Ah! Fasting for routine blood draws. Now that I'm what Mark Sisson refers to a "fat burning beast" as compared to a "sugar burner" and I can rely on my own body fat to burn, fasting in the morning for routine blood draws has never been easier.
What a huge difference this makes! I can get up, do my normal routine and feel totally fine. Very level headed, stable, energetic. I still have body fat to burn and that's what my body switches over to use for fuel for the morning. At least that's what I think is going on until I have my blood draw.
I've been on both sides of the fasting blood draw phlebotomy chair as a Medical Technologist. Asking patients if they are fasting, telling patients to fast, and of course, now - being the patient doing the fasting.
WOW!!! What a difference eating a lower carb, higher natural fat diet makes. Like a bonus of long term weight maintenance, many areas of my day-to-day life have been improved.
What is working now:
1. Eating a lower carb diet to maintain my weight loss, long term and staying leaner & fat burning.
2. Waiting to eat in the morning, some mornings ,until I feel hungry to eat- especially weekends
3. Abstaining from most processed sugar and all grains
4. Putting a note on my coffee maker to remind my brain not to brew any coffee
5. Post blood draw: Making up my usual breakfast- Eggs and Avocados, and taking it to the coffee shop for post blood draw.
What didn't work in the past:
1. Eating lots, and lots of high carbohydrate meals, I maintained obesity pretty well as a sugar burner.
2. Waking up food seeking thinking " I can't wait to rush down and prep... oatmeal, waffles, fruit" almost to the point of obsession. Getting Hangry (hungry and angry) and very, very shakey and felt unwell.
3. I used lots of sugar with plenty of fruit (It's natural!), little blue packets of Equal (It's low calorie and in my coffee!), and ate TONS of Kashi Go Lean (colon blow), Oatmeal (vehicle for brown sugar- it's natural and heart healthy), and Van's Toaster Waffles (vehicle for cool whip and fake margarine- it looks cute and low in points... so what if the margarine melts watery... that's the sacrifice I was willing to make... because it's low in points).
4. Occasionally, I would forget and brew coffee, messing up my fasting... (sigh)
5. Post blood draw: Going to the cafe at work and ordering the "Big Breakfast"- eggs and bacon, yes plus lots of potatoes (add ketchup!) and toast slathered with real butter ( I deserve it! I almost passed out)
Yeah! Totally different experience and one of the bonus items of getting off sugar and processed carbs.
I feel better now! Okay, anybody experience fasting blood draws a different way now that they've changed up their diet? Anybody pass out while waiting for their fasting blood draw. I know it can happen.
Good job, as always! I know it sure feels great to be back on my NGNS-5 template!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gwen. NSNG or NGNS- what's the 5 stand for?
Delete"WOW!!! What a difference eating a lower carb, higher natural fat diet makes"
ReplyDelete.......couldn't agree more.
All the best Jan
Jan, I'm convinced my brain thanks my body with better sleep, a calmer mind, and better immunity every single day with the higher natural fat. So glad I made the switch! :) Karen P
DeleteIt is also a lot easier for tech to find a vein on a thinner person. And I wish someone would have just told me that. For years I thought there was something about my body that made draws so tough. There was - all the fat.
ReplyDeleteI've had both experiences being obese and blood draws. I've had the stabby, stabby, 3 techs a try on blood draws = can't locate the vein. I've also had the quick and easy draws because my arm fat anchored my rolly veins.
DeleteOnce I lost weight, I lost my arm anchor fat. Now all I have to do is remind the phlebotomist to tightly achor so my rolling vein stays in one place. Apologies in advance to the squeemish reading this, but so true for me!