My Keto Log and journey to a greater ME!

[fr33py]

Just thought I would start my own log for reference, motivation and additional support.

Apparently I can't add links or images yet so I'll just use the upload an image option for now.

My journey began years ago. I have since fluctuated up and down in weight. Last year about this time I really decided to push forward and make it my goal to stick to it. I really wanted to lose fat and gain lean muscle mass. My goal is to look and feel great.

Last May a co-worker and friend of mine decided to start hitting the gym together. We decided to make a friendly competition to see who could lose the most weight by a certain date toward the end of summer. I started out at 295lbs. I ended up beating my buddy but mostly because he continually found reasons to avoid training and eating right.

Currently as of last Friday (5/14/2010) I weighed in at 262lbs at a height of about 6'0ft.

I have attached today's meal plan. I have been working a Keto diet for a little while now but I don't think I have been as perfect as I'd like so I think a little better tracking with Fitday and this journal and maybe I can help gain the results I desire. I think the biggest problem is my re-feed/Carb up days and maybe being a little too lenient on food choices.

Supplements: Animal Pack Multi Vitamin, Fish & Flax seed Oil, Super Cleanse, ON Whey Protein, Ephedrine/Caffeine/Green Tea Stack.

PWO Shake - 2 scoops of ON Whey Protein(Banana Cream) - Half a cup of frozen blueberries, 4oz Blueberry Juice

At the beginning of the year I was trying the Starting Strength routine and seemed to gain some solid strength from it. More recently I switched up my routine as follows:

Last Week Example:

Monday:

Chest - Barbell Bench Press - 1 x 12 - 135lbs, 3 x 8 - 225lbs
Dumbbell Incline Press - 4 x 8 - 85lbs
Cable Cross Over - Decline - 4 x 10 - 100lbs
Dumbbell Flys - 3 x 8 - 50lbs

Tri's - Single arm dumbell - 3 x 10 - 35lbs
Skullcrushers - 3 x 10 - 75lbs
Rope Pulldown - 3 x 10 - 115lbs

After weight training I follow up with 5 min walk at 3mph , 20mins of HIIT, alternating running for 1 min and walking for 2 min.

Tuesday -

Back - Low Rows - 1 x 12 - 130lbs , 3 x 10 - 210lbs
Barbell Bent over Rows - 4 x 8 - 155lbs
Deadlift - 3 x 8 - 275lbs

Bi's - Barbell Preacher Curl - 3 x 10 75lbs
Hammer Curls - 3 x 10 - 30lbs
21's (7 reps bottom to mid, 7 reps mid to top , 7 reps full range of motion) 3 sets @ 50lbs

5 min walk followed by 20 min HIIT

Wednesday - 5 min walk followed by 20 min HIIT

Thursday -

Shoulders - Dumbbell Press - 1 x 12 - 45lbs , 3 x 10 - 80lbs
Alternating Front/Side raises - 3 x 12 - 25lbs
Upright rows - 3 x 10 - 180lbs
Dumbbell shrugs - 80lbs

5 min walk followed by 20 min HIIT

Friday -

Legs - Barbell Squats (below parallel) - 1 x 12 - 136lbs, 3 x 8 - 225lbs
Leg Extension - 4 x 10 - 135lbs
Leg Curl - 4 x 10 - 135lbs
Lunges - 3 sets of across the gym and back

5 min walk followed by 20 min HIIT

Need to add in some abdominal work and calves/hips.

Saturday/Sunday are rest days. I might try and incorporate another session of HIIT on Saturday mornings right before beginning my re-feed.

I guess my biggest concern is am I getting the right amount of calories in each day to lose fat and gain lean muscle mass(too little? too much?). I've visited a few websites to calculate my BMR and most say they aren't really accurate by a solid guess. But they all seem to vary.

Anyone who cares to read or comment thanks! Otherwise I'll keep tabs on my journey and hopefully I'll see that final weight number get much lower and see a big difference in the mirror!

Shannon

[fr33py]

Today went well. I stuck to my food plan as attached.

Made it to the gym about 4:30pm and did my back/bicep's training as follows:

Back:

Deadlift - 1 x 12 @ 135 , 3 x 8 @ 275

Bent over Rows - 1 x 12 @ 95 , 1 x 10 @ 135, 2 x 8 @ 185

Cable Seated Low Rows - 1 x 12 @ 130 , 3 x 10 @ 190

Biceps:

Single Arm Preacher Curl - 3 x 8 @ 25

Hammer Curl - 4 x 10 @ 20

21's - 3 x 21 @ 40

Finished up with a 5 min walk and 20 min of HIIT.

Overall felt great and really focused on my biceps today. I real made sure to extend my range and squeeze through the entire rep. I really felt a difference.

Mood today has been cheery but impatient. I checked the Keto-Sticks and it had a "feint" pink color. I always have a hard time determining if its actually trace amounts or the color that says no ketones present. Bah!


Shannon

[fr33py]

Uneventful day.

Worked..... had a training class for the last half of the day at work. Had to skip my chiropractor session today.

Felt pretty good most of the day. The Ketostix still never seem to look more then Trace. There is definitely a change from what the stix look like prior to adding urine to them and after. I'm guessing if there is any change that means its heading towards trace and up, otherwise I would suspect if it were negative it would stay the same color but I'm not certain. Maybe someone with more experience can answer that question.

Yesterday was just a cardio day. I did a 5 min warmup then switched to 20 min of HIIT and then finished up with 15 min of LISS.

Shannon

[mtfx]

Hey man, lookin good! Routine seems solid and well paced...your diet looks good too, however...just suggestions.

1) The peppers, I KNOW they taste great...and sometimes "crunch" is absent with you eat a lot of fatty foods...but they have sugars, and not so much fiber. Reduce these if you can...you should, but I understand if you want that crunch...I just think it should be done with something else, thats all.

2) the whey, only have it after a workout...dont use as a meal replacement.

Other than that, I think your food plan is solid.

[fr33py]

Thanks for the advice. I'll drop the peppers. I usually would have 1 scoop of whey with ice and water prior to heading to bed. Do you have a suggestion for an alternative meal before bed?

Hey man, lookin good! Routine seems solid and well paced...your diet looks good too, however...just suggestions.

1) The peppers, I KNOW they taste great...and sometimes "crunch" is absent with you eat a lot of fatty foods...but they have sugars, and not so much fiber. Reduce these if you can...you should, but I understand if you want that crunch...I just think it should be done with something else, thats all.

2) the whey, only have it after a workout...dont use as a meal replacement.

Other than that, I think your food plan is solid.

[Limeliteshines]

Thanks for the advice. I'll drop the peppers. I usually would have 1 scoop of whey with ice and water prior to heading to bed. Do you have a suggestion for an alternative meal before bed?

Something easy is a couple pieces of chicken or turkey with a piece of cheese. Do you definitely need something before bed? You can always just add those calories into one of your other meals.

[fr33py]

No I suppose I don't. I was just trying to split up everything into 5-6 smaller meals. Maybe I'll just try cutting it out all together and see how I fair. Thanks!

Something easy is a couple pieces of chicken or turkey with a piece of cheese. Do you definitely need something before bed? You can always just add those calories into one of your other meals.

[fr33py]

Had a training class all day at work. These things put me to sleep so I had a few extra diet soda's.

Trained shoulders at the gym today.

Super Set Front and Side lat raises: 3 x 8 @ 20lbs + 3 x 8 @ 20lbs

Dumbbell Shoulder Press - I can't seem to lift as much here as I used to. 4 x 10 @ 65lbs

Military Barbell Press - 1 x 12 - bar only - 3 x 6 @ 135lbs

Shrugs - Machine - 1 x 10 @ 180 , 2 x 10 @ 270


5 Min warm up at 3mph followed by 20min HIIT


Shannon

[Limeliteshines]

No I suppose I don't. I was just trying to split up everything into 5-6 smaller meals. Maybe I'll just try cutting it out all together and see how I fair. Thanks!

With Keto, just so you know, you don't need to split it into so many meals. Fat and protein take a longer time to break down and digest . . . and you don't burn through the fuel as quickly as you do carbohydrates. So there's no reason (unless its mental!) to spread your meals out. There are quite a few here who are doing The Keto Warrior diet. . . (eating one big meal every day). So it's basically whatever works for you.

It took me a while to move away from 6 meals . . but now I eat 3 solid meals a day and I'm MUCH happier.

The only 'extra' is my Post Workout Shake. which only happens after my lift workouts. So.

Just a thought!

[fr33py]

Hmmm I did not know that. Thank you for the enlightenment. I'll guess I can take a look at when I eat and see how it all works out for me.

The Keto Warrior Diet... wow that sounds intense. I couldn't imagine just eating one meal a day.

[Limeliteshines]

Hmmm I did not know that. Thank you for the enlightenment. I'll guess I can take a look at when I eat and see how it all works out for me.

The Keto Warrior Diet... wow that sounds intense. I couldn't imagine just eating one meal a day.

Very welcome! Eileen is one of the most knowledgeable people on the Keto boards . . . if you ever have any questions and still aren't sure . . . you should ask her. She's been on Keto for years!

[mtfx]

lime is absolutely right about the meals. With three meals, I find it hard to eat sometimes...my first two days, I FORCED myself to eat, I was so full. Now, I just eat, because I know I need the cals.

When I was on bulk, I ate 6-7 times a day, and inbetween, was STILL hungry.

Fat keeps your hunger down to a minimum...and the logic of eating before bed is to give your body protein, so it doesnt feed on muscle. Dairy (or casein protein) takes MUCH longer to break down...so as lime said...cheese or heavy cream with a meat...and you should have a good 5+ hours of protein, up to 8.

[fr33py]

Thanks for all the great advice. I had a crappy weekend with relation to Carbing up. Entirely way to dirty.

Leg Day -

Squats - 1 x 12 @ 135 , 3 x 6 @ 245

Leg Extenstions - 4 x 10 @ 155

Leg Curls - 4 x 10 @ 190

Lunges - Body weight, 3 laps across hardwood floor.


I've been back and forth on when I start my refeed/carb up, originally I was planning to begin friday afternoons and finish up Saturday evenings. However, I usually spend time with my father on Sundays and we typically cook. Almost always something healthy but some of the foods will often times include clean carbs (brown rice, vegetables etc). I originally tried explaining to him that I was not going to eat carbs on Sundays but that didn't seem to go over well as he didn't seem to grasp the concept well.

Me - "I'm not eating any carbs Dad, I'm eating a break down of %65 fat, 30% protein, 5% carbs"

Dad - "Ok no problem" - "Hey we are having blah, <insert random carb>, blah with <insert random carb>, blah blah blah for lunch today."

Me - "Sigh....."

Dad - "Its ok the dressing is Low Fat!"

Me - "Sigh even longer....."


Now the carbs aren't horrible and would be fine for a carb up day so I guess I'll just have to adjust and refuel from Saturday afternoon to Sunday.

[fr33py]

So I started early on the carb up last week and it turned into a dirty mess as I carbed from Friday Night through to Sunday night. On top of that they weren't the cleanest carbs. I spent the better part of Monday feeling like ****. And by **** I was feeling exhausted and maybe a little depressed.

I decided to take the week off from training weights to give a small rest and change up the routine a bit next week as I have been following the same weight lifting regimen for about 6-8 weeks now. I'll continue to due several sessions of cardio this week to keep the fat burning and to increase my endurance.


I think my refeeds haven't been quite what they need to be and I have been including way to many fats and not getting the proper macro break down. I'm going to plan ahead this week and setup a proper refeed with the right percentages 65% carb, 30% protein, 5% fat.

I have a nice 4 day weekend coming up. One of these days I'm going to get some progress pics up so I can have something to compare to.

Shannon

[Limeliteshines]

So I started early on the carb up last week and it turned into a dirty mess as I carbed from Friday Night through to Sunday night. On top of that they weren't the cleanest carbs. I spent the better part of Monday feeling like ****. And by **** I was feeling exhausted and maybe a little depressed.

I decided to take the week off from training weights to give a small rest and change up the routine a bit next week as I have been following the same weight lifting regimen for about 6-8 weeks now. I'll continue to due several sessions of cardio this week to keep the fat burning and to increase my endurance.


I think my refeeds haven't been quite what they need to be and I have been including way to many fats and not getting the proper macro break down. I'm going to plan ahead this week and setup a proper refeed with the right percentages 65% carb, 30% protein, 5% fat.

I have a nice 4 day weekend coming up. One of these days I'm going to get some progress pics up so I can have something to compare to.

Shannon

Carbs leave me feeling the exact same way. After my first carb up I was in such a black funk that my friends thought something was seriously wrong with me.

It seems to get better as you go along though . . so hang in there. I think adjusting your carb-up days are a great idea. Make it work to fit your schedule!

[fr33py]

Had a long day at work. I was exhausted and just felt like relaxing. Been having problems with my PC being unstable. I recently bought a new one and so I played with it most of the evening.

As much as I miss the gym and really want to be in there this week I feel like my body really needs the week off. Besides just being worn out my left shoulder has been off an on painful. I'll reconvene training next week with a new sense of motivation and vigor!

[Scott_W]

Great numbers for fat and protein! This diet should work out very well for you as it's the most efficient at burning fat and maintaining muscle.

[fr33py]

Went to the chiropractor. Found I need to complete about 12 more sessions to correct the natural curvature of my neck to prevent any arthritis to form later.

Stop by and got a haircut.

Picked up some supplements from a discount store on the way home from work:

NO-Xplode - Orange
Psyllum Husk
Animal Pak

Dextrose - For PWO shake. Going to steer away from blueberries and juice and try just adding 15-30g of dextrose.

VPX Zero Impact - Pumpkin Supreme - Oooo these things are super yummy! (for carb up days)

One more day of work before a nice 4 day weekend. Think I'll play a poker tournament or two, do some relaxing and hang out with some friends. Maybe BBQ on Monday a little.

Shannon

[fr33py]

I had a nice 4 day weekend that went by entirely way to fast. Had a semi clean carb up but I still need to map out exactly what I'm having. I'm going to set a meal plan for this upcoming weekend to ensure I get the right macro's.

This week my ratios started off a little incorrectly. I didn't seem to get enough fat both Mon and Tuesday but I have corrected that.

Monday I changed up my training regimen.

Squats - 1x10 @ 135 - 1x5 @ 185 - 1x5 @ 205 - 1x5 @ 225 - 1x5@245

Bench Press - 1x10 @ 135 - 1x5 @155 - 1x5 @ 195 - 1x5 @ 205 - 1x5 @ 225

Deadlifts - 1x5 @ 135 - 1x5 @ 225 - 1x5 @ 245 - 1X5 @ 265


25 min of HIIT



Tuesday -

Biceps -

Hammer Curls(Superset) - 1 x 10 @ 25, 1 x 8 @ 32, 2 x 8 @ 35

Cable Bicep Curl - 1 x 10 @ 55 , 1 x 10 @ 70, 2 x 8 @ 75

21's - 3x21 @ 50


Triceps -

Standing Tricep Extension (Superset) - 1 x 10 @ 25, 1 x 8 @ 32, 2 x 8 @ 35

Cable Tricep Pushdown - 1 x 10 @ 85, 1 x 10 @ 100, 1 x 10 @ 115, 1 x 10 @ 120

Machine Tricep Extention - 4 sets of something - I didn't really like this machine so I'll avoid it in the future.


25min HIIT

[fr33py]

Great numbers for fat and protein! This diet should work out very well for you as it's the most efficient at burning fat and maintaining muscle.

Hey Scott!, Thanks for stopping by and for your support. I hope this all works out in the end. I really want to meet my goals!

[Limeliteshines]

I had a nice 4 day weekend that went by entirely way to fast. Had a semi clean carb up but I still need to map out exactly what I'm having. I'm going to set a meal plan for this upcoming weekend to ensure I get the right macro's.

This week my ratios started off a little incorrectly. I didn't seem to get enough fat both Mon and Tuesday but I have corrected that.

Monday I changed up my training regimen.

Squats - 1x10 @ 135 - 1x5 @ 185 - 1x5 @ 205 - 1x5 @ 225 - 1x5@245

Bench Press - 1x10 @ 135 - 1x5 @155 - 1x5 @ 195 - 1x5 @ 205 - 1x5 @ 225

Deadlifts - 1x5 @ 135 - 1x5 @ 225 - 1x5 @ 245 - 1X5 @ 265


25 min of HIIT



Tuesday -

Biceps -

Hammer Curls(Superset) - 1 x 10 @ 25, 1 x 8 @ 32, 2 x 8 @ 35

Cable Bicep Curl - 1 x 10 @ 55 , 1 x 10 @ 70, 2 x 8 @ 75

21's - 3x21 @ 50


Triceps -

Standing Tricep Extension (Superset) - 1 x 10 @ 25, 1 x 8 @ 32, 2 x 8 @ 35

Cable Tricep Pushdown - 1 x 10 @ 85, 1 x 10 @ 100, 1 x 10 @ 115, 1 x 10 @ 120

Machine Tricep Extention - 4 sets of something - I didn't really like this machine so I'll avoid it in the future.


25min HIIT

Lookin' solid! How are you feeling? Keto treating you well? Keep up the great work man!

[fr33py]

Lookin' solid! How are you feeling? Keto treating you well? Keep up the great work man!

I feel pretty good thank you for asking! I think its doing ok I just don't think I'm quite getting into Keto. I tested on Ketostix this morning and while there was a color change on the stick it still looked like the negative color vs. the trace color. <shrug>

Do you use Ketostix to test if you are in Keto or do you just know?

[Limeliteshines]

I feel pretty good thank you for asking! I think its doing ok I just don't think I'm quite getting into Keto. I tested on Ketostix this morning and while there was a color change on the stick it still looked like the negative color vs. the trace color. <shrug>

Do you use Ketostix to test if you are in Keto or do you just know?

How much water are you drinking? If you're properly hydrated, the keto sticks won't work. Wanna see the keto sticks turn dark? Just stop drinking your water. I don't bother with the sticks cause I know when I'm in. The only indicator I get is (sorry if TMI) but 'keto pee'. It's got a distinct smell to it. That's how I know.

As long as your macros are good, and you're getting enough fat and keeping those carbs down low . . . you should be fine.

Are you using any artificial sweeteners? Or are you eating processed meats? Sometimes those can kick you out of Keto.

[fr33py]

How much water are you drinking? If you're properly hydrated, the keto sticks won't work. Wanna see the keto sticks turn dark? Just stop drinking your water. I don't bother with the sticks cause I know when I'm in. The only indicator I get is (sorry if TMI) but 'keto pee'. It's got a distinct smell to it. That's how I know.

As long as your macros are good, and you're getting enough fat and keeping those carbs down low . . . you should be fine.

Are you using any artificial sweeteners? Or are you eating processed meats? Sometimes those can kick you out of Keto.

The only artificial sweeteners would be in the diet soda that I have a couple of a day. Maybe I should drop those entirely and see how I fair. Between a couple of sodas and water I stay very hydrated so I guess either/or could be the problem. I did just notice the Ketostix had an expiration of 10/2009 so maybe that is part of the problem as well.

Thanks for the advice!

[fr33py]

Ugh I've been irritable this week and don't have much patience. Hopefully that is a sign I'm in ketosis!

Squats - 1x10 @135, 1x5 @185, 1x5 @205, 1x5 @225, 1x5 @245

Bent Over Rows - 1x12 @ 45, 1x5 @ 95, 1x5 @ 135, 1x5 @ 155, 1x5 @185

Overhead Press - 1x10 @ 45, 1x5 @95, 1x5 @ 115, 1x5 @ 135, 1x5 @ 155


I failed to do any cardio today as I had a friends birthday dinner to attend and need to get home to shower and get ready.