Fat Adapting Advice?

Hey All -

New to the forum. Been slowly listening my way through all the Podcasts (currently on #60) and had a couple questions on fat adaption.

I’m the typical sugar burner and over the past few days have been reducing my carbs to ~40% of my daily calories. I’d like to lose some weight and also get better fat adapted. I’m just starting the 40K TT specialty plan so I don’t plan on going Full Metal Keto at the moment, just reducing my carb intake and calories.

Any advice?

Also, when I do go Keto, I’m thinking about the TKD (Targeted Keto Diet) where I take in 20-50 g carbs ~30 min before my more intense workouts just to have some glycogen to draw on. Anybody had any luck with this?

Read or listen to Dr Jason fungs book. The complete guide to fasting. A shortcut to Keto and very well explained!

Long easy (Mid-Lower Zone 2) rides done fasted help considerably. Start of not eating for an hour ten gradually increase that time as you get used to it. Do not get disheartened as it takes a long time to get properly fat adapted. If you do any intensity (intervals) or a hard ride then fuel up with carbs though.

Plenty of low intensity rides will train your body to burn fat more effectively.

I wouldn’t stress to much about it, as If you’ve been riding for a while, you are most likely already pretty darn good at doing so.

You’re asking your body to do three things at once;

  1. Lose body fat
  2. Change your metabolism/diet balance
  3. Become a 40K TT specialist

I’d pick one to focus on, at the expense of the others.

Endurance rides, and fasted training are two common approaches. Worth checking out the polarized and 80/20 threads for more.

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Yup. Build and Specialty phases are not the time to start reducing carbs and calories. Do that in Base.

I just finished SSB1+2 where I added a 2+hr fasted endurance ride every Sunday. Heading into Sustained Power Build I will continue to do the prescribed Sunday ride fasted, although these will be Tempo and SS workouts so not the optimum zones for fat adaptation but every little bit helps (and I have yet to pass out on the trainer!).

Good luck!

If you haven’t, give a try to the “Endurance Diet” book by Matt Fitzgerald. I have read it some time ago, and now trying out his DQS nutrition tracking model. Just after few days I am feeling much better and more energized by cutting refined and processed foods.