Low-Carb Conversations Podcast (Episode 18): Eric Schmitz And Kim Eidson Give Their Two Cents On The Infamous Hope Warshaw Column

I am personally opposed to the idea of a “cheat day.” My philosophy is that, for me, carbs are like an addiction and I have done well to “just say no.” It is much easier to have made the decision never to eat high-carb foods.
My significant other (who, by the way, is a retired physician) is a bit like Eric, in that he has been supportive of my 11+ years livin’ the low-carb lifestyle, until recently when he decided to try it for himself. He has gradually cut back over the years, but as an avid cyclist, this past spring he realized that he would ride much more easily if he lost 30 pounds of extra baggage he was hauling around. He had the typical male “beer gut” which vanished in about 6 weeks of very low carb and pretty intensive biking. (Last summer, he did the biking but not the diet and didn’t lose more than a few pounds). The first week of June, he went on his annual 7-day “Bike ride across Nebraska. As has been his custom, he ate fruit and cookies at the SAG stops and enjoyed the pie and ice cream offered at the community lunches and dinners provided along the way. By the fifth day, he “bonked.” No energy or desire to go on, and for the first time in his life, abandoned the ride and I drove out to pick him up 120 miles from the finish.
When he got home, he found he had gained 9 pounds. Over the next 2 weeks, he resumed the low-carb diet (and began reading my new copy of the Phinney/Volek book), lost the 9 pounds, and trained for another multiple-day ride that I was also registered to do. We went to the sandhills of Western Nebraska and proceeded to ride 60+ miles a day on ultra-low-carb. It took some doing, as the communities hosting us provided meals, all aimed at “carbo loading,” but we persevered. Several days, we skipped breakfast (pancakes) and rode for 30 miles or more before finding a nice cafe with steak and eggs. Neither of us snacked along the route and we had energy to burn (Ketones!) Not only could we handle 60+ mile rides, but we took steep hills like there was nothing to it and averaged as much as 17 mph/ride. I should add that I am 58 and he is 69 and neither one of us is on any medications.It was a wonderful experience. Ken is now a complete convert and is singing the praises of ketogenic diets for athletes every where he goes. His medical background gives him credibility which I appreciate after years of meeting skepticism in my own efforts to promote low-carb.
Pretty good testimonial for low-carb and also a good argument for why even a short period of eating carbs even in the presence of intensive exercise, can undo the benefits of ketosis and is a really bad idea, in my opinion.