I intend this article to supplement the Step by Step Keto Diet Plan (http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=36497), posted by BlindFaith.
Brief Description of this Article
The main purpose of this article is to supplement the already posted information in the Step By Step Keto Diet Plan. While that plan covers how to do proceed with the diet, it does not cover the lingering questions that are asked over and over again in this forum. I will attempt to cover as many lingering questions as possible.
Please don't PM me your personal questions. Please ask them in the thread or in a new topic so everyone can learn.
The following topics are covered and you can find them listed in order.
1 Keto – A brief description
2 Side effects
3 Ratios and Macronutrient tips
4 Carb Up
5 Water
6 Ketostix
7Alcohol
8 Vegetables
9 Pre WO nutrition
10 Post WO nutrition
11 My workout plan (personal advice)
12 Gum
13 Caffeine
14 Diet drinks
15 The “right” age
16 Bulking on the CKD
17 Sugar Alcohols
18 How Many Carbs?
19 Choosing the “Right” Carbs
1 Keto – A brief description
Body fat is a survival mechanism of the body. We use carbohydrates as a primary source for fuel, and in a shortage, we will result to whatever other sources we can use for energy. First we will tap into glycogen, which is stored glucose in our muscles and liver as an emergency source of energy. Once those stores are depleted, the body must turn to another source. What better than our body fat? In eating a high fat, moderate protein, and minimal carbohydrate diet, we can get our body into the mode for burning fat and include these principles in a caloric deficit plan in order to stimulate the body to metabolize adipose tissue.
2 Side Effects – What happens?
Many tend to get bad breath, bad smelling urine, and/or yellow/neon colored urine. You will most likely find yourself urinating more frequently. Upon transitioning when entering the diet into ketosis, one may feel slow or sluggish as the transition takes place then as ketosis is achieved normal energy levels shall return. Some people claim they feel “dumb” for a while when first transitioning into the diet; it’s only your body transitioning on the fuel it uses. Others feel more focused and able to concentrate when in phase with Keto. Upon exiting Ketosis, some people feel bloated, tired, or sometimes a little sick to the stomach. To prevent the latter, read in the section in this article about carbing up. It’s perfectly fine to feel tired upon transitioning into Ketosis or carbing up. Not all of these apply to everyone, hence side effects.
3 Ratios and Macronutrient tips
The Step by Step Keto Diet Plan thread details the intake your body will need for this diet. The typical ratio for this diet is outlined at 65% fat, 30% protein, and 5% carbs. The working ballpark ranges are about so: 55-65% fat, 30-40% protein, and 5-10% carbs. The diet should be modified for your needs as time goes by.
Adjusting your ratios
-If you feel low on energy, up your fat intake a little bit and reduce protein intake a little bit.
-If you feel that your recovery time is slow, increase your protein a little bit, and lower your fat a little bit.
-If you feel you are unable to concentrate, are losing focus, or feeling lightheaded, up your carbohydrate intake a minor amount, and reduce where ever else you feel able to.
Remember, it’s still a diet, so while you may be following strict eating habits on limiting carbs and in taking more calories from fat and protein, at the end of the day it’s calories in versus calories out. More calories in than more calories expended equals weight gain.
4 The Carb-Up – differs from person to person.
The carb up is very subjective to the person dieting. It varies from person to person. Many find they must eat a strict diet to prevent regain. Others find this is an excellent opportunity to have whatever they want for the entire period and not regain any weight. What’s most important is moderation and counting protein. Avoid binging yet make sure you eat sufficient amounts of carbs and your adequate protein levels. A tip before beginning the carb up is to eat a couple fruits an hour or two before hand. This is mentioned in the Step by Step article but is not nearly stressed enough. I’ve found skipping this will usually lead to upset stomach or food coma (too many carbs all at once causing high levels of insulin cause you to take a nap)
5 Water – Especially important on a Ketogenic diet
You will tend to find yourself more dehydrated on this diet simply because when ketones are utilized they require water to be removed from the body. One will find that they are urinating more often while on this diet due to water depletion. Water levels vary from person to person, the recommended dosage of water a day is approximately 1 gallon (I’d say at the least). When in Ketosis, the darkness or lightness of the hue on your test strip will tell you if you are drinking adequate amounts of water. Dark purple means you should be drinking more water.
6 Ketostix – All you need to know about them
Ketostix are urine analysis strips that detect traces of ketones in the urine. They can be purchased at your local pharmacy or drug store. As long as you have a trace when testing, your body is utilizing ketones and fat is being broken down. The scale on the bottle is merely the concentration of ketones detected. If you read dark purple, it surely must be because you aren’t drinking enough water. As long as you have any trace you can be sure you are in Ketosis since the body removes excess through the urine, it could very well be possible that ketones are in your body but not being expelled or production may have halted (insulin spike from high amounts of carbs for example).
7 Alcohol – Can I have it?
While alcohol isn’t the best thing to drink when doing any kind of dieting, cutting or bulking, we sometimes like to have it. Remember, your body will first get rid of alcohol before it begins to repair your muscles. My only advice to you is not to go crazy. Alcohol is still calories—7 calories per gram that is. While alcohol seems to not significantly affect your diet, it’s probably best to stay away from it or not to drink it too often. One must remember that alcohol is a poison and the body will stop all other processes to begin expelling the toxin from the body. If you are serious about dieting, alcohol will be avoided in all cases.
8 Vegetables – Essential to a Ketogenic Diet
In my opinion vegetables should be included in ALL types of diets. Cutting, bulking, and even maintaining. There are loads of benefits from eating these! They are low calorie fillers, they have the fiber we need, vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and phytochemicals. Not to mention scientists find a possible connection that they are inhibitors to cancer! What more can we ask for? Eat them all up. Eat a variety. They’re good for you. Do what your mother told you! Eat them as salads, even better! Load that olive oil or fatty dressing you love. It can only help you on this diet. Not only that, since we restrict carbohydrate intake, we usually see less fiber in our daily choices of foods. In order to include more fiber in our diets, we must include vegetables not only for fiber, but for all the reasons mentioned above!
9 Pre Workout – nutrition
While some find it productive, and others find it counter-productive, you must really try new things to discover what works best for you. Through experimentation and applying a tiny bit of the TKD concept, I usually consume 10-15g complex carbs about 30 minutes prior to my workout and have found it gives me the oomph I need to hit it hard. Add protein to it if you’d like. Others say that when this happens, they feel bloated and unable to concentrate. It really depends on your sensitivity and experimentation. You need to play with the diet to get it to work the best for you.
10 Post Workout – nutrition
Post workout you should consume protein and carbohydrates. Add approximately 10-15g of simple sugar (dextrose works best) or a 15-20g mixture of both simple and complex to your shake. It really depends on the person taking it. You need to discover your tolerance to insulin response. Sometimes jumping to the upper levels of the PWO carbs will kick you out of ketosis. Gradually work your sensitivity. For beginners, I would highly suggest starting out at around 8g carbs PWO, and gradually working up to the desired range. Try to avoid fat after your workout and allow your PWO shake to digest and then have a meal with all the fat you’d like (but of course follow your plan!).
11 My Workout plan – Just a suggestion
While a workout plan is stated for you in the step by step article, the way I’ve had tremendous success is the following. I usually begin Keto phase on Sunday and end on Friday noon. Sunday I would begin with my weakest body parts as far as resistance training goes, then do 25-30 minutes of med-high intensity cardio on the stationary bike with high resistance. Depending on the intensity of my workout that day, I would see traces of ketones the following morning. Then, I would proceed to doing weights for the rest of the week with 20min cardio at least every other day. With my plan mentioned, its main goal is to get into ketosis as soon as possible to begin fat burning and then use the rest of the days for resistance training and some cardio. My real plan is much more intense, but what I have described may be sufficient for you.
continued...
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11-30-2005, 01:13 PM #1
Supplement To The Step By Step Keto Diet
Last edited by fitnessman; 04-25-2006 at 08:26 AM. Reason: Better title
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Obsession with nutrition starts here.
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11-30-2005, 01:14 PM #2
continued...
12 Gum – Is it safe?
Yes, it’s safe. It has 1g or maybe 2g of carbohydrate. Don’t get so scared that’s nothing! I chew about 12 pieces of gum a day, while on the diet I did the same as I always did. I was never affected. If you are cautious about it, just adjust your carbs a minor amount like lower your intake like 4 grams to psychologically settle your mind if it’s disturbing you and giving you nightmares about being kicked out of Ketosis. You’ll be fine! Plus, Keto gives most everyone bad breath, it’s good to have this.
13 Caffeine – Why not!
Drink it up. You may feel low on energy in any cutting diet, but caffeine is totally safe for this diet so drink up your coffee or tea. It especially will help you with your workouts if you don’t feel like doing them.
14 Diet drinks – artificially sweetened
While there are debates on whether or not they are ok to have, there were times I had a couple of these beverages every day and I turned out fine. I still lost the regular predicted amount of weight and I wasn’t kicked out of Ketosis. Long term effects of these drinks (diet sodas, crystal light, etc.) are unknown but out of my own personal experience they have not hindered any weight loss. I think they’re the best thing ever invented—great taste without calories. Please note some people won’t even be able to use artificial sweeteners as it may cause an insulin response. Some sources suggest it may inhibit entering Keto, while having no adverse effect while in Keto. All in all, it all boils down to experimentation. You need to modify the diet to fit your personal needs.
15 The “right” age for this diet
While there is no right or wrong age outlined for this diet, I’ve come to the conclusion its safe for everyone as long as you do a little research (this article plus the step by step is more than enough to inform you).
16 Bulking on the CKD
Some people report getting great results bulking on a CKD while gaining minimal fat during the whole process. While this may work for some people, this diet’s main purpose is for cutting excess body fat. Bulking on a CKD personally isn’t my cup of tea and I feel that a standard 40/40/20 gives me more of the oomph I need to power through my workouts.
17 Sugar Alcohols
These things are listed under the carbohydrate category on nutrition labels. They can be utilized for energy, just like carbohydrates, but do not refill glycogen stores in the body. They are usually found in those “fake” foods that try to help out with the low carb fad. Low carb milk, low carb ice cream, low carb pancakes, etc. Just avoid these things until the weekend (or when you carb up). Eating clean on any diet further contributes to the success of your diet.
18 How Many Carbs?
How many carbs you consume on a daily basis while in Keto varies from person to person. First you need to calculate your ratios to get a ballpark range of where you stand on the amount of carbs permitted per day. As you begin the diet, you may be sensitive to insulin response, so you may have to keep your carbs low. As you progress in the diet, you may learn that your insulin response isn’t as easily triggered and you are able to get away with eating more carbohydrates. Some people are sensitive and some people are not. As you progress with the diet you need to experiment to determine the appropriate values for you. Please see Ratios Macronutrient Tips above.
19 Choosing the “Right” Carbs
A balance of both high-GI and low-GI carbohydrates usually suffices. You may be more sensitive when consuming high-GI carbohydrates since they are broken down rather quickly. Low-GI carbs are broken down gradually and may not induce a great insulin response. Ideally, your carbohydrates should come from the small amounts in the food you consume (vegetables, nuts, etc.). Sometimes lightheadedness and fatigue set in when you do not consume adequate amounts of carbohydrates and it would be necessary to include a little bit more from other sources, choose wisely, and never have your daily intake of carbohydrates in one sitting, spread it throughout the day.
I will add more as time goes on. If anyone sees that any of this information is incorrect, misrepresented, or you would like to add something, please let me know ASAP and I will fix it.
About Man2kx (the author of what you are reading)
While I don’t proclaim myself as an expert or a pro when it comes to this diet, I’ve learned all I know through experience. I’ve tried things that have worked and that have not worked, and have had tremendous success on this diet. My thanks go out to the very helpful individuals on this website for taking the time teaching me and answering my newbie questions a long time ago.
Special Thanks
I just want to say thank you to those who spent their time answering my newbie questions I had a long time ago. Special thanks to those who keep the Keto forum running strong… Eileen, fitnessman, skeletooth, chimponarope, and all the others who help out in this forum whom I did not mention, and of course, Blindfaith for his Step by Step Keto Diet Plan.Last edited by fitnessman; 04-25-2006 at 08:28 AM.
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Obsession with nutrition starts here.
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11-30-2005, 01:31 PM #3
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12-01-2005, 11:51 AM #4
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12-01-2005, 05:21 PM #5
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12-01-2005, 05:29 PM #6
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12-02-2005, 09:38 AM #7Originally Posted by Man2kx
You might want to mention that some people can't use any sweetners at all due to insulin response (even though no carbs are present).
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04-20-2006, 10:18 PM #8
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04-21-2006, 02:10 PM #9
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04-21-2006, 03:12 PM #10
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04-21-2006, 03:13 PM #11
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04-22-2006, 01:23 PM #12
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04-23-2006, 10:01 AM #13
- Join Date: Apr 2006
- Location: Crofton, Maryland, United States
- Age: 44
- Posts: 36
- Rep Power: 0
Very nicely done Man2kx. I've been reading every bit of info I can get my hands on and between your post and the one that BlindFaith put up I'm armed with a ton more knowledge. I'm looking to start this diet myself soon, so I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions for the community. Good work and thanks for sharing your experiences with Keto.
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04-23-2006, 01:26 PM #14
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04-23-2006, 04:37 PM #15
Hey guys, a big update is coming to my article. I submitted it to a moderator so it will take just a little bit of time.
Version 2 - First update.
a. I numbered each category for easier finding of the section you want.
b. I added a few sections.
c. I edited many sections (for spelling, grammar, simplicity, additional information, etc.).
d. Removed unnecessary information.
e. Renamed title of article to find it easier as a resource instead of a question.
Submitted it to fitnessman. He's a little busy at the moment and has a new forum to manage. Sorry for the delay.
Please bump the article if you liked it so other users will find it.Last edited by Man2kx; 04-24-2006 at 01:54 PM.
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Obsession with nutrition starts here.
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04-25-2006, 11:47 AM #16
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05-06-2006, 04:09 PM #17
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05-06-2006, 04:24 PM #18
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05-07-2006, 09:34 AM #19Originally Posted by Man2kx
168lb
17% body fat (goal is to get to 10% body fat)
Weight train 4 days a week for 40mins followed by 15mins cardio.
Mon: Chest + Shoulders
Tues: Back
Wed: HIIT Cardio only
Thur: Legs
Fri: Bi's & Tri's
Sat: Rest/ Carb-up
Sun: HIIT Cardio only
I'm no newbie to cutting up or weight training. I was over 200lb and reduced that down to 168lb by eating clean, but stilleating carbs, such as brown rice and oats. I'll go back to that because this whole 20g carbs a day is not working for me.
I'm sure CKD has worked for many, but it did not for me. I have a small bone structure with small joints, so fat is more noticable on my frame. My face blew up like a balloon from this diet, even though I did not eat bad fat or salt/sodium.
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05-07-2006, 01:20 PM #20
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05-07-2006, 01:34 PM #21
Also guys, I came out with a CKD calculator, so hopefully this will help you if you don't get how to plan your daily intake.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=784518*****/*****
Obsession with nutrition starts here.
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06-07-2006, 01:02 PM #22
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06-07-2006, 03:56 PM #23Originally Posted by Bum me
High-protein diets often limit the amount of carbohydrates you may eat. When your body doesn't receive enough carbohydrates to use as an immediate source of energy, it begins to break down fat and other tissues. This releases by-products called ketones into your system. Elevated ketones can cause "keto breath," which some have described as smelling like a combination of nail polish and overripe pineapples! (Ketones are also sometimes on the breath of people who are on very low calorie diets, and patients with poorly controlled diabetes.)
Source: http://healthresources.caremark.com/topic/badbreath*****/*****
Obsession with nutrition starts here.
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06-09-2006, 12:12 PM #24
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06-21-2006, 10:45 AM #25
Nice explanation of a keto diet. The only thing I disagree with is the need for post workout carbs and the vegetable hyping. Alot of books and articles written in the 50's, 60's, and 70's warned of the dangers of fiber and how it is damaging to the digestive tract. Fiber is good if you are on the typical American diet of sugar, white flour, combined with alot of fat because it acts as a brush and helps clean the crap out of your digestive system. If you are on a keto type diet, fiber actually is not good because it is an irritant.....kind of like eating sand. Since the body can't digest cellulose, we are not getting much from vegetables anyway. On top of that, all plants contains toxins. Having said that, I do eat small amounts of peppers some times and berries. The cereal industry has hyped up this need of fiber arguement with their massive amounts of advertising.
In regards to post workout nutrition, I have read studies where glycogen levels in the muscle cells were unchanged after a workout even if no carbs were ingested. Of course, you have to be completely fat adapted for this to work, which is something that won't happen if you are ingesting carbs after every workout, according to people like Art Devany and Greg Ellis, who despise carb loading. I do agree that lifters who are fat adapted tend to be smaller but they appear more dense and don't have that bloated look. Both sides of this arguement make good points but I still feel that the science supports the no carb loading as long as your fat adapted diet is being strictly followed. If its not, then I agree that it is better to ingest the carbs because your body will not know how to use anything else if it is used to alot of carbs.
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06-21-2006, 11:40 PM #26Originally Posted by ironman1964bc
I agree it's not the best choice for the body to restore glycogen levels in the muscle, however, the liver seems to be favorable for any glycogen restoration first. There are studies that prove prolonged Ketogenic diets without the introduction of carbohydrates for long periods of time lead to muscle catabolization and gluconeogenesis.
My opinion is that the body is doing what it's trained to do to survive. It was never programmed into our genes that we have to have a slim, slender, and lean body. Body fat is actually a gift for survival, we have it for obvious reasons--food shortages being a big example--not very existant in this day and age, excluding 3rd world contries. Believe it or not, as much as our body can use muscle for work, prolonged cardio without enough resistance training can lead to loss of muscle, simply for the fact of facilitating your cardio performance and adaptation. Take a look at any bike marathoner for example, when have you ever seen someone like them all buffed out? You haven't, their body has adapted to the situation where extra muscle mass would slow them down. Instead, extra muscle is destroyed and the remaining muscle is more efficiently used and trained to hold more glycogen and be able to perform more work.*****/*****
Obsession with nutrition starts here.
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06-23-2006, 09:55 PM #27Originally Posted by Man2kx
I think we can all agree that we have no enzymes that can break down cellulose, so people are fooled into thinking that this undigested food is actually healthy for them, which I do agree it can be if you are not on the right diet. I am not knocking veggies or fiber, I am just saying that on certain diets, fiber is not beneficial. That is why most cats, wolves, dogs, etc despise plant food. In fact, my dog would run away from a plate of food if I jokingly put some broccoli in it.
There is no doubt that our ancestors were omnivores but that was mainly because they had no choice in certain lean times. If food would have been readily available like in today's world, they would have stuck with the meat.
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/car...omparison.html
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06-23-2006, 10:55 PM #28
Humans are omnivores and cannot be compared to dogs who are carnivores. The reason why most cats, wolves, and dogs despise plant food is because they weren't designed to consume it in the first place.
I also beg to differ on the reality of fiber. I find it beneficial on this type of diet especially since we are consuming next to none due to eliminating most all carbohydrates consumed on a normal day to day basis.*****/*****
Obsession with nutrition starts here.
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09-12-2006, 12:09 AM #29
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12-03-2006, 07:10 PM #30
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