[tomtom]

I think that two pounds a week could have been too much too fast.

I lose weight at that kind of rate and am normally fine...

[webbo]

Hmmm interesting ... ok, so ... I ate at 12.30 ish.  3 boiled eggs, a ton a chiken breast, beetroots/lettuce/olives and sliced pepper.  I followed this with a banana and an apple and yes I drank a lot of water through the day.  went climbing about 3.30/4pm.

If I ate that any day for lunch I would need to go for a nap.

[Stubbs]

  3 boiled eggs, a ton a chiken breast, beetroots/lettuce/olives and sliced pepper.  I followed this with a banana and an apple

This seems like a shitload of food to have for lunch, a ton of chicken must be pretty expensive too.

[Nibile]

I think that two pounds a week could have been too much too fast.

I lose weight at that kind of rate and am normally fine...

At that rate all that is lost is basically just muscle tissue. That's why it's so fast. Muscles weigh, fat weighs a lot less, for the same mass. Maybe it's this the reason for the lack of power during the session. This and not enough carbs at the right moment. A completely carb deprived lunch isn't a good idea, you lack the energy to keep moving and fuel muscles, and all that proteins, leaving aside the fact that we can only metabolize a certain amount per meal, are going to need carbs to be better metabolized.

[webbo]

I disagree with this as your liver holds up to 2,500 cals in glycogen i.e. carbs. I very much doubt that you are going to burn this off in a couple of hours bouldering.

[Nibile]

Relying on liver based glycogen for a session doesn't sound as a good idea to me. Our body needs to adapt to resort to that kind of thing, as Dave MacLeod wrote on his blog. First of all, it's muscular glycogen that is used.
It could be good for a short term weight loss, but in the long term i wouldn't use it. 
But my point is another, that is the muscle mass consumption.
On very low calories regimenes, the first thing that our body does, is lowering the metabolism to reduce calories need. It's done by burning muscle tissue, not fat.
So, one loses weight, but becomes proportionally fatter and weaker. Maybe one could feel short term gains on the fingers, but overall power will drop.
My 2 cents (of Euro).

[Ti_pin_man]

I just knew this was a  hence posting. 

The reason for the diet is I'm trying to loose a bit of weight, probably temporarily to see if it helps my grade in the next couple of months.  kind of an experiment.  So the aim is to keep protein intake high and not cut out sugar/fat completely, only during breakfast and lunch then have a pretty normal dinner in the evening.  I felt empty on Tuesday night climbing and was curious if it related to my diet.  I was flat.  So was toying with the idea of eating something additional on the lunches before climbing in the evening.  the general concenus seems to be to consume some energy and stop moaning.  So going forward I will probably have something extra those days BUT try and make it pretty healthy, I'm thinking banana's and wholegrain bread... not chocolate and over-caffeinated sugary drink company!

[webbo]

My normal eating regime when not trying to lose weight is cereal granola or musieli at 06.45 am chickpea salad with humous, banana and an apple at 12/1.0 clock climb or other training at 5 or 6 then eat after. I rarely feel I'm lacking in energy.
At the moment trying to lose weight using 5 and 2 I'm training at the same time but only having had the fruit for lunch.I find it easier to do aerobic stuff on the fasting days, an hour on the turbo trainer as it requires less brain power than climbing although I have had some good climbing sessions on fasting days but usually my head feels full of cotton wool by 5 on these days.
 My energy levels feel ok.

[tim palmer]

On very low calories regimenes, the first thing that our body does, is lowering the metabolism to reduce calories need. It's done by burning muscle tissue, not fat.
So, one loses weight, but becomes proportionally fatter and weaker. Maybe one could feel short term gains on the fingers, but overall power will drop.
My 2 cents (of Euro).

I think it is extremely unlikely that this is the case in this instance, it would need to be a pretty savage and unbalanced diet to tip someone into such a catabolic state. 

Is it not just simply a lack of carbohydrate which our muscles like to function on? 

[krymson]

wasn't there a show on the BBC recently about 2 twins, one who cut out carbs and one who cut out fat? Both diets sucked balls but the one who cut out carbs felt lethargic all the time.

Sugar calories are not gonna make you fatter than calories from any other source. eat flapjack before the wall or some small sweets while climbing. the calories will be used immediatly and you'll do a lot better than starving yourself of carbs.

[Paul B]

that'll be the one embedded in page 1 

[krymson]

indeed it is! 

[bagger]

I'm not keen on eating before a session, for similar weight control reasons. I find that some tri-carb juice mix, mixed quite weak, usually gives me that wee bit extra to get through. I sip it regularly through the session, and if I dont need it I dont drink it. Worth a try?