Friday, May 31, 2013

Weight loss: Burn fats, not carbs

The best way to change a fixed routine that you’re unhappy with is to pack up, get up and get away for 2 weeks. That way, you’re setting a new routine, and when you get back, you’re gonna realize that your old routine doesn’t stick no more. Try it - I have, several times now, and it works.


Let me be more specific. I was doing high intensity training 1.5-2 hours every day, and naturally, my body craved and needed carbs to fuel those workouts, even after, I’d constantly be needing to fuel every 2-3 hours. I experienced sugar spikes and dips throughout the day, and was always looking for bread, biscuits, or snacks to satiate my appetite.


Then came a 2-week vacation where I was running an hour every morning at moderate intensity, driving and walking a lot, and eating only 3 meals a day. I wasn’t craving for food all the time as I did previously.


Then I got home. And the old routine of desiring snacks every other hour completely left me. In fact, I couldn’t stand the sight of snacks and threw them all away - biscuits, cookies, chocolates - all I wanted was healthy, natural, whole foods. And I wasn’t needing 5 or more meals a day as I did previously, now all I need is 2 meals and I’m good.


Why 2 meals? That’s because I’d start my morning workout without any breakfast, on an empty stomach, and after 1.5 hours of workout, I’d have a energy bar that would last me for the next 1.5-2 hours of workout. And after the 3-4-hour workout, I’d have an early lunch, followed by an early dinner 5 hours later.


I’ve lost weight with being disciplined in working out such that I’m burning fats and not carbs, and with that, I’ve acquired a less dependency on carbs as I was previously so accustomed to.


The general rule of thumb is this: the more you learn to burn fats in your workouts, the less carbs you need and the less carbs you crave. What you’d end up craving is healthy, whole food, wholesome meals, just 2-3 a day, and little or no desire for snacks, except for fruits and nuts.

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