Fuel Storage in the Body and Caloric Deficits - Keto Cut Day 14
If I asked you whether you thought you had more energy available on a carbohydrate diet versus a no-carbohydrate diet, what would your first thoughts be? Most people will say that you probably have more energy on a carb diet because carbs=energy, but there is a lot of research that indicates the opposite.
I'm watching a really great lecture by Jeff Volek, titled "The Many Facets of Keto-Adaptation: Health, Performance, and Beyond". It's embedded at the end of this post if you're interested.
Early in the lecture he talks about the fuel storage that we have in our bodies. There are 2 types of "tanks" that he describes: A Carb Tank and A Fat Tank.
These "tanks" refer to our storage capacities for fuel. Carbs are mainly stored in skeletal muscle as well as the liver. We are able to store roughly 2,000 calories in our "carb tank" while we are able to store more than 10x that amount in our "fat tank" (see slide 1 below).
Have you ever wondered why our bodies store fat? We actually store fat from excess calories so that in the scenario where we are starved and without food, we can have access to energy for a prolonged period of time. This means that our bodies are extremely efficient when it comes to storing away extra calories for later.
The problem with a carbohydrate-rich diet is that most people eat more carbohydrates than their body can burn in a given day and the "storage tank" for carbohydrates is very small (about 2000 calories). If you eat more calories than you burn, then your body will store those additional calories as fat and thus, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you consume, then your body will "feed" on some of those fat stores and you will lose weight.
Another great point that is made is the insulin spike that occurs when you eat carbs. After eating a carb-loaded meal, your body has to burn those carbs before it can begin to access the stored fat for fuel. This is one of the major reasons why a proper ketogenic diet can lead to faster weight loss than a regular carbohydrate-filled diet.
When in Ketosis, your body will continually be in a state of optimal fat burning for fuel. But please note that a caloric deficit is still needed in order to lose weight - I feel like a lot of people skip this part because they think that a Keto diet is some sort of "magic pill" that means they can eat however much they want, as long as it's not carbs. This is not true. If you eat a caloric surplus (even while remaining in a ketogenic, fat-burning state) you will still continue to gain weight. Your body cannot access your fat stores if you're constantly consuming more than it can burn. It's that simple.
It's for this reason that I keep meticulous notes on what I eat throughout the day so that I can stay in a caloric deficit. I also tend to eat the same (or roughly the same) thing every day. It makes tracking a lot simpler when each day is almost identical!
Day 14 Log:
Weigh-In:
| Start Weight (lbs) | Goal Weight (lbs) | Weight Lost (lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| 198 | 173 | 7 |
| Today's Weight (lbs) | Fat Mass (%) | Body Mass BMI |
|---|---|---|
| 191 | 23.4 | 23.6 |
Workout:
Push (Chest/Tri/Shoulder) Day:
| Movement | Weight lbs | # Reps | # Sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Bench | 185 | 6-8 | 4 |
| Incline DB Bench | 75's | 8-10 | 4 |
| Lateral DB Raises | 30's | 12-15 | 4 |
| Anterior Delt Raise | 70 | 12-15 | 4 |
| Seated Arnold Press | 40's | 12-15 | 4 |
| Cable Rope Press Down | 50 | 12-15 | 4 |
| Cable Rope OHP | 25 | 12-15 | 4 |
| Cardio | 10 Minutes - Stair Master |
What I Ate Today:
| Meal | Food |
|---|---|
| 0 | Bulletproof Coffee (2 TBSP Half & Half, 2 TBSP MCT Oil) |
| 1 | 4 Eggs, 2 Slices of Cheddar Cheese, 4 oz deli corned beef |
| 2 | 8 Oz Steak Sauteed in Garlic and 1 TBSP Avocado Oil, Broccoli topped with butter |
| 3 | 8 Oz Ground Turkey and Stir Fry Vegetables with 1 TBSP Olive Oil |
| 4 | 1 PowerCrunch Protein Bar, 1 Avocado, 1 serving nuts |
Here's the Question of The Day, don't forget to post your answers in the comments!
QOTD: Do you track what you consume and what you burn each day in terms of calories? If so, what tracking method do you deploy? Do you use a tracking app or do it more "intuitively"?
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave your thoughts below and I look forward to seeing you in the comments!
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Great post and great training/diet discipline!
I used to track, but now I am more holistic in examining how I feel. I do journal my day to day well being.
Question: Is that bench press dumbells or straight bar?
Thanks @sequentialvibe! Yeah I know a lot of people who are "intuitive eaters" and follow how they feel rather than following macros or tracking calories. Whatever works for you is the best way!
The flat bench is with a straight bar, the incline is with dumbbells. Bench is one of my weakest lifts, but I'm working on getting it up there!
Agreed!
Thanks for the info. Have you tried weight straps? They help on the bar!
Anytime! What kind of weight straps do you mean, wrist wraps or something like a versagrip? ( I have both, but only use the wrist wraps if my wrists are really sore and the versagrip only if I'm doing some sort of prolonged heavy pulling movement)
I use the wrist wraps all the time. For some reason it helps me be confident when upping the amount that I lift! Also a good spot helps!
Yeah I can definitely move more weight the wraps, a spotter goes a long way as well! I’ve always relied on a good friend to spot me, it’s essential!
Keep pumping for life. It is the fountain of youth!
💯
I watched various parts of the video you attached, I didn't know about consuming higher sodium! Very informative, he came off as a little awkward in the beginning but he knows what he's talking about.
Yeah sodium is actually really important to keep an eye on! A lot of people have that backwards! He is kind of an awkward speaker, but he's really knowledgeable and backs everything he says with science, that's why I'm a big fan of his books/talks.
Agreed, I also realized i should be using more coconut oil through this! Goes a long way
Yeah coconut oil, avocado oil and MCT oil are my staples!!
How's alvacado oil? Never tried it before.
It's pretty good, lots of healthy fat!
I know of a guy who insanely loads up on carbs but still doesn't gain weight. My question is where does the excess carbs go to?
Some people have a faster metabolism than others and are able to utilize the carbs they eat for energy. Many of these people are usually pretty active as well - sports, lifting, running, etc.
There are some very interesting experiments going on right now with elite athletes who start a race already in ketosis rather than hitting "the wall" when the liver runs out of glcogen and the body transitions to ketosis while still trying to run a race.
Yeah there have been a lot of recent studies that have supported Ketosis in performance! The body has far larger fuel reserves stored as fat than as carbs so it would make sense to me that runners would have prolonged energy while following a ketogenic program. Do you have a link to the study you're referring to? I'd love to read up on it!
It was in a book I read: The Complete Guide to Fasting by Dr. Jason Fung. Here is an article I found: http://main.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/2592/Fasting_for_Athletes_Dangerous_or_Good_Idea.aspx
Ahh yes, you mentioned that book, I still have it on my list and I’ll have to get it on iBooks ASAP! Thanks for the article as well!
You are welcome and thank you for the reply and upvote!
Anytime my friend! I plan on reading the book soon, I'll let you know what I think!
My mom, @bonni, was diagnosed with Type II diabetes a couple of years ago and Keto is the only thing that’s worked for her to manage sugar. I’m forwarding this to her now. Thanks for sharing,
It's fantastic that Keto has helped her so much, I'm glad to hear that! Keto is truly phenomenal and I'm also glad that researchers are continuing to take it more and more seriously and studying it closer!
I have to say, I have never really been a fan of the keto diet. You can lose weight with it, sure. My whole thing about it is that people on the keto diet are not eating enough fruits and veggies because they are high in carbs. What about the micro nutrients? Anyone else feel that way?
Thanks for your thoughts, I agree that some people definitely miss out on the proper micros from fruits and veggies, but you can actually eat a significant amount of veggies while on a keto diet - I eat veggies with almost every meal - spinach, broccoli, mixed, etc... As for the micros from fruit, most, if not all of those micros also come from veggies and meat but I also take a multi-vitamin. As long as the keto diet is supplemented with sufficient veggies and meat, I don't see a micro nutrient problem, IMO.
Hi. I liked your post, keep it up. I wish you good luck and have a good day, and of course you can also get a big jackpot :)
great information sir , upvote & resteemit done.
very useful post thank u
Thank you for reading, do you track your macros or follow a more intuitive plan?
no i dont . cuz my work and have to eat take away all time thats make me cant follow any thing but will try
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