I’ve been on the Waterbury Summer Project for about 3.5 weeks now and have been keeping a caloric intake of about 2075 for 2 weeks (I currently weigh around 172). I’ve been pleased with my fat loss, my real issue is the all too popular “pouch” which resides over the elusive last of the six pack.
But over the past week or so I’ve been irritable, real irritable. I couldn’t fall asleep last night because I couldn’t stop thinking about food. My head feels rather foggy during the day (as college student this can’t happen!) And I miss the pump, the soreness, and the muscle gain, all mentally!
My workouts also range, today’s was terrible. Headrushes are the worst. I literally felt faint after each set of squat thrusts. Even yesterday, a HIIT day, a couple hours and dinner later, I got it from getting off the couch. I am hungry ALL day, yet I eat every 2-3 hours.
I cant stand watching these kids at the gym get bigger while I pursue something that hinds under my t-shirt (and my minimal body fat). The hell is wrong with me?! Simply more calories?
Is it just that I can’t hack it? Please guys, I need your input. Thank you.
The only thing I can see is that you’re in a little bit of a grey area between a ketogenic and a low carb diet. Maybe you should try cutting your carbs to reach ketosis, or add some fruit to bump your carbs up.
Ketosis will just blunt his appitite. I would suggest more carbs, like a scheduled refeed or a structured cheat day.
Some of your complaints might be because of Ketosis actually. A refeed will boost yoru metabolism and your mood, and it won’t set you back that far because you sound like you are in a glycogen depleted state anyway.
[quote]Zagman wrote:
Ketosis will just blunt his appitite. I would suggest more carbs, like a scheduled refeed or a structured cheat day.
Some of your complaints might be because of Ketosis actually. A refeed will boost yoru metabolism and your mood, and it won’t set you back that far because you sound like you are in a glycogen depleted state anyway.[/quote]
Once he’s in ketosis, shouldn’t his mood go back up?
Do 3 days of low carbs with that 1 planned day of ‘normal’ carbs (or slightly lower than normal). Helps keep you going inbetween those other days. Usually keeps the energy up (and helps on the weight lifting days to have more energy) and keeps your body from going into Starvation mode.
[quote]CthruPants wrote:
Once he’s in ketosis, shouldn’t his mood go back up?[/quote]
In ketosis the body is producing ketone bodies to be used as energy by the brain and nervous system, tissues that function optimally when they derive their energy from glucose. Because of the blood brain barrier the body needs keytones to feed the brain.
Ketosis blunts the appetite because of the non optimally functioning hypothalamus. When the brain cannot function optimally it leads to mental fogginess and irritability. If someone is in a good mood when in ketosis is isn’t because of the ketosis.
[quote]Zagman wrote:
CthruPants wrote:
Once he’s in ketosis, shouldn’t his mood go back up?
In ketosis the body is producing ketone bodies to be used as energy by the brain and nervous system, tissues that function optimally when they derive their energy from glucose. Because of the blood brain barrier the body needs keytones to feed the brain.
Ketosis blunts the appetite because of the non optimally functioning hypothalamus. When the brain cannot function optimally it leads to mental fogginess and irritability. If someone is in a good mood when in ketosis is isn’t because of the ketosis.[/quote]
Good info. I thought it was just the change-over from using glucose to ketones that caused the irritability, which would eventually go away once the body became acclimated.