New to Keto? - Look Here First *Frequently Asked Questions*

[feloniousmonk]

Thanks for all of this great information. I've read the entire thread (I've used it as my study break reading material when I've needed to clear my head from finals studying). Anyway, if you'll indulge me, I have a few questions:

1) I didn't see the part Eileen mentioned about how to calculate the carbs in veggies (unless it's just the standard carbs-fiber method).

2) I am on a bulk right now. I have a little over one month to go. Then, I plan to use keto to cut. I am lifting 6 days a week now, but I'll cut it to 4 once on keto (chest/shoulders/tris mon & thurs; legs/back/bis tues & fri). I'll do moderate endurance cardio on lifting days and HIIT on non-lifting days. Does this seem like an effective plan to keep my muscle and burn fat while on keto?

3) Given that schedule, which day seems the best for my carb-up? (I assume I'll need a carb-up with the lifting)

4) Is there such a thing as being on keto for too long? Can I just stay on it, but up my calories to maintenance when I've hit my target? If not, once I've cut to the weight I want, how do I add carbs so as to not start putting on fat again?

Thanks in advance! You guys are great!

[Eileen]

Veggies: subtract fiber from total carbs. For most greens, that halves the amount of carbs. Or even just ignore the carbs in green veg completely, and eat reasonably.

Don't change a successful workout because of keto. Adapt keto to suit the workout. Having said that, four days of heavy lifting a week is probably as much as you need.

Carb-up at the end of the week when you are depleted.

You can do keto forever if you keep calories at maintenance. If you want to come off it, the traditional way is to gradually increase carbs while reducing fat, until you find the level that's comfortable. But in reality, you can go from keto to any other diet as long as you keep calories the same. You'll gain water weight, but not fat.

[feloniousmonk]

Thanks, Eileen. You are a fountain of information. Two quick questions about the carb-up:

1) How many carbs should a person shoot for (I'll assume it's based on height, weight, body composition, etc.)

2) What sources of carbs should I be looking for (there is a huge part of me that's hoping you're gonna say pizza)? Which carbs to avoid?

Thanks again.

[SEOINAGEbb]

Might have been answered, but it is saying basically no milk form what i have gathered. But also on keto days your protein shake to consume 10g of dextrose, I assume this goes straight to your muscles and that is why it is used, but lets say I mix milk with my shake, and only enough of it to get 10g of sugar added, am I going to have a problem? Or is dextrose really the best method here and I need to avoid the sugar in milk? I love protein shakes with some whole milk and cream, but I could give it up and instead mix my plain protein with cocoa and dextrose and water. Just doing my due diligence and research before starting the diet.

[SEOINAGEbb]

So lets say I am training primarily strength and power, westside barbell template, weigh 228 lbs, and train 3-4 times a week usually two of those are really heavy lifting, am I one that would probably need a two day carb up? and should i try to fit my heavy days, meaning above 90% of my one rep max in at the beggining of the week? I can't really do them back to back as it is. so one would be a little later in the week.

[Eileen]

Thanks, Eileen. You are a fountain of information. Two quick questions about the carb-up:

1) How many carbs should a person shoot for (I'll assume it's based on height, weight, body composition, etc.)

2) What sources of carbs should I be looking for (there is a huge part of me that's hoping you're gonna say pizza)? Which carbs to avoid?

Thanks again.

Personally, I'd base it on goal. If you have a large amount of fat to lose, carb up close to maintenance. If you want to drop some fat but also gain muscle, then maybe 20% above maintenance calories and just reverse the macros. If you are getting close to being ready to compete, then you can carb-up at 50% above maintenance cals.

Ideally, go for the clean boring BB carbs. Oatmeal, root veg, low fat dairy, wholegrains, beans and pulses, brown rice, sweet potatoes, tuna and chicken and egg white, skim milk etc. Try to avoid anything with significant fat, sugar or white flour.

If you do a pizza meal, confine it to one meal, not the whole carb-up. Or make your own low fat pizza.

[and86]

My first carb-up is tomorrow. I'm correct when saying that I have to switch my macros so that My Carb intake is 65% my Fat is 5% and my protein remains 30%?
Also I understood that the first day of carb-up, i.e. Friday, I shoud stick with high G.I. carbs and on Saturday eat low G.I. Also it is recomended to have some fruit an hour or so before ones final workout. Now here is my question: I workout early mornings. I get up at 6 and arrive at the gym at around 7. Normally all I have is a cup of coffee with some coconut oil in it, (and a two egg omelette if Im really hungry in the morning) before workout. SHould i skip the coffee and oil tomorrow and just have some fruit instead? Then the remainder of the day I should consume low G.I carbs? As im doing my workout in the morning, and not in afternoon, my carb-up will start earlier. should I just cut the saturday carb-up in half? That way the tota of hours will be 36 and not like 48 if I went with a two full day carb-up!

Thanks for the help in advance!

[Eileen]

In that case, I would just carb-up on Friday, and go back to keto on Saturday. By then, you'll be so sick of oatmeal and brown rice, you'll be craving eggs and steak again.

Try something like a fruit and protein smoothie for breakfast, do your workout, then have a high PWO shake after it with a lot more dextrose than usual. Personally, I throw in some frozen berries to stop the dex getting too cloying. Then start carbing up. Have a couple of high GI meals, then switch to lower gi.

Finish at bedtime.

You can't really finish a carb-up halfway through a day. All the insulin will still be sloshing round inside you for hours after, so you can't go back to high fat keto meals until it's gone. It's better to time it so you finish at bedtime.

A 12-24 hour carb-up is plenty for most people.

[and86]

In that case, I would just carb-up on Friday, and go back to keto on Saturday. By then, you'll be so sick of oatmeal and brown rice, you'll be craving eggs and steak again.

Try something like a fruit and protein smoothie for breakfast, do your workout, then have a high PWO shake after it with a lot more dextrose than usual. Personally, I throw in some frozen berries to stop the dex getting too cloying. Then start carbing up. Have a couple of high GI meals, then switch to lower gi.

Finish at bedtime.

You can't really finish a carb-up halfway through a day. All the insulin will still be sloshing round inside you for hours after, so you can't go back to high fat keto meals until it's gone. It's better to time it so you finish at bedtime.

A 12-24 hour carb-up is plenty for most people.

Great! Thanks for the quick advice Eileen! One day carb suit me just perfect. Do I need to follow the 10g of carbs per kg of LBM rule strictly? Would give me something like 500g of carbs in total! I think I'll just follow your advice to the previous poster if thats ok and do 20% above maintenance as I dont have a lot of fat and want to build a bit too. Thanks again Eileen!

Andreas

[Eileen]

I always find that a very high number, unless you are sure you can handle it. I'd start lower, and if it works well, you can always go a bit higher next time. It's very depressing to waste a week's dieting because you've overdone the carb-up.

[Zody]

Is it normal to feel sluggish/drained getting into keto again after a carb up? This usually happens on tue-wed (mid week) and my carb up falls on a sunday. But once I get into keto (usually by thursday) I have awesome energy. This transition phase seems to be a pain.

I have done 2 carb ups thus far. Will this go away? or is this bound to happen every week on keto?

Thanks.

[Eileen]

The actual transition can feel pretty crap, though it gets easier the more often you do it.

I'm a bit concerned that it's taking you until Thursday to get back to ketosis. Most people do it in 1-2 days, or even less.

[Zody]

The actual transition can feel pretty crap, though it gets easier the more often you do it.

I'm a bit concerned that it's taking you until Thursday to get back to ketosis. Most people do it in 1-2 days, or even less.

I'm just guessing the state of ketosis. I do not have ketostix to test for ketones. I just go by the metallic taste in my mouth. It could also be due to the fact that i'm eating less calories for the first half of the day. I'll try eating more and see how it goes. Thanks for your input.

[Eileen]

Watch for the day spent peeing like a racehorse, followed by a sudden drop in weight.

[feloniousmonk]

So, I'm guessing intra-workout supplements are off limits on keto. For instance, gaspari size-on has 39g of carbs. Though, aren't they all used up during the workout? Would these carbs function like the carbs in the post workout whey/no fats shake? What about pre-workout supplements like superpump?

[Eileen]

Avoid. There's research that taking carbs during your workout just ensures you don't burn any fat. If it's a competition or something, where your performance is vital, it would be worth it, but if you are training to get ripped, it's not.

[DustyChicago]

Due to my busy work schedule, I have to begin my carbup Friday evening.

My question is, should I limit my calorie intake that evening due to having ate 5 keto meals prior to my workout on Friday, or should I basically try to eat as many carbs as I can. My macro numbers call for 440 g of carbohydrate, so I guess I'm asking the best way to spread them out over Friday Evening to Midday Saturday. My goal is fat loss.

[Eileen]

In that case, do your depletion workout, and then draw a line under your keto meals, and ignore them. Have a big whey shake, and a high gi carb meal, then go to bed. On Saturday, you eat lower-gi carbs all day. If you think that will bring your calories too high, then space out your meals, or make them a little smaller, but don't go back to keto until Sunday morning.

If you binge, and have really used up all your cals by Saturday lunchtime, then stick to protein and green veg for the rest of the day. Tuna salad or egg white omlettes.

You can't eat a lot of carbs in the morning, and then switch to keto halfway through the day.

[DustyChicago]

Finished my carb up on saturday night and went back to keto meals on sunday.

As of last night (monday night) I was still not back in ketosis, although I suspect I'm there right now, but my question is if there's anything, behaviorally, I can do to get myself back into keto by monday/as fast as possible.

I was thinking of adding a session of HIIT on sunday.

Also, during day 2 of carb up when I was consuming low GI carbs, I did about 45 minutes of cycling... I cycle simply to get around during the summer and I'm wondering how much this might interfere with my fat loss goals depending on the timing of my commute.

Last thing, what does Lyle say about the insulin spike. I mean, if I get my spike in my PWO shake, then should I continue to eat HI GI for the rest of the evening, or should I switch to low GI, my thinking being I'll return to ketosis faster?

[moonshinebabe33]

Which are the best veggies to stick to, just curious!

I tend to have:

broccolie
iceburg lettuce
raddish
spinich
green beans
celery

Usually drizzled with an oil and lemon dressing if it's salad veg.

[Eileen]

They're fine. Iceberg lettuce is a bit of a waste, almost no nutrition. Go for one of the darker coloured ones.

Also, asparagus, avocado, cauliflower, cucumber, chard, courgette, cabbage, dandelion (I pick my own), beetroot tops, fennel, kale, leeks, mushrooms, spring onion, baby sweetcorn (the little ones that you eat whole) pumpkin, rhubarb, salad leaves in general, watercress.

[anirudh412]

Hey everyone! Well it's been 3 days since I have been on a Keto diet. I weigh 150lbs and am having 1500 cals. About 25g carbs and 110g fat and the remaining protein. I have my meals about every 3 hours. Isn't the fat supposed to keep you full? I have heard Eileen say you feel hungry if there aren't enough fats in the food. Shouldn't 110g of fat be enough each day? I am on a cutting right now.

[Eileen]

What are your maintenance calories? And are you actually in ketosis yet? The first time, it can take three days or longer to get properly into ketosis. Then you'll notice the difference in appetite.

[fitnessman]

What are your maintenance calories? And are you actually in ketosis yet? The first time, it can take three days or longer to get properly into ketosis. Then you'll notice the difference in appetite.

Eileen,

I would be honored for you to join my group


http://groups.bodybuilding.com/doublet_keto_diet_group

[moonshinebabe33]

They're fine. Iceberg lettuce is a bit of a waste, almost no nutrition. Go for one of the darker coloured ones.

Also, asparagus, avocado, cauliflower, cucumber, chard, courgette, cabbage, dandelion (I pick my own), beetroot tops, fennel, kale, leeks, mushrooms, spring onion, baby sweetcorn (the little ones that you eat whole) pumpkin, rhubarb, salad leaves in general, watercress.

When you have any of these do you have them in unlimited amounts?

[fitnessman]

When you have any of these do you have them in unlimited amounts?

No. A calorie is still a calorie.

[Eileen]

When you have any of these do you have them in unlimited amounts?

Fill half your plate with green veg at every sit down meal.

[madelineoneil]

hey eileen

i think i read somewhere in another thread...where you said that if you'd done keto before, that you wouldnt have to do the 12 day induction period, ie, one could carb up after one week of the low carb phase? just wondering if you'd elaborate on that...(hopefully i didnt make that up, hehe)

also: i also find myself eating too much whey...probably 3 scoops per day. usually 1 or 2 of those scoops are mixed with whole eggs to make protein pancakes. i understand "whole" foods are better, but is that just because whey doesnt keep you as full? or do you find excess whey would possibly stall weight loss?

thanks!

[Eileen]

If you've experience with keto, so you can get into ketosis faster, and you are used to working out on keto, you can carb-up sooner. You'll know yourself when you are totally depleted and really need that carb-up.

Whole foods keep you fuller. If you were going to use a protein powder, I'd be more inclined to use casein, which takes much longer to digest, keep the whey for post workout.

[YoungEx20]

How often do you guys and gals carb up? How long does your carb up last before going back to limiting carbs?

This is an individual-based specific question I understand. I asked it to gauge the different responses whether they be unanimous or different.