My Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Results
Before I talk about my keto diet results, I would like to give you a little background about myself. A few years ago I had manage to eat and drink my way up to 280lbs. Even though I have a goofy smile in the picture below, it was a very depressing time in my life.
The only thing I was worried about when I got off work was beer and unhealthy foods. I could go to Long John Silver’s and eat eight pieces of fish, eight shrimp, a large box of fries and still look for more food to eat. The last thing on my mind was any type of diet or exercise.
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I was about 265lbs in the photo below… Uhggg!!
Fast forward a few years, I went through a separation and ended up homeless. I decided to quit drinking, start working out and of course, find a job… At the time of this next photo I was about 250lbs and had been sober for two months.
I had been working out for about a month, doing a total body workout three days a week. When I would workout, I would do three sets of ten reps per body part. I would do the basic stuff like dips, bench press…etc. That’s all I remembered from high school when I played football…lol
About 250lbs
As far as my diet goes, I just did what I was taught in the past about eating healthy. It was basically high carbs, low fats, fruits and veggies.
I remembered the old food pyramids back when I was a kid and all I could think of was… “Fat is Bad”… It made sense… Why would I eat fat if I was trying to lose fat?
As you notice at the top of the pyramid, Fats and Oils are to be used sparingly. And from looking at the bottom of the pyramid, I can eat all of the bread, rice, cereal and pasta I wanted. So that’s exactly what I did.
I was eating tons of bread from sandwiches because most of the deli slices were low fat. I’m talking loads of spaghetti, lasagna, mac and cheese and potatoes I could handle.
I didn’t know anything about good carbs or bad carbs. I stayed away from eggs because I thought they would increase my cholesterol and blood pressure. You can see the direct result of eating this way in the photo below…
245lbs In This photo…
That’s right, I had huge muscles!… But it was buried under a lot of fat…lol…
Before My Keto Diet Results
So I started reading a lot of blog posts, joining forums, watching YouTube videos and downloading free reports to try and figure out what I was doing wrong.
I was reading blog posts as well as question & answers related to dieting on the Bodybuilding forums. I would stumble across posts where people were talking about “keto” but there was really no detailed information about it.
So I started a calories deficit eating 1500 – 2000 calories per day. I would bounce from 245lbs down to 235 and then back up to 250lbs. The days I would only eat 1500 calories, would be destroyed with days when I would eat over 3000 calories of mainly carbs.
For every day the I ate on a calorie deficit, there would be three to four days straight of nothing but junk food. Then the holidays rolled around and I would just pig-out on everything I could get my hands on.
With a job as a furniture mover, working out five days a week at a massive 6’3″ and 245+ pounds, I couldn’t maintain a deficit of 1500 – 2000 calories per day.
Sometime in December I stumbled across a thread on Bodybuilding forums about eating high fats and cutting carbs. It contradicted everything I knew about dieting thus far.
But for some reason I was intrigued so I kept on reading. That’s where I first heard the term “low carb diet“. I started noticing the word Keto pop up again and again so I Googled it.
I brought me right back to a post on Bodybuilding.com you can find here.
For the next couple of weeks, I read about SKD (Standard Keto Diet), TKD (Targeted Keto Diet) and CKD (Cyclical Keto Diet).
For a more complete breakdown of the three, you can check out a post on Ruled.me here. I also give an overview of the three further in this article if you want to skip down and come back…
I decided to go with CKD since it meant I could eat all the carbs I wanted on the weekend and eat low carb during the week (Or so I thought). It turned out to be a disaster because I would suffer all week long anxious for the weekend to eat carbs.
When the weekend finally came, you would’ve thought I’d never eaten sweets before. It was a nightmare. Then Monday would come and I felt like crap!… The worst part is that I would have to do it all over again.
Maybe this Ketosis Diet thing Aint For Me!
That’s right, it was an epic fail!… After three weeks of this carb, no-carb diet thing I was trying. I was just about to give up on it until I finally found a breakthrough.
It turns out, I didn’t have a clue what being in a state of ketosis really meant. So I decided to grind it out with less than 20 grams of carbs per day until I got it right… In about six weeks I had lost 30lbs as you can see in my keto before and after pictures below.
My Before and After Ketogenic Diet Results
The Ketogenic Diet Explained
The Ketogenic diet seems to go against most of the mainstream knowledge and recommendations when it comes to dieting. Why is it, then, that this latest trend in dieting and nutrition is gaining traction and has reportedly been adopted by big name athletic franchises, like the Los Angeles Lakers?
Breaking all the rules for traditional dieting, the focus of the ketogenic diet is getting the body to burn fat. While other diets focus on the amount of food being consumed and its nutritive value, the keto diet is unique in that it focuses on calorie sources.
The Philosophy of a Low Carb Ketogenic Diet
The main philosophy is that a person can get their body to burn fat efficiently by exercising and eating the right caloric balance of fats, carbohydrates and protein.
Keep reading to learn more about the ketogenic diet, how it works, how to set yourself up for success with a ketogenic diet plan and what kinds of fantastic results you can expect.
What is a Ketogenic Diet?
Starting with the basics, let’s first zero-in on exactly what we mean when we’re talking about a ketogenic diet. The word diet obviously just means “the way we eat” and the word “ketogenic” means “promoting ketosis”;
Ketosis is an energy consumption pattern, or metabolic state, that your body adopts in response to the diet, and ketosis essentially means “fat burning”. So for our foundation, let’s think of a ketogenic diet as “the way we eat to promote burning fat”.
Also, theres a defference between being in ketosis vs being keto adapted. Just because you’re producing ketones doesn’t mean you’re using ketones.
The Keto Diet Basics
If you’re a little more into the biochemistry of nutrition, basically what we’re doing in a ketogenic diet is getting the body to burn ketones (a component in fats) instead of glucose (sugar) for fuel.
How can we tell our bodies what compounds to use for fuel and which ones to ignore?
If it were as simple as saying “Okay muscles, today when we need energy let’s focus on burning fat because I’m feeling a little chubby this week”, we wouldn’t have diet plans at all!
Thankfully, we can actually modify our own metabolic processes by controlling the food that we eat. If you’re sharp you may already have guessed a couple of the modifications based on the information above, but I’ll present them below in bullet points for simplicity:
Keto Diet Ratio
- Eliminate simple sugars from the diet
- Consume about 75% of daily calories from fat
- Consume about 20% of daily calories from protein
- Consume about 5% of daily calories from carbohydrates
- Eat sufficient greens to maintain health and micronutrient load
To fully understand how these factors interact to produce the desired result, you’ll need a quick primer in evolutionary metabolic biology, so let’s dive right in.
Eating Keto Style!
Humans have always eaten fruits and nuts as a primary energy source, only occasionally supplementing it with meat and grain when those were available. Fruits are full of simple sugars which our bodies readily use for energy.
In fact, simple sugars are the easiest energy source for humans because they’re small, break down quickly and are energetically efficient to metabolize. Today, simple sugars are ubiquitous in the diet.
They’re found abundantly in pop, juice, milk, beer, sports drinks, fast food, candy, chocolate and numerous other products. Eliminating simple sugars from the diet forces the body to metabolize something else as a primary energy source.
Consuming the bulk of your daily calories from fat may seem like a counter-productive way to try and lose weight. I mean, if you’re trying to lose fat, why on earth would you want to eat more of it?
It turns out that a big part of ketogenesis is making fats your primary source of calories. A person on a regular diet consumes enough sugar that their body doesn’t need to tap their fat stores for energy, but someone on a ketogenic diet is always using their fat stores for energy.
The result is that the ketogenic person actually burns off more fat than they eat, but the other person does not.
The final three points are a little less important but really serve to balance out the diet and ensure that you stay healthy while in ketogenesis.
The protein will help to increase muscle mass along with a regular exercise routine using a home gym or resistance bands while eating a few carbohydrates is important for long-term glycogen storage which can help with muscular endurance as well as energy levels throughout the day.
These five main components and the reasons that underlie them form the fundamental basis of the ketogenic diet.
Ketogenic Diet Food List For Weight Loss
Ketogenic Diet Benefits
There are way to many health benefits of being in a state of ketosis to list them all here. So I just listed a few of the important ones to give you a general idea of how amazing this lifestyle is.
Cancer
Epilepsy
Alzheimer
Lower Blood Pressure
Bone Inflammation
Lower Cholesterol
Appetite Suppressing
Increase In Good Cholesterol
Reduce Blood Sugar And Insulin Levels
Ketogenic Diet Side Effects
Just to be clear… You’re going to go through a phase called “The Keto Flu”. You may or may not experience one or more of the following symptoms when you first start off on the keto diet.
Frequent Urination
Fatigue
Headaches
Sugar Cravings
Weakness
Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss
If you’re used to calorie counting as a method of losing weight, most of what you’re familiar with will go out the window when it comes to using the ketogenic diet for weight loss.
Calorie counting models don’t take metabolic factors into account effectively, and the ketogenic diet actually reduces hunger so you’ll be eating fewer calories anyways. If that sounds like a win/win, it certainly is: you get to consume way more fat but you’ll actually eat less in total and lose weight.
One of the main reasons for normal calorie-counting diets is the prevalence of carbohydrate-rich foods in the North American diet. Consider the potatoes used to make French fries, rich dough used in pizza, or the fact that every hamburger or sandwich comes in between a large bun.
Carbohydrates have always been the enemy when it comes to fat loss because they take your metabolism in a direction opposite to ketosis; they take so long to burn off that your body never has a chance to burn any fat.
Instead of focusing on a calorie count, shift your focus to your macronutrient percentages and focus on that instead. Here are some guidelines for determining the types of foods that are best suited to your person ketogenic diet plan, as well as how much an average person should be eating:
- Fat has a caloric value of 9 calories per gram of fat. Based on a 2000 calorie diet with 70% of calories from fat, you’d have to scarf down (2000)*(0.7) = 1500 calories / 9 calories =166g of fat per day.
- Protein and Carbohydrates both offer around 4 calories per gram. For a 2000 calorie diet with 400 calories from protein (20%), you’d need 100g of protein daily to hit your goal.
- Carbohydrates comprise a paltry 5% of your basic ketogenic diet. You’ll only need 25g of carbohydrates per day to satisfy your goal of 5%.
If you know a thing or two about food groups, you might make a key observation at this point about how to set up your diet. Carbohydrates are easy to consume on their own without eating protein or fat.
Foods like bread, pasta, and rice are high in complex carbs while not being a significant source of either protein or fat.
On the other hand, it’s very likely that you’ll be consuming your protein and fat together, whether it’s in protein in fatty meats other foods. Fats and protein often go together in the diet, but with careful planning you can ensure that you’ll getting the right ratio of protein to fat for the optimal results.
Eating fat has virtually no effect on blood sugar and insulin levels, but too much protein can actually drive up insulin levels in the blood and interfere with the process of burning fatty acids in the body. It’s critical to get the right balance of fats and protein in order to promote ketosis and weight loss. See my post about the Top 10 mistakes people make on their ketogenic diet plan.
How to Start a Ketogenic Diet
As I mentioned earlier, I tried different types of keto diets but the standard one works for me. I also understand that everybody is different and what might work for some might not work for others.
The main thing is to find out what works for you and make sure it’s sustainable long term so you can achieve your goals quickly without burnout and risking a wild foof binge.
The Three Types of Ketosis Diets
I’ll give you a quick overview of the three in case you don’t want to leave this post…
Standard Ketogenic Diet
- SKD – (Standard Keto Diet) The standard keto diet is eating high fats, medium protein and low carbs on a day to day basis. No exceptions!
- As the most common of all types of keto diets. You want to limit your carb intake to 30 grams or less per day.
- For the majority of you that are starting out, this is the one I recommend and also follow myself but I only eat one meal a day…lol
Targeted Ketogenic Diet
- TKD – (Targeted Keto Diet) This is where you eat carbs only before you workout.
- If you want to try this angle, you want to eat your carbs 30 to 60 minutes before exercise. I recommend eating digestible carbs that has a high glycemic index to prevent any stomach issues.
- Foods that are high in glucose are the way to go to replenish muscle glycogen. Fructose based foods will only replenish your liver glycogen levels which is not a good thing at all.
- With this approach, the carbs you eat before you workout will get used up before it has a chance to kick you out of ketosis. Just make sure to get your quality fats, proteins and veggies when you eat dinner.
Cyclical Ketogenic Diet
- CKD – (Cyclical Keto Diet) This is where you eat carbs once a week or every two weeks.
- This approach is referred to as carb-loading. You basically remain on the standard keto diet five days out of the week (normally Monday through Friday). And on the weekends (typically 24 – 48 hours), you eat around 500 – 600 grams of carbs to replenish muscle glycogen.
- This is only recommended for serious bodybuilders who know what they are doing.
- For me this approach was a disaster as I stated earlier as I would literally binge on junk food. But if you think you can handle it, more power to you!
Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan Example
Now that you’ve built a great understanding of ketogenic dieting, it’s time to get set up on a plan that will help you succeed at losing weight with keto.
Remember, this diet doesn’t require special foods delivered to your house or anything fancy, we’re just going to eat regular, healthy, whole foods, cooked at home, and we’re going to balance our macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) to the desired ratios for the results that we want to get.
Simple Keto Meal Plan
Here’s a sample day plan for a ketogenic diet. Try to squeeze in some Lemon Water when you wake up in the morning.
Make sure to eat your avocados everyday (even multiple times a day). The high fat and fiber should help with digestion along with other green vegetables.
The snack option is there if you get hungry. You can eat the snack in between meals or after dinner.
Also for dinner you can use meat of your choice. Also you can Bulk bake your meats ahead of time so you don’t have to cook dinner every day.
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MONDAY:
Breakfast:
Fatty tea/coffee with 2tbsp of butter/coconut oil
2 eggs scrambled with 2tbsp butter (salt, pepper…etc.)
1 cup of spinach
Lunch:
Avocado or egg Salad made with fresh spinach, olive oil, salt and pepper
Salad Dressing Options: 3 tbsp. of fat coming from olive oil, MCT oil, homemade mayo or avocado oil
Dinner:
Baked chicken thighs, drumsticks cooked in 2 tbsp. of butter/ghee, leaf lard, olive oil or coconut oil
For your cruciferous veggie options choose between a salad or cooked/sautéed.
Spinach/broccoli/greens…etc..
For fat added to cooked veggies options: 3 – 5 tbsp. fat coming from fat choices such as: Animal fat, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
Snack: (Choose 1-2)
1 Avocado
3-6 olives
Fatty herbal tea w/ 2 tbsp. of fat added
TUESDAY:
Breakfast:
Fatty tea/coffee with 2tbsp of butter/coconut oil
2 oz. uncured bacon or any other fatty protein (if you do not like bacon)
2 cups of spinach with 2tbsp of butter
Lunch:
Avocado Salad made with fresh spinach, olive oil, salt and pepper
Salad Dressing Options: 3 tbsp. of fat coming from olive oil, MCT oil, homemade mayo or avocado oil
Dinner:
Baked pork steak or cooked in 2 tbsp. of butter/ghee, leaf lard, olive oil or coconut oil
For your cruciferous veggie options choose between a salad or cooked/sautéed.
Spinach/broccoli/greens…etc..
For fat added to cooked veggies options: 3 – 5 tbsp. fat coming from fat choices such as: Animal fat, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
Snack: (Choose 1-2)
1 Avocado
3-6 olives
Fatty herbal tea w/ 2 tbsp. of fat added
WEDNESDAY:
Breakfast:
Fatty tea/coffee with 2tbsp of butter/coconut oil
2 eggs scrambled with 2tbsp butter (salt, pepper…etc.)
Fatty bacon or sausage (watch for sugar/carb ingredients)
1 cup of spinach
Lunch:
Chicken Cobb Salad made with fresh spinach, olive oil, salt and pepper
Salad Dressing Options: 3 tbsp. of fat coming from olive oil, MCT oil, homemade mayo or avocado oil
Dinner:
Meat of your choice cooked in 2 tbsp. of butter/ghee, leaf lard, olive oil or coconut oil
For your cruciferous veggie options choose between a salad or cooked/sautéed.
Spinach/broccoli/greens…etc..
For fat added to cooked veggies options: 3 – 5 tbsp. fat coming from fat choices such as: Animal fat, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
Snack: (Choose 1-2)
1 Avocado
3-6 olives
Fatty herbal tea w/ 2 tbsp. of fat added
THURSDAY:
Breakfast:
Fatty tea/coffee with 2tbsp of butter/coconut oil
2 oz. uncured bacon or any other fatty protein (if you do not like bacon)
2 cups of spinach with 2tbsp of butter
Lunch:
Egg Salad made with fresh spinach, olive oil, salt and pepper
Salad Dressing Options: 3 tbsp. of fat coming from olive oil, MCT oil, homemade mayo or avocado oil
Dinner:
Chicken thighs (baked) or other meats cooked in 2 tbsp. of butter/ghee, leaf lard, olive oil or coconut oil
For your cruciferous veggie options choose between a salad or cooked/sautéed.
Spinach/broccoli/greens…etc..
For fat added to cooked veggies options: 3 – 5 tbsp. fat coming from fat choices such as: Animal fat, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
Snack: (Choose 1-2)
1 Avocado
3-6 olives
Fatty herbal tea w/ 2 tbsp. of fat added
FRIDAY:
Breakfast:
Fatty tea/coffee with 2tbsp of butter/coconut oil
2 eggs scrambled with 2tbsp butter (salt, pepper…etc.)
1 cup of spinach
Lunch:
Avocado Salad made with fresh spinach, olive oil, salt and pepper
Salad Dressing Options: 3 tbsp. of fat coming from olive oil, MCT oil, homemade mayo or avocado oil
Dinner:
Baked chicken thighs, drumsticks or meats cooked in 2 tbsp. of butter/ghee, leaf lard, olive oil or coconut oil
For your cruciferous veggie options choose between a salad or cooked/sautéed.
Spinach/broccoli/greens…etc.
For fat added to cooked veggies options: 3 – 5 tbsp. fat coming from fat choices such as: Animal fat, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
Snack: (Choose 1-2)
1 Avocado
3-6 olives
Fatty herbal tea w/ 2 tbsp. of fat added
SATURDAY:
Breakfast:
Fatty tea/coffee with 2tbsp of butter/coconut oil
2 oz. uncured bacon or any other fatty protein (if you do not like bacon)
2 cups of spinach with 2tbsp of butter
Lunch:
Chicken or egg salad made with fresh spinach, olive oil, salt and pepper
Salad Dressing Options: 3 tbsp. of fat coming from olive oil, MCT oil, homemade mayo or avocado oil
Dinner:
Baked chicken thighs or drumsticks
For your cruciferous veggie options choose between a salad or cooked/sautéed.
Spinach/broccoli/greens…etc..
For fat added to cooked veggies options: 3 – 5 tbsp. fat coming from fat choices such as: Animal fat, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
Snack: (Choose 1-2)
1 Avocado
3-6 olives
Fatty herbal tea w/ 2 tbsp. of fat added
SUNDAY:
Breakfast:
Fatty tea/coffee with 2tbsp of butter/coconut oil
2 eggs scrambled with 2tbsp butter (salt, pepper…etc.)
Fatty bacon or sausage (watch for sugar/carb ingredients)
1 cup of spinach
Lunch:
Avocado/egg Salad made with fresh spinach, olive oil, salt and pepper
Salad Dressing Options: 3 tbsp. of fat coming from olive oil, MCT oil, homemade mayo or avocado oil
Dinner:
Baked chicken thighs or drumsticks
For your cruciferous veggie options choose between a salad or cooked/sautéed.
Spinach/broccoli/greens…etc..
For fat added to cooked veggies options: 3 – 5 tbsp. fat coming from fat choices such as: Animal fat, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
Snack: (Choose 1-2)
1 Avocado
3-6 olives
Fatty herbal tea w/ 2 tbsp. of fat added
Let’s work through this meal plan and note some differences from conventional plans for bulking or cutting. Firstly, we’re having eggs for breakfast because we know that have protein in the morning will kick-start the metabolism for the day, and we need to get the body working early to maximize fat burn throughout the day.
Later on you can advance to an egg fast diet if you want to supercharge your results after you’ve been on keto for a while but it’s optional.
There’s no particular emphasis on protein consumption here as with most bulking diets, but we do want to get some fats working early. Pesto will help your body start producing ketones.
If you’re a coffee drinker, mixing coconut oil into your coffee in place of your typical cream and/or sugar will help you eliminate that simple sugar from your diet as well as giving you an early blast of energy to start off your day.
For the morning snack, it’s significant that we’re not going for a fruit or vegetable or something high in protein. Cheese works well in the ketogenic diet because it provides many calories from fat while being virtually devoid of carbs (check the nutrition label) and relatively low in protein.
At lunch time, it’s important to eat fish instead of a chicken or a steak. Salmon and Tuna steaks are great whole foods – don’t cut corners and buy it in a can. Fish are full of Omega-3 Fatty Acids – healthy fats that break down into a great energy source throughout the rest of the day.
Incorporating healthy fats into our preparation of the main foods in the diet helps to balance calorie intake towards fats, so ensure that you’re using either extra virgin olive oil or a coconut oil to prepare that fish and not just baking it in the oven.
For your afternoon snack and post-workout, just double check that everything you want to take is sugar-free and low in carbohydrates.
Dinner is generally similar to lunch. Learn your go-to foods so you can easily track your nutrition throughout the day and use dinner to make any tweaks that will balance out your macronutrient ratios as best you can.
Steak is great because you can get a lot of fat along with a good amount of protein, so you’ll really be upping your calorie count and keeping your ratios solid as well.
If your need added fats, you can always eat an avocado or a couple tbsp of coconut oil.
Check out some of these keto dinner ideas that you can incorperate in your meal plan for the week and I also recommend bone broth soup because of the healing benefits..
Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Results
Most hardcore fitness buffs and bodybuilders are used to taking protein supplements and can find it difficult to dial back the protein intake when it comes to engaging the keto diet.
That being said, the ketogenic diet weight loss results are fantastic, and you can also make strength and even size gains if you’re eating enough calories per day.
Some practitioners say that ketogenic diets can be the absolute best for bodybuilding and maximizing size in the gym. Diets high in fat promote higher levels of growth hormone as well as testosterone in the body, leading to more solid lean muscle gains.
There are other ways that you can add-on to the ketogenic diet to actually improve your keto diet results, burn more fat and even gain some muscle as well.
The Cyclic ketogenic diet is similar to the regular diet, except you actually eat high amounts of carbohydrates on just two days per week, sticking to the keto diet on the other five days.
I personally like intermitted fasting because it’s more convenient for me and saves me alot of time. Also some people like fat fasting every few often to shake up things.
This is great for maintaining your carbohydrate stores for optimal performance in the gym, while keeping your body in ketosis for the vast majority of the time.
As a guideline for this modification, stick to the absolute minimum level of carbohydrates you can handle during your keto phase. If you notice your output in the gym declining, you probably need to add more fats like coconut oil since it is an MCT.
There’s little benefit to consuming carbohydrate right after a workout versus consuming only protein, so stick to protein shakes for your supplement and fit your carbs in later in the day with green veggies.
It’s a fact that consuming your carbs right after you workout can spike your insulin and negatively impact your exercise results.
Ketogenic Diet Tips
MCT Oil is a great way to get healthy fats in your keto diet plan. I recommend Viva Naturals Non-GMO Pure Coconut MCT Oil
Keto cookbooks contain some awesome recipes that can diversify your eating if you’re working with a ketogenic diet. Your keto diet results depend on home cooking – fast food contains too much sugar to be eaten on a ketogenic diet.
A really good recipe guide and cookbook I recommend if you’re getting started is The 30-Day Ketogenic Cleanse
If you’re excited about cooking new meals, learning a few different options can help you keep things fresh and original while sticking to a diet that gets great results.
Make sure to workout at a gym or at home using good equipment.
I have written other blog posts about how to get into ketosis fast and how to get into ketosis in 24 hours if you’re are interested in some of my little hacks…lol
If you’re looking to start a ketogenic diet, this program is amazing. I call it Keto on Steroids…lol… That’s how good it is… Hurry while there’s still a discount… Julius
I have been doing KETO for 4 weeks now, I have been supplementing with a KETO weight loss supplement from BPI. What do you think about this one? I heard really good things.
https://store.bpisports.com/products/keto-weight-loss
Just found your journey. It is very inspiring. One of the hardest parts for me is knowing what to eat, so I love your meal plan. It makes it much easier to have something to follow.
Great post. I wish the haters would keep to themselves. The one question I have is about exercise. It appears that exercise was another KEY to the 30 lb weight loss in 6 weeks. So without the boxing and weight lifting can similar results be expected?
My heart hurts for this family. 💔This is beyond DISGUSTING!!
Good day! My wife and I frequently publish guest articles or blog posts for other blog owners to help increase publicity to our work, as well as provide fantastic articles to site owners. It really is a win win situation! If you happen to be interested feel free to email me at: EMAIL so we can communicate further. Thankyou!
Hey
Thanks for putting this site together.
This pics look great- I’m the same – at 285 – just diving into a keto balanced diet.
Any time I think of bye bye pasta and pizza? I think hello cheese !
I too also dropped the beer.
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Hi I purchased your $17 program last night and I still haven’t received it. I tried to use your “contact me “ page BUT … it doesn’t seem to be working. Sorry but that seems a bit Unprofessional. I checked my junk mail and my husbands email too. Can you please get back to me? Thanks
Sorry for the inconvenience. I’m working on the email provider issues right now. I’ll send you an email with a link to the materials…
The pictures are not showing :/ Can you fix it?
I found this post to be bloated and missing the only information that some one new to ketosis really needs. I’ll go ahead and give it here:
We require these two ingredients (Fat + carbohydrates) to be eaten around the same time in order for our bodies to store/produce fat. If we are unable to store or produce any new fat, then any time that our body isnt given enough energy (such as through the sugars and starches we eat), it will be forced to break down old fat in order to meet our energy needs. In the world of dieting, we call this weight loss. Ketosis is the exploitation of this chemical nature of our body. One may either eat mostly carbohydrates with little to no fat, in order to achieve ketosis (you must eat protien though or your body will burn your muscles away in search of protien–luckily many grains are a good source of potien), or you can focus on eating fat and cut out most carbohydrates (leaving up to 20 to 50 carbs left in a daily intake)(again, ensuring that you do take in protien evrryday or else your body will burn your muscle as well as fat to meet its needs).
That is the short and narrow on ketosis. The last, and possible most important rule, one which applies to all diets, is that you must have a plan for whenever you decide to end your diet. Going back to your old eating habbits will result in weight gain back to your original weight, and no one wants to see all of their hrd work lost in a diet yo-yo effect. Your new diet plan needs to take two things into account: your old diet was making you fat. It was either full of poor foods, or didnt give you the nutrients that you needed and that caused you to be hungrier and overeat. Whatever the reason, your normal diet is no longer an option if it was making you fat. Take the time tht you are in ketosis to learn what you can about nutrition. I personally suggest forgoetting and forever ignoring everything that youve learned about calories in calories out rules, because they, with all due respect, do not work routinely, or even at all for some people. I suggest that you invest some time in learning how to cook for yourself (as otherwise you are at the mercy of food pdistributors, ones who are competing for the tastiest product in an attempt to lure you and your money in, with little to no concern for your health). Specifically I suggest looking into actual healthy diets, instead of starvation diets, these include but are not limited to diets such as the paleo diet, the caveman diet, or even just probiotic promoting diets.
We all deserve an effective means of controlling our own body weight, but the only way that we can do this is by properly educating ourselves. No one else will do this for you. Best of luck!
Thank you for your helpful advice… There’s always room to learn and grow in Keto Land. I’ll be updating this article very soon… Thanks again!
i found his article really good actually but theres always the critic out there…watch some videos from ketosis down under…also new research by a Vancouver doctor dispels the myth about your body eating your muscles looking for protein…in ketosis you don’t need to worry about that… also use b12 supplement daily!
It may have already been pointed out but your math is off. 2000 x 0.7 does not equal 1500. It equals 1400. 2000 x 0.75 equals 1500.
I dont know i need to lose at least 16 to 20 pds you plan looks great i also want to make those keto pancakes with cheese and eggs
Great post! Have nice day ! 🙂 ohpzg
Very informative article! I stopped drinking a fatty coffee in the morning because it stalled my weight loss process. Congratulation on your achievements!
People if you stick to what he says you will lose the weight. The first 1.5 weeks are tough. The rest are a lot easier. You get an energy high after the 3rd week. Never have I had so much energy. I am down 27lbs in 7 weeks. I only workout 3 times a week and its only 45 minutes. This whole write-up he did is very thorough and encouraging. I am sure he has help hundreds of people.
Your Desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same!
I am researching keto plans and was so pleased to read your perspectives and personal story. It seems many over complicate things. I am 44, 5 ft 8 in and 236 pounds. I had kids at 35 and 48 yrs old and have had a really tough time with my body changes and overcoming this “doomed” feeling when it comes to weight. I want to be confident that this can happen but not sure where to start. I am a nurse, want to run and play with my 2 boys and really want to feel confident and show my horses again. This extra 60 pounds has got a hold of me! What do u recommend I do to start. Thank you for your inspiration!
Correction: had the second child at 38!!!?
Get straight on the standard keto diet.
Follow this dude’s advice to the letter. Put up with the keto flu for a few days, it will pass, and after it does you’ll feel better and have more energy than you have had in a long time! Be strict with yourself, don’t have cheat days, they’re never worth it, trust me, it just ends up demotivating you by making you feel physically terrible and mentally kicking you in the balls when you see the weight gain (even though its only temporary). Also any time you up your carb intake you’ll find you start feeling hungry again, don’t do it, it sucks.
Also don’t weigh yourself everyday, your weight will fluctuate a lot on this diet due to water loss/retention cycle (particularly if you’re a woman), if you want to weigh yourself regularly then pick a day of the week and do it at the same time every time (like Sunday morning after you’ve woken up and been to the loo etc but not had breakfast yet), otherwise though just go by whether your clothes are getting looser slowly over time (they will).
Finally, if you want to speed things up a bit I can highly recommend switching to intermittent fasting for your meal frequency which is not eating for most of the day then eating in just a short window of a few hours, can be whenever is most convenient for you but I find afternoon/evening window works best, the shorter the window the better, this can be quite hard for a lot of people to begin with as your brain is trained to expect food at certain time of the day but it doesn’t really need it, and after a few days of doing it you won’t get hungry anymore at those times as your body will be quite happily burning your stored body fat for fuel 🙂
Finally, watch your protein intake, it’s very easy to go over on that and excess protein will be converted to sugars in your body (so it’s fine if you work out a lot but if you don’t then just be aware and don’t go overboard). It’s practically impossible to eat too much good fats (avoid trans fats like the plague and try to limit polyunsaturated too as too much of them can promote inflammation in the body and unfortunately they’re in lots of stuff), fats are so satieting though that you’ll nearly always feel way too full before you can eat too much of them (provided the food that they’re in isn’t secretly hiding carbs and protein too, I.e. be careful with the kind of nuts you eat, macadamia only have 5 grams of carbs per 100g but cashews have 20+ so a couple big handfuls of those will nearly knock you out of ketosis like that!)
Good luck miss. I’m on week 7 now of being on keto and I’ve lost 11.5Kilos (about 25 pounds!) and reduced my body fat by nearly 5%! I eat just once a day in the evening and supplement with 15ml of high quality liquid fish oil at night before bed plus eat some Pepitas that I roast at home (get just the kernels, with shells are too chewy) then roll on melted butter and add salt or whatever, delicious!), they’re a great way to up mineral levels like magnesium etc that are important for health.
I’m going to keep eating like this until I lose another 13-15 kilos, then I’ll reevaluate how I want to eat… But really i’ll probably stick to this diet most of the time, it’s easy once you get into it and I love how I feel on it don’t expect to lose weight as quickly as guys do by the way if you’re a woman, my missus is doing this diet too and she’s losing weight about half as quickly as I am but it is still coming off (she’s lost 6 kilos so far) but she cheats a bit and can’t help having dessert a lot of the time (she whips some cream and adds a few frozen raspberries and vanilla essense) plus she only recently started the intermittent fasting as well so I think it will speed up for her now too.
That’s awesome! Keep up the good work and keep us updated…
Hi, I’m a 35 year old mother of twins toddlers. I have always been around 115 to 125 pounds. Right now I am at 135 pounds and I am desperately trying to loose between 15 to 20 pounds but I have been unable to do so. I exercise regularly. Weights as well as cardio abt 4 to 5 times a week. I have been wanting to get on keto since a while. Please advice me how to get started? I am basically looking for how many grams of fat protein and carbs my body will initially need.
I need Coaching . Lost 12lbs in the first week but started slowly gaing back the weight 2nd and third week . Why ?. Same macros 75%20%5%
Check this link & you will understand why your weight loss ration has slowed down
https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/2ijm07/why_scales_can_lie/
Don’t worry it is completely natural & expected in keto, you are still losing fat the weight that you see in scales now is water weight,
Hi just started Im having a hard time with my fats, sny tips….should i do HIIT 4-5 times a week with light weight training???
Hi Julius,
I just came across your blog on the keto diet. I have tried everything under the sun. I’m getting at a menopausal stage and no matter how healthy I eat, and exercise I continue to gain. Have you had good success with people like me? Do you really think this will work for me? I understand when women enter this stage it’s near impossible to lose weight. And for all my attempts it seems to be true. Lol!
Would truly appreciate your feedback.
Thanks!
Dana
Hi Julius I trust you are doing well, am so glad i found this online. Could you kindly clarify to me whether you use oil for this “-1 cup mushrooms and onions with chilli pepper” or is it raw? Thanks for being a source of inspiration. Regards
The only thing you have to be concerned about is the onions… Onions when cooked “caramelize” into sugar… Everything else is OK… Just eat the onions raw or avoid them…
Julius thanks for enlightening me, but I did the macros of your sample diet and the calories were above 2500 so were the carbs above 20grams. Does ketosis start for something above 20grams of carbs? Were you following the exact same diet when you managed to lose that much weight? Thank you so so much, am eternally grateful. Fond regards. Mok
When I lost the initial 30 lbs, I didn’t count calories at all… I just made sure I “only” ate 20g of fibrous carbs from green veggies and avocados…
I just started keto this past week and I am on day 7. I am down 4lbs, but have a long way to go to reach my goal (40lbs). I was wondering about certain foods….are tomatoes/onions okay on a keto diet? I’ve read quite a few conflicting reports that claim you should not eat those while on keto. I’m not very good at tracking macros and calories yet. I’m just trying to stay focused on eating all the right foods. It has been a rough week with brain fog, headaches, fatigue, the works…and barely enough energy to get in any exercise. Still I try. I have two little ones and that tends to take up more of my time. I recently found out that milk is pretty high in carbs and replaced that as well. I was wondering if after your reaching your goal, whether or not I could transition to paleo and still keep the weight off. Do you think that would work? I love fruits and the occassional glass of milk that allows me to make a smoothie haha….I was just wondering, what are your thoughts on this?
Hey Danielle i found this webinar so helpful with all these questions! So hard to know at the beginning whether you can have those things you like!! But this lady is amazing and explains so much. I’ve lost 80lbs now….
http://bit.ly/2zKumhy
I’m so very happy I found your page! I was on the ketogenic diet a couple of years ago and there wasn’t much information back then as there is now. I followed the diet and lost 25 lbs but fast forward to today Im 17 lbs heavier so I’m back on it again but this time I’m concerned because unlike before I wasn’t working out at all! I now train 6 times a week. I’m not skinny but I do consider myself a fit person and run 5k’s, obstacle course races and now training for my first CrossFit competition but I felt a devastating hit to my performance this week. I mean I know it’s normal to be weak and fatigued in the beginning but I’m not so sure if keto is the best diet for me now that my goal is to perform for these OCR and drop weight while still building muscles. Any advise for me?
What are your thoughts on premenopausal weight loss? Should this work for me? I am 49 years old, 5’7″ and 236 pounds. Is there anything extra I need to incorporate to jump start my metabolism?
Hi Julius..I am Noel here..I am 37 years old, 5’8 and weigh 84 kgs..most of the fat is stored around the belly…please let me know how can I get rid of the belly fat since apart from that, the body structure is fine by using Keto diet…thanks !!!
Hi, I m 5’5 219. Vegetarian. I do take eggs and milk products. No fish or sea food. It’s because of religio. Never tasted meat ever. Mostly eat beans and lentils for protein. Can I follow? Because lentils and means r my protein source. Diabetic and under active thyroid.
Sure you can as long as you have a protein source like eggs… Do you eat nuts?
You can’t eat lentils or beans on Keto. Cause they have too many carbs . But you can follow keto. Since you are diabetic, I would do more reasearch.
You should try hemp seeds. They are a perfect protein with perfect 3 to 1 ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6.
Hi , I’m just about to start on a keto diet – I would like a little info like how much protein , carbs , fat ratio should I be eating ? Also I do 3 classes at the gym of hiit, will I be ok doing this still ? I am classed as obese so I need to do this long term .. but I’m getting married in 6 months really has to be done !! Thanks
You want to start off with 150-200g of fat per day since you’re new to keto… You can lower it when you become fat adapted. If you’re doing HIIT training, eat around 60g of protein… What is your weight and height?… You may want to start with 50-100g of carbs and lower it by 20g every few days…
hey bro I have a question .. I’m in yhe same boat as you were … I train and eat right but I think it’s time to change my diet options ..tried keto before but not at a hundred percent. .
how should I set up my macros .. currently I set set my protein 131gr ..Fat 167gr carbs 20
would this be a good start
That’s pretty good but you don’t “Need” as much protein… Around 80g – 100g of protein is good with close to 100g on your training days…
For the first 2 weeks you may want to up your fats to 200g/day to train your body to use fats quickly…
so once I have upped my fats to 200 gr and lower my proteins to 80-100 what happens next ….
will I lose muscle …
if fat loss stalls, do I lower fats a raise protein
just want to be sure before I start …. got to at least lose 30 lbs by july ..
I train 4 days a week .. Cardio after my work out 20 min eliptical. .intermittent fast ….
I take suppliments magnisium vitamin D , B2 , L CARNITINE. ..CLA…multi vitamins. ..omega 3
vitamins through out the day .. L CARNITINE AND CLA before meals
I’m 44 male 234lbs ..body fat 30ish ..just need to strip this fat …
your feed back would be great !!!
Welcome to Keto! I cannot say enough good things about it! Your starting macros really depend on a few factors: current weight, height, approximate body fat, activity level, age, and gender. Its also important to figure out your BMR and daily calorie allotment. Each person is different; there is no way I could eat 150 grams of fat and get in a good amount of protein while remaining under my calorie limit for the day (1300). It is recommended that you re-calculate these numbers if your activity level or weight changes. Every 15 lbs I lose I take a look at my Macros. Here is the calculator my keto community and I use: https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
Good luck and Congrats on getting married!
HI, starting my keto eating habit today, do you have other meal plans? I am leaving now to buy my grocery list. I am committed. My question is this, I am 55, do HIIT classes and CrossFit style workouts along with lifting. I teach yoga. Wondering if you have found any issues with an older client? My metabolism has changed drastically in the last few years as the weight has crept up. I weigh 148, I am planning on doing 1400 kcal, 25% deficit. 25g carbs,75g protein, 111g fat. Does that sound like a good start?
How tall are you? Also I think you should aim for at least 130g of fat and maybe lower your protein to 60-65g since you’re doing HIIT and crossfit…
Try lowering your carbs down to 20-25g a day… How many grams of fat do you eat daily?
female 26 yrs
5’9 height 150lbs
I want to loose weight and think my calorie intake might be too high?
I am having around 2000 a day, but am extremely active burning about 500+ calories daily
I just started ketosis and my fat is 70-75% protein is 20 and i am only having under 40 grams net carbs a day!
I am gluten, dairy and refined sugar free. So I mix coconut oil in matcha tea. Again a bit confused as to my calories ?!
HELP
Hello Julius,
I was wondering if I could ask you for your opinion in regards to my daily meals. Would find this meal plan ok for keto diet in order to loose weight:
I weigh approx. 200 lbs 5’10” tall woman. I would have 3 eggs and 1 tbls butter for breakfast, than for lunch a shake: spinach, flax seeds, chia seeds, 1 tbls coconut oil, avocado, lemon. Snack: a keto bar http://www.ketobars.com/ and dinner: some green veggies with a salmon or steak. I use myfitnesspal for calorie counting and set my daily calorie goals at 1200, with 85% fat, 10% protein and 5% carbs. Out of that I would have 81g of fat, 36g protein and 22g carbs. Does that look like a good plan for keto diet? I would appreciate your help on this. Thank you in advance!
Your calories, fat and protein are too low… At least eat 50g of protein and at minimum 150g of fat… If you’re just starting Keto, you shouldn’t worry about calories to much…
Thank You for your help. I appreciate it very much. On top of that I also work out, I try to do so 5 days a week. I’ve been on keto for about a week now but when I check the ketosis with the strips I’m still in between negative and 0.5 . Is it that normal or am still doing something wrong?
Julius,
Great article and very inspiring. I am very interested in the Keto lifestyle. My husband has Chrons disease and a friend of ours was telling us about the Keto diet. From the research I have done this seems very beneficial. However, I am struggling with the meal planning part of this. I currently plan our meals and grocery shopping weekly and know if I had a meal plan/recipes that we could be very successful. Do you have recommendations or suggestions on a place to find this?
Thanks
Kim
They’re all over the internet… Pinterest is a good start… You just have to pay attention to the ingredients especially if you have histamine or food allergy issues.
Is there a plan out there that covers what to eat if you are histamine (and amines) intolerant and want to go keto? I have a food list from the Mast Cell Society. Another that is just published for histamines. Another from an allergy clinic for glutamates and amines… sigh! Exhausting trying to cross reference everything! That and I think it leaves little to eat, but no reactions LOL.
We were looking at MAD (modified atkins – but it’s not dairy free or berry free) – mast cell and neuro-immune challenges (low carb keto came recommended to help). But we have no idea how or where to start!!
hey Julius, love your blog and dirtyweights.com … im two weeks into keto and really seeing some great results..but i would liek to know what is the optimal calorie intake and macro split ishould be doing. im 31, 6 feet 2, at 195 lbs. ive put on muslce for the past year and want to burn body fat from what i am now (approx 21% fat) to ideally 15% or lower in next 6 weeks. what would you suggest?
im currently doing 1800 cal a day, 5/25/70% – C/P/F – 22g/111g/138g
the goal is to lean out so i see more definition and muscle separation, plus get ride of my love handles badly! … while retain or even growing muscle.
Hey, thanks for joining!… Keep me updated on your progress…
Hi Julius. You mention taking BCAA’s as a snack. Can you expand on what that is? Would a shot of Greens do the trick?
thanks
Yes, Actually I prefer “greens” above BCAA’s which are (branch chain amino acids). BCAA’s are found in foods with protein like meat and dairy.
They help with muscle recovery. Some believe that by being on a Ketogenic diet you will lose a tone of muscle. I’ve been on Keto for 2 years and I can say that’s not the case…
I did try BCAA’S in the beginning but couldn’t tell any difference…
Since I wrote this post over a year ago, I try to update it every now and then… So I’ll make sure to correct that based on my experience…
As long as you get your meats you’re good!
Nice meal plan. Do you think you’d get faster weight loss with just the meat & veggies (less calories) or with the added oils/fats (better ketosis)? I’m 10 lbs over my really slim weight and I need to lose it for a wedding in 4 weeks. Thanks!
You definitely want to add fats on a keto diet… Fats are you primary fuel source… Plus you can easily lose 10 lbs in a month eating correctly and exercising…
Thanks Julius. I’m 5 days into an 800 calorie / day fat fast with coconut oil coffee. Feel pretty good and already down 6 lbs. Starting to look pretty good for a middle-aged lady. Will probably stop at Xmas and resume eating (sensible) carbs. Love your website!
Oh NO!!! You don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight… Where are your nutrients, fiber, electrolytes…etc..? I’m sure you looked great even before starting this. The two “biggest” issues with this… It’s really unhealthy and I’m sure you are aware of that. But what happens when you start “eating” again?… Please keep me updated and thanks for the compliment..
Is it possible to do Keto being a vegetarian? No fish, poultry or meat of any kind. Do eat eggs and dairy. Thanks
If you are vegetarian, you can meet your protein needs with eggs, nuts, seeds and green veggies. And you can get your fat from olives, avocado and coconut. Google the eco-Atkins diet.
Hi julius, my name is gabby, in. High school i was 5’0 125-128 but was solid. Was a cheerleader/gymnast, i also was a thrower on track & had always lifted weights, fastforward early 20s i became a long distance runner which i found to be theraputic. I was the skinniest i had ever been, i then became pregnant had my son by emergecy c-section… I nursed & was extremely thin everywhere but where it mattered, once nursing stopped my weight ballooned& everything ive ever known of dieting & working out has not helped me. I work overnights so im concerned about the sleep aspect as i dont get much during my 5 night work week & 2kids.. HELP! Ideally id love to lose 30lbs… Not afraid of diet or excercise! Guidance please!! Sorry for the novel!
No you’re perfectly fine… What do you eat on a daily basis?
I just started keto on dec 1st, im kind of winging it … Im drinking half my body weight in water, not eating at night at all, ive been researching non stop .. Again this goes against everything ive ever known … Yesterday i had bpc for breakfast, 2 eggs,heavy cream, 1/4 c shredded cheese, 1/4 pancetta & half an avocado, for lunch, dinner was 2 small haddock fillets crusted in parmesean with 2 cups of steamed broccoli & a green salad, romaine & cucumbers with 2 tbs poppyseed dressing .. Things i thought that werent keto friendly other websites says are ok.. I just want to do this right, i want to see my weight go in the opposite direction, i would hate to gain !!
Hi Julius, great article. I’m 1 month into keto and am amazed l’ve finally started dropping the pounds after 2 years of trying several diets. This is positive lifestyle change for me. For the first time l feel empowered. Your progress is inspirational. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome… Thank you as well!… I’m glad it’s working out for you and would love for you to keep us updated… Let me know if you have any questions…
This was an awesome read, man! Convinced me to go Keto again, as I’ve had great results in the past. I workout 3-4x a week heavy lifting (powerlifter), but my weight has gotten too high for me. 5’8″ 21y/o Male, 223 pounds, but a lot of muscle mass. I’m ready to transition my focus to fat loss, mostly for health and body composition reasons, and the fact that diabetes run in my family and most my relatives have it!! I refuse to be apart of that! So thank you for this awesome read and inspiring article. Awesome job on your progress!!
Thank you for the nice comment!… I definitely understand your reasons as I have diabetes, high blood pressure and pretty much everything under the sun in my family. Besides those reasons, the bone and joint inflammation/pain that I had no longer exists… That’s one of my favorite benefits of carb restriction… Keep me updated with your progress or comment if have questions… Thanks again!
Hi Julius, I’ve just started keto and I’m losing weight at a great rate so far. My blood pressure is still high. Did your blood pressure ever go down. Mine goes down sometimes other times it’s back up again. I have been on this diet about 3 weeks now. I don’t know if maybe I should wait longer for results. I wanted to try keto before getting on the meds. Please respond
Julius thanks for the reply. I am usually asleep anywhere between 9-10pm. I usually eat dinner early between 5 and 6. Work out at about 7:30(after we put our daughter to sleep Mon, Wed, Fri). I drink caffeine in the mornings. I have a full gym in my garage where I do light weight until fatigue(or close to it) for 3 sets one after the other Bench, Squat, Barbell Rows, Military, and RDL with about a two and a half minute in between. When I am done I usually throw in some auxillaries.. curls, tri’s, etc.. I was thinking of adding HIIT on off days(sprints on treadmill, jump rope). Thank you again!
Hi,
Its really a nice article. I will start following this ketogenic diet from today.
I want to ask few questions.
First: can I take 1 table spoon of honey with luke warn water as first meal of the day in this plan ? ( I heard this is good for weight loss)
Secondly can we eat any fruits during the ketogenic diet ?
third for how many days should I do this ketogenic diet ? ( will 30 – 40 days be enough ?)
Please reply.
Many Thanks.
Hi, stay away from the fruit! It’s high in sugar. You can instead eat vegetables. Opt for leafy greens, cauliflower, broccoli.
Don’t think of this as just a diet. The best, very best thing you can do is make this a lifestyle change. And plus, after 30 days of being on keto, you’ll feel different; Better, look better and definitely weigh less. Why would you even want to go back to eating like before?
Forget the honey. I find the some warm lemon water is best in the morning. Half a lemon in a mug of boiled water will really do you good first thing in the morning before anything else. Just remember that lemons do have carbs, so make sure to count it part of your count.
Good luck
Julius thanks for sharing your story with us and the great breakdown of everything. I’m two weeks in on my standard keto diet along with exercise and I feel great. I know how vital sleep is but I find myself waking up very early in the morning usually between 3-4 am(I wake up at 5 for work) but I have so much energy I can’t go back to sleep and I am not tired throughout the day. From your knowledge and experience is this normal? And is working out more than 3x a week counter productive in your opinion? Thanks again, Josh
What time are you going to sleep? Most importantly, what are you doing before you go to sleep? Do you drink caffeine? Yes you can exercise more than three times a week… What is your exercise routine?
I really was debating between this diet and the HCG which will cost me $400 not including the food I will need to buy to be on it. Can you provide me with a full week meal plan idea?
Sorry for the late reply… Did you decide to give Keto a try?
Julius – You are awesome and nice job with this! I have been a crazy person researching every university and medical journal to study nutritional ketosis as well as fasting, and how to use in combination. My goal is to be on the cover of SHAPE magazine when I’m 60 – a few years away – and this lifestyle what will make that happen. So far, 26 pounds in 6 weeks – this is huge – and I was inspired to read your results. DO YOU FIND that keeping snacks in your diet is OK?? Same question for whey powder vs egg white powder?? I thought the whey resulted in a higher insulin response…have you compared the two? As a former competitive powerlifter, I’m curious about this….and thanks for doing this great blog.
Thanks for your kind words… Great job on your results so far! You actually inspire me!… As far as snacking, I like avocados… I don’t drink protein shakes. I get all my protein from meats. What are your workouts like?
Hey this article was amazing! Ive just completed my week 1 of the Keto diet and initially i lost some weight, but as of today I have put on weight. Not sure if this is normal, I have stuck to the diet seriously.
Looking forward to hearing from you 🙂
Thank you… Do you exercise? What do you eat? Are you getting enough fats?sleeping is vital as well…
Awesome article!! Thank you so much for all of the information. You answered all of my questions. I’m looking forward to starting this new way of eating. Thank you again.
Thank you… Would like to see your results…
Hey Julius my is Ciera. I new at this keto diet. Im 5 feet. Weight. 227 lb. I mean concerned is I’m afraid I’m eating less fat or I might eat too much fat. out of all the articles I read on the keto diet you really break down and make sense of it do you have a guide that I can follow also if I do cardio how long can I do cardio
I have a guide that I’m working on but there’s so many factors involved with Keto adapting that varies from individual to individual… I suggest not doing cardio…
I’m just starting I have adrenal fatigue and take thyroid hormone, what is the difference in the Keto diet for me having these issues, thanks In advance!!!
You can Keto adapt successfully… Just do it slower than normal. Start off lowering your net carbs with 80-100g a day for at least the first week… Then gradually reduce your net carb intake down to 15g a day… Make sure your getting enough fats! Like 200g!
Hi! I have just got on to keto diet since yesturday. My main concern is hair loss, what’s the best way to get away from hairloss as I am already suffering from it due to hormonal issues and don’t want to have more of it.
I would also like to know if cardio exercises like aerobics are ok to do when you are on keto, what do i do if i see a lot of sudden weight drop, should i stop cardio and switch to weight training?
Resistance training is the best… Bodyweight or weights… HIIT training is ok… Mild biking, walking…etc… Most cardio raises your cortisol levels keeping you from Keto adapting…
It’s not Keto that causes hair loss… It can be prior Thyroid issues… Iodine, zinc, magnesium or even B complex imbalances… Getting enough sleep… etc…
I lost 7lbs in the first 2 weeks of Keto, I do one aerobic type class a week and 4-5 HIIT classes. I have recently purchased the Ketostix and according to that i’m not in a ketogenic state. I have decided to throw myself back into this week regardless and I’m consciously writing down everything that I’m eating and keeping the net carbs to less than 20g’s a day. I’d be interested to know how many calories and protein you are consuming a day and what should my minimum fat intake be? A day for me at the min looks something like this
Breakfast – Pea Protein shake with berries and coconut oil, linseeds and half an avocado
Lunch – Cream Cheese pancakes with Mushrooms in Pesto and 1 celery Stalk
Dinner – 2 chicken Thighs with Blue Cheese sauce
Snacks – Cheese, chirizo sticks, nuts etc
Drinks – 2 ltrs of water a day, some decaf Green Tea (red wine or clear spirits at the weekend)
I have the Icarb app that gives me the net carbs for most things. Is there anything here that’s glaringly obvious to you that I could improve on?
Lol… Ditch the protein shake and replace it with more fatty meats… What are those pancakes made of?… And where are your leafy green vegetables/broccoli? Eat More AVOCADOS!
Fruit IS SUGAR.
Berries ARE SUGAR.
Great article, thanks for the publishing! Julius you are big!
You’re welcome… Thank you as well for visiting…
Easily the best keto article I have come across – great work!
I’ve been playing with the idea of a keto diet for a few months, at over 300lb I need to make some big changes. I think my biggest concern atm is being unable to exercise. Due to my size it is painful so the only work out i really get is taking my dog for a walk. I guess I’m a little scared that eating high fat whilst not doing much exercise will have an adverse effect.
Walking is a great way to start… The main thing is lowering your carb intake and getting healthy fats and green vegetables….
Both pork and beef. Honestly, don’t even know how to track fat and carbs but I have been eating way more carbs for sure for e.g. Rice, cookies, ice cream etc.
Rice, cookies and ice cream!…lol… No… Throw that stuff away… I’m releasing a video series in a couple days… I’ll send you an email… It’s free…
Hi Julius, great job! Thanks for all the details here. I can only eat chicken & seafood. No bacon or steak for me. Also, dairy gives me breakouts Can you please suggest some meal plans? I need to drop at least 15 pounds in 4 weeks. Hoping you can help
Are you allergic to pork or beef? What’s your daily carb and fat intake?
Wow! You look great. I am in. Always worked out, always ate what I thought was cleanly. 2 years ago I began eating primally and was in awesome shape but let the stresses of the wine biz add it back on. A piece of bread (or 3!!!) here and there, etc. In just two days, I’ve lost 3 lbs. I work out 4 days a week (2 day split x 2, all free weights) and HIIT 2 x a week (usually one day on its own and then on chest/back/tri day). No fears of bulking up (I’m female).
You have INSPIRED me to really commit. My goal is 20 lbs in 6 weeks. Thanks for the best explanation of Keto that I’ve read to date.
Wynn
That’s awesome!… Quick question Wynn… How many reps are you doing per set when you do weights? Oh and thanks by the way…
I periodize my workouts; 2 weeks at 6 reps, 2 at 8, 2 at 10.
Thanks Julius, you’re looking great!
Is this diet for me?
50 yr old ~ retired dancer (huge discipline with diet exercise most of my life) ~ yoga practitioner/teacher ~ through menopause at age 45, developed hypothyroidism, gained 50 lbs. ~ very high nightime cortisol, morning low ~ on NDT (natural dessicated thyroid medicine) ~ am easily exhausted, poor sleep since 2009, love juicing everything and find it easy to consume since appetite is low most days and eating food usually triggers intestinal discomfort…I like pea protein shakes a lot ~ always on the hunt for natural sweeteners but rarely find one I like that is healthy ~ love butter ~ recently found grilled salmon to be delicious ~ love all sorts of fruits & veggies ~ NEED to lose this burdensome weight!!! ~ exercise is limited due to adrenal fatigue, but love my gentle yoga 5 days per week
Lol ~ this is a quick insight into my deal, but am hopeful this SKD keto could help me out
*in the past a 40/30/30 diet always got me back on track
But losing weight has been impossible for Years due to my health issues…I want to find what works but am still struggling
Thanks so much, in advance, for any response of advice.
Sincerely,
Wendy Nichols
Thanks for the compliment… Wow!…You definitely have a lot going on… This will absolutely work for you BUT!… It will take a different approach and life changing commitment… You might not want to hear this but… No protein shakes, no fruit (accept avocado) and you want fatty meats like chicken thighs, wings, drumsticks, pork belly… etc… Keto is great for thyroid issues and your adrenal glands… But you would have to approach Keto differently than those that do not have those issues…
Hi Julius! Thank you some much for taking the time to write this article! I have learned so much from reading this today. I’m interested in following this diet plan. Could you tell me what you would recommend as far as an eating plan if I worked out first thing in the morning around 5am?
HI Julius,
I really enjoyed your article. I do have a couple questions (sorry if I missed the answers in any of the comments above), how would someone calculate their personal macros? At 5’1″ female, I am not going to consume the same amount of food you do so I would think my macros would be considerably less than 150 – 200 grams of fat and so on a day? I am in week 3 and really haven’t lost much. I dropped just over 3 lbs the first week, less than 1 the 2nd week and not sure this week as I weigh on Mondays. Also, did you have to make any adjustments for heavy lifting days?
Hi, I started last month and lost 16 pounds then went a week and no loss, thought ok fine then I gained 3 pounds and nothing I did wrong, no cheating at all and I go to the gym 5 days a week – nothing hardcore but I go. Is it normal for that to happen? Getting frustrated especially when I see all these people loosing all this weight and doing fabulous. I am on a lot of support groups on F/B and I am amazed but not sure what I am doing wrong. I know I cannot drink oil or butter in my coffee – but I have started to use coconut oil more and heavy cream too.
Any advice?
It can be many variables… Are you getting enough fats? Calories? How much sleep are you getting? Do you have any health issues like thyroid, histamine…etc…? Stress?… You can send me an email if you don’t want to post it here…
Sleep is good – cpap makes sure of that 🙂 Health issues are arthritis, high LDL ( think that will go away once I loose lots of weight, family history though). I try to track nutrients and I know I need to do better but I am pretty sure I am getting enough fats and calories but the pen and paper will tell for sure. This morning I am making a egg,spinach, mushroom, cheese & bacon in a large cupcake holder so I know how much I put in each. Stress….. I am a nurse, some of my high need patients are really tugging on my emotions and dealing with the ones who want their “pain meds” grrrr but overall I work for a great Dr in a great office so I am lucky, home life is great, could use some more money – lol who couldn’t – but have an ex who I guess I still have some pstd (20 yrs is hard) but still working on it – my last son is a senior in high school so won’t have to deal with the ex too much longer.
Is there an audio of an exercise program that you know of? For stretches for core exercises?
Hope you have a great weekend 🙂
Stress could be one of the culprits… Stress raises your cortisol levels causing you to be in a catabolic state… Do you meditate?
Hey Julius. Do you use a scale,to weight your food and/or an app to track the macros? I’m starting tomorrow and I’m afraid I won’t get enough gay in.
Thank you
I use to in the beginning but as you get use to it… You pretty much know what you are getting. Congrats on getting started, keep us updated on your progress…
I have lost 20 pounds in 6 weeks. Down to my last 10 and it’s been hard. I do spin classes 5 days a week. High intensity biking for 45 mins. You mentioned too cardio can kick you out if ketosis. Can you please elaborate?
Thank you for the great advice .
I would love to see some before and after pics… High intensity biking/running or any cardio for long periods of time can raise your cortisol levels, spiking your insulin whilst putting you in a catabolic state… Your body is eating away at your muscles by converting dietary protein into glucose. The physical stress from extreme cardio sends “stress signals” throughout your body forcing it to look for additional energy. Your hormonal systems interpret this energy as glucose. It’s like when you watch the Olympics, long distance runners look skinny and sick whilst “short distance sprinters” look thick and muscular… HIIT training or moderate cardio is the way to go if you want to spare muscle mass…
I hear you on the trial and error. I’m about a month and a week into keto and I’ve seen results but not what I was expecting with cutting out carbs. I need to adjust things so that it’s mainly fats I’m eating. Thanks for the thorough article. Major props
Are you getting enough fats? What is your carb intake on a daily basis? Are you exercising and getting quality sleep?… Let me know as I want to help…
Please tel how to calculate the protein, minerals etc., for Ketose diet. Should we need to exercise along with this diet? if yes, which type? Please share the document if you have any
You don’t need much protein… Around 80grms should be fine for the average individual with moderate exercise… You may require more if your bodybuilding, intermittent fasting, working out fasted… etc… You want to exercise at least 2-3 times a week or at least be active like brisk walking… Moderate strength training is good enough.
Hi
I am an Indian I weigh around 110kg. Have tried many ways but still not very successful. I am a vegetarian. Please suggest something.
Thanks in advance
My email id
[email protected]
I’ll have a post up next week about vegan and low carb diets… It’s going to be a big post… I’ll email you when I post it…
I posted an review about a low carb vegan diet, Maybe this may help you get started… https://www.dirtyweights.com/low-carb-vegan-diet/
Oh most definitely!… I’m creating a report that details what I do… I’ll update this post and make it downloadable so you can use it as a guide…
i really need more in details can you send me a email explaining what you usually would eat and how often you workout.
Thanks!… Let me know if you have any questions… Also… Keep us updated on your progress…
Tell me about your exercise routine while eating Keto. I just started after reading “Why We Get Fat” Not much was mentioned about card and or weights.
I’m in the process of creating a workout guide as I had the same issue when I started… I Just could find anything on exercising in ketosis… I was losing muscle mass when I was doing a 7 day split…lol… Basically you want to work each muscle group at least twice a week. Workout with medium to heavey loads between 8-12 reps. I also bike 20 miles a day but it’s casual, not sprinting…lol… Cardio isn’t really necessary as it can raise your cortisol levels if it’s to extreme and kick you out of ketosis… You definitely want muscle contraction thought… I will update this post with more information… Good question!
Thank you Julius for this important information. I will be watching for your workout guide.
This is the best ketogenic diet article I’ve read, by far. I feel I can do it the right way now and start losing. Thank you!
Thank you… I appreciate it… The best part about Keto is it’s not just about the weight loss… But also the mental clarity and focus… Bone inflammation was a big one for me and hypertension… If you have any questions, please ask… Thanks again!
Hi
That’s awesome is there a book that helped you with this
No… Actually I did a lot research and of course, trial and error…lol… I pretty much use myself as a guinea pig. If you have any questions or if your thinking about giving it a try… I’m here to help. Thanks for the comment.
I so admire all the hard work you put into this article. I learned so much ! And you look healthy and great ! This article was really thorough and includes everything someone like me needs to know about keto. I’ve slogged through the last 1 1/2 to 2 years on a so-so low carb diet, never really committing. I have more energy now but I know I could have more. Yes, I lost some weight–about 25 to 30 pounds over the course of the last two years, but I need to lose way more. Just in the last week or so I’ve started seriously considering keto and trying to learn more about it. Your article was a godsend…thank you !! You’ve given me just that boost I needed ! Thanks so much !!
Thank you for your comment… And your welcome… I’m glad to see your considering Keto again… If you have any questions just ask… I would love to get an update on your progress as well… I will also update this post from time to time as well… Thanks!