Never Bonk and Eat all the Bacon You Want

On 12/03/2017
By Gene

I was wrong! For the last 25 years I thought I needed a large volume of carbohydrates in my diet to do any form of endurance exercise. Even my 80 year old grandfather laughed about how when he played football for The University of Virginia in the 1920’s “they didn’t know about carbohydrate loading and ate steak the night before a game”. Turns out my grandfather had the right plan (as long as there was a lot of fat on that steak and no potato with it).

I know it sounds crazy but you can eat as much fat as you want (because you can’t eat a lot of fat, it fills you up!) and teach your body to burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates! As long as you restrict your carb intake (usually less than 50 grams of carbs, a 12oz Coke has 42 grams!) you will also lose weight on this diet (or, if you already have a lean build, maintain you weight). The best thing, you can’t bonk! Even a lean professional endurance athlete has 100,000+ kcals of fat (energy to burn) vs. 2,000 kcals of carbohydrates*. *http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/the-bodyrsquos-fuel-sources This way of eating is know as Low Carb High Fat (LCHF), The Keto Diet or in South Africa “Banting”.

Everyone who knows me can’t believe how much I eat! My nickname in college was tapeworm! When I raced cross country I ate over 6,000 calories a day (10,000 on big days), I ate more pasta than you have ever seen, then finished it with a half gallon of ice cream! Yet I weighed 167 pounds (at 6’3″) I now weigh 190 and people still think of me as being slim (must have been really skinny in my xc racing days!)! I had to eat a bar every 30-45 minutes on a ride! My breakfasts were legendary, 3 eggs, 3 pieces of bacon, a quarter of a cantaloupe with a big handful of almonds, 6-8 oz of yogurt with a cup or two of granola (and I would be starving by noon).

On the above diet, after eating that big breakfast, if I did a three hour ride from 9:00 until noon I would eat at least two Kate’s Real Food Bars (360 calories each) and one Clif Builders Bar (270 calories) and finish the ride at Milt’s with a burger, fries and LARGE milkshake.

I was the friend that annoyed friends on long rides! “Let’s keep going, my metabolism is kicking!” I would say after the shortest of breaks. Then I was the one begging friends for food, “I didn’t think this ride was going to take so long, anyone have a bar or some trail mix?”

Now I eat a breakfast consisting of three eggs (cooked in butter and bacon fat!), 4 pieces of bacon and half an avocado. Then I ride from 9am until noon and I just drink water on the ride (have now learned to drink an electrolyte drink)! When finished I have a smoothie and hamburger with a flax seed bun (made without wheat), avocado, tomato and I’m stuffed!

I tried the Atkins’s diet 18 years ago and leaned out until I had a six-pack for the first time in my life but I couldn’t ride more than 30 minutes without running out of energy! The missing ingredient was fat!

Now, this LCHF diet isn’t easy to do at first, there are hidden carbs in almost all prepackaged foods. You have to cook/make most of what you eat. Also, the first week of switching to this diet many people get the keto flu (you feel nauseous and lack energy for a few days to a week), to fight this you need to increase your intake of salt, magnesium and potassium.

It’s also not all bacon, all the time! You still need a lot of fiber, so eat your veggies!

I’m no expert on diet though so I am just speaking from my experience, the experience of a few friends, asking every doctor I meet and from what I have read. If you would like more information I have included quite a few links below (or simply search LCHF Diet and you will be astounded at the amount of information)! Research has proven this diet to be safe, sugar (carbs) are what cause people to become fat and other issues, not dietary fat! When the world went “low fat” obesity and diabetes skyrocketed!

Have you tired to eat this way? Are you currently eating this way? I would love to hear about your experiences or any questions you have! Please feel free to share this article with anyone you think would benefit from it.

Addition information:

This great video from Peter Attia explains Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) for athletes really well: https://vimeo.com/51891286

www.dietdoctor.com has great films, Ceral Killer, That Sugar Film, Film: My Big Fat Diet, about Canadian First Nations Obesity, and written content. They will ask you to join but you can do it for free.

https://www.ketovangelist.com/, full of great articles and 135 podcasts and

Comments

27 Comments

  1. Dennis

    I’ve been eating LCHF for about 2 years now, with the same results you have! Nobody believes me though, so I’ve stopped telling people, unless they specifically ask about my diet. I’m not a power-house though, so it rarely comes up.

    Reply
    • Gene

      Yeah, people are understandably afraid of fat! All the low fat foods we have that are considered “health food”! Glad you are enjoying, no better way to tell people than leading by example!

      Reply
  2. Mark Borman

    Yes, my wife and I have been eating this way for over 1 year and have the same fantastic experiences you stated. We also use UCAN to keep blood sugar stable and enhance steady energy from fat burn to further eliminate bonks and post-workout cravings. https://www.generationucan.com/

    Mark Borman, BetterRide student alumnus

    Reply
    • Gene

      Sweet Mark! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  3. Ethan

    Awesome Gene, you’ve hit the bacon on the nose. Sugar is the evil in foods! Make note thou that a lot of folks think of sugar as just that sugar that we pour out of the container, the nasty white stuff! But remember that sugar is pasta, bagels, bread, cookies, lots of processed foods and most carb based foods, carbs turn into sugar hence the obesity problem we have now. And the last thought on a very massive and complicated subject is the quality of food. Think of it in terms of crap in crap out. As best you can eat organic, eat grass fed, eat local and natural of course, eat more veggies than anything!
    A McDonald’s burger does not count as a good fat diet!

    Reply
    • Gene

      Right on Ethan! I agree with everything you said! Sugar is also what feeds many diseases, it’s amazing and sad they we let companies like Coke, Red Bull, Pepsi, etc. advertise a drink filled with two physically addictive and horrible for you drugs! And we were raised to think fruit juice, wheat bread and most carbs are good for you!

      Funny, it’s easier herein South Africa to get grass fed, organic meats!

      Reply
  4. Michael

    This summer I was pushing 220lbs at 6’2″. Started working out harder, riding more and dropped 3 lbs…turns out some of the “recovery” shakes I was drinking was packing ALOT of calories. So I said, “forget this” and went on a low carb 6 week strict diet. No more than 20 carbs/day, no sweets, no alcohol. Lost 15 lbs in 6 weeks. Then I adjusted where I kept my carbs low during the week and pretty much ate what I want on the weekend – within moderation. Lost another 8 pounds and am sitting at 194. I found during my strict phase that I was running out of energy about an hour into the ride. Now I do not run out of energy at all. So, for me, this type of eating works.

    Mike

    Reply
    • Gene

      Nice work Mike!

      Reply
  5. Rob Lawrence

    Hi
    I have been “eating” this way now for about 5 years. The general health benefits are huge in the avoidance of crap carbs and the emphasis on unprocessed veggies fats and meats. I have far more energy, am nearly 40 lbs lighter and I feel better than when i was 30. And I am 60. 🙂

    Reply
    • Gene

      Hi Rob, Thanks for sharing your story. I’m 51 and feel better than 40, hopefully the longer I’m on this diet the more I will feel like 30!

      Reply
  6. Colin Beach

    Great article! I have been eating more carbs, as a result of my sweat smelling like ammonia, which is apparently a byproduct of my body metabolizing amino acids. My wife says “make sure you’re eating the good carbs and not the bad white ones, and Omega 3 and 6 fats”. It’s been somewhat of a work in progress, and I’m realizing that it might take my body some time to adjust.
    Thanks for always writing and teaching us new things, Gene 🤙😁

    Reply
    • Gene

      Hi Colin, the goal is low carbs (as in less than 25 grams a day) and high fat! There are few if any “good carbs”. Please read the articles I have linked and prepare to be very skeptical until you try it! Do you know Lars Roming from Sedona? He has been on this diet for over a year and that man crushes it on a bike!

      Reply
  7. Lifan

    We love keto and LCHF! Keeps the blood sugar stable, feels good and Keto sleep is the best, also! 😀

    Reply
  8. Lifan

    There’s also a great book I read this year called, “The Big Fat Surprise.” It’s awesome and I would recommend it for the history it goes into about how Fat become such the villain.

    Reply
    • Gene

      Good read, amazing how so many people can’t see the correlation with when the US went “low fat” we had a huge spike in obesity!

      Reply
  9. Rod Christiansen

    Hi Gene,

    I’ve been doing the Keto diet since June of 2017. I lost 25 lbs, increased my muscle strength as well as endurance. I race XC MTBike as a Clydesdale, I’m 6’5″ tall as well as CX in the Masters 45+ class. Right now, I’m at 220 lbs and working on being down to 210 LBS before MTBike racing starts in March of 2018.
    I’ve never felt or performed better even with some pretty severe muscle and ligament injuries.

    Reply
    • Gene

      Great to hear Rod! Keep it up!

      Reply
  10. Bill

    Great article! I’ve been eating keto for 5 years. Wish I learned how to eat like this (healthy) when I was younger.

    Reply
  11. Lucia

    I am sorta there with this. Has anyone been able to use the can for on the bike/run ok? When i use it before its goopey and sometimes hard to get down. Is there a secret for longer racing? I go back to gu’s and feel terrible by the end of the race.

    Reply
  12. Lucia

    Sorry ucan

    Reply
  13. John Harri

    I decided to try the Leadville 100 in my early 60s so I hired a professional coach, He immediately convinced me to go to the diet described in Gene’s article. I was skeptical, but I did it. Like Gene I can now ride long periods of time, using only my electrolyte drink for calories. Interestingly, a year after starting it my total cholesterol had dropped 30 and my HDL had gone up 20. So, not only had I become a fat burner, but I also had a better cardiovascular blood profile.

    Reply
    • Gene

      Hi John, great to hear! Thanks for sharing and being an inspiration to us!

      Reply
  14. Bill Andrews

    I agree 100% but I’m one of those that can eat anything non-stop and never gain weight. Unless it’s too much beer.
    Speaking of beer, that was part of my marathon training diet along with tons of pasta. Here’s the secret: You have to load up on carbs at least 2-3 days ahead if you want the full effect from them. A couple nights before a race I would eat a pound of pasta and down a couple pitchers of beer. (not anymore though) I had a 6 mile kick that felt unreal. It’s true that fat is good because the carbs you’ve stored will burn this up at high exertion levels. (over 85 bpm heart rate) What I’ve found regarding diets is that the worrying about what to eat is worse than just eating. Stress is the real enemy. The same basic rules apply: Get a good sleep, eat lots of greens, no hankie-panky and no dairy products 24 before a race. Other than that, eat whatever truly satisfies your hunger. Referred by Mountain Biking Over Fifty : Kenny Dunn

    Reply
  15. Brad Fackrell

    I teach all my athlete patients to do this. (Most non-athletes don’t have the motivation to do it) Primal Endurance is also a great resource. I can easily now do 3-5 hour rides with no breakfast and no carbs. Eating more fat and less carbs.

    Reply
    • Gene

      Right on Brad!

      Reply
      • Brad Fackrell

        Looking forward to doing a camp and visiting with you this year.

        Reply
        • Gene

          Hi Brad, Excellent! I can’t wait to coach you!

          Reply

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Rider Reviews

Thanks again, you were a great part of my succees for 2005. I had the best year of my life. Part of which at the age of 52, I entered numerous mtn bike races, podiumed 5 times and won the Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association series for my division.

Your instruction, professsionalism and emails went above and beyond all expectations.

Kent Wells
2016

Thanks Coach Gene for your time the last 2 days! Your coaching is spot on! I’m so lucky to have had the chance to spend this time learning from the most passionate mountain biker out there – one who cares about the sport and all the techniques that go into it! Total respect! That’s all I have to say! If anyone is questioning or “thinking” about signing up for his camp- DON’T , just do! Thank you Gene!!!!

Gretchen Wavro

This was by far the best use of both money and time in regards to my mountain bike training.
Its 3 days of my life I will never forget.

Jim, BetterRide Camper

The results are starting to trickle in as I have the time to ride some of my local rides that I track my times on.  I’m astonished!

My descending time from the summit of Chimney Gulch to the Beaver Brook cross over dropped from a personal best of 6:51.0 to 5:46.0, for the bottom section it went from a personal best of 13:42.0 to 10:12.2.  Considering that I really haven’t had enough time to practice a lot yet, I’m stunned at the improvement.  I can also say that I felt more in control than I used to and I cleaned a section I’ve never had the balls to even try before.

Again Gene, I can’t thank you enough.  The camp was great.  Your ability to break skills down into digestible parts, watch riders and help them refine techniques, your humility and sense of humor make you a world class coach.  I’ll be taking your next level two clinic this year and probably a refresher next year.”

 Mark Forgy
Expert XC racer, Mountain Bike Fanatic

Just wanted to give you an update and let you know that I am starting to experience the delayed effects of your camp.  I knew when the camp ended that I was leaving with some new skills that were helpful immediately.  But I also knew there were other skills that were going to take more practice, patience and time.  Well, I’m starting to see them.  

I’ve been practicing descending the way you instructed us but until the last couple of weeks, I knew I was still faster descending the way I always had – I was just more comfortable that way.  But in the last couple of weeks, it all kind of clicked.  

I’m not winning any downhill races – yet – but all of a sudden (and it really did seem to happen pretty suddenly) your techniques took over and instead of just using them at low speeds only when I thought about it, I was using them all over the trails and feeling pretty comfortable.  Now I find myself only reverting to my old techniques when I come into a corner already off balance.  Anyway, thanks, it’s a great feeling – can’t wait to use them on race courses this year!

Sarah Kaufman
Top Pro Endurance Racer

I just wanted to let you know that I’ve had big improvements in my racing this year after taking the betteride course (about 10 minutes improvement from last year).  I got 2nd place in the beginner category at Eldora, then placed 15th out of 35 in the Sport category at Winterpark in my first ‘sport race’.   I passed people on the downhill for the first time in these two races, and am feeling much more confident on the downhills (I hit 31.5 mph max on a tight singletrack in the Eldora race).

Jonathan Jones

Tonight was the first night of practice cyclocross races.  The cornering techniques I learned in you camp last weekend rock on the cross bike.  I was able to carry speed through the corners and off cambers that I could only dream of last year!

I actually found myself cranking up the speed before the corners instead of braking. Nobody else is using this technique.  I found my self keeping pace with stronger riders just on cornering skill alone.  Imagine after I’ve a had a few weeks to practice.

I had best time of my life on a mountain bike at your camp, and look forward to doing another one next spring.

Chris Cornelison
September 24, 2010

I took your Neshaminy clinic in June.  I wanted to fill you in on my race results.  I raced all season in the Midatlantic Super Series in Women’s Sport. I won the overall championship!  I am so happy that I won!  I will be moving up to Elite next year.

I’ve been doing the drills you taught for 20 minutes, twice a week.  I almost always preride my race courses.  I work on hard sections to figure out the best lines.  Since the clinic, I have noticed that my balance has improved tremendously.

So, Gene… thank you for the clinic.  I still tell all my riding buddies about it. Especially how you break down the mechanics of everything that you teach.  I let them know how you explain the physics behind the techniques.  I tell them that the learning environment you provide is the perfect way to learn something, practice it, and really get it. I’d love to do a refresher course.

Angie Wallace
September 15, 2009

Attending Gene’s camp in Sedona was one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. You can read skills articles and watch the youtube videos all day, but these will never engrain the skills needed to become a good mountain biker.

Gene’s course teaches you all of the primary skills, and then he drills them into you. You repeat these drills under his watchful eye until the become engrained. It’s been about 9 months since I attended the course and I still hear Gene correcting me if I’m going about an obstacle or turn in the wrong position.

I still make every ride a learning experience because of what he taught, and my riding has improved immensely as a result. Thanks Gene!

Steven Peyton
August, 2018

Just wanted to show you what your lessons made me do this past weekend!  If you click on the photo or link to the photo album look through the album and on the 2nd page, bottom row, there’s a great shot of me doing what you taught me to do with my elbows-totally Brian Lopes style. 

I was impressed to see myself doing that-a big change in my riding style and I know it’ll make me faster in the long run.

So thanks and I may have some time coming up where I can make it to one of your camps-I’ll let you know.

Amanda Riley, Kenda, Titus, Hayes Team
Winners of 2008, 24 hours of Old Pubelo

Thanks again for holding the camp last weekend.  I was finally able to get out and ride yesterday on the falcon trail (loop that goes around the Air Force Academy).  There are two sections that I have had problems with in the past.  One is a tight turn with two drop offs that are oddly spaced and the landing slopes off into some bushes.  I’ve ridden the trail a dozen times and walked that section most times.  Once I tried it and endo‘ed into the bushes.  When I rode it yesterday, I cleared it with confidence.  

I kept repeating to myself “Do or Do Not – There Is No Try”:-) I relaxed, saw the line I wanted to take, found my balance and went through the section very controlled – it was great!

The next section is a steep switchback climb with a ton of sand.  I have never made that turn, although I have tried to every time I’ve ridden the trail.  This time I approached the switchback using the techniques and strategy you taught us.  The result – made it!  No problem!

The last thing I noticed is that the whole ride was smoother.  I focused primarily on the vision techniques  – and body position skills.  The ride felt slower than what I normally ride, but it was actually six minutes faster!  Absolutely amazing!
Brad
Oct. 8, 2008 (5 days after his 3-day coaching session)

My son took your camp in winter park at age 14. He is 16 and just completed the Laramie Epic (30 miles) last weekend. He placed 2 in the age bracket 0-29. He continues to use your techniques and tips. Smooth is fast! Your worksheets are worn out and weathered from continued use! Worth it….you bet!!!

Sheila Palmer
July 2019

Your camp gave me the confidence to go out and try a few races this summer.  My first race was in the beginner 40 to 45 age class in the “Point to Point” cross country race in Winter Park.  While I certainly did not break any records – I at least had a respectable finish and more importantly had a total blast.  

My second race was a Super D (much more my style in that there is MUCH less uphill cranking) at Winter Park where I got a second place finish in my age group.  3rd race was a Mountain States Cup Super D race in Copper where I came in tenth.  Again no records but still having a total blast.  

My friends the same age as me think I am crazy doing this stuff but I think they are crazy to be sitting on their arses.  Again, thank you for giving me the confidence to go out there and try some racing and hopefully in the near future I will be in another one of your camps!

Will Edgington
September, 2009

Thanks for the e-mail.  By the way, after completing your camp in Arizona, I dropped 5 minutes off my previous best lap time at the 12 hours of Temecula mountain bike race (59 to 54 minutes).  Obviously, this was a significant breakthrough.  

I’ve also noticed that by being a smoother and more efficient rider and by decoupling my body from the bike, I exert less energy and travel faster.  “Looking to victory” works like a charm.  Most importantly, the basic skills I was exposed to in your camp (and continue to develop) have made mountain biking more enjoyable.

Keith
January 2008

I’ve been wanting to pass on a personal success story.  I participated in my first mountain bike race in Copper Harbor, MI. I placed 6th in my age group (over 6 min. behind 3rd place) on a very technical course. Considering the field, I was happy with the results.

My goal after the BetterRide camp was to be in the top 3 in the same race with a similar field. With my new found skills I placed 1st this time with 2nd place over 7 min. behind. I tore it up! Thanks, I’m always telling people that no matter how much they think they know how to ride a mountain bike, they owe it to themselves to attend one of your camps. A year later I still practice my skills every time I’m out.

BTW, a while back you suggested some reading material. I chose Body, Mind Mastery by Dan Millman. (in audio book form). Not only do I feel it helped my mountain bike skills with things like, how tension is counter productive and how the “opponent is not the enemy, but instead the teacher” it also helped me in my own personal life. Good recommendation!
Keep up the good job.

Rich Schmit
April 2011

Gene and fellow BetterRiders!
I have been smiling all day long today, thinking about our rad weekend together! I taught 4 of my kids how to do wheelies today and they thought I was super cool for a solid 5 minutes until they had it completely mastered and were smoking past my on their rear wheels. 

 
Thank you forever, Gene, for sharing your passion and deciding to teach. An empowering, motivating, completely exhilarating weekend. I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning with my new toy. It was a total honor to cross paths with you all!

Currently standing on one leg while I brush my teeth and dictate this email…
Jen  

Friends took the 3 day a while ago and really enjoyed it.

I didn’t think I was ready for that but I hired him privately for most of a day. Best experience going. It helped my skiing also. Eyes, eyes and balance via movement on the bike. 

Steamboat in the rain…..

John Rostenbur

MTB Skills Camp in Fraser, CO. It was amazing. Phenomenal skills coach, Coach Gene Hamilton, literally broke down the fundamentals of mountain biking in 3 days. Super fun fellow campers. Enjoyed every bit.

Now I need to practice and strengthen some new neural circuits. If you want to improve your MTB skills, no matter your level, take a course from Better Ride.
Patricia George

Thank you, Gene! I thoroughly enjoyed your skills camp. One of the most effective learning environments I have experienced to date. Now it is all about due diligence!

 I am interested in a “day with Gene in Moab” and future course offerings.

Ryan Bertram

 

Gene, The first thing I did was buy some cones. My drive way is pretty steep so can do switch backs there. My pedal wheelies are coming along. Yesterday I had a bit of a breakthrough ride with my vision. On a ride with some small drop offs I realized by using the vision technique I was more balanced, more comfortable and jumped further without trying. 

That was the best clinic I have ever done. Thanks for the reading list. I’ve read a number of those books but I now have more to read.

Don Leet

 

 

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