Starting a KETO Diet next week! Need advice and support

epcooper

I started keto with just 10-15 lbs to lose, and have included a cheat meal + dessert one day a week. After a month, I'm down about 5 lbs, and I haven't found it hard to follow at all. Check out the keto group here and also reddit.com/r/keto.

Only 5 lbs in a month? You were doing something wrong! You should have lost that in the first week.

The reason people gain he weight back is because they go back to eating like fools. If you learn how to eat right and stay on the maintenance phase you will not gain any weight back and will be able to regulate gain/loss.

I had already been eating lower-carb Paleo for over a year, so I didn't have the massive loss of water weight that many people experience. Also, I'm starting from a normal BMI, so I'll never have the huge losses that other people have.

ndj1979

My reasons for going on this diet to better my body. Decrease body fat and tone up my body to feel more confident in myself. I would like to lose weight too. My final goal is 105... I know decreasing bad carbs in my diet affect well ...

what are these "bad" carbs and where do they live?

SideSteel

On a Ketogenic Diet, your body burns fat as energy first.

You burn more fat but you also eat more fat. Fortunately when you match protein intake and control calories and just compare diets where carbs and fats are brought up and down comparatively, there's not any significant advantage to ketogenic diets nor is it necessary for the average person trying to lose a few lbs.

Hopefully this clears things up for some people:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/nutrient-intake-nutrient-storage-and-nutrient-oxidation.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/how-we-get-fat.html

On a standard Glycolyctic diet your body first burns carbs, then muscle, then finally fat. So yes, being in Ketosis, along with a calorie deficit is a ticket to weight loss.

Calorie deficits with sufficient protein intake and some form of resistance training are the ticket to fat loss. Ketogenic or not.

Bama56

i did a keto diet for a year, lost 100 lbs. switched from keto to a well balanced diet with 40-50% carbs per day, and lost another 100 lbs. thus i don't really believe that coming of keto is some magical weight gainer, maybe just a little water weight at first that goes away in a week or so. Back on the topic of keto, the best thing i can say is to stay away from processed meats so you don't retain water from the ridiculous amount of sodium that they contain.

missdibs1

OP watch these. Ignore the fact he's a bodybuilder he knows what he's talking about and that's all that matters

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9lrfk_exclusive-species-nutrition-with-da_sport

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9lquq_exclusive-species-nutrition-with-da_sport

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9lq7u_exclusive-species-nutrition-with-da_sport


Bare in mind these diets he's done are VERY STRICT but you do get cheat meals once per week which will keep you sane.

Very decent thread here regarding his plans he wrote http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/Dave-Palumbo-Keto-Diet-Questions-Ask-them-here-m3919436.aspx

The below is strict and really you don't have to go to this extreme.

Variations of the Palumbo diet for certain individuals :
200lb male
Meal #1: 5 whole eggs (Omega-3), 4 egg-whites (can be liquid egg-whites).
Meal #2: Shake: 50g Whey Protein with 1 ½ tablespoon of All Natural Peanut Butter (no sugar).
Meal #3: Lean protein meal: 8oz Chicken with ½ cup cashew nuts (or almonds, walnuts).
Meal #4: Shake: same as meal #2.
Meal #5: Fatty protein meal: 8oz Salmon, Swordfish, or Red Meat with a green salad (no tomatoes, carrots, or red peppers) with 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil or Macadamia Nut Oil and Vinegar.
Meal #6: Same as meal #2 and #4, or 4 whole (Omega-3) eggs and 4 extra egg-whites.

250lb+ male
Meal #1: 6 whole (Omega-3) eggs.
Meal #2: 8oz chicken with ½ cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 50g whey protein with 2 tablespoons all natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 8oz salmon with 1 cup asparagus with 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil.
Meal #5: same as meal #3.
Meal #6: 6 whole (Omega-3) eggs.

120lb female
Meal #1: 2 whole (omega-3) eggs and 6 egg-whites.
Meal #2: 4oz chicken with 1/4 cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 35g whey protein with 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 4oz salmon with 1 cup asparagus with 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil.
Meal #5: same as meal #1 or meal #3.

100lb (lean body mass) female figure competitor
Meal #1: 2 whole omega-3 eggs and 4 egg whites.
Meal #2: 30g whey protein and 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter.
Meal #3: 6oz chicken and 1oz (1/8 cup) raw almonds.
Meal #4: same as meal #2.
Meal #5: 4oz salmon, 2 cups of spinach leaves, 1 teaspoon virgin olive oil and vinegar.

170lb male (153lbs LBM)
Meal #1: 3 whole omega-3 eggs, 3 egg-whites, 3 slices fat-free turkey.
Meal #2: 40g whey protein and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Meal #3: 150g skinless chicken breast and 1 tablespoon soy and 1 tablespoon mustard and 30g almonds.
Meal #4: same as meal #2.
Meal #5: 200g top sirloin steak and 85g raw spinach and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Meal #6: 2 whole omega-3 eggs, 1 can tuna.

160 lb male
Meal #1: 4 whole eggs, ¾ cup egg-whites, fish oil, primrose oil.
Meal #2: 7oz chicken, ¼ cup almonds.
Meal #3: 7oz salmon, 1 cup spinach.
Meal #4: same as meal #2.
Meal #5: 7oz lean ground beef, 1 cup spinach, 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Meal #6: 3 whole eggs, 1 cup egg-whites, fish oil, primrose oil.

185lb natty bb at 12%bf
Meal #1: 5 whole omega-3 eggs.
Meal #2: 7oz chicken with 1/3 cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 40g whey protein with 1.5 tablespoons all natural peanut butter (post-workout meal).
Meal #4: 6oz salmon with 1 cup asparagus with 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil.
Meal #5: 40g whey protein with 2 tablespoons all natural peanut butter.
Meal #6: 4 whole omega-3 eggs with 4 extra egg-whites.

176lb natty bb at 11-12%bf
Meal #1: 4 whole omega-3 eggs with 4 extra egg-whites.
Meal #2: 200g chicken with 1/3 cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 40g whey protein with 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 200g red meat or salmon with 1 cup asparagus.
Meal #5: 40g whey protein with 1.5 tablespoons all natural peanut butter.
Meal #6: same as meal #1.

155lb male at 15%bf
Meal #1: 3 whole omega-3 eggs.
Meal #2: 5oz chicken with ¼ cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 30g whey isolate with 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 7oz (93%) lean ground beef with 1 cup romaine lettuce (dressing: 3 teaspoons ev olive oil and 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar) and 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil.
Meal #5: same as meal #3.
Meal #6: same as meal #1.

195lb male
Meal #1: 5 whole eggs.
Meal #2: 8oz chicken breast and 1/3 cup almonds.
Meal #3: 50g whey protein isolate with 1.5 tablespoon natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 8oz fish with 1/3 cup almonds.
Meal #5: 55g whey protein isolate with 1.5 tablespoon natural peanut butter (post workout).
Meal #6: same as meal #1.

172lbs at 11%bf with protein and veggies days incorporated
3X P-F, 2X P-V

Pro-Fat
Meal #1: 4 whole eggs with 4 egg-whites.
Meal #2: 6oz chicken (cooked) and 1/3 cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 40g whey protein and 1.5 tablespoon all natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 6oz red meat (cooked) with 1 cup asparagus.
Meal #5: same as meal #3.
Meal #6: same as meal #1.

Pro-veggie
Meal #1: 12 egg-whites.
Meal #2: 6oz chicken (cooked) and 1 cup asparagus.
Meal #3: 40g whey protein with water.
Meal #4: 6oz tuna and 1 cup asparagus.
Meal #5: same as meal #3.
Meal #6: same as meal #1.


Hope this info helps and good luck.

bump

WendyTerry420

My reasons for going on this diet to better my body. Decrease body fat and tone up my body to feel more confident in myself. I would like to lose weight too. My final goal is 105... I know decreasing bad carbs in my diet affect well ...

Lifting weights will help you far more than avoiding carbohydrates. You are already at a healthy weight. Continue eating what you have been eating and add a lifting routine to change your body composition.

WendyTerry420

Also, losing weight won't tone you up unless you exercise.

^^ This is the key point!

Marla64

tag

tigersword

If you want to lose 10-15 lbs and 'tone up', you should eat at a small deficit and do strength training.

It sounds like what you actually want to do is body recomposition, which is a process that involves eating at maintenance and building muscle while slowly reducing fat.

It is beyond me why anyone would look at a diet designed as a treatment for epileptic children who are resistant to anti-seizure meds and say "YES! That's my ticket to weight loss!" But, shrug.

Another silly person who doesn't know what they are talking about.

Explain to me, please, how it is silly? Or did you just ignorantly bash the truth?

'Ignorantly bash the truth' .. this is unbelievably hypocritcal considering your comments that Keto is solely a diet for treating epilepsy?

Yes, this is incredibly silly. On a Ketogenic Diet, your body burns fat as energy first. On a standard Glycolyctic diet your body first burns carbs, then muscle, then finally fat. So yes, being in Ketosis, along with a calorie deficit is a ticket to weight loss. Ketosis is a primal state, what do you think Human's eat before agriculture (5000-6000 years ago) in the last millions of years of human evolution? Fat, Meat, Berries.

False. It's actually been proven through archaeology and anthropology that humans evolved eating over 50% carbs. Also, on a ketogenic diet, you burn through just as much muscle, if not more. Most peer reviewed studies I've read show much higher rates of LBM loss on ketogenic diets when protein and calories are held constant. Like SideSteel said, sufficent protein and calorie deficit is the key to fat loss, ketogenic is irrelevant.

kenzietate

People saying don't cheat on Keto please can you explain why you should not cheat? (Unless you are diabetic ofcourse) Really interested to see why people are saying this because I've been cheating weekly and I was cheating before I even started on here when I first did Keto and I've lost tonnes of weight and lose 2lb a week easily all while still having a high carb/refeed meal once per week. In the plan I follow which is strict it's advised to have a cheat meal once a week after all you want to fool your body into not getting set into one way of fat loss mainly due to our body being so good at storing fat in times of need.

I think it depends on the person. Some people really hate the feeling of the next day after the carb re-feed. Others it is much harder to get back into ketosis. For me I know when I cheat, my cravings stay around for at least a week after so I can't cheat or I would just be miserable all the time. I think everyone is different on this one and there isn't really one right answer. I am not in ketosis right now as my doctor is keeping me low carb not keto for the duration of my pregnancy but as soon as I can I will be back because even eating low carb I don't feel great.

barneszilla

If you want to lose 10-15 lbs and 'tone up', you should eat at a small deficit and do strength training.

It sounds like what you actually want to do is body recomposition, which is a process that involves eating at maintenance and building muscle while slowly reducing fat.

It is beyond me why anyone would look at a diet designed as a treatment for epileptic children who are resistant to anti-seizure meds and say "YES! That's my ticket to weight loss!" But, shrug.

Another silly person who doesn't know what they are talking about.

Explain to me, please, how it is silly? Or did you just ignorantly bash the truth?

'Ignorantly bash the truth' .. this is unbelievably hypocritcal considering your comments that Keto is solely a diet for treating epilepsy?

Yes, this is incredibly silly. On a Ketogenic Diet, your body burns fat as energy first. On a standard Glycolyctic diet your body first burns carbs, then muscle, then finally fat. So yes, being in Ketosis, along with a calorie deficit is a ticket to weight loss. Ketosis is a primal state, what do you think Human's eat before agriculture (5000-6000 years ago) in the last millions of years of human evolution? Fat, Meat, Berries.

False. It's actually been proven through archaeology and anthropology that humans evolved eating over 50% carbs. Also, on a ketogenic diet, you burn through just as much muscle, if not more. Most peer reviewed studies I've read show much higher rates of LBM loss on ketogenic diets when protein and calories are held constant. Like SideSteel said, sufficent protein and calorie deficit is the key to fat loss, ketogenic is irrelevant.

ROFL!

False.

Nice random completely ridiculous statement with no proof.

Human Evolution + Grain = http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/grains-and-human-evolution.html

Humans have existed hundreds of thousands of years. Agriculture has existing for roughly 10,000 years, 5000 for most of Europe/Americas.

'Just as much muscle, if not more?' that is absolutely nonsense. I have already outlined in my previous post how the body burns fat in Ketosis. On a normal diet, the body HAS to burn muscle to then burn fat. On a ketogenic diet, you can solely burn fat and lose fat, without touching muscle. The whole basis of a ketogenic diet is that it is hugely muscle sparing.

http://josepharcita.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/guide-to-ketosis.html

TheVimFuego

What do you do on the KETO diet??

Suspend disbelief.

SideSteel

What do you do on the KETO diet??

Suspend disbelief.

LOL

SideSteel

'Just as much muscle, if not more?' that is absolutely nonsense. I have already outlined in my previous post how the body burns fat in Ketosis. On a normal diet, the body HAS to burn muscle to then burn fat. On a ketogenic diet, you can solely burn fat and lose fat, without touching muscle. The whole basis of a ketogenic diet is that it is hugely muscle sparing.

Protein sparing effects are due to protein intake, not ketosis.

If ketogenic diets guaranteed 100% retention of skeletal muscle then all bodybuilders would do them all the time.

highervibes

i did a keto diet for a year, lost 100 lbs. switched from keto to a well balanced diet with 40-50% carbs per day, and lost another 100 lbs. thus i don't really believe that coming of keto is some magical weight gainer, maybe just a little water weight at first that goes away in a week or so. Back on the topic of keto, the best thing i can say is to stay away from processed meats so you don't retain water from the ridiculous amount of sodium that they contain.

I did this with 25 and 50lbs. People blame carbs for their weight re-gain all the time, it's maddening. Stay in a deficit, keep losing weight. I don't get why this is so challenging. Probably because most people demonize carbs and sugar and when they inevitably cave they go hog wild and have all the "bad" foods they couldn't have before in gluttonous amounts. If you don't have a medical reason to avoid carbs, it doesn't make sense to torture yourself.

Acg67

If you want to lose 10-15 lbs and 'tone up', you should eat at a small deficit and do strength training.

It sounds like what you actually want to do is body recomposition, which is a process that involves eating at maintenance and building muscle while slowly reducing fat.

It is beyond me why anyone would look at a diet designed as a treatment for epileptic children who are resistant to anti-seizure meds and say "YES! That's my ticket to weight loss!" But, shrug.

Another silly person who doesn't know what they are talking about.

Explain to me, please, how it is silly? Or did you just ignorantly bash the truth?

'Ignorantly bash the truth' .. this is unbelievably hypocritcal considering your comments that Keto is solely a diet for treating epilepsy?

Yes, this is incredibly silly. On a Ketogenic Diet, your body burns fat as energy first. On a standard Glycolyctic diet your body first burns carbs, then muscle, then finally fat. So yes, being in Ketosis, along with a calorie deficit is a ticket to weight loss. Ketosis is a primal state, what do you think Human's eat before agriculture (5000-6000 years ago) in the last millions of years of human evolution? Fat, Meat, Berries.

False. It's actually been proven through archaeology and anthropology that humans evolved eating over 50% carbs. Also, on a ketogenic diet, you burn through just as much muscle, if not more. Most peer reviewed studies I've read show much higher rates of LBM loss on ketogenic diets when protein and calories are held constant. Like SideSteel said, sufficent protein and calorie deficit is the key to fat loss, ketogenic is irrelevant.

ROFL!

False.

Nice random completely ridiculous statement with no proof.

Human Evolution + Grain = http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/grains-and-human-evolution.html

Humans have existed hundreds of thousands of years. Agriculture has existing for roughly 10,000 years, 5000 for most of Europe/Americas.

'Just as much muscle, if not more?' that is absolutely nonsense. I have already outlined in my previous post how the body burns fat in Ketosis. On a normal diet, the body HAS to burn muscle to then burn fat. On a ketogenic diet, you can solely burn fat and lose fat, without touching muscle. The whole basis of a ketogenic diet is that it is hugely muscle sparing.

http://josepharcita.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/guide-to-ketosis.html

It is odd then, that mult studies show inferior LBM retention on low carb/keto diets. As already mentioned increased fat oxidation is in response to increased dietary fat intake, not increased body fat oxidation

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/24/3/290.full.pdf

"However, similar to body weight, fat mass and lean body mass decreased significantly more in the very low carbohydrate group[b/] compared with the low fat group at both 3 and 6 months"

http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/88/4/1617.long

Comparison of energy-restricted very low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets on weight loss and body composition in overweight men and women

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC538279/figure/F1/

Which diet looks better for lbm retention?

Huffdogg

You will lose muscle as well as fat. The only way to tone up (as you call it) is to lift heavy weights. And you will not have any energy to do that.

Nonsense. You can't do much volume, but you don't need volume to PRESERVE muscle. You need intensity. Greg Nuckols (holds world record squat and combined 3 lift totals in his drug tested weight class) uses a ketogenic diet to cut weight for competition, and he's not going into catabolism. You just have to understand what is going on.

To OP: cut out cardio while you're doing Keto, and do small amounts of heavy lifting. Personally, I recommend a Reverse Pyramid Training (RPT) regimen, 3 days per week, based around Squats, either Overhead Press or Bench Press, and Deadlifts. Shoot for maybe 3-4 reps on your first set, then drop 10% and go for one more than the first, drop the same amount for a third set and try to get one more rep than the second set. Maybe walk a bit when you're done, then call it done.

TheVimFuego

What do you do on the KETO diet??

Suspend disbelief.

LOL

Nice to hear we are still on talking terms despite my well documented dalliances and sometime obsession with the low carb world.

Look all, take it from someone who has been down the keto path, there is no point to the average schmo cutting back on the carbs for fat loss. Really, there isn't. No fracking insulin storage this or fat burning beast that.

I don't post this to be contrary, just to flag the fact there is no need to deprive anyone of anything, generally.

Have bread, pasta, ice cream ... Enjoy.

Eat what you like in moderation, no magic bullets out there just burn more than you consume and you'll be fine.

highervibes

no magic bullets out there just burn more than you consume and you'll be fine.

This. That won't stop people from looking or claiming though lol

WendyTerry420

If you want to lose 10-15 lbs and 'tone up', you should eat at a small deficit and do strength training.

It sounds like what you actually want to do is body recomposition, which is a process that involves eating at maintenance and building muscle while slowly reducing fat.

It is beyond me why anyone would look at a diet designed as a treatment for epileptic children who are resistant to anti-seizure meds and say "YES! That's my ticket to weight loss!" But, shrug.

Another silly person who doesn't know what they are talking about.

Explain to me, please, how it is silly? Or did you just ignorantly bash the truth?

Truth-bashing is so popular on MFP that they may as well have a whole forum section dedicated to it. Call it the "Lies we tell to make people feel good" section.




What is "silly" is the idea that you can "tone up" by just labeling carbs are being "good" or "bad" then avoiding the alleged "bad ones."

When people say they want to "tone up," they usually mean eliminate body fat and have some sort of definition in their muscles. That can't be done without strength training. And the quickest way is heavy lifting.