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

[heytred]

Should I worry about Sucralose? I'm assuming that's what gives Xtend it's sweetness. There are no calories in Xtend but I want to make sure it's not going to mess up Ketosis.
Thanks!

I think that it doesn't... I use Xtend on lifting days and I stay in ketosis pretty easily. Also I know the guys at SciVation are all about low carb and keto diets. A lot of their products are geared towards those kinds of lifestyles. I would say it's safe to say you're alright, but if you want some more clarification I'd post a thread in the supplement sub-forum. I know some SciVation reps are in there pretty regularly and could give you some more info.

[BarefootSteve]

I think that it doesn't... I use Xtend on lifting days and I stay in ketosis pretty easily. Also I know the guys at SciVation are all about low carb and keto diets. A lot of their products are geared towards those kinds of lifestyles. I would say it's safe to say you're alright, but if you want some more clarification I'd post a thread in the supplement sub-forum. I know some SciVation reps are in there pretty regularly and could give you some more info.

Sounds good. Thanks!

I'm hoping it's fine because I just did my first leg day this morning on while on Keto and it kicked my butt way more than usual. I'm hoping that until I get out of these first two weeks something like xTend intra-workout will help take the edge off.

[Eileen]

I couldn't find an answer to this in the entire 30 pages so I figured I'd ask.

I'm just starting Keto and hope to drop from about 10% bodyfat to 7-8% and possibly gain a few pounds of muscle (but not too much since my main focus is running and endurance sports). I lift hard MWF and I run for 60 minutes on Tu/Thurs. I'm sure my diet is good and calories are high enough so no worries there.

My question is what to do about my carb-up day. I do my long runs Saturday morning first thing and they can get up to 2.5-3 hours at times. I'm sure this would qualify as a depletion workout but should I start carbing up on Friday night with some fruit and perhaps a bowl of oats so I can make it through my long run without bonking? I'd follow my long run with a day of carb-loading for sure.

Thanks!

For your long runs, do a spot of TKD. This means you eat a carb meal before you go out, enough to bridge the gap between what you need and what fat can provide. For that length of run, you could probably eat 150g or so of low gi carbs (oatmeal, rye bread, something like that) and do your proper carb-up afterwards.

[BarefootSteve]

For your long runs, do a spot of TKD. This means you eat a carb meal before you go out, enough to bridge the gap between what you need and what fat can provide. For that length of run, you could probably eat 150g or so of low gi carbs (oatmeal, rye bread, something like that) and do your proper carb-up afterwards.

Cool. I was thinking along those lines but wanted to make sure I was getting the concepts down correctly. Thanks a ton!

[BarefootSteve]

For your long runs, do a spot of TKD. This means you eat a carb meal before you go out, enough to bridge the gap between what you need and what fat can provide. For that length of run, you could probably eat 150g or so of low gi carbs (oatmeal, rye bread, something like that) and do your proper carb-up afterwards.

Sorry - one bit of clarification: Since I tend to get up right before I run, would you suggest I start with the oatmeal before bed the night before, or wake up a half-hour earlier to eat that right before running? I may be greatly over-thinking all of this

[Eileen]

Whatever you think will work for you. Do you run on an empty stomach, or do you normally eat something first?

There are not that many distance runners doing keto, so you'll have to tweak it till you find the method that works best in your case.

[BarefootSteve]

Whatever you think will work for you. Do you run on an empty stomach, or do you normally eat something first?

There are not that many distance runners doing keto, so you'll have to tweak it till you find the method that works best in your case.

I usually run on empty and then start shooting honey packets after 50-60 minutes to maintain energy. I would prefer to eat the night before but was just concerned about eating a higher carb meal and than not doing any activity at all while sleeping for 8 hours. Do you see that being an issue at all?

If something stands out as being the best option for me after experimenting for a few weeks I'll be sure to post the results in case there are others with similar goals to mine.

Thanks for all the help.

[Eileen]

So do what you normally do, but be prepared to use the honey earlier if necessary. A large carb meal if you are not depleted is more likely to be stored as fat.

[moonshinebabe33]

So do what you normally do, but be prepared to use the honey earlier if necessary. A large carb meal if you are not depleted is more likely to be stored as fat.

How quickly does the body convert a large carb meal ie chinese takeaway, to fat, if your eating it at night?

[Eileen]

How quickly does the body convert a large carb meal ie chinese takeaway, to fat, if your eating it at night?

A Chinese takeaway is also very high fat (my sister ate one while taking Alli - she swore she was scared to get off the loo for three hours) so it's a cheat no matter what you do. A pure carb meal depends on your glycogen supplies.

[BarefootSteve]

Does anyone know if the Maltodextrin in Kre-Alkalyn is in a high enough amount to effect ketosis? I take only 2 pills a day (of which 1.5 G is Kre-Alkalyn) so I'm sure it's a minute amount. It's the only creatine product I've found that doesn't cause me to bloat so I'm hoping I can continue to use it on Keto.

Thanks!

[Eileen]

That amount is fine.

[MLD103]

This is my first post, but I am not new to this forum, I pretty much stalk it everyday! I love the wealth of information and dedication you guys all contribute. I have been on keto for almost 2 weeks, and I am getting ready to do my first carb up this weekend. I am SO nervous. My first week on keto I lost 3.4 pounds (which I am assuming is water), and this week so far, nothing I am lifting 4 days a week, following the workout plan that was provided in the stickies. I think I might be eating too many calories...I am trying to cut weight, like 10 pounds, I definitely have it to lose. I currently am: 140 pounds, 5'4'', and have two jobs, one that requires standing the majority of the day, and the other that is a mixture (nanny to a 7 month old). I have been eating about 1700 calories a day, is that too much? I dont know if I calculated everything correctly. I have been in ketosis pretty steadily, and I feel great, tons of energy, sleeping good, and workouts have been good. I feel leaner, which is awesome, but I am just worried Im not going to lose...I am going to do a small carb up on saturday after my depletion workout, and just keep it to 1 maybe 2 meals...then back to keto on sunday. Any suggestions? Am I eating too much?? Thanks for your help!!

[Eileen]

This is my first post, but I am not new to this forum, I pretty much stalk it everyday! I love the wealth of information and dedication you guys all contribute. I have been on keto for almost 2 weeks, and I am getting ready to do my first carb up this weekend. I am SO nervous. My first week on keto I lost 3.4 pounds (which I am assuming is water), and this week so far, nothing I am lifting 4 days a week, following the workout plan that was provided in the stickies. I think I might be eating too many calories...I am trying to cut weight, like 10 pounds, I definitely have it to lose. I currently am: 140 pounds, 5'4'', and have two jobs, one that requires standing the majority of the day, and the other that is a mixture (nanny to a 7 month old). I have been eating about 1700 calories a day, is that too much? I dont know if I calculated everything correctly. I have been in ketosis pretty steadily, and I feel great, tons of energy, sleeping good, and workouts have been good. I feel leaner, which is awesome, but I am just worried Im not going to lose...I am going to do a small carb up on saturday after my depletion workout, and just keep it to 1 maybe 2 meals...then back to keto on sunday. Any suggestions? Am I eating too much?? Thanks for your help!!

For you activity level, assuming you are also hitting the gym, the calories sound about right. If you are never hungry, feel free to reduce cals a bit.

I think you are right, a short carb-up should do the job.

By the way, I'm not a huge fan of the workouts in the stickies. If you have a different routine that works for you, stick with it.

[MLD103]

What dont you like about the workouts in the stickies?? I am totally open to suggestions!

[Eileen]

They seem to be to be aimed at someone who is fairly new to lifting. Someone who has been doing it for a while would probably base an effective workout on squats, deads and benches.

[BarefootSteve]

I'm on my 9th day and I'm still getting nothing on the Ketostix. I know you're supposed to take those with a grain of salt but it seems to me like I should at least be showing trace by now. I've got my macros pretty tight (averaging close to 30g Carbs, 190g protein, 200g fat each day). I've cut out all supps with Citric Acid and Glutamine (other than what's in my protein). I am adding an additional 20g of Waxy Maize to my post work-out shake that I'm not counting but from what I've read, that seems to be okay.

As for training, I lift hard M/W/F morning, do HIIT Mon eve, LITT Wed eve, and run Tu/Th/Sat am for 45+ minutes. I'm careful to not overtrain and I've never had a problem with the intensity on a more "balanced" diet, but is it possible to train to a point that inhibits ketosis?

I just can't figure out what seems to be keeping me from ketosis. Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks!

[Eileen]

With those numbers and that routine, it's pretty much impossible that you are not in ketosis. It's more likely you are drinking enough that your urine is too dilute to show on the ketostix.

Did you have a drop in weight of a couple of pounds at some point?

It's possible your calories might be on the high side unless you have a manual job.

[BarefootSteve]

With those numbers and that routine, it's pretty much impossible that you are not in ketosis. It's more likely you are drinking enough that your urine is too dilute to show on the ketostix.

Did you have a drop in weight of a couple of pounds at some point?

It's possible your calories might be on the high side unless you have a manual job.

Yeah, I tend to drink quite a bit of water. I figured I'd still at least show a trace. I still have energy for my workouts without eating hardly any carbs so my body has to be burning something for fuel. If I'm not concerned about gaining weight can too many calories still be an issue? I'm 6'2" and 160 and currently eating close to 2600 cals a day so I doubt I'm too high. I did lose about 3 pounds of water weight in the first few days but then seemed to gain most of it back without a carb-up. The weight doesn't bother me because I know it's just water but I wasn't expecting it to come back without a carb-up.

[Eileen]

Yeah, I tend to drink quite a bit of water. I figured I'd still at least show a trace. I still have energy for my workouts without eating hardly any carbs so my body has to be burning something for fuel. If I'm not concerned about gaining weight can too many calories still be an issue? I'm 6'2" and 160 and currently eating close to 2600 cals a day so I doubt I'm too high. I did lose about 3 pounds of water weight in the first few days but then seemed to gain most of it back without a carb-up. The weight doesn't bother me because I know it's just water but I wasn't expecting it to come back without a carb-up.

Normally, I'd say that few pounds of weight loss is the water weight disappearing as you go into ketosis. It's often a more reliable sign of ketosis then the sticks.

2600 cals is on the high side if you are cutting. What are you are you eating?

[BarefootSteve]

Normally, I'd say that few pounds of weight loss is the water weight disappearing as you go into ketosis. It's often a more reliable sign of ketosis then the sticks.

2600 cals is on the high side if you are cutting. What are you are you eating?

Mostly chicken, eggs, veggies, and a small amount of nuts. I also throw in a few protein shakes and some Olive Oil, Flax Oil, small amounts of heavy whipping cream, occasional cottage cheese, etc.

I can get more specific if need be. I eat really clean though.

[Eileen]

Mostly chicken, eggs, veggies, and a small amount of nuts. I also throw in a few protein shakes and some Olive Oil, Flax Oil, small amounts of heavy whipping cream, occasional cottage cheese, etc.

I can get more specific if need be. I eat really clean though.

It's possible your calories are a bit high. Try cutting about to about 2000 cals a day (drop the shakes except PWO and cream etc) and you should do it painlessly.

[BarefootSteve]

It's possible your calories are a bit high. Try cutting about to about 2000 cals a day (drop the shakes except PWO and cream etc) and you should do it painlessly.

Would the higher calories be effecting my entering Ketosis, or just the quickness of fat-loss?

[Eileen]

Would the higher calories be effecting my entering Ketosis, or just the quickness of fat-loss?

Fat loss. One of the advantage of keto is reduced hunger, so you can drop calories to the point where you are not starving, but are looking forward to the next meal. It's a great way to get in touch with your body and what it really needs. There's an awful lot of people eating silly calories because some calculator told them so, and ignoring signals from their body that they are stuffed. Then they wonder why they are not losing weight.

[BarefootSteve]

So this maybe should go undre Keto Nutrition but since I know a ton of you Keto folks have subscribed to this thread I'd share it here.

A lot of Keto dieters recommend adding coconut butter to a cup of coffee pre-workout but I don't like coffee and it's kinda hard to just eat a spoonfull of coconut butter in my opinion. Last night I scooped about 1 Cup of coconut butter into a bowl and stuck it in the oven (no set temp, I just set it in as it was warming up and kept an eye on it). It melted in a few minutes and then I mixed in 1 scoop of whey protein powder. I lined an ice-cube tray with foil so it made little divots in each compartment and then poured about a table-spoon of the liquid into each. I just set it in the fridge but you could even freeze it I guess. Once they set-up, you can pluck the blobs off the foil really easy and they make tasty single serving pre-workout snacks. I had one this morning and could really tell a difference from when I tried to lift earlier in the week in a fasted state.

Enjoy!

[Eileen]

Sounds good. Another possibility is melted coconut oil and 99% chocolate (sweetener optional) melted together and then frozen. 99% chocolate is supposed to enhance NO production.

[BarefootSteve]

Sounds good. Another possibility is melted coconut oil and 99% chocolate (sweetener optional) melted together and then frozen. 99% chocolate is supposed to enhance NO production.

I'll have to try that. I'm a big fan of dark chocolate. I just happened to have banana flavored whey so it made for some nice little tropical treats.

[atbeezy]

Ok, so here's a question. I love keto and have been enjoying good results for some time now. I am fairly lean( last time I checked I was roughly 8%) and I have stalled for a while. I was wondering if maybe doing a bit of carb cycling( high, low, no, high.... Or however it would work) would be effective to get extra shredded.
Any advice would be appreciated. I just don't want to ruin all the progress I've made so far!

[BarefootSteve]

Ok, so here's a question. I love keto and have been enjoying good results for some time now. I am fairly lean( last time I checked I was roughly 8%) and I have stalled for a while. I was wondering if maybe doing a bit of carb cycling( high, low, no, high.... Or however it would work) would be effective to get extra shredded.
Any advice would be appreciated. I just don't want to ruin all the progress I've made so far!

I tried a similar diet before I jumped on the Keto bandwagon. It can be an effective diet but keep in mind you will most likely not reach Ketosis by cycling that frequently. It sounds like that is okay with you though. I tweaked it for about a year and never could find ratios that seemed to be effective for me, but I tend to be very carb-sensitive.

Like all diets, you can research popular opinion all you want, but ultimately the best way to find if it works is to try it and see.

Either way, at 8% you're going to have to work harder and harder for each percentage point after that. I'd say from your pic that you're pretty cut as is. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be more cut, but you might be reaching the point where it's going to be more effort than it's worth to keep going farther.

Good luck though.

[atbeezy]

That's what I'm afraid of.... Spending alot of time and losing alot of progress trying to dial it in. I might just up my keto calories and see where that takes me.