Ketogenic Diet and MD6

Here goes - I have used ketogenic diets in the past with a lot of success. I am now getting nowhere on the ketogenic diet and do not know why??? Many people seem to think caeffiene interferes with ketosis - will taking 6 tabs of MD6 keep me out of ketosis?

Caffeine won’t cause problems with ketosis. Dr. Atkins started this by recommending avoidance of diet soda, as he thought caffeine inhibited ketone body formation, when in actuality it was likely the aspartame that was the culprit. And remember, you don’t have to be in full-blown ketosis to obtain the benefits of the CKD anyway. It’s pretty difficult to measure anyway since ketosticks will only show UNUSED ketones. If you’re active and on low cals you may burn them all up, and this won’t show on the sticks. Glucometers can be off as well. So relax and enjoy your MD6! Best thermogenic on the planet, BAR NONE.

Thanks man - Atkins says that caffeine causes spikes in insulin… I will no longer trust the Ketosticks, thanks fro the advice. The only other thing I can think of that may be effecting my fat loss this time around is Skoal smokeless tobacco (nasty old habit, trying and trying to break) I cannot find out it Skoal has sugar in it and may be causeing me problems - any ideas? I have a feeling it does have sugar in it and I am getting it all day. I am an executive, so I put a miniscule amount hidden in my mouth almost the whole day…

Hard to say with so little information…how long have you been dieting? How many cals? Carbs? Meal frequency? Exercise routine? Are you doing a straight ketogenic diet or a ckd like T-Dawg? Also, what are you using as your “measure of success?” The first time I did a ckd (bodyopus) I didn’t think it worked…then I found out I couldn’t handle anywhere near the carbs that Duchaine recommended. It took about three tries before I got it totally dialed in as far as what worked best for me. I’ll be glad to help you but I need more details on what you’re doing specifically. I have no clue if the Skoal would interfere with ketosis…my guess would be no.

Carbs are too high. Milk products may be the problem. Salad dressings, a bite of bread here, a cracker there add up. Cut the carbs and ketosis will come. Are you checking with Ketostix or going by weight loss? It is possible to be in ketosis and not lose weight with certain medications or a thyroid condition. I gave up on the Ketogenic diets and switched to a simple 40% protien, 30% carb and 30% fat, eating six times a day. Good, low glycemic carbs. Oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes and lots of greens. I cheat a little one day a week. I’ve lost 54 lbs of puss filled flab since last July. I’ve gained some muscle, but not much. I’ve cycled the MD-6 the entire six months. Training is 3 days of weights and three days of cardio a week. Good luck. PS I’m 45 and work sitting in front of a computer ten hours a day. If I can do it anyone can. Thanks T-Mag.

Thanks TeddyKGB and PAP… Here goes the story:

I first noticed my resistance to fat loss about six months ago while eating close to zero carbs for three weeks. I stayed at 230lbs on my 6’3 frame. I have always responded well to ketogenic diets for the past 6 years when I needed to drop a few fat pounds quick. I am currently doing and eating the same things as the past. I am taking in about 2,000 to 2,300 calories per day (perhaps this is too low??). I am currently doing a straight Ketogenic diet. I had the same problem as you did on BodyOpus, namely, too many carbs for me to handle. I am training 6 days a week doing about 45 minutes of cardio 3 days and light lifting three days. My measure of success is my pants fitting! I know that sounds funny, but I refuse to let my pants out. I would rather suck it up and get my fat ass in gear. I know when I am tight, vascular, and my pants feel great! I had a bad injury and a 4 month layoff and ballooned up to 265lbs… It happened so fast. I played ball at 275 in college a while back (I am 32 currently) and was only into power; benching over 400, squatting a little over 600, and power cleaning 340. Due to torn pec, and several other injuries (should have played Golf!), I can no longer go super heavy on many exercises.
Basically, I am no guru but have read all that I could and have been following the T-Mag guys since the old days (early 90’s)… Hope this helps and any advice will be appreciated. I am well aware that many many people know a lot more than i do about losing fat and cutting up, as I spent too many years power lifting only. So, your advice is appreciated.Thanks!

Your cals are probably okay if that’s an accurate count. I have to tell you though that I think a standard keto diet with weight training is a BAD idea. You need to refill your muscle glycogen periodically or you’re going to lose lean mass big time. Have you looked into Lyle McDonald’s CKD? This was the first one that worked for me…he recommends a lot lower carb level on the carb-ups and is a bit more lenient on fat/pro ratios. T-Dawg would be a solid choice as well. Also, how long have you been dieting? You may need a break with higher cals to reset your metabolism. As far as training goes, have you considered Meltdown? This might be ideal if you want to drop some fat, as would German Body Comp. Should boost GH levels to all-time highs, plus you’ll need minimal cardio if you use these workouts…only the jump rope intervals recommended. With these approaches, you keep carbs under 60/day, and every fifth day you eat a “cheat meal” (not crappy food, but a concentrated carb meal. When b.f. gets below eight percent, you can have a few more carb meals on the fifth day. Use glutamine post-workout (Poliquin et.al recommend a pretty high dose, like maybe 40 g. or so) IN PLACE OF carbs along with a quality whey protein. Also take a 10 g. dose on an empty stomach before bed (recommended by jman). Fish oils and a thermogenic (MD6) are a great choice too. Do an author search on the forum for jman (he’s a trainer at Alessi’s gym) and you’ll get some more details on diet. Good luck, and let me know if I can be of more assistance.