. Easier on my sensitive belly, I guess.
I'm considering signing up for a local winter race circuit (5k, 10K, 10 mile, half marathon, 30K) because why not? It doesn't start until February, so I guess that would give me time to either get adapted or figure out I need more carbs.
I just started reading Keto Clarity. It's a really good book. I appreciate this discussion! Helping push me toward taking the below 100g/day plunge!
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Something @KittensMaster might tell you, and I completely agree -- 100g/d is very low carb (and highly ketogenic) if you exercise a bunch.
100g = 400 kcal. About what you'll burn in a 30-40 minute run, leaving not much left for the brain (which burns 500-600 kcal/day).
That's one reason exercise is VERY ketogenic, and as strange as it may seem, the more ketones you make, the more sodium you need to feel good.0 -
@wabmester and @KittensMaster - you guys provided some great insight, thank you so much! I've read so much about how helpful low carb is for losing weight and reducing body fat, but have been quite hesitant to try because of running. I feel better after your input here! Thank you!0
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I just got back to low carb after several off and on months spent trying to find a way to have my cake and eat it too. I used to be able to do everything on low carb after the first six weeks, bicycle, run, walk forever and a day, no problems and feeling amazing. But now I'm right back to square one.
This is only day 8 for me. I'm still dragging a little. I ride my bike and walk. I want to get back into running, but not until I get this joint-crushing 25lb off my small frame. It doesn't look like much, it hides well in clothes, but it's a misery!0 -
I run, do Strong lifts, do some calisthenics and such. I usually aim for about an hour of resistance and/or cardio 5-6 times a week. I think ketosis and working out are a match made in heaven. I had my fastest two-mile time (17:06 minutes) while I was in deep, deep ketosis.0
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I just got back to low carb after several off and on months spent trying to find a way to have my cake and eat it too. I used to be able to do everything on low carb after the first six weeks, bicycle, run, walk forever and a day, no problems and feeling amazing. But now I'm right back to square one.
This is only day 8 for me. I'm still dragging a little. I ride my bike and walk. I want to get back into running, but not until I get this joint-crushing 25lb off my small frame. It doesn't look like much, it hides well in clothes, but it's a misery!
I can totally relate to being small and 20-ish pounds over ideal. Several months ago when I was at my heaviest, people didn't believe me. I am down 10+ pounds and feel much better, but yeah, when you're small even 10 pounds makes a big difference!0 -
I run, do Strong lifts, do some calisthenics and such. I usually aim for about an hour of resistance and/or cardio 5-6 times a week. I think ketosis and working out are a match made in heaven. I had my fastest two-mile time (17:06 minutes) while I was in deep, deep ketosis.
Nice work on your 2 mile time! Your comment is helping to convince me to shed the body fat and last 10-15 lbs with a low carb approach.
I just started reading Peter Attia's blog (Eating Academy). I guess even when he was training 4 hours/day (he's a triathlete), he had extra weight and a fairly high body fat percentage. He's also a doctor. Great stuff there for those of us concerned about low carb for weight loss and how it might impact our endurance training. Though @KittensMaster and @Lillith32 have shown how awesome you can be in endurance sports on LCHF!0 -
mountainrun73 wrote: »I just got back to low carb after several off and on months spent trying to find a way to have my cake and eat it too. I used to be able to do everything on low carb after the first six weeks, bicycle, run, walk forever and a day, no problems and feeling amazing. But now I'm right back to square one.
This is only day 8 for me. I'm still dragging a little. I ride my bike and walk. I want to get back into running, but not until I get this joint-crushing 25lb off my small frame. It doesn't look like much, it hides well in clothes, but it's a misery!
I can totally relate to being small and 20-ish pounds over ideal. Several months ago when I was at my heaviest, people didn't believe me. I am down 10+ pounds and feel much better, but yeah, when you're small even 10 pounds makes a big difference!
Definitely! No one thinks I need to lose weight right now. But I don't go around naked in front of them, either!0
