For months now, I’ve been doing the keto diet. I’ve tried bringing down my protein to about 120g, Ive tried eating 180g, 150g, I can never get into ketosis, it makes me think doing a keto diet is worthless. I even tried not carbing up two weeks at a time, and carbing up less than I need to.
I weight 200 pounds, Ive got about 150-160lbm. I can’t seen to get into ketosis, I wanted to do the keto diet, and get myself down to 12% by new years, then get on the Anabolic Diet Lifestyle, since the AB doesn’t require ketosis, and actually is against it. But it doesn’t seem to work.
Don’t worry, alot of people can’t get into ketosis for some reason. On the bodybuilding.com forums they talk about some people going without carbs for months and their still not in ketosis. That doesn’t mean that your not fat burning.
If your taking in only protein and fat then one of those is going to be used for fuel, and fat is a much better energy source than protein so that’s the one that is going to be used. Maybe try cutting down your fats to make up 40% of your diet and spreading out your meals more.
One thing that has never failed me though is to just eat meat, eggs, and green vegetables for 4 meals a day. I don’t even check if I’m in ketosis and I have 2 carb meals, one Wednesday night and 1 Saturday night, each one about 150-200g of carbs. Works like a charm though when I want to get cut.
Also, I have a couple questions for you.
First, what are you carbing up on? Sugary carbs (depends on the sugar of course) tend to refill liver glycogen while starchy carbs head straight to muscle if glycogen isn’t topped off.
I know, I’ve read many Ebooks by Lyle, and Dr Mario, claiming some people have a hard time getting into ketosis, I’m a perfect example. The problem for me isn’t weight loss, as it is calories in vs calories out for my body, I am losing weight, and SLOWLY but surely inches.
But my problem relies with ketosis, my protein intake is now set at 150g, and the rest comes from fat at 2000 calories a day.
On my carb up, I eat 500g of carbs 1 cheat meal, which is no sugar added, fat free ice cream, and 100g of protein.
Ive been reading up on IF (Intermittent Fasting) thought id give it a try, but I find it useless if you’re not fat adapted or in ketosis.
I got a 4 day split, Friday is my depletion workout, everybody part hit, and Mon- Chest/Back, Tues-Shoulders/arms, Wednes-Legs.
Hmm, I really don’t know then. I’ve never really had trouble losing fat when doing a keto diet. Only time I did was when my fats and kcals were too high.
Are you able to add any cardio?
Also, I noticed that doing compound movements like deadlift, squat, bench, pullups, cleans, etc. get me into keto really fast. If I do only 3 of those with 5 sets of 5 reps each the day after a full 24 hour carbload I generally get into keto that same day.
But I’m still convinced its not a keto problem. From most everything I’ve read it seems that keto isn’t necessary for fat burning.
When I started keto, I did cardio, and it still didn’t get me in. Then I started getting knee problems, so I stopped cardio. Don’t get me wrong, I’m losing weight, and hopefully its fat, with the diet at 2000 cals (2400 on carb up).
I started an EC stack today, see if this helps. I wanted to do the Intimmitent Fasting, but I hear it works wonders when fat adapted, but I’ll still get in less meals, Ive found that my body works better with less meals, but I’m having a hard time doing so coming from 5/6 meals a day.
I guess I’m just upset that I’m eating so much fat for nothing, I wanted to do the 50/50 thing with fat/protein, but people kept telling me about the “Rabbit Diet” or something, and how you’ll burn protein for energy, in return lose muscle.
To get really cutup 1 summer ago every other day I just had protein shakes, with no fat. I had 5 a day coming to 250 grams of protein, and I think I was only taking in about 1200kcal per day from those shakes, and I never lost muscle. I was lifting heavy during that time too, so I think that had a lot to do with it.
Since you’ve been fat adapted for a while I would try lowering fats to 40% of intake. It will cause your body to use more of its own fat stores to makeup for the energy needs.
[quote]Bizmark wrote:
Since you’ve been fat adapted for a while I would try lowering fats to 40% of intake. It will cause your body to use more of its own fat stores to makeup for the energy needs.[/quote]
That’s a good point- for cutting once you are adapted you should be taking in less fat and more protein than you did to get adapted. If you haven’t read the AD book you should check it out. Ketosis is definitely not necessary for fat loss.
Are you basing your frustration on negative tests on the ketostrips?
If so you could be in ketosis, and by various factors (high water intake, biochemistry) not have ketones in your urine.
I was frustrated until I got lazy after a workout and didn’t drink water for a couple hours. When I tested I was in the black.
Use other measures (bf% tests, overall measurements of chest and waist, calorie counting) to determine if your diet is working. Urine tests aren’t reliable sometimes.
man you sound a LOT like me. I’m going to Film School, I’m 20y/o, 200lbs and 25% bf as of my last test.
I’ve tried what was a keto diet (didn’t know it was) before, and it helped me drop weight, but looking back I wasn’t in ketosis. I’m starting a keto diet this coming week, so I’ll let you know if I have the same problem as you.
Somebody stop me if I’m wrong but I think you could be in ketosis even though you don’t show ketones on the ketostix because you’re body could be using all of them.
Also, like others have said ketosis isn’t necessary for fatlosss.
[quote]greekdawg wrote:
Somebody stop me if I’m wrong but I think you could be in ketosis even though you don’t show ketones on the ketostix because you’re body could be using all of them.
Also, like others have said ketosis isn’t necessary for fatlosss.[/quote]
Although I am far from an expert I agree with you. Considering he is undereating by alot it is very likely his body is using up his ketones more than others. Others that I have heard of on ketosis diet did not limit the amount of calories, just the types of food.
Romanaz, thats awesome man, update me on your progress.
you’re all right. Ketostix don’t mean anything, but just the fact that I don’t FEEL fat adapted, I mean, I could easily live with 70% fats, and 20-30% protein, I don’t even NEED a carb up, I don’t crave carbs anymore, even though I do have a carb up now, just for mental reasons, and body shocking.
if I could find out for sure I was fat adapted itd be awesome.
I’ve always wanted to intake more protein, less fat, but people keep mentioning most of it will convert, spike inslulin, blah blah blah, so I said fine, I’ll go ahead and do 70% fat, and 30% protein and trace carbs.
Recently started a EC stack, to get me somewhere, see how this goes.
PS, thought id note, I have read the AD book, and its an amazing book. Its going to be my lifestyle diet, but the only reason I’m on the lyle mcdonalds ketogenic diet instead of the AD at the moment is because of Ketosis, and its fat burning ability. AD is something I am going to follow for the rest of my life, thats certain. But I’ve definatly gotta drop body fat at the moment, and ketosis stood out to me.
Did I read the size of your carb-up meal accurately? How often are you doing that?
Way back when I did some ketogenic dieting I found it took two or three days of very strict eating to get into ketosis. That is about the time that the ketostix would start to show ketones.
Make sure you don’t have old expired ketostix or anything like that.
Chip, you check with these strips called “Keto Stix” they can be bought at any pharmacy.
Vroom- Yes, Ive gone as low as 200g, 400g, Ive found no matter how many carbs I eat, or how low of amount, it all comes down to Calories in vs Calories out for me at the end of the night. So I figured, might as well go ahead and bump it up to 500g, keeping protein at 100g, and not counting the trace fat in oatmeal I shouldn’t be consuming anymore than 2500 calories, which is STILL below my maintenance.
On the stix, yes, I’ve bought two different packs, for months and months NEVER traced. Even once I got frustrated, and PIGGED out on nothing but FAT, and still didn’t get ANY trace. By fat I mean 2-3 pounds of nothing but walnuts, and high fatty nuts. Amazing.
Sorry forgot to add, I’m carbing up once a week now. I am definatly giving Intermittent fasting a try though, I’ve learned my body losing weight/changes better with bigger meals, and longer periods without food, to see how it goes.