Becoming A Fat Burner
Are you preparing for some big outdoor adventures this summer and wondering what to eat? Imagine if you could eat less, have more energy, lose weight and prevent bonking! All you must do is become a fat burner!
Our body has two preferred fuel sources – glucose (carbs) and ketones (fatty acids aka fat). We spend a lot of time fueling our carb burning selves with sugary Gatorade, goo-type gels and gummy shot-blocks, but as athletes we often don’t give our body a chance to fuel itself with fat! This is a missed opportunity, since most of us walk around with ready stores of fuel in the form of excess body fat. Wouldn’t you LOVE to see your body prioritizing using it’s own body fat? Starting as soon as possible and train your body to become fat adapted, and help gain stable energy on and off the mountains.
Below are a few changes you can make in day to day life to move you towards becoming fat adapted:
- Stop snacking every 30 min/1 hour/2 hours and try to make it at least 4 hours between meals
- Increase high quality fats at meals (such as pastured eggs, avocados, and nitrate-free bacon – YUM!)
- When you find you are hungry between meals, try drinking water first
- If hydrating doesn’t curb your hunger, seek out a protein rich snack
- Encourage good digestion and absorption of these quality meals by slowing down to eat and chewing your food properly
- MOST IMPORTANTLY – cut way back on simple carbohydrates & sugars (things like breads, pastas, white potatoes, sugary snacks).
Consider a temporary Sugar Detox for quick results! This might sound scary, but it can revolutionize the way you feel. By cutting out sugar, our body will naturally gravitate towards breaking down our fat stores into ketones! Ultimately this will increase your energy, improve sleep, help you build muscle and lose fat. You don’t have to do this alone, either, as there are many group programs available that can provide great support.
Check out the Whole 30 Program
(learn about my private and group RESTART programs here)
The ultimate goal isn’t to completely cut out sugar or live solely off ketones, but rather to have a body that can readily move from recruiting ketones or glucose to best meet our needs. Be Gut-Z and try one thing off the list tonight!
Be well on your health journey-Natalie!
About the Author:
Natalie Brechtel loves food, mountains, rock climbing, and the Lord of the Rings. She owns her own Nutritional Therapy practice where she helps other outdoor lovers prepare for the trail or recover from digestive challenges. She teaches around the country as a lead instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates. She also works as a professional Mountain Guide in California’s Sierra Nevada, Washington Cascades and abroad. She’s spent over a year in Antarctica, climbed big walls in Chile and carried many heavy backpacks for long distances. At only 5 feet tall she knows what it takes to push your physical limits. Natalie likes to share her passions and knowledge for wild places, empowering others to get outside with all the skills and fuel to have an amazing time, safely. Learn more at gutzjourney.com
