Summer Shorts 2014 #2 - Fasting for Blood Draws has never been easier (now that I'm fat adapted)

Summer Shorts 2014 #2 - Fasting for Blood Draws

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.