Originally Posted by chasm54

Very impressive, keep at it.

With regard to the low-carb, low-energy point, there is a discussion on the paleo diet going on at present in the training and nutrition forum which has morphed into a debate on the merits of low-carb for cyclists. The scientific reviews that have been posted there tend to bear out your experience, and mine - namely that low-carb is great for weight loss, and fine for pure endurance work, but that one's performance tends to decline at higher intensities. When I experimented with low-carb I couldn't compete, because I couldn't cope with interval training or race-pace efforts. Of course, that is only important if making those high-intensity efforts is important to you; and there is probably a "sweet spot" at which one can maintain the lower weight while building back into one's diet the carbs necessary to fuel them.

The literature also reinforces your point about one size not fitting all. There seem to be marked differences between individuals with respect to how well they do on low-carb diets. Some thrive, but some emphatically do not, and need much higher levels of carbs to maintain their performance.