1 month of proper Keto

[Sarumyan]

Hey guys,

What's up: Been on a lazy keto for 2.5 months now and lost 40 pounds. Last 7 days gradually devolved into eating carbs.

Goals: Go super strict for 1 month. Measure every single gram. Play around with macros. Make sure I hit the nutrition goals. Learn ins/outs. Get ready to go full keto for years. Not going to set a weight goal for this month. But overall, I plan to hit a healthy 230lbs in one year.

Training: BJJ, walking, weights.

Stats: 29 y/o, 295lbs, 6.4".

Pic at Day 0:

[Sarumyan]

Day 1: 294 lbs



Note: Was not too hungry to eat more today, actually felt full to the brim. Here are my macros, its aggressive calorie-wise, but I will reassess each day.




SUPPLEMENTS: taking ZMA, fish oil (calories accounted for).

[Sarumyan]

Day 2: 293 lbs


Note: A pretty ****ty day. Had brain fog and generally felt unmotivated to do anything. Ordered plain chicken wings and ate them throughout the day. Not a good start.
Also realized that BJJ is messing up with my sleep cycle. As well as I tend to overeat at night, so not sure how should I deal with it.

Biggest problem right now is that I am still jet lagged from traveling to China and I wake up at 11AM. Which is grossly unacceptable.

Goal for this week is to normalize sleep and start waking up at 5AM-6AM like I usually do.

[Sarumyan]

Day 3: 296 lbs



Note: the deep-fried chicken wings was a nasty idea, really feel guilty of eating that gargabe, when my fridge is choc-full of healthy meats/organs etc. Today I did not feel very good. There is no keto flu (wasn't yesterday either) - I think it is because I am moderately adapted to burning fat now. But there is definitely that nasty brain fog and feeling APATHY..And as we all know.....



Not a pleasant state of mind right now. Can't wait for my brain to jump to ketones. I am not being productive with work at all. It was hard to force myself to even read a book. Spending my evening watching netflix. Maybe I am too hard on myself too and should just take it easy for couple of days. I don't know, there is a lot of work, but technically i still can take 2-3 days off.

Sleep: I did go to BJJ today, but only beginner's class and only light work. About 20 minutes of stretching too. So I hope it won't undercut my sleep tonight or at least I hope to fall asleep around 1AM instead of 3AM. Goal to wake up at 9.30 AM regardless, and then cut off half an hour every day until i get to 5.30AM.

Carbs over 30g: Had not idea liver and beef tripe have so much carbs. Go figure, will be more careful next time.

[Sarumyan]

Day 4: 288 (BOOM BABY!)



Note: Ladies and gentlemen, it appears I am arriving at the divine state of ketosis. Mood improved, despite horrible sleep patterns. Energy is low but stable. Walked quite a bit today, got a little bit of work done. Finished a book I have been stalling on.

Weight drop: No idea how did I just drop so much weight, but the previous weight measurements came from gym scale (an old one, like the ones they used in 19th century). Now my digital scale, on a concrete floor is showing I am not as heavy as I thought. Still, by the looseness of the clothing, I think I did actually whooshed down 4-5 pounds last night.

[Sarumyan]

Day 5: 286.4 lbs



Note: Finally a good nights sleep. Around 9 hours. Feeling a little tired...no not 'tired', this weird state of 'steady, low energy'. Hard to explain. I feel not very motivated but once I start I keep pushing without much effort. It was a good day, did BJJ during the day, went pretty easy.

MCT oil: I feel like I have made a big mistake by buying it. Yes, it feels nice and I think it helps. But I don't smell like I am in keto, there is no herbal/fruity smell coming off of me. I guess I have enough ketones in my blood to make feel good but is that really coming from my fat or is it just MCT oil? On the other hand, insulin doesn't spike from them. So maybe as a pre-workout it is a good thing.
Also, today I had some funny stomach stuff and it felt like MCT oil was the culprit.

[Sarumyan]

Day 6: 288lbs



Note: Not the best day. Didn't sleep that well and woke up ravenously hungry. Could not resist going to a breakfast place and it turned out to be a buffet.
Ate a lot of meat today. Which is a good thing. I will compensate tomorrow and reduce my fat intake, PSMF style - see how that goes.

[CoolGreekName]

I love your macro counter.

Just make sure your coconut oil isn't "refined."

and I don't see enough salads and green stuff. Try cauliflower even! Maybe squeeze some cheese in there and replace it for some meat.

[Sarumyan]

I love your macro counter.

Just make sure your coconut oil isn't "refined."

and I don't see enough salads and green stuff. Try cauliflower even! Maybe squeeze some cheese in there and replace it for some meat.

By cauliflower - you mean liver, right? . Yeah, I do need more nutrients - you are right. I also think I am overdoing it with oil but the internets is really confusing on the fat thingy during the adaptation phase.
Some say - more fat, some say no fat at all, just protein. Going to try just protein tomorrow - see if that works.

[latverian41]

A month of keto is a tough go OP. Congrats

But remember it's not meant for long term..

Slowly work back in to upping the carbs if you have hir your goal

Then maintain unless you want to gain

[Sarumyan]

A month of keto is a tough go OP. Congrats

But remember it's not meant for long term..

Slowly work back in to upping the carbs if you have hir your goal

Then maintain unless you want to gain

Well, it is too early to claim anything, but man, I do plan to do keto long term. It is just easier for me. Don't forget I have already done keto for 2+ months before this log. I felt great and was finally free from constant hunger. 1+ mental clarity.

[BrownBear1968]

Well, it is too early to claim anything, but man, I do plan to do keto long term. It is just easier for me. Don't forget I have already done keto for 2+ months before this log. I felt great and was finally free from constant hunger. 1+ mental clarity.

Keto Day #1/30 here! My numbers are: 6'00'' and 305 lb

Good luck!

[Sarumyan]

Keto Day #1/30 here! My numbers are: 6'00'' and 305 lb

Good luck!

Good luck as well!

[Sarumyan]

Day 7: 288.3 lbs



Weird note: I felt BETTER today, than yesterday. How - I have no idea. Maybe my body is not used to processing that many fats. I will stick to PSMF for now, see where that goes.
If I feel that good, I will keep it up for a week or two.

[Sarumyan]

Day 8: 286.8 lbs



Note: Tough day. I feel fine, but I motivation is down to zero (in terms of mental work). Trained my ass off with BJJ - had C4 pre-workout.
Not sure if that was for the better or for the worse yet. I definitely burned massive amount of calories, but the sleep quality will be the deciding factor.

Sleep quality: I wake up at 6AM for some reason, then sleep for couple more hours.

RFL diet: While I don't see the big deal with playing around with calorie cycling, this is def. a crash diet. Before you attack me - check the PSMF by Lyle McDonald. This is the protocol I am following for now and since I am category 3 - I can keep this up for 3 weeks without refeeds.

Overall, not a bad day. Just can't seem to do anything productive.

[Sarumyan]

Day 9: 286.4lbs



Note: GOD DAMN SCALE. I wish it moved faster. Today was pretty brutal in terms of energy expenditure. Again, not a lot of productive time spent.
Tired.

Sleep quality: ....well, its sh*t. About 4 hours. Surprisingly I don't feel that tired. But again, work productivity is waaaayy down. It is so much harder to force myself to do anything.

EDIT: I binged on about 200 grams of beef tendon as well. So today was more keto than PSMF, but considering my activity level - it is reasonable.

EDIT2: I figured out the weight loss stall. I am taking C4 preworkout that has creatine. I also started to lift heavy again.

[Sarumyan]

Day 10: 286.9 lbs




Note: I have to admit the scale is pissing me off. Mentally it is tough to see the same weight, with so much effort put in. Can't wait for a whoosh. I am slimmer though. Been fitting into XL size clothing without issues. Feels nice! Can't wait till 270lbs.

Pic Update:

[LittleRock10]

I'm just starting my keto for just 5days right now. Maybe I can copy on some of your plan? Actually I'm really having a hard time. Anyways, thanks for this post to somehow motivate me more.

[Sarumyan]

I'm just starting my keto for just 5days right now. Maybe I can copy on some of your plan? Actually I'm really having a hard time. Anyways, thanks for this post to somehow motivate me more.

Check videos by Jerry, he advocated PSMF for weightloss. Same with Palumbo I think. Basically - High protein, zero carb, under 25 grams of fat. Some do carb refeeds. It might be easier to get into ketosis with such diet. Keto can make you sick with all that fat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qyitn0v5EU&t=478s

[Sarumyan]

Day 11: 284.6lbs


Note: A b#itch of a day. Had to catch up on work and it was brutal. Physically I feel fine - energy is there, mood is alright, but to do anything mentally is a fcking chore. I also get bursts of crankiness. I am a calm person - normally, but my fuse is getting shorter each day on PSMF.

Keto Breath: I finally got a pretty sttrong keto breath. I suppose ITS ON! I am 100% confident that I am back to ketosis. Why it took so long - not sure.

XL: I bought a hipster Patagonia sweater XL size and it fits perfectly. In fact, all my clothes are noticeably better fitting. But still..the weight is too too high, by my estimation i should be 280-281 right now.

[Sarumyan]

Day 12: 282.5 lbs (Wooo!) REFEED

MORNING UPDATE: I woke up at 2AM and could not fall asleep again. Walked around downtown Calgary for 2 hours but still felt restless. Decided to have a refeed. Already ate some fast oats, kombucha, kefir, CLIFF bar and a cheesecake slice (which was probably a bad idea). Its 10AM now and the BAD NEWS: I feel like I have been hit with a baseball bat right in the head. Nasty feeling. THE GOOD NEWS: is that I literally had to force feed myself since I had zero cravings for carbs. I didn't want it but I felt so restless and jittery that I decided I wanted to have a good nights sleep. I am also so full right now,I wouldn't be able to eat anything else - so at least my hormones are more regulated now. 4 months ago - this amount of food would be a total joke for me, now I am stuffed.

OVERALL, I am going back to Keto at NOON. Was this reefed properly done? The cheesecake screwed me over, so not really. Did I get emotional relief? Not really, I think a good steak was what I craved and what would do very nicely. Mental clarity is gone, I feel my thoughts are kind of slippery - its hard to focus. I also did not sleep that well after my oats meal.

LESSON LEARNED: NO MORE CARBS. I CAN REFEED ON MORE HEALTHY MEAT AND ORGANS NEXT TIME.
LESSON LEARNED2: I whooshed down nicely today, another reminder to stay calm and carry on on a weight loss plateau. 282.5lbs! Not bad at all.





EVENING UPDATE:
Ok, so I lied, I ended up in a Thai Restaurant with a buddy of mine. Again, I regret every carb eaten, cause IT TURNS OUT I DID NOT DIGEST A LOT OF IT, especially the oats. So a good 1.5 hour today was spent on the throne, however, After 4 months on keto you will realize a time in a washroom is always a time well-spent.

Also, very annoyingly today was the most productive day in a while. I actually enjoyed work and got a lot of **** done without any complaints. Go figure

[Sarumyan]

Day 13: 288.1lbs


Note: Strange day. No hunger at all. I did sneak in some sugar in my coffee though, but a small transgression. Had some post-workout MCT oil and it was very nice. The oats are still destroying my intestines. I had to down 1 kg of sauerkraut to fix this - not sure if all that bacteria helped or not, but lets be positive .

Productivity: WEIRD. I was productive but in a more 'sit-down' way. I would not go outside like previous day and spend some time filming or photographing.

Anxiety: I don't suffer from anxiety but today I felt it a little bit. On keto normally I am in a complit 'don't give a damn' mode.

Bloat: Major bloat. Lots of food still undigested.

[Sarumyan]

Day 14: 287.1 lbs



BAD DAY: I snapped around 3PM. Ever since the morning I had intense cravings for nuts/peanut butter. Why today is like that I don't know. I didn't go way overboard, but it was a significant willpower battle lost today.

[Sarumyan]

Day 15: 289.5lbs

Didn't count calories - overate of course - probably around 6000 calroies. Felt sluggish, anxious and weak willed. ****ty day overall. I also ended up in the washroom dealing with all those carbs again. What caused it? Not sure, it felt like all my willpower was drained.

[Sarumyan]

Day 16: 290.5 lbs



Note2: Had to implement some tricks to push through today. I still craved carbs like crazy and I really wanted to 'eat normally'. Here is what I did to get BACK ON TRACK:

1. I had an EC stack (20mg) - pretty heavy dose I know. That was 70% of the comeback effort.
2. I also kept myself busy with shopping, working and planning.
3. Had 3 tbs of MCT oil.
4. Motivated myself by looking at old pics. Had an internal Tet-a-tet with myself: reaffirmed the necessity of being in shape for life.

[Kiffy200]

Keep up the good work man!! Been on a Keto/prolonged fasting here and there for the past 6 months now down a good 63lb however, I had a 3-month stint I fell off the wagon but pretty much stayed the same weight. Back on it hard now like you, however I will be sure to keep an eye on your progress

[ketologs420]

What's going on with this? did you keep going?

[bluejay83]

I find calorie calculators seem to over estimate maintenance calories for me by about 30%

Something to be aware of, It's not always as simple as calories in calories out, fat storage is hormonal not always a strict mechanistic system.

Hence, why you can't gain muscle id f you're very stressed.
Cortisol stops most of it.

[rhadam]

I find calorie calculators seem to over estimate maintenance calories for me by about 30%

Something to be aware of, It's not always as simple as calories in calories out, fat storage is hormonal not always a strict mechanistic system.

Hence, why you can't gain muscle id f you're very stressed.
Cortisol stops most of it.

Lol what?

No.

[Grumpy232]

What program is that your using that's tracking everything? I see he hasn't posted in a while, anyone else?