Keto for lifetime?

HIRAL_NJ

I don't understand my next steps in regard to gaining or maintaining, im still learning about macro's etc

In 3 months I dropped 27lbs...i was unhappy with my size and the weight loss made me happy with my size.
I then hit the gym....on a 5 day schedule rotating light weights and cardio. Weight was pretty stable..losing a few lbs here and there... I do 5 days a week pure weights/resistance, track my macro's and LOVE the gym.

My goal is to get stronger and build defined muscle. My weight is 102lbs, 5-1 height, my BF is 19%.
Over the last 8 weeks I have seen an improvement in strength and am lifting heavier or longer almost every session. I can see improved muscle definition. However, my weight and body fat have stayed the same over these 8 weeks.

So to continue seeing results...should i be trying to MAINTAIN weight or GAIN weight?
I don't understand how my stats haven't changed but my performance and 'look' has changed.

Dragonwolf

I don't understand how my stats haven't changed but my performance and 'look' has changed.

In short - body composition has changed. Muscle is more dense than fat, so the same amount of weight takes up less space when it's muscle (hence the scale staying the same while your look has changed).

I'm assuming you're using a bio-electric impedance device to measure body fat? (If it's your scale, then yes.) They're notoriously inaccurate, especially for athletes, because water retention can throw it off. If you can, see if your measuring device has an "athlete" setting and switch to it and see if it makes a difference. Or just disregard it completely and go off the tape measure and clothing fit.

So to continue seeing results...should i be trying to MAINTAIN weight or GAIN weight?

That depends. What kind of results are you looking to get?

If you're actively seeking to build muscle size, you'll want to be eating to gain. Usually, the recommendation is ~200 calorie surplus. What the ratio of that extra should be will depend on your exact plan, though I'd recommend protein and some fat (leaving carbs where they're at).

Or, you can eat at maintenance and let the body recomp continue until you start hitting a performance ceiling, then you can re-assess your goals and what it takes to meet them.

That said, have a look at /r/ketogains (https://www.reddit.com/r/ketogains/). There's a ton of useful information there for lifting and keto.

tcunbeliever

You get stronger in two ways - first by growing muscle and second by adaptation (the muscle you have learns to be more efficient).

Normally, since your body fat has remained the same, and your weight has remained the same, I would say it seems unlikely you are growing muscle. However, you also said you are seeing more muscle definition which isn't going to happen unless you are metabolizing fat.

So, how accurate is that body fat percentage? Are you doing measurements in addition to the scale and body fat? Do your measurements indicate muscle areas like arms/legs are getting larger over time as you lift more?

If it were me, I would increase carbs and leave calories alone.

Keto is a low-insulin diet. Insulin is a transporter hormone. Your muscles need insulin to transport raw materials for muscle growth. Carbs trigger an increase in insulin. If you do keto just for weight loss, then you have nothing to lose by tweaking macros and allowing more carbs (say 50g more?). If you are doing keto for reasons other than weight loss, then you probably need to be more conservative with increasing carbs to maintain keto benefits.

I have found that I can easily have 100g of carbs on days I lift and maintain ketosis for migraine control.

qweck3

Another suggestion beyond the great advice above is to invest in a Dexascan to dig deeper as to where you are then compare with another scan a little later on to see where the changes are happening or not happening. You seem to be doing great overall but remember that a 1 pound gain of lean mass minus a 1 pound loss of fat is a big 0 on the bathroom scale. Your clothing etc wont lie to you.