CDK/Keto Diet anyone?....

g0ldenb0y55

Has anyone tried the CDK/ Keto Diet? I've been reading up on it and I like the idea of only losing body fat and maintaining muscle mass while on this diet. The one thing that concerns me is the fat and protien and little to no carbs intake. It doesn't seem like a very healthy diet.

Good or Bad experiences are welcome.

sp1k3ster

I am almost one and half months into the Keto diet and have lost close to 10 pounds, some of that being water weight. The first two weeks will difficult due to carb cravings and weird mood swings. After that, it's a breeze if you are willing to plan out your meals. The best part is being able to eat bacon with every meal. Haha.

As for maintaining muscle, I lift heavy three times a week and have not had any problems in energy or lifting the same amount of weight while eating at a 500 calorie deficit each day.

You are right that this is likely not a healthy diet due to the low carb intake,but it's a fast way to lose weight. I plan to use Keto in all my future cutting cycles while using a high carb and protein diet for bulking.

g0ldenb0y55

I am almost one and half months into the Keto diet and have lost close to 10 pounds, some of that being water weight. The first two weeks will difficult due to carb cravings and weird mood swings. After that, it's a breeze if you are willing to plan out your meals. The best part is being able to eat bacon with every meal. Haha.

As for maintaining muscle, I lift heavy three times a week and have not had any problems in energy or lifting the same amount of weight while eating at a 500 calorie deficit each day.

You are right that this is likely not a healthy diet due to the low carb intake,but it's a fast way to lose weight. I plan to use Keto in all my future cutting cycles while using a high carb and protein diet for bulking.

Thanks for the reply!

It's great that you lost 10lbs in a month in a half. i wonder if it's all fat that was lost.

I've done more research and there's plenty of arguments on both sides for good and bad. I guess trying it will be the only way to find out if it really works or not. It seems like there aren't too many people on here that have tried or even read up on CDK.

Harpin_Maddog

I am on a Keto diet. I choose to keep my carbs below 20 grams/day (usually, sometimes hit 30). The benefits have been enormous. For one, my energy level is stable now rather than the up and downs I would have with a high carb low fat diet. There is an adaptation period which can vary from person to person. Usually about 1 to 2 weeks. Really wasn't that bad. Just felt a little low on energy when I went running. 3 miles felt like 10 miles. So I just toned it down for the first week. But after that, energy has been no problem. I like to do a bit of everything when it comes to working out. I run half marathons, do century bike rides, and lift. To boost my energy I try to take in more fat. Since my body is in constant state of ketosis, fat is my fuel source.

In the CKD diet (which I assume you meant when you wrote CDK), it allows for carb loading on the weekend. There is some literature out there that suggests carb loading and letting your body go out of ketosis just leads to a difficult time adapting back into ketosis. So I prefer to stay in ketosis which relies on fat for fuel. Your body doesn't need carbs for fuel. It is actually more efficient to burn fat for fuel when in ketosis. If you are using the Krebs Cycle for burning fat, then carbs are necessary. In the Krebs Cycle, your body will convert protein as fuel when carbs are depleted.

For me, I found that I had become insulin resistant. I would carb load before a race or long endurance event, do my event and still gain weight. My body could no longer efficiently use the carbs. Being that carbs are usually sugar or some form of it, it was getting stored as fat. I don't have that problem while being in ketosis. I sleep better, exercise better, more sustained energy, better focus, no mood swings, no cravings, and eat less because the food is more filling and stays with me longer. Thus, less caloric intake leading to fat loss. The most interesting thing is how my body composition has changed. I am losing fat in areas that were extremely difficult to lose before. Primarily around the stomach.

A good read is "The Art and Science of Low Carb Living", and for athletes "The Art and Science of Low Carb Performance". There are also many articles and documentaries on how carbs are causing obesity, heart disease, diabetes, ect. The carbs I do eat are natural from primarily veggis. No processed carbs.

I think the hardest thing for me with eating a low carb diet was wrapping my head around the idea that something we have been told all our lives is bad for us is actually better for us. I had to convince myself. But I am glad I did, I can't see any reason I would ever want to go back to a carb rich diet.

TheVimFuego

I went very low carb for 6 months last year.

Worked spectacularly well for about 5 months then it didn't.

I guess I got over my initial carb/insulin resistance issues and the body adjusted.

Something told me to hop back onto a more balanced plan and it's all good now.

As usual, it's a case of listening to the body and adjusting accordingly.

I do try to eat more nutrient dense foods and not fear dietary fat as a result these days.