Lean muscle mass/keto diet question.

[ajjf]

I'm looking to lose in the neighborhood of 100+ pounds and think the Keto diet is going to be my most effective means of losing weight. I'm not only trying to cut weight but also increase my lean muscle mass/develop muscle tone/size and definition. My FFM is currently 195 and I'm looking to increase that to about 210. Rather than just lose weight, then go through a cut/gain/cut/gain cycle, I plan on gaining the body I want in one foul swoop, (and I'm not shooting for Arnold, just be lean and muscular/strong).

My question really is, will the Keto diet have any adverse affects in regards to gaining lean muscle mass over the course of a year? Since the protein intake is so high I would imagine not and since my body will be running on fat instead of carbohydrates I imagine sufficient energy won't be a problem either.

Thoughts?

Oh yeah, I'm not some wheelchair bound invalid who can't get around. I'm 6'2.5", 340 and have a large frame to work with so don't give me any of that crap about taking it slow and just walking on a treadmill for months. I can still kick ass on an elliptical and sprint without breaking my ankles.

[Schwartz86]

I'm looking to lose in the neighborhood of 100+ pounds and think the Keto diet is going to be my most effective means of losing weight. I'm not only trying to cut weight but also increase my lean muscle mass/develop muscle tone/size and definition. My FFM is currently 195 and I'm looking to increase that to about 210. Rather than just lose weight, then go through a cut/gain/cut/gain cycle, I plan on gaining the body I want in one foul swoop, (and I'm not shooting for Arnold, just be lean and muscular/strong).

My question really is, will the Keto diet have any adverse affects in regards to gaining lean muscle mass over the course of a year? Since the protein intake is so high I would imagine not and since my body will be running on fat instead of carbohydrates I imagine sufficient energy won't be a problem either.

Thoughts?

Oh yeah, I'm not some wheelchair bound invalid who can't get around. I'm 6'2.5", 340 and have a large frame to work with so don't give me any of that crap about taking it slow and just walking on a treadmill for months. I can still kick ass on an elliptical and sprint without breaking my ankles.

Well, unfortunately, it is almost impossible to build muscle and cut fat. Your body requires a calorie deficit to burn fat and an calorie surplus to gain muscle. Hence, the cut/bulk phases everyone is talking about. If I were you I would focus on cutting. Losing that weight will definitely make you look more muscular. The advantage of the keto diet is that you can burn fat while sparing muscle loss. I would recommend eating at a calorie deficit and working out three times a week. Doing this for a year, should give you dramatic results that I am sure you will be happy with.

Also, you have to remember, you are carrying around a lot of weight with you now, so underneath the fat is probably quite a bit of muscle. The muscle is a requirement just to carry the weight around. If you drop 100 pounds, while keeping most of that muscle I guarantee your going to be looking pretty good.

So, to recap:

Count calories and eat at a deficit.
Use keto, make sure you are getting enough protein for you LBM
Workout 3 times a week, making sure to incorporate weight training
Stick with it!

[KLMARB]

I disagree somewhat with the above post. I'd have to say that resistance issues are/can be the exception. Insulin/leptin/anorexigenic hormone resistance found in the obese make this stuff a different ball game. Myself, I was where you are several years ago (425lbs.) and was able to drop quite a bit of fat without losing much muscle. I wasn't lifting initially, but I suspect that if I had been, I'd have been able to add muscle at the same time.

What is certain is that you're about to make a significant change in your life, and I wish you all the best.

[Eileen]

I'm looking to lose in the neighborhood of 100+ pounds and think the Keto diet is going to be my most effective means of losing weight. I'm not only trying to cut weight but also increase my lean muscle mass/develop muscle tone/size and definition. My FFM is currently 195 and I'm looking to increase that to about 210. Rather than just lose weight, then go through a cut/gain/cut/gain cycle, I plan on gaining the body I want in one foul swoop, (and I'm not shooting for Arnold, just be lean and muscular/strong).

My question really is, will the Keto diet have any adverse affects in regards to gaining lean muscle mass over the course of a year? Since the protein intake is so high I would imagine not and since my body will be running on fat instead of carbohydrates I imagine sufficient energy won't be a problem either.

Thoughts?

Oh yeah, I'm not some wheelchair bound invalid who can't get around. I'm 6'2.5", 340 and have a large frame to work with so don't give me any of that crap about taking it slow and just walking on a treadmill for months. I can still kick ass on an elliptical and sprint without breaking my ankles.

Sounds like keto is just the diet for you. It's excellent for dropping bodyfat without feeling as if you are starving, and with careful carb-ups and heavy lifting, you have the potential to gain significant muscle while you are doing it.

One thing I'd suggest: get your wife on board with the benefits for keto for the whole family, and encourage her to go for keto friendly meals as much as possible. For instance, keto/low carb is very good for women's health and fertility. Men's too, but if she has a tiny baby on her hands, she many not want to know about the effects of saturated fat on male testosterone levels....

[ajjf]

Thanks for the input guys. I haven't figured fixed percentages yet, but I know for proteins my diet will mostly be Eggs, Tuna and Chicken with occasional beef and pork. I also plan to use Whey Protein for a few smaller meals and eat plenty of nuts and use olive oil. I'm planning on filling in the rest with an assortment of large amounts of different green vegetables and getting my carbohydrates from complex carbs found in various vetetables.

[Eileen]

Sounds good.

[allenelson]

I know this post is extremely old, but if the OP is still active on the boards I wanted to ask how the made out? I've been in CKD for 12 weeks now. It's a lot of work but worth it in my opinion.

Also wanted to state, don't cut out the red meats, they are higher in cholesterol which leads to increased testosterone production. This will be useful during the anabolic/growth stages.