August 31, 2021
Based on Phil Maffetone’s two-week carbohydrate intolerance test, As A Matter Of Fat is a metabolic reset. Learn more and join our next round.
Inside Coached, we host challenges for our athletes. As A Matter of Fat, or AAMOF for short, is our nutritional challenge.
Based on Phil Maffetone’s two-week carbohydrate intolerance test, AAMOF is a metabolic reset. The idea is that you significantly reduce the carbohydrates in your diet and as a result change the way your body partitions fuel – increasing your body’s ability to burn fat.
Because blood glucose is reduced along with insulin, your hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin also become more sensitive. Craving for sweet food reduces, energy levels become more constant and most participants will improve their body composition.
AAMOF has three parts.
During the first week, participants set themselves up for success and establish their baselines. They rid their home of all NO foods – the foods they can’t eat during the challenge – and stock their pantry and Fridge with YES foods – the foods they can eat.
We also recommend that they gradually start to lower their intake of carbohydrates as the week passes. This makes the transition to the carbohydrate intolerance test – which starts in week two – significantly more comfortable.
Lastly, they take their measurements and complete a survey to take note of any pre-test symptoms.
The middle part of the challenge, in weeks two and three, are the heart of the challenge because it’s when the carbohydrate intolerance test happens. Throughout these weeks, participants follow a strict protocol where carbs are significantly reduced to around 50g a day.
Measurements and surveys are completed at the completion of the carbohydrate intolerance test.
Week four is the final week of the challenge. This week, our athletes begin to add back approved carbohydrates to their diet and monitor how they feel.
Finally, measurements and surveys are completed at the completion of the AAMOF challenge.
Racing at your potential and enjoying training is easy when you’re following the right programme.
Athletes are supported during AAMOF and help to keep each other motivated and on track. They share meal pics and their experiences in the Telegram group we set up for each challenge. The coaches and Karelle, our team nutritionist also oversee the chat and host a weekly Zoom call for participants.
Our latest challenge ended earlier this month, so I thought I would share the results.
As you can see, over half of the participants have done this challenge before, but we had close to 40% of participants doing the challenge for the first time.
Not surprisingly, the participants who were doing it for the first or second time had the hardest time with the challenge as you can see with many people rating it a seven and nine on a difficulty out of 10 scale.
All participants saw some form of improvement in the various symptoms we tracked.
This is the weight loss reported across the 4-week challenge. For some it was a little and for others, quite significant.
Most people saw a 1 – 2 cm reduction in waist circumference with a few participants losing 4cm+ off their waste.
Overall, not bad results considering that the majority of participants have done the challenge before and are already quite conscious in how they choose to eat and exercise.
As A Matter Of Fat is included with your online coaching membership. If you’re not Coached, you can still participate for $50. Register your interest below and we’ll contact you when registration for our next challenge opens.
Ben Pulham
Ben Pulham is the founder of Coached, a personalised training programme that helps runners & triathletes optimise, track and enjoy their training.