Basic Principles Of Fat Loss

by James Alexander-Ellis
BASIC PRINCPLES OF FAT LOSS
SECTION 1: Calories and Macros.
1: The basics of thermodynamics and human metabolism

Our bodies have their own unique needs for energy - and we process foods, store and burn calories in different ways. Our
metabolic system is a vastly complicated and often misunderstood network of organs and enzymes. It is the major system
controlling our body composition.
Our overall daily Calorie intake is one of the simplest ways of controlling fat storage - or fat burning! I'm sure that at some point
many of you have tried "counting calories" in an attempt to ensure a calories deficit across the day. (Eating less than your body
needs)

What's the basic theory behind this? It's the law of thermodynamics : Basically that energy in must equal energy out; or in this
case that in order to lose weight we must burn MORE energy than we take in, and that we will gain weight if we consume more
than we burn. Does this sound a little simplistic?
Later we will see that is not as simple as simply eating less. Remember that our bodies have evolved over hundreds of years
and are very good at self preservation!

2: How and Why to calculate Calories - and What are Macros?

The idea of counting calories is as old as the earliest diet, and although it is seen as boring, or too much effort, or not necessary
- we cannot ignore this basic system for creating a calorie deficit in order to lose weight.

Certainly eating a calorie deficit is ONE simple and sometimes effective route to fat loss, and may be even more effective in
individuals with much higher bodyfat level, but in so many cases it is far more complex. Fat loss often relates more to our
hormones and also the individual make up of our foods.
Calculating your calories, working out your calorie needs is without doubt a USEFUL exercise to undergo. Why? Because you
will learn a lot about what is in the foods that you eat! Most of us are pretty clueless! I used to be!
After a few days of counting the same things and calculating numbers you may become equipped enough simply to judge
things by eye.
And thus we introduce the term Macros!
A real buzz word in the fitness and diet industry. We have only recently started to grasp that protein, fat and carbs all have
varying calorie values and different uses within, and effects on, the human body.

3: Different Macros explained to suit GOALS, ACTIVITY LEVELS and GENETICS.

Here's a simple overview:
Protein has 4kcals per gram. Found mostly in meat, dairy products, eggs and some nuts and vegetables. It is not readily
associated with fat storage. It's the single most essential macronutrients but the most often ignored.
Protein is needed for cellular repair and maintenance of muscle tissue and soft tissues. Our organs rely on protein intake and
without sufficient protein the human body enters a catabolic state: hence vegans are all somewhat on the skinny side ;-)
Carbohydrates are also 4kcals per gram.
These are starches like pasta, grains, rice but also simple sugars like those found in fruit and more refined sugars like table
sugar (sucrose).
Carbs are used by the body as a primary energy source especially when fuelling more intense activities (more on this later!).
Sadly it is carbohydrate excess which is to blame for the majority of the western obesity epidemic over the last 20 years or so.
Fats. Evil fats.... The enemy of any ill-informed dieter. How many of you have followed a low-fat diet at some point or have tried
to keep fats very low in order to pursue better weight loss?
At 9kcals per gram they appear on paper as somewhat dangerous. Fats are essential to the body - found in the structure of all
cells, the spinal cord, the brain itself and used in many biological processes. And yes..... As humans we store fat readily for use
in times of need. It's a primal physiological function that is one of the reasons that most of us aren't walking around with the flat
stomach we so desire!
Fats are used as energy by the body for low intensity activity such as sitting around, walking, breathing and digesting food.
Increase the intensity a little and most of us burn a majority of carbohydrates as opposed to fats (again, more on this later!)
We've all heard of the "fat burning zone" and its efficacy for weight loss is one of the myths I would like to debunk in this book.

(Basically your body hates you, and doesn't care if you want to be lean)
Low fat diets are still common but are dying, and for good reason. Popular now is a newer dieting style that leads me on nicely
to:
4: The Science Behind The Low Carb Diet.

Low Carb Diet. Sounds like a familiar term right? I bet everyone reading this is either on one now, or has been in the last
year or so.
I have been fascinated by the manipulation of carbs for the last 8 years and have used the concept in my own diet and
that of many hundreds of clients.

I'll make a bold statement: it's a system that works. It's not the only route to fat loss, but it's a system which has a couple
of very sound and simple physiological explanations:

1: Being deprived of a specific fuel source in theory makes us use an alternative one. So we may burn more fat
when we lower our carbs. This is a simplification but it's enough for the moment.

2: More import in my experience is that carb reduction results in a reduction in blood sugar spikes, immediately
impacting insulin production. More on this later! Suffice to say that insulin is one of the primary metabolic
hormones that can be the end of many a journey to fat loss.

Atkins was probably the first company to "sell" low-carb diet related products to the mass consumer and we've probably
all tried one at some point, but really the low carb or even NO carb diet is a simple nutrition concept that yields results in a
majority of trainees.
I truly believe that controlling carbs can unlock the mystery of sustainable weight loss for so many confused dieters!
5: Myth Busting!
Thanks to the media, the billion dollar turnover food companies, and the excess of so called experts on the internet we
are in a state of information overload and also being heavily mis-led on a few issues. I'd like to clear a few up, and I hope
that maybe they'll stimulate some thought.

1: Whole Grain (or nothing!)

We are led to believe that a carbohydrate being of a "whole grain" nature (meaning it has undergone one or two less
levels of refinement) that it is healthy. It is even being referred to as slow release in some cases. Indeed it may be
slower.

Lets just say that whole grains and half grains are both supercars, just that one is a Ferrari and one is a Porsche. They
both go FAST! Grains are generally considered one of the poorer sources of carbs for a fat loss friendly diet. Many
people are intolerant to grains or gluten particularly. Remove wheat and grain products from your diet and see the
difference!

2: Low Sugar (complex vs simple carbs and food labelling manipulation)

Firstly LOW SUGAR often means high fat, but I dont really have an issue with that. As I said I think we avoid fats. Id
rather see LOW SUGAR and HIGH FAT on the label to be honest!
We have heard of simple and complex carbs. One is bad and one is good? Simple sugars are monosaccarides (single
chain - mono) and complex ones are starchy or longer chain polymer carbs and usually disaccarides (two) or
polysaccarides (multiple). The latter 2 will digest and cause blood sugar to rise more slowly, hence the concept of good
and bad.
As far as the term SUGAR goes - The myth is that only Sucrose itself and certain other types of simple carbs (Sugar is a
double bond of the molecules of Fructose and Dextrose making it a Dissacharide) will be actually LABELLED as sugar.
Other carb sources, even some which have just as strong an effect on blood sugar will fall out of this classisfication.
What else is making up these DELICIOUS bars? Usually labelled as other carbs soluble fibre or in some cases. To
me, soluble means digestible.
Typical example: Modern Protein bar. Weve all seen them!
Only 2g of Sugar! (Total Carbs 22g) So just watch out when youre dieting - is there ever really going to be a tasty chew
bar that is totally fat loss friendly? Well QUEST and REFLEX and others will certainly try to sell them to us. Take these
supplements as supplements and prioritise whole foods in your diet ..... Everything in moderation and youll be fine!

3: Eating Breakfast and your metabolism

Studies have shown that eating produces a thermic effect. This has a very short term impact on metabolic rate. You burn
a few Kcals to chew and digest. That's it. You won't shut down without breakfast. You wont have no energy because
the body stores energy so effectively. The best boost to metabolic rate is the amount of lean muscle you have on your
body, or the development of. Also the EPOC effect which Ill talk about later which is the after-burn we get after intense
training. As for breakfast, it's YOUR choice whether or not to rush to it... Just make sure it's an informed choice.

4: Eat every 2 hours? (or die)

As above basically. Food companies want you to think you have to eat 6 times a day. Some supplement companies may
also suggest this. Warning of a slow metabolism etc. The human body has not evolved far enough yet from the hunter
gatherers of our ancestors, where meals were eaten once maybe twice a day. It's society that has brought us this
convenience driven approach to food, which also means a more frequent feeding pattern.

5: Fruit is weight loss friendly and so are "natural sugars"

Yes Fructose has a lower GI than normal sugar. It in fact hardly digests at all and is processed in the liver alone. But it
does (According to the world expert Dr. Richard Johnson is at the University of Colorado) seem to have an effect on the
hormone leptin and is linked to leptin resistance (more on this later) For the moment read this as lack of appetite control.
Also when processed in the liver it has been shown ni studies to increase the activity of lipogenic enzymes (chemicals
that assist in the fat storage process). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructolysis
GO EASY ON THE FRUIT! Choose berries as they have a very LOW fructose content and it's hard to eat a tonne of
them.
 BASIC PRINCPLES OF FAT LOSS
SECTION 2: The Power Of Hormones.
1: Insulin, carbs and fat storage
I'll be the first to argue that using too flexible an approach to dieting, regardless of getting under your daily caloric needs,
is not an effective way to diet. Especially in the more advanced trainee that desires very low bodyfat. Why is this? It's
mainly down to the existence of the hormone insulin.
As far as I'm concerned this is THE most crucial piece of information for you to understand.
In a nutshell Insulin is the master metabolic hormone, all powerful, and obeyed by many of the other hormones. When
insulin sits down at the table all the other hormones bow their heads and go silent. He is the daddy.
When we eat food and specifically carbohydrate rich food, the food digests and is turned into blood sugar during digestion.
This substance (known as glycogen once stored) is toxic to the body in high quantities and the Pancreas is signalled to
produce insulin, and slows down/stops production when blood sugar levels stabilise. This is all a very normal physiological
state and without insulin we would die. Ask a Type1 diabetic.
However, high insulin in the blood creates a storage environment as insulin is a potent storage hormone, shuttling
nutrients into muscle cells, into the liver and some into what we call adipocytes. (Fat stores)
So - does that mean that carbs make us fat? Certainly not that simple. However, every large carbohydrate meal, eaten in
an environment where muscle tissue is saturated already with glycogen, or where the meal has had a heavy mix of carbs
and fats, one would expect to see fat storage.
With fatty acids and blood sugar levels high in the blood stream, both can be readily stored.

The other side of the coin is that not only could insulin be seen as "encouraging" a lipogenic environment (lipogenic - fat
storing) but even more notable for the trainee is that insulin will temporarily HALT the fat loss process in the body.

Studies show that that mobilising hormones adrenaline and nor-adrenalin are blunted with insulin present. These
hormones work to mobilise local fatty acid at adipocytes and turn them into FFAS or free fatty acids which can circulate
the blood stream be used as fuel. Insulin also is antagonistic to natural production of growth hormone (GH) which comes
from the pituitary gland. GH is knows as a potent fat burning hormone, as well as many other metabolic benefits.
What I'm trying to say is not "stay off the carbs or you'll get fat" but more so stay off the carbs at key times when trying to
get lean! Who said dieting was complicated?
Note: Very flexible dieting - where simply a deficit is created regardless of the macro split - can works for obese
individuals, and works for genetically gifted and/or very hard working trainee.

2: Cortisol, stress and fat storage

This is another hormone you have likely read about. Known as a stress hormone.
It is linked with adrenaline in this respect. Cortisol is another essential hormone that fluctuations of, or a deficiency in, can
be dangerous to the body. What does It mean to the fat loss trainee?
Cortisol can elevate at key times and has been show to increase appetite.
Different types of stress can trigger excessive cortisol production: physical stress or injury, emotional stress, and even
stress at a cellular level such as an inflammatory response to an allergen or a toxin in the gut.
Lack of sleep has been shown to cause a more stressful sensation upon waking
and thus the desire to overeat or make bad food choices. Waking, in itself causes a surge in adrenaline and cortisol
(literally to make us change our metabolic state to one of readiness) and so this is one explanation for morning hunger
pangs.
Stressful situations will generally make us turn to food.
We have all heard the term "comfort food"......... And we've surely all eaten it?!
4: Leptin and fat storage
Yet another essential and fat loss influencing hormone is Leptin.
Leptin is considered the master "set point" hormone at which your genetic level of body fat is set. Your "set point" is
where your body is comfortable and healthy at a certain level of bodyfat % and Leptin will regulate this.
Now I say comfortable... For those struggling to lose body fat - it's time to realise again that your body hates you and
doesn't want to you be lean!! Regardless of what you think about your body, it's thinking worse as you try to diet. It's like
"uh uh....." No way Jose! I neeeeed that squidgy stuff"

Leptin is produced INSIDE our fat cells, and the more cells we have and the larger they swell (due to weight gain) then
the more leptin is produced. Leptin has a few effects, increasing as its production increases. Appetite reduces and
Metabolic rate increases a little. Basically it's your bodies way of saying you have ENOUGH stored energy. Where can
this go wrong? Prolonged low calorie diets can reduce leptin levels, extremely low bodyfat will lead to reduced leptin and
have the opposite effects etc.
Fructose has been show in studies by Dr Richard Johnson to create a degeree of leptin resistance, meaning that it may
cause a disregulation in our appetite signalling.

5: Sex hormones?
Ooooh.......... What could sex have to do with fat loss. Well basically sex is a great fat burner. But then you all knew that.
Next topic!

No seriously. Men and women are bound by their master sex hormones Tesosterone and Estrogen. Both have massive
metabolic implications beyond the scope of this booklet! (I know, what can I do? Read the next one!)

Testosterone: the male hormone. Generally seen as providing fat loss and muscle building friendly benefits.
Estrogen: whilst not the total opposite, is associated with a few stubborn fat deposits (ladies??) and is known to play
havoc with water levels within the body across the month.
Without going into too much detail, Men would do best with diet and lifestyle that ENCOURAGES higher testosterone,
and certainly limiting estrogen. (We have both in different ratios, as both are needed by each sex). Much of this can be
controlled with dietary and exercise factors, and some simple supplementation.
Women would do with occasional boost in testosterone and reduction in estrogen but that physiological situation is not
common. I recommend avoiding estrogen promoting compounds such as refined soy products. Controversial statement.
But i heard Soy was good for you?
 BASIC PRINCPLES OF FAT LOSS
SECTION 3: HIIT / Intervals - Fast Route to
Fat Loss?
1: Overview of HIIT and EPOC benefits over LISS

The term HIIT training and Tabata training have really exploded in the media over the last few years. Tabata in particular has
become a total buzzword, especially amongst female trainees and class junkies!

So what exactly are these terms?

Specifically H.I.I.T is an acronym and stands for high intensity interval training. The "interval" means the break from the
work or rest time, with the opposite. The KEY is keeping the HIGH INTENSITY. What does this mean? It does NOT mean
difficult or tiring. Intensity, in strength coaching terms refers to FORCE or LOAD. In this case it means a hard effort, close to
a sprint. This is the first misuse of the term. I did my Tabata workout yesterday, damn that was high intensity!
Tabata is a specific interval protocol with 20s sprints and 10s rests. Only the most advanced trainee could keep up the
intensity after a few of these so..... Tabata is a medium intensity interval system, and yes it's still effective.
So these are just labelling terms. What's the science? Why are these buzzwords taking over our gyms and magazines?

High intensity training burns glycogen as a fuel source. Not body fat. That shouldn't put you off. Thankfully when the body
undergoes a decent round of HIIT training, enough glycogen is burnt from the working muscles, and some microtears occur
in the muscle Fibres - that after the workout is done the trainer can experience a significant increase in resting metabolic
rate. Remember I spoke about this earlier?
How does this happen? The physiological concept is referred to as E.P.O.C.
Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption.

Your body burns calories (taken from stored or dietary fats) to fuel the repair of tissue and the replenishment of glycogen into
these muscles. This process has a net caloric cost.

Standard steady state CV, referred to as LISS doesn't have this benefit. Yes you'll burn a higher percentage of fat but when
you stop walking / jogging / cycling the burn stops. Many studies have shown that 10 mins of HIIT created greater weight
loss / fat loss in a group than those that did 40mins is LISS cardio (this is due to EPOC)
3: Examples of "work / rest" ratios

1:1 This is the simplest interval split, an even work/rest ratio of 1:1. A good example of this would be 30s of Sprints, 30s
walking (and repeat). Another example would be 45s of Hard rowing, 45s of gentle rowing (and repeat)
The key is that your REST time is the same as your WORK time. This dictates the INTENSITY that you can work at, as you
need to recover - to an extent - to be able to perform round after round. For a 1:1 work rest ratio, you can potentially do
anyting from 10 up to 20mins of intervals. (If you're new to this, start with 5 mins and increase over a few days/weeks)

1:2 Probably the most common work/rest ratio that fitness lovers peform is the 1:2 split. For example, 30s sprint, 60s
walk/jog (and repeat). So the REST is twice that of the work time. This means you can really go HARD in your sprint, to
total exhaustion, as you have a lot of recovery time. Again, this split would allow for longer bouts of training 10-20mins or
so, potentially longer if sub-maximal efforts are used in the work phase.

2:1 This is known as an "inverse" work/rest ratio where your rest time is HALF that of your work time! Or any split where
the rest is less, there is an inverse ratio. A good exmaple would be the system used in "Tabata" (a branded, specific
protocol) where the trainee does 20s sprint, 10s rest. This system doesnt allow for prolonged sprint efforts as the rest is so
shot, so interval workouts would tend to be shorter. It all depends on how hard you go in the work phase.

Is one system better than the other? Is one better for Fat Loss?

This is hard to answer. Really, the system that gets the most work done (Kcals/Glycogen burnt) is the most effective, so
add up your WORK time and the number of rounds and the highest amount of work is probably the most effective. It's not
quite so simple because TIME and CONVENIENCE and PERCEIVED EFFORT all come into play as psychological factors.
For example, 10mins of any work/rest ratio done consistently - because a trainee enjoys or excels with that system - is
better than 20mins of something done occasionally. You have to look at the bigger picture, and what your whole training
week or phase is made up of.
Personally, my "go to" protocol is 1:1 with 30s or 45s as the work/rest. It just seems that 20mins of that is quite murderous. I
lean towards 30s/30s most of the time. It is easy on the brain too, as each interval is exactly 1 minute, making it easily to
mentally compose your workout, and prepare for it, so to speak!

Variety is key, as with weight training - so choose new work/rest ratios every now and again to give new stimulus to your
body!
4: Practical applications in the gym or at home:
The key to using Intervals is in sticking to the prescribed work/rest ratio and the exercises and choices of combinations
are literally UNLIMITED. I'll go through a few below, dependant on your environment.

Gym based:

Treadmill sprints, little to no gradient.

Treadmill uphill run, large gradient (safer and quieter!)
Rowing sprints (using distance OR time as the work element of the interval)
Bike or X-Trainer/Elliptical (hard Bike sprints are BRUTAL on the quads!)

Weights based - single exercise:

Barbell Back Squats. 45s squats, 45s racked or standing.
Barbell Push Press. 30s of presses, 30s rest/on floor
Weighs based - superset style:
Leg Press 45s, 45s rest, Bench Press 45s, 45s rest (repeat)
Seated Cable Row 30s, 30s rest, Tricep Dips off Bench 30s, 30s rest (repeat)

Home/Outdoors Based:
Burpees 30s, rest 30s, (repeat)
Burpees 30s, Front Plank 30s, Burpees 30s, Front Plank 30s (repeat)
Bodyweight deep squats 45s, 30s rest, Bodyweight Lunges 45s, 30s rest (repeat)
Press Ups/Push Ups 30s, 20s rest, Crunches 30s, 20s rest (repeat)

Also consider the following items for HIIT / Interval training:

Kettlebells
Battle Ropes
Box Jumps
Skipping
Boxing
Farmers Walks / Carry
Sled Push / Pull

Summary:
In summary, an extremely versatile way to promote EPOC. The beauty of HIIT training is that it can
be SO simple, the work/rest ratio will ALWAYS get you, as long as you work hard every time! From
the most beginner trainee to the most advanced athlete, HIIT training can and will destroy you (in a
good way!)
As with every training system, you MUST push yourself in order to make progress.
HARD WORK = RESULTS!
 BASIC PRINCPLES OF FAT LOSS
SECTION 4: Nutrient Timing & Fasting
1: Breakfast Myths.
"To eat or not to eat"
Breakfast is virtually a global tradition and pastime, and for some good reason and sound logic: you have a long day
ahead so fill up your fuel tanks whilst you have a chance. You'll "burn" it off over the next few hours.
You may even feel distinct hunger pangs upon waking.
Ok let's look at this in more detail. Aside from personal preference: is there a physiological need to eat as soon as we get
up? Specifically before a workout, I would argue that NO there isn't. Why? A workout relies on 2 different energy sources:
fats and stored glycogen. Guess what, you have both in abundance most of the time. Your blood sugar levels may be
lower / stable when you wake up but a hormone called glucagon can signal glycogen to be released as soon as a need
arises. For those particularly interested in the "fat burning" zone - or working out in this "zone" you really want want to
avoid consuming anything that creates a blood sugar spike. Shock horror - you may wish to train: fasted.
Eat a bowl of cereal and fruit and within 30 mins your bloodstream and liver are flooded with digested glucose. No free
fatty acids are liberated in this state, as insulin is produced for up to 90mins. Fats can be burnt, but mobilisation is
suppressed.
Stick with a calorie free option, or consider a low carb snack: something slower digesting or protein rich has a lower
impact on blood sugar levels and may well allow you to burn more fat as a fuel source.

2: Carbohydrate myths
Pre and post workout:
These are 2 times when a trainee may wish to tailor their eating patterns and nutrient consumption to suit their goals.
Consider that the 60-90 min workout you do is somewhat draining on your glycogen stores. Also, we know from research
that an hour of higher intensity training (more on that later) makes the muscles in our body more sensitive to nutrient
uptake: more insulin sensitive! Therefore 2 appropriate times to eat your carbs are post-workout primarily, and pre-
workout. For Fat Loss, i would focus around the post-workout window, and consider keeping carb consuption to later in
the day also.

3: Cortisol Suppression with Carbs

Whilst carbs can be seen as "evil" when following a keto or low carb diet, they can have 1 very useful role. The
production of Insulin (as seen following consumption of a carbohydrate rich meal or drink) is ANTAGONISTIC to the
production of cortisol, meaning it suppresses it.

We know that Cortisol is a stress hormone and can be a cause of water retention and fat storage. Post workout carbs can
help you blunt the post-workout Cortisol release (your workout is a type of stress to the body) and this applies particularly
to a leaner trainee. Insulin management (low carb / low sugar diet) can help get you lean, but to get extra lean you would
need to consider hormones like Cortisol and the effect of being under certain types of stress.
Think of this as a careful balancing act. Insulin too low for too long could mean the elevation of cortisol at times.
More about nutrient timing:
So should I eat/drink carbs mid-workout like the supplement companies tell me? Not if fat loss is your goal. Again, insulin
production stalls fat loss.
What about bed time or dinner time?
Here's one of the biggest myths that I'm faced with daily, and as a personal trainer it's something my clients regularly
report:
Oh I never eat before bed. It makes sense right? It's logical.
Eat food...... Don't move for a while......
The food stores as fat immediately.
Not quite that simple. The metabolism is vastly complicated and I'd like you to think of it more as a 24/7 thermostat which is
constantly moving up and down in reaction to many other biological processes and factors.
Sure, eat sugars late at night, and junk foods then you may find that these nutrients are more readily stored. Eat a meal
rich in protein, fibre, and healthy fats and one that satisfies the overall daily caloric needs for your day and you'll be fine.
There is a specific sports nutrition approach used by many trainees that actually uses this to an extreme:
Carb back loading. Carbs specifically are left til the latter end of the day. The theory that muscle insulin sensitivity is at its
highest after many hours of activity (and in theory you have done a workout). With correct carb back loading you would
either:
Workout in the evening and eat your carb meals (with protein etc).
OR. Workout in the day or evening and wait until your very last meal. Controversial eh?
Guess what though: the norm isn't working for most people? Am I right?

4: Concepts of short term fasting:

Short term fasting means abstaining from foods (usually liquid and solid foods) for a sensible period of time, in this instance
for the intention of improving fat loss. There are a few systems across the world and the 3 most common are:

1: IF 16:8 (early training ideally)

This involves choosing a 16hr fasting "window" means an 8hr feeding "window". I have found that a pattern of working out
mid morning to be ideal for this:
Last meal 9pm. Bed around 11pm. Wake up at 7am workout at 8am, don't eat until
16hrs after your last meal: that means eating around 1pm. Potentially 3-4hrs after your workout. Many studies have shown
that metabolic rate and fat burning enzymes peak around 12-16hrs of fasting. So this is potentially the best time to workout
and burn fat. Adjust exact times to suit, but stick to 16/8.

2: Fast 24hrs once a week (lifestyle?)

Simply choose a 24hr fasting Window. A simple option is to choose the start OR end of your sleep as the end of your fast:
so for example you start at 7am with breakfast, and don't eat again until 7am the next day!
3: Train fasted (easy, short fast)
Certainly the easiest on the willpower and long term sustainable. I've already spoken about this concept. Avoid food,
especially carb rich foods for at least 2-3 hrs prior to training. Insulin lvels will be low or close to baseline. Blood sugar
levels stable. A better environment to call upon fat stores for energy.