Post: #76

Atkins is amazing. Not only do you drop weight like crazy, but I personally feel more energetic and focused when I'm on it. And it really does lower your hunger. The problem is sticking to it. No carbs gets old real quick, and you can't go really out to a restaurant with friends without feeling a little weird.

Johnsonville brats, Ceaser salads, eggs, maple syrup sausage links by Hormel, and Burger King without the top bun are usually how I manage to slog through it. That's kinda expensive, though. For those on a budget, mustard has zero carbs/calories. That plus decent hotdogs can carry you.

Oh, and alcohol really messes keto up (for me at least) -- even stuff that has 0 carbs.

Post: #77

New research shows that the Keto Diet also eliminates migraines.

https://www.researchgate.net/blog/post/l...e-patients

Some choice quotes:

Quote:Our interest in ketogenic diets was born in 2009. A common side effect of most drugs for migraine prophylaxis, including antidepressants, anti-epileptics, calcium antagonists, and beta-blockers, is weight gain.

Quote:One of these dieticians, Giulio Sirianni, observed that patients who underwent very low calorie ketogenic diets had fewer headaches. In most cases, the headaches even disappeared during the ketogenic phase of the diet.

Quote:In our experience, motivated patients don’t find it difficult to follow a ketogenic diet, especially since there are fewer side-effects and adverse events compared to common preventive pharmacologic treatments.

Unsurprisingly, the "cure-all's" from big pharma make you sicker than you were before and a diet that more closely resembles a natural or normal human diet will make you better.

Post: #78

(08-20-2016 03:50 AM)erikak Wrote:  Atkins is amazing. Not only do you drop weight like crazy, but I personally feel more energetic and focused when I'm on it.

I've been on a Keto-like diet for ten days. The main benefit so far is that I feel very focused, high energy. Noticeable. Plus, I haven't had cravings for junk food, sugar/sweets or soft drinks.

BREAKFAST: bacon and eggs, salsa verde, black coffee

BREAKFAST #2: same, but smaller portions

LUNCH: huge green salad = spinach, can of tuna, avocado, oaxaca cheese. Dressing: oil & vinegar (mix it myself). Small glass of red wine.

DINNER: steak fajitas covered w melted oaxaca cheese, avocado, salsa verde. Herbal tea or water to drink.

I designed it this way because there's something I really look forward to with each meal. For breakfast, it's the bacon. For lunch, it's the wine. For dinner, it's the steak. That helps me feel motivated for the meal and not tempted by something else. Eating the same thing every day is not boring for me (so far) because I like these things. This approach also saves the mental energy that would be needed to make a decision for every meal. Food shopping is simplified, too.

Street food here in Mexico is cheap but often very high in carbs and not always the healthiest. The main expenses of my diet above are the pre-washed (bagged) greens and the steak. I go through a bottle of wine in about a week. None of this takes that long to prepare or clean up and I genuinely like eating at home. There is extra work involved in going to the supermarket twice a week on the bike, but since I know what I want to get, it's pretty easy to get in and out quickly. The local market has some of these things in case I don't make it to the supermarket, which is farther away. If I had to go an office every day, the lunch could easily be packed in a tupperware with the dressing applied at the moment. Also, I would combine the two breakfasts.

I plan to go off the diet for special occasions, eating out with friends, etc., but still choose the most sensible options available in those situations. I know from past experience that even one or two high-sugar cheat meals makes the cravings come back, so I'll need to psychologically prepared for that.

Post: #79

Regarding testosterone levels whilst in ketosis:

I have been reading conflicting information on the above subject. I came across references to studies that subjects on a severely restricted carb diet (i.e. max of 5% of calorie intake from carbs) see a sharp reduction in T levels. I haven't found the studies themselves (just references to them), so I have no idea if the subjects were actually exercising or just being 'keto couch potatoes'.

I have not had my T levels checked (plan to do so next month). A year and a half ago I had symptoms of low T, but they disappeared once I started doing keto (I am down about 25 lbs of fat with gains in lean body mass). I have been doing fairly intensive free weights about 3 days a week with some added stationary bike cardio (sometimes I miss a week.. work and other stuff gets in the way). So for me, I haven't noticed an issue of low T. This however, is only based on how I feel.. not on actual saliva and blood tests.

I have come across info that people who weight train gain T while in ketosis. I haven't come across any clinical studies to back this up.. this has mostly been anecdotal evidence and claims.

So would a middle age male on a weight training program have higher T levels in high fat or low fat / moderate carb diet?

I plan to keep a high fat diet until I at least hit my goal (under 20% body fat by the end of March with an ultimate goal of 15% body fat). Right now I am doing research as to what my diet should be after hitting that goal to maintain my desired fat %. I plan to continue weight training until the day I drop dead.

Note: I am also taking a extra vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc, in addition to the multi-vitamin I had been taking for a while. This was under the direction of my urologist for the purpose of increasing sperm count. I noticed an immediate improvement in energy levels when I did. Not sure if the increased supplement intake affects my results while in ketosis.

Post: #80

I have been giving bulletproof coffee a try, using heavy cream and coconut oil with my morning coffee. I have to say it works really well in suppressing hunger and eliminating any brain fog. I am on about a 40% calorie deficit right now. I can get through the day without issues with only a lite keto orientated lunch or just fast right until dinner.

There is some controversy with the drink as it appears to really spike the LDL in some people. I get my blood work checked later this week, so I will soon know if I am one of them.

Post: #81

(12-05-2016 02:48 PM)Hell_Is_Like_Newark Wrote:  I have been giving bulletproof coffee a try, using heavy cream and coconut oil with my morning coffee. I have to say it works really well in suppressing hunger and eliminating any brain fog. I am on about a 40% calorie deficit right now. I can get through the day without issues with only a lite keto orientated lunch or just fast right until dinner.

There is some controversy with the drink as it appears to really spike the LDL in some people. I get my blood work checked later this week, so I will soon know if I am one of them.

I think that LDL remains a commonly referred to marker that is not good for much of anything (except mostly as a ploy to sell statin drugs - which are way too accepted in the mainstream insurance run medical discourse), also, except maybe LDL could be considered in some rare cases in which the LDL seems to be showing something weird going on (like if it is super elevated in the 400+ ranges).

The more important markers seem to be triglicerides (below 100) and HDL (above 40 for men).

My daily go for coffee is heavy whipping cream and butter....

Your post causes me to consider that maybe I should substitute out the butter once in a while for coconut oil, merely for some variety in nutrition and flavor... .

Post: #82

I’m speaking from a position where keto dieting is the only way I can lose weight due to hyperinsulinemia, or the over production and resistance of insulin, which causes weight gain while eating a moderate or heavy carb diet.


I’ve lost 50lbs of fat this year so far, hoping for another 40 by the six month mark of 2017. At first it was forced, however I have been doing for a year now and feel so much better on it than off it… Has there been a datasheet put out on ketosis yet? I may need to post one, I got some good experience that could possibly prove useful to you guys… Yay or nay?

Post: #83

(12-05-2016 04:11 PM)Ivanis Wrote:  I’m speaking from a position where keto dieting is the only way I can lose weight due to hyperinsulinemia, or the over production and resistance of insulin, which causes weight gain while eating a moderate or heavy carb diet.


I’ve lost 50lbs of fat this year so far, hoping for another 40 by the six month mark of 2017. At first it was forced, however I have been doing for a year now and feel so much better on it than off it… Has there been a datasheet put out on ketosis yet? I may need to post one, I got some good experience that could possibly prove useful to you guys… Yay or nay?

Pls post, would be curious to see your plan.

Post: #84

(12-05-2016 04:48 PM)SiverFox Wrote:  

(12-05-2016 04:11 PM)Ivanis Wrote:  I’m speaking from a position where keto dieting is the only way I can lose weight due to hyperinsulinemia, or the over production and resistance of insulin, which causes weight gain while eating a moderate or heavy carb diet.


I’ve lost 50lbs of fat this year so far, hoping for another 40 by the six month mark of 2017. At first it was forced, however I have been doing for a year now and feel so much better on it than off it… Has there been a datasheet put out on ketosis yet? I may need to post one, I got some good experience that could possibly prove useful to you guys… Yay or nay?

Pls post, would be curious to see your plan.

I would like to see it to, and this thread is probably as good of a place as any for such a "datasheet"

Post: #85

I will end up dropping the datasheet in here either tonight or tomorrow. I am currently 700 words in and am stuck racking my brain about the process of converting muscle to glucose... anybody know the process?

Edit: It was Gluconeogenesis

Post: #86

(12-05-2016 07:33 PM)Ivanis Wrote:  I will end up dropping the datasheet in here either tonight or tomorrow. I am currently 700 words in and am stuck racking my brain about the process of converting muscle to glucose... anybody know the process?

gluconeogenesis - is one process that is frequently described regarding converting protein into glucose -

a Funny thought is that we don't necessarily want to convert our own muscle into glucose.. but I think that one of the points is that sometimes we may eat too much protein, and then experience the same problem as if we were eating too much glucose, because of the gluconeogenesis process.

Post: #87

(12-05-2016 07:40 PM)JayJuanGee Wrote:  

(12-05-2016 07:33 PM)Ivanis Wrote:  I will end up dropping the datasheet in here either tonight or tomorrow. I am currently 700 words in and am stuck racking my brain about the process of converting muscle to glucose... anybody know the process?

gluconeogenesis - is one process that is frequently described regarding converting protein into glucose -

a Funny thought is that we don't necessarily want to convert our own muscle into glucose.. but I think that one of the points is that sometimes we may eat too much protein, and then experience the same problem as if we were eating too much glucose, because of the gluconeogenesis process.

Just found it. A family member(former doctor, cancer got in the way of his career) and I have been thinking about it for the last two hours! Thanks!

Post: #88

(12-05-2016 04:11 PM)Ivanis Wrote:  I’m speaking from a position where keto dieting is the only way I can lose weight due to hyperinsulinemia,

Has there been a datasheet put out on ketosis yet? I may need to post one, I got some good experience that could possibly prove useful to you guys… Yay or nay?

Funny how people differ metabolism wise. Even when drinking fruit juice and multiple cans of soda per day, I didn't have any issues with elevated blood sugar. I just turned into a land whale. My wife on the other hand, doesn't gain much in the way of weight, but ended up with elevated blood sugar (pre-diabetic). Her issue has been addressed since I do most of the cooking now.

A general datasheet on diet and supplements might be a good idea. There are lots of threads detailing the general subject matter spread all over the board. I got into nutrition related stuff in an effort to fix my own issues (high LDL, low energy, fat, symptoms of low T levels). Over the past few years I have come to only one real conclusion: Diet info from the government on down is riddled with bullshit.

It is really hard to find good studies (studies that use real test subject.. not these crappy epidemiological ones that got on us this high carb highwayj to begin with). There is no money in it, so pharma is not going to do it. Many studies I came across had political / cultural motivation (anti-meat crusaders) rather that approaching the issue on a pure science perspective.

I ended up scanning old posts from weight loss and body building forums, paying attention to guys who posted their physical results (including blood work). That is pretty much how I got to where I am today (overweight.. but a lot less overweight and getting progressively getting less fat).

Post: #89

Keto diet is great for losing weight fast but as soon as you go back to eating regular you'll pack it all back on. It's pretty much not a temporary thing. If you can go without carbs 6 out of 7 days a week then it may be for you and work well.

Post: #90

(12-06-2016 03:44 PM)GrapeApe Wrote:  Keto diet is great for losing weight fast but as soon as you go back to eating regular you'll pack it all back on. It's pretty much not a temporary thing. If you can go without carbs 6 out of 7 days a week then it may be for you and work well.

That is water weight. Normally as soon as I go into ketosis I drop around 5-8lbs and then gain the same back while eating carbs. All the rest is good weight lost.

Post: #91

(12-06-2016 09:17 AM)Hell_Is_Like_Newark Wrote:  

(12-05-2016 04:11 PM)Ivanis Wrote:  I’m speaking from a position where keto dieting is the only way I can lose weight due to hyperinsulinemia,

Has there been a datasheet put out on ketosis yet? I may need to post one, I got some good experience that could possibly prove useful to you guys… Yay or nay?

Funny how people differ metabolism wise. Even when drinking fruit juice and multiple cans of soda per day, I didn't have any issues with elevated blood sugar. I just turned into a land whale. My wife on the other hand, doesn't gain much in the way of weight, but ended up with elevated blood sugar (pre-diabetic). Her issue has been addressed since I do most of the cooking now.

A general datasheet on diet and supplements might be a good idea. There are lots of threads detailing the general subject matter spread all over the board. I got into nutrition related stuff in an effort to fix my own issues (high LDL, low energy, fat, symptoms of low T levels). Over the past few years I have come to only one real conclusion: Diet info from the government on down is riddled with bullshit.

It is really hard to find good studies (studies that use real test subject.. not these crappy epidemiological ones that got on us this high carb highwayj to begin with). There is no money in it, so pharma is not going to do it. Many studies I came across had political / cultural motivation (anti-meat crusaders) rather that approaching the issue on a pure science perspective.

I ended up scanning old posts from weight loss and body building forums, paying attention to guys who posted their physical results (including blood work). That is pretty much how I got to where I am today (overweight.. but a lot less overweight and getting progressively getting less fat).

Good post, +1 from me.

Its weird that our body works that way. In the datasheet I am putting together I have some stuff in there similar to what research you have done, just a thought that a guy had on a forum post somewhere that turned out to be really useful and I could relate. Most of it is fact, some is opinion though! I just got back from work and am tired as fuck, so hopefully I can write all or most of the datasheet tonight to have it posted tonight or tomorrow!

Post: #92

(12-06-2016 03:50 PM)Ivanis Wrote:  

(12-06-2016 03:44 PM)GrapeApe Wrote:  Keto diet is great for losing weight fast but as soon as you go back to eating regular you'll pack it all back on. It's pretty much not a temporary thing. If you can go without carbs 6 out of 7 days a week then it may be for you and work well.

That is water weight. Normally as soon as I go into ketosis I drop around 5-8lbs and then gain the same back while eating carbs. All the rest is good weight lost.

No, I mean after several months and you're down 20-30lbs. If you go back to eating the way you did before, you'll pack it on twice as fast as you lost it.

Post: #93

The human body is not as efficient at "burning muscle" as a lot of people seem to think.
Check Bullet Point # 6 here @ http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten...unked.html

Basically if you eat a healthy balanced meal such as:
Steak, Broccoli, Oil / Vinegar Salad with slices of Avocado / Eggs and a side of Strawberries.
Your gut is still releasing amino acids to your muscles from this meal 7 hours later and theoretically should still be drip feeding amino acid to your muscles 16 to 24 hours later.

Intermittent Fasting + Low Carb Dieting is not the Muscle Waster that Mainstream Fitness would have you believe.
You just have to remember to consume large portions of Protein during your eating window.

Post: #94

(12-06-2016 03:44 PM)GrapeApe Wrote:  Keto diet is great for losing weight fast but as soon as you go back to eating regular you'll pack it all back on. It's pretty much not a temporary thing. If you can go without carbs 6 out of 7 days a week then it may be for you and work well.

Sure there are a lot of stories about folks who go into a diet and then fall off of the diet and revert to some kind of status that is as bad as previously or even worse than previously.

I doubt that this kind of falling off of a diet is inevitable or even such a thing that should cause guys to NOT even attempt to such a change in diet.

I think that one good thing about the keto diet and the keto concept of diet remains the recognition that low carbs is a good thing and helping to identify the level of carbs that one is eating and maybe even to become less hostile to the concept of eating fats (instead of carbs).

Guys do not need to stay in ketosis or even to reach ketosis in order to benefit from the concepts of keto diets in order to recognize the utility of cutting carbs and even modifying the kinds of carbs that are consumed.

Personally, I have been eating pretty low carb since about early 2012, and I had some more intense periods of low carb in recent years. In about the past year, I have reverted to eating a few more carbs, but those increases in carbs have not caused me to regain weight - because I continue to keep my overall carb consumption in moderation and I continue to consider a variety low carb high fat concepts (which may not be exactly ketogenic, but share a lot of the ketogenic value concepts).

So, in other words, I disagree with any proposition that guys should not even attempt some kind of ketogenic diet because they are just going to fall off of it, because in the end, RVF guys should have enough confidence in ourselves to attempt to recognize that we can attempt to focus on what we are doing, verify if outcomes are beneficial and make modifications to the diet in such a way that is sustainable for our own circumstances and to be able to benefits from our experiences of going into the ketogenic direction.

Post: #95

(12-06-2016 04:27 PM)GrapeApe Wrote:  

(12-06-2016 03:50 PM)Ivanis Wrote:  

(12-06-2016 03:44 PM)GrapeApe Wrote:  Keto diet is great for losing weight fast but as soon as you go back to eating regular you'll pack it all back on. It's pretty much not a temporary thing. If you can go without carbs 6 out of 7 days a week then it may be for you and work well.

That is water weight. Normally as soon as I go into ketosis I drop around 5-8lbs and then gain the same back while eating carbs. All the rest is good weight lost.

No, I mean after several months and you're down 20-30lbs. If you go back to eating the way you did before, you'll pack it on twice as fast as you lost it.

You seem to be attempting to suggest that it is worse to even try than not because you will be in a worse position after you try, and that seems to be a kind of defeatist thinking.

RVF guys should sufficiently capable of attempting to set up a strategy that causes long term improvement rather than becoming a statistic, no?

Post: #96

(12-06-2016 04:35 PM)ScrapperTL Wrote:  The human body is not as efficient at "burning muscle" as a lot of people seem to think.
Check Bullet Point # 6 here @ http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten...unked.html

Basically if you eat a healthy balanced meal such as:
Steak, Broccoli, Oil / Vinegar Salad with slices of Avocado / Eggs and a side of Strawberries.
Your gut is still releasing amino acids to your muscles from this meal 7 hours later and theoretically should still be drip feeding amino acid to your muscles 16 to 24 hours later.

Intermittent Fasting + Low Carb Dieting is not the Muscle Waster that Mainstream Fitness would have you believe.
You just have to remember to consume large portions of Protein during your eating window.

Most of the current relevant studies propose that you merely eat adequate protein, rather than large amounts of protein, unless you are extremely active, then you may want to eat a bit higher portions of protein.

Ketogenic diets that emphasize protein eating may be inadequately accounting for gluconeogenisis and inadequately allowing for the eating of a variety of beneficial fats.

Post: #97

(12-06-2016 06:28 PM)JayJuanGee Wrote:  

(12-06-2016 04:35 PM)ScrapperTL Wrote:  The human body is not as efficient at "burning muscle" as a lot of people seem to think.
Check Bullet Point # 6 here @ http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten...unked.html

Basically if you eat a healthy balanced meal such as:
Steak, Broccoli, Oil / Vinegar Salad with slices of Avocado / Eggs and a side of Strawberries.
Your gut is still releasing amino acids to your muscles from this meal 7 hours later and theoretically should still be drip feeding amino acid to your muscles 16 to 24 hours later.

Intermittent Fasting + Low Carb Dieting is not the Muscle Waster that Mainstream Fitness would have you believe.
You just have to remember to consume large portions of Protein during your eating window.

Most of the current relevant studies propose that you merely eat adequate protein, rather than large amounts of protein, unless you are extremely active, then you may want to eat a bit higher portions of protein.

Ketogenic diets that emphasize protein eating may be inadequately accounting for gluconeogenisis and inadequately allowing for the eating of a variety of beneficial fats.

I agree 100% with everything you've stated.
Please note though that I was talking more about Intermittent Fasting in Combination with Keto, than Keto alone.
With Intermittent Fasting you can use the "Large Protein Meal" trick, as your last meal of the day to prevent muscle loss.

Post: #98

(12-06-2016 07:54 PM)ScrapperTL Wrote:  

(12-06-2016 06:28 PM)JayJuanGee Wrote:  

(12-06-2016 04:35 PM)ScrapperTL Wrote:  The human body is not as efficient at "burning muscle" as a lot of people seem to think.
Check Bullet Point # 6 here @ http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten...unked.html

Basically if you eat a healthy balanced meal such as:
Steak, Broccoli, Oil / Vinegar Salad with slices of Avocado / Eggs and a side of Strawberries.
Your gut is still releasing amino acids to your muscles from this meal 7 hours later and theoretically should still be drip feeding amino acid to your muscles 16 to 24 hours later.

Intermittent Fasting + Low Carb Dieting is not the Muscle Waster that Mainstream Fitness would have you believe.
You just have to remember to consume large portions of Protein during your eating window.

Most of the current relevant studies propose that you merely eat adequate protein, rather than large amounts of protein, unless you are extremely active, then you may want to eat a bit higher portions of protein.

Ketogenic diets that emphasize protein eating may be inadequately accounting for gluconeogenisis and inadequately allowing for the eating of a variety of beneficial fats.

I agree 100% with everything you've stated.
Please note though that I was talking more about Intermittent Fasting in Combination with Keto, than Keto alone.
With Intermittent Fasting you can use the "Large Protein Meal" trick, as your last meal of the day to prevent muscle loss.

I certainly don't claim to know everything about the topic - and I have not practiced too much intermittent fasting (even though those practices are certainly acceptable in keto circles), and surely as others have posted, there are different kinds of reactions that can come from guys based on differing genetics, activity levels and even age range.

A guy who is 20s or 30s could likely tolerate a lot more abuse and his body will recover from that as compared to a guy getting into 40s, 50s and beyond - then also there could be some history as well, in which a guy may have caused more damage to his insulin resistance and become less tolerant of carbs (and maybe even more sensitive to the gluconeogenisis effects of too much protein).

So o.k., you may be adding some additional points in regards to intermittent fasting, and we may be getting to some of the same points that may apply to some guys a bit differently in ways that guys may differ in how they attempt to apply ketosis, and I understand that if a guy is into body building or something kind of high performance activities like that then there may be some differing ratios of more protein and more tolerance for some higher levels of carbs.

Post: #99

Ketosis Datasheet

Introduction:

I had become obese from my mother, when I say this it isn’t a cop-out, she fed me fast food and processed food until I was old enough to see that it was shit for your mind and you’re body. This revelation came about 4 years back(I am 17). The following 3 years were an absolute clusterfuck of trying to get into a diet groove to no avail. So, September of 2015, I started dieting. My weight was 319lbs(I was around 6’ with 100lbs of fat), bodyweight % was mid-thirties. I had(and still have) a lot of work to do. So, I got a gym membership, and a mind-numbing size of diet articles to read.

I found out at about 13 years old that I had hyperinsulinemia, I didn’t give it much thought(I was pretty much sleepwalking through life at that point) until a year ago. I researched and researched until I amassed enough information to know what had to be done, more on that later. So, I started to diet, lift, and hit the heavy bag. The latter two, almost daily. The process was rinse and repeat for months. The goal of the first six months was to start to slowly decrease calorie intake while building up resting kcal to the most possible.

The following will show you how I have went from 319lbs(measured sometime in the first two weeks of September 2015) to 272lbs(measured September 2016) using a ketogenic diet.

A Quick Ode to Hyperinsulinemia:

In all honesty, I think I could have shredded closer to 100lbs in the last year if not for this little fucking thing called Hyperinsulinemia. After doing a shit ton of research, the most concise definition of Hyperinsulinemia I could come up with was: The over production and resistance of insulin. Meaning that my pancreas releases so much insulin that it can be up to 10x harder for myself to lose weight than others(sounds so victim complex-y to me, but lets roll with it).

Insulin helps convert the carbs in your diet into usable energy by the body, however, if your body is resistant to insulin it will need to produce more insulin to cause the same effect it would have on others. Therefore, for someone with hyperinsulinemia, the carbs you eat takes more insulin to break down than normal functioning bodies. The more insulin is released, more weight is gained, the cycle goes on.

So, now you might be thinking “But Uncle Ivanis, what can you do to combat hyperinsulinemia?” Great question. You can eat less carbs(more on that later), or you can take medication. I hadn’t had any medication for the first six months, but what I currently take is called Metformin(or Glucophage), which helps better regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. It works wonders(I dropped 3lbs the first week I took it.) But it isn’t a fix-all drug.


Ketosis:

This is where the magic happens, folks. Ketosis is the process of converting your body to run on fats(ketones) instead of carbs(glycogen). This is an easy process because your brain naturally prefers ketones due to their efficiency.

It is a very good way to lose weight while maintaining muscle mass due to the fact that you are running off of ketones, and not glycogen. Ketones are only produced in the liver by fatty acids, so you are able to go a lot deeper into a calorie deficit while not risking any muscle mass. If you’re body primarily operates on ketones, than you don’t need to worry about muscle deterioration as much. I am currently in a 1000-1500 calorie deficit and have not lost any noticeable amount of muscle mass.


Common Fatigue

People often complain about the first two weeks of low carb dieting. This is because your body is making major changes becoming keto adaptive. I like to use the analogy that your body is basically switching its fuel source, like from gasoline to diesel. So because you aren’t eating the carbs that your body gets it energy from, you start to produce ketones, but first your body uses all of the glycogen stores throughout the rest of your body. So you are left fatigued until this process is over. It is commonly referred to as “hell week.” In reality though, hell week normally takes two weeks. After the first two weeks, most people, myself included, experience more energy, less brain fog, and better memory.

Diet:

Now to the meat of the datasheet; what can you eat!

You can eat a lot of great and healthy things. I follow a low carb, high fat, moderate protein diet. It works well for me and there are some great food options which I will highlight below:

Fats & Proteins: They are, for all intents and purposes, connected in a ketogenic diet.

Meat: Any kind, better kinds are stuff like salmon, but really you can eat any kind so long as you’re proportions are within reason.

Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, coconuts, etc. They have great fat content and with some cinnamon are delectable!

Cheese: Any kind. Hard cheese is better for you but any will do(I am a sucker for some local made sharp cheddar)

Condiments: Peanut butter is great, if you are craving carbs, a tablespoon or two of fluff is great to curb a sweet tooth. It is also good to use during the first few weeks of ketosis to get a little boost of energy. Use with caution though, carb cravings are heightened the first few weeks of ketosis.

Whey Protein: There have been studies showing that whey protein helps with insulin resistance. So it has been a staple in my diet. However, you must walk a thin line, because if you eat too much protein your body may convert excess protein into glycogen using the process of gluconeogenesis. This process is used normally in a ketosis diet to produce needed glucose for the body, however if too much protein is ingested it can become detrimental to weight loss.


Carb Re-feeds

Previously, I used to say “It’s to help with metabolism!” Which, it does help with, however, I find that it is great for morale. If I am sick in bed and feeling like shit, an omelette doesn’t sound as good as a cup of oatmeal.

The main goal(for me), is to eat as many carbs as you want(or as possible) in a couple days. I think of it like this; I have restricted my body from carbs for 2 months, it has had carbs most of its life, so it must be craving carbs, which it is. So once and a while, most times in the winter, right around the holidays, I’ll give in and cheat for a few days around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It is also a primal thing too, naturally my body seems to crave more food in the winter and less in the summer. It is like a natural bulking and cutting routine. So sometimes I just give in.

Strength Training & Cardio

At first I lifted, trying to take advantage of “beginner gainz” so I could maximize caloric burn before starting a more drastic caloric deficit. I did no cardio and only lifted for the first eight to nine months. After that period I started focusing more on cardio; Boxing with the heavybag for 5, 3min rounds almost daily, along with battle ropes after strength training.

I am still debating whether or not I am going to post pictures, I got a lot of insecurities still, but we will see…

Supplements

Since I have found the forum, I have started taking zinc, magnesium, and a daily multivitamin from Solaray. Other than that and the Metformin, nothing but blood, sweat, and tears…


Hopefully this will be useful to some of you.

Sidenote: I would like to thank Roosh and RVF as a whole for the knowledge you have provided me. I know it seems like a small gesture to you, however you all have no idea how much you have changed my path in life. It is incomprehensible, I have gone from a 16 year old who was a die hard romantic with the number one goal of marriage. To a 17 year old man who is dead set on becoming location independent, gaming women, and living my life however the fuck I see fit. I have only been here for five months, and it has been the most important five months of my life. My sincerest thank you's to everyone who has provided help, guidance, or general fuckery with me.

Post: #100

Ivanis....

It is great that you are willing to provide extensive personal details, and I suppose that you still consider your work to be "in-progress."

I don't necessarily believe in having any specific weight goals because if you can get your eating, sleep and exercise levels in a decent and sustainable place, then it is quite likely that the weight will adjust to levels that are healthy for you.

My experiences, in terms of body composition, are quite a bit different from yours, and I am only 5' 9" and my weight out of high school was about 130lbs, I was pretty lean into my late teens and I started weight lifting after highschool and gained about 25 lbs of decent muscle weight in less than 2 years... so I was actually between 155lbs and 165lbs for many years.

I always was quite active too into my 30s, but I think that in my late 30s and early 40s, I had become more of a weekend warrior. I would spend all week at a desk and then active on the weekends, and so probably from 32 years old to 44 years old I had slowly crept up from 170lbs to about 200lbs (I think that during this time, my kind of unconsiously eating of junk food and lots of carbs increased too). In the past several years, I have brought my weight back down to around 175lbs and I have kind of maintained between 175lbs and 180lbs...


So yeah, the personal circumstances of each of us can differ and cause different issues in terms of how badly your body was abused and how sensitive your body has become to continued abuse. I personally do think that there is a lot more potential to recover from bodily abuse when younger, and your implication that there could be some difficult damages to overcome is likely correct.

I see that some of your goals are lifestyle related, yet more personally, I wonder if you have goals in terms of a weight range or perhaps you would like to get off of the metformin in a few years?

I think that it can take quite a while to make bodily changes and to even attempt to cause yourself from having fewer and fewer carb cravings. I don't really believe in the concept of cheat days, but I do believe in some kind of 80/20 rule or something like that.. meaning if you can create a system that is generally 80% good, and follow that with consistency, you can have those splurges at parties etc and don't have to worry about it because it is just once in a while. So on a weekly level, you would eat good food every day, then maybe once every couple of weeks you could participate in various deviations that could be related to parties, holidays or whatever (and some folks may ask you whether you can eat x, y or z, and you say: "I can eat whatever the fuck that I want, but I choose not to." hahahahahaha), but most of the time, you would just stick with a system that is good for you and your lifestyle that does not involve splurges on a regular or even a scheduled basis.