Progress and success so far in 12 weeks.

Leonidas_meets_Spartacus

I went Keto on 12/1/2013. I started researching, emailing experts for two months prior to that and getting tested for the baseline. Here are some of my results and somethings I learned.

RMR (Resting Metabolism Rate): Up 15%. I burn around 1800 cal/week more at rest now, compared to 12 weeks ago.
BF%: Down 13%
Waist: Lost 9-10 inches
Weight: Lost 33 lbs (7 lbs away from ideal weight), gained 6lb muscle mass.
Fat/Glycogen: 100% fat till HR of 135, 67% fat till 145. (Up 45% from before). After 150 HR it is 95% Glycogen and 5% fat.
VO2 Max: Up 20%.

Note: All this data is from real testing data for before and after, not some formula off the internet.

Here are the details of my 12 week journey:
My main goal was/is to increase metabolism,fat burning and weight loss is just part of it.

Weeks 1-3:
First week was the toughest one for me, I felt horrible and the big mistake I did was try to run for couple of days in the week 1. I listened to my body and didn't do anything except walking for first three weeks. I snacked a lot in week 1 on cheese, bacon, sausage etc. I lost 5-7 pounds in two weeks. I didn't lose any weight in week 3.

Weeks 4-6:

I started running in week four, training for my half marathon. The week I started running had by far, the worst runs in my entire life, it probably was because my body not used to burning fat. It got better in week 5 and I felt much better after my runs than my runs with carbs. My weight stall continued till end of week 4 and the scale showed a slight downward movement in week 5. I added P90X 3 in week six, and my scale actually went up by a pound. The scale didn't move much from weeks 3-5 but I lost around 4-5 inches in those 3 weeks.

Week 7-9

I lost ton of weight in week 7-9, mostly because my body was retaining water, when I started exercising around week 3 till week 6. I usually keep my work outs in the HR range of 130-155. I do interval running but making sure the HR is in the optimal range.

Week 9-12: Week 12 was a recovery week and I dropped 5 more pounds as my body got some good rest.

My approach was not to go harder but smarter to maximize the fat burning. I rather do strength training, long endurance runs burning 600 cal an hr than do a fast paced work out burning 900 cal, which is mostly glycogen.

deoxy4

Well done! Insane results in 12 weeks!

If I might ask, what has been your target caloric intake and macronutrient ratios over the 12 weeks? Do you tweak ratios on anaerobic versus aerobic workout days? Any tips or surprises over the 12 weeks you can share?

I am trying a 1800 calorie diet. Fat 150gm, Protein 90gm and Carbohydrate 20gm. Fat 75%, Protein 20% and Carbohydrate 5%. I find it somewhat of a challenge to get enough fat using butter, coconut oil, avocado, fatty meat and fish and olive oil. I am considering adding MCT oil. Adding sardines packed in olive oil have been a good find for me.

I am trying to lean out after a leg injury. I am trying to lose 30 pounds in 3 months before building some mass in the spring. Right now I can't do much cardio until I complete rehab.

cchild2

Nice details, thanks for sharing. Curious - why did you have the goal to increase your metabolism?

Leonidas_meets_Spartacus

Well done! Insane results in 12 weeks!

If I might ask, what has been your target caloric intake and macronutrient ratios over the 12 weeks? Do you tweak ratios on anaerobic versus aerobic workout days? Any tips or surprises over the 12 weeks you can share?

I am trying a 1800 calorie diet. Fat 150gm, Protein 90gm and Carbohydrate 20gm. Fat 75%, Protein 20% and Carbohydrate 5%. I find it somewhat of a challenge to get enough fat using butter, coconut oil, avocado, fatty meat and fish and olive oil. I am considering adding MCT oil. Adding sardines packed in olive oil have been a good find for me.

I am trying to lean out after a leg injury. I am trying to lose 30 pounds in 3 months before building some mass in the spring. Right now I can't do much cardio until I complete rehab.

My target ratios are 80% fat calories, 15% protein and 5% carbs. I travel around 4 days a week, not every day I hit these numbers but I am pretty close. Regarding the calorie intake, I tweaked it for different weeks. I started around 2500-3000 cals for first two weeks, I ate when I was hungry and did lot of snacking in first two weeks. After week 3, I stopped snacking and was eating around 2000-2500 cals per day as my body adjusted to the Keto life style. I do track my calories but I listen to my body and eat more on some days and eat less on others.

Majority of exercises are with an average heart rate of around 145 except the day I run the interval sprints. For a day of anaerobic exercise, I don't tweak the macros. On the day of long runs usually more than 90-120 min, I drink Generation UCAN super starch 30 min before my work out. I added P90x because of the strength training and I am seeing good results in building up the muscle.

My cheat food for boosting fat is heavy whipping cream, especially on the road. I have a Latte in Starbucks with heavy cream and I am full for most of the day.

Leonidas_meets_Spartacus

Nice details, thanks for sharing. Curious - why did you have the goal to increase your metabolism?

Because you burn more with higher metabolism. With increased resting metabolism, I am burning an extra 1800 cals/week.

cchild2

Do you want the increase in metabolism so you can eat more w/o gaining weight, so that if you eat the same you will lose weight, or a third option?

deoxy4

You have a program that works for you-great results. Our macro targets are pretty similar. I would not expect the same results as yours as I am 61. My metabolism is pretty good but you probably have an edge with testo levels and more muscle mass. If I could get 50% of your results without aerobic workouts I would be happy.

Have you ever tried intermittent fasting? I am considering a daily overnight fast 6 PM-Noon eating two meals daily and a mid afternoon or post anaerobic workout snack.

Leonidas_meets_Spartacus

I did hear good things about intermittent fasting and may be give it a try. I am not doing intermittent fasting but I am not hungry and skip breakfast most of the days. I do eat if I am hungry in the morning may be couple of days a week. Just experiment and find what works for your body. I think my diet is probably 75% responsible for my success and 25% from workouts. I do eat real foods and avoid those low carb labelled ready to eat foods. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

crepes_

I have no questions. I just want to say congratulations on a job very well done. I love when a person sets out to accomplish a goal, reads everything they can find on the subject, truly educating themselves, and charts progress like this. Data is king! No way to fix a problem if you have no idea what's going on. Excellent job. I'm sure you're enjoying all of this positive change.

195to135

Good job, you're a lot more dedicated than I am :drinker:

And good job for sticking to P90X do you skip any of the discs?
Only one I can stand is KenpoX and even then the warn up for that disc is pushing it and I skip most of it not a fan of Tony tossing in so much Yoga into the program :yawn:

Leonidas_meets_Spartacus

I do p90x3, which is 30 min workout. I didn't do agility, too many twisting exercises as I train for my half marathon and running is good cardio. For me the toughest work out has been Yoga, my body is like a stick, not very flexible.