Stay in the Fat-Burning Zone
catz789
Posts: 35 Member
A picture is worth a thousand words. Since I can't draw the picture in this post, I'm going to explain it. Please get a paper and pencil and draw as I describe it! Draw an x and y axis. Label y "Blood-Sugar". Label x "Time". Draw a sine wave starting at (0,0). Draw a horizontal dashed line at approximately 30% and 70% of the y axis. Label above 70% "Fat-Storage Zone". Label between 30% and 70% "Fat-Burning Zone". At each of the 2 low points of the sine wave on the x axis, write "meal".
If I haven't lost you yet (!), now I will explain. After a full night's sleep (which is like a mini fast to our body), our blood-sugar level is at the bottom (0,0). The first food we eat in the morning determines where our blood-sugar goes next. If we eat a doughnut (sugar), it spikes up into the Fat-Storage Zone and stays there for a long time, signaling our body to store fat no matter what we eat next. However, if instead we eat an omelette (protein) or a whole grain fiber rich food, our blood-sugar only goes up into the Fat-Burning Zone and stays there for a long time, signaling our body to burn fat. Over time, our blood-sugar drops below the Fat-Burning Zone and we become tired and hungry. What we choose for our meal again determines if we go into Fat-Burning or Fat-Storage Zone. Eating low glycemic index foods keeps us in Fat-Burning mode.
If you are going to eat a high glycemic index food such as white bread, cake, white rice, candy, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, or watermelon, do not eat just that or it will spike your blood-sugar. Instead, eat it WITH a protein or whole grain food so it moderates the effect and keeps your blood-sugar inside the Fat-Burning Zone. In other words, if you're going to eat dessert, it it immediately after your meal, NOT as a 3 PM snack!
When you skip meals and think you are helping yourself lose weight, you are not. All you are doing is taking yourself out of Fat-Burning mode.
I hope this all makes sense to you. I know it is a long post, but I think it is important to understand how to keep yourself in "the zone", the "Fat-Burning" Zone!
Blessings, Lisa
If I haven't lost you yet (!), now I will explain. After a full night's sleep (which is like a mini fast to our body), our blood-sugar level is at the bottom (0,0). The first food we eat in the morning determines where our blood-sugar goes next. If we eat a doughnut (sugar), it spikes up into the Fat-Storage Zone and stays there for a long time, signaling our body to store fat no matter what we eat next. However, if instead we eat an omelette (protein) or a whole grain fiber rich food, our blood-sugar only goes up into the Fat-Burning Zone and stays there for a long time, signaling our body to burn fat. Over time, our blood-sugar drops below the Fat-Burning Zone and we become tired and hungry. What we choose for our meal again determines if we go into Fat-Burning or Fat-Storage Zone. Eating low glycemic index foods keeps us in Fat-Burning mode.
If you are going to eat a high glycemic index food such as white bread, cake, white rice, candy, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, or watermelon, do not eat just that or it will spike your blood-sugar. Instead, eat it WITH a protein or whole grain food so it moderates the effect and keeps your blood-sugar inside the Fat-Burning Zone. In other words, if you're going to eat dessert, it it immediately after your meal, NOT as a 3 PM snack!
When you skip meals and think you are helping yourself lose weight, you are not. All you are doing is taking yourself out of Fat-Burning mode.
I hope this all makes sense to you. I know it is a long post, but I think it is important to understand how to keep yourself in "the zone", the "Fat-Burning" Zone!
Blessings, Lisa
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Replies
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Very helpful!!1
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This lines up well with what I learned from my dietician when I had gestational diabetes. Sugar in the morning would throw your sugars off course for the rest of the day.2
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I'm right there with my lovely wife! We learned a lot about this during her pregnancies. Our body is such an amazing machine. Keep your machine in the zone by eating right! Good message Lisa! (Even though you made us draw a graph1
