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The Hidden Truth About OMAD Without Keto? [Does It Work?]

With keto being all the rage these days, people are brought into the community and exposed to so many new foods, methodologies, and even meal structure. 

I don't think you could be on keto for any reasonable amount of time without hearing about intermittent fasting (which is also catching wind by the mainstream). Inevitably, people start going deeper and deeper down the hole and ultimately find out about one meal a day OMAD. 

For one reason or another, you may enjoy the structure of OMAD, and maybe you're looking to switch up your diet or implement some more carbohydrates, but can you?

Can I do OMAD without keto? You can do one meal a day OMAD style of eating using whatever diet or foods you wish to use. There is nothing about OMAD that would require you to be in ketosis and vice versa. 

In this article, I'm going to dive a little deeper into what exactly OMAD is, what to eat, muscle and fat loss, IF vs. OMAD, and much more. 

OMAD WITHOUT KETO PINTEREST

Can You Do OMAD Without Keto?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an umbrella term in which OMAD falls under. Technically speaking, what most people refer to as intermittent fasting or one meal a day (OMAD) is regarded as time-restricted eating (TRE) in the scientific literature. 

After some time on a ketogenic diet, you may have started to do some research on different ways to speed up your weight loss, which ultimately let you down the path of IF.

Once you go down the rabbit hole far enough, most people end up trying things like OMAD or multiple day fasts. 

Naturally, there comes a time where you may want to transition off keto and wonder if you can still eat one meal a day without being on a ketogenic diet.

And you can, without a doubt. 

 One meal a day isn't reserved for implementation with a ketogenic diet only. You can manage to lose or maintain your weight loss using any form of diet or with additional carbohydrates. 

What Is OMAD

OMAD is short for one meal a day. 

It's just another form of time-restricted eating that allows people to eat their total daily calories in one meal, versus spreading your meals throughout the day.

 Think of your daily calories as a “budget” that you are given at the start of each day.  

You could make small purchases throughout the day, OR you could make one big purchase at the end of the day. 

Why people choose to eat one meal a day

You may have found it easier or more convenient to implement intermittent fasting than eating smaller meals throughout the day, or maybe someone, somewhere, told you that intermittent fasting with the holy grail for fat loss.

After all, who likes to eat like a bird all day when you can eat like a king or queen at night?

And who doesn't want to expedite their results?

Although, whether you eat all your calories in one meal versus four meals will not make a considerable difference in terms of weight loss. 1https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6304782/

Outside of some possible health benefits or as a dietary adherence strategy, IF will not speed up weight loss to any significant extent. If you'd rather eat smaller meals throughout the day, this is your permission to do so.

Besides, most people are busy during the daytime and have most of their social or family obligations that occur during the evening hours. 

You may also generally be more hungry during the evening and/or hate going to bed on an empty stomach, at least that's what sealed it for me.

 Therefore, there's nothing synonymous with OMAD and keto. OMAD merely is eating in a time-restricted fashion and eating all of your daily calories in one meal. 

Hence, “One Meal” A Day.

Can You Eat Anything On OMAD

At the end of the day, the most significant determining factor when it comes to weight loss will be your total calories. 

Yes, despite what other “keto gurus” led you to believe. Insulin isn't as evil as people make it out to be. 

While different macronutrients play a small role, total daily calories will have the most significant impact on whether you lose weight or not.

Therefore, while it still makes sense to eat whole, nutrient-dense foods, you can still lose weight if you're managing your total daily calories.

… and that's whether that involves you sticking to a low-carb ketogenic diet, or a more moderate carbohydrate diet.

However, for many individuals, they find the structure of a ketogenic diet easier to adhere to, feel better, and they're not constantly starving compared to other types of diets. 2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175736 3https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31126118 4https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3411406/

What To Eat On OMAD

So what should you eat if you want to OMAD without keto? Well, that depends on what you like to eat (within reason of course).

What I mean by that is, a diet shouldn't be based solely on foods that someone told you are “good” or “bad.”

Instead, try to implement foods you enjoy, within reason of course, while achieving your goals. This may mean making healthier substitutes or lower-calorie alternatives, but it's all for the greater good.

After all, how can you sustain a diet based on foods you don't enjoy? 

Easy, you can't.

So instead of asking WHAT to eat, you first need to figure out how much to eat, then fit in what to eat based on that.

The only big suggestion I have here is to set your protein intake, then eat a mix of fat or carbohydrates based on your preference.

To learn more about setting up macros, you can visit the keto macro calculator.

Will You Lose Muscle On OMAD

When you lose weight, the goal shouldn't be ONLY to lose weight, but to lose fat. 

Losing muscle can lead to a variety of negative consequences, but within the context of weight loss, it just means your metabolic rate will be slower.

There's also a higher chance you'll not have the physique you had imagined once you do lose the weight.

Therefore, one must be mindful and aim to preserve as much muscle tissue when dieting as possible.

Whether you lose muscle on OMAD is primarily determined on a few key factors, those being:

  • How fast you're losing weight (0.5-1.5% body weight per week)
  • How much protein you’re eating (~1g/lb) 5https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26883880
  • Proper stimulus (resistance training)
  • How lean you are (the leaner you are, the more susceptible to muscle loss)
  • Lifestyle factors (stress, sleep, etc.) 6https://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/746184/insufficient-sleep-undermines-dietary-efforts-reduce-adiposity?volume=153&issue=7&page=435

There's a little more wiggle room when it comes to intermittent fasting or OMAD and weight loss. 

However, if muscle GAIN is a priority, you could gain muscle doing OMAD, but it wouldn't be the most optimal way to do so.

IF vs. OMAD

Whether you choose to do IF using an eating window, such as 16/8 (16 hours fasting, 8 hours feeding), or consolidate all of your calories into one meal is solely based on preference.

 Neither the typical IF eating windows or OMAD is superior for weight loss.  

Therefore, if you enjoy eating 2 or 3 meals versus one big meal, the result will be the same.

Of course, results would only be the same if you ate the same amount of calories and protein spread throughout the 2 or 3 meals as you would the one meal. 

OMAD would only be more beneficial versus the typical IF protocols for weight loss if it allowed you to sustain a more significant caloric deficit. 

Is OMAD Healthy?

Current scientific literature suggests that intermittent fasting, which OMAD falls under, has beneficial effects on cardiovascular biomarkers, may decrease inflammation, and promote longevity.

However, it may be more beneficial if your one meal or eating window was during the earlier half of the day versus the evening time.

This method of shifting your eating window to the morning is referred to as “early time-restricted feeding (eTRF).

During a 5-week crossover trial, researchers using a feeding window from 7 am to 1 pm. 

Compared to a control diet, the early time-restricted feeding window led to less insulin resistance, lower postprandial insulin response, and better beta-cell function. 7https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(18)30253-5

In another stud, they compared a 9-hour feeding window from 8 am to 5 pm versos 12 pm to 9 pm, but no significant differences were found. The eTRF group had a slightly better fasting glucose. 8https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/oby.22449#.XLoJjv3rm4s

If you're still wondering if OMAD is safe and healthy, you have the green light. Most of the benefits are health-related versus weight loss related. 

Intermittent Fasting Without Keto… Can you lose weight intermittent fasting without keto? 

While keto may make intermittent fasting or OMAD more natural to adhere to, you can do both IF or OMAD successfully without a keto diet.

 A ketogenic diet may make it easier to adhere to a long fasting window due to its effect on satiety, but it isn't required. 

I should also note that IF or OMAD isn't required to lose weight either. If fasting for such long periods causes you more stress and you prefer to eat smaller meals throughout the day, I would suggest you do that.

  • Read: Intermittent Fasting Without Keto? [A Better Approach]

The Takeaway

OMAD or one meal a day is merely a time-restricted feeding method often used by those who enjoy bigger meals over two to six smaller meals throughout the day. 

While there is no inherent benefit for weight loss when it comes to intermittent fasting or one meal a day, this style of eating allows people who prefer it to adhere to their diets, and it fits with their lifestyle.

A ketogenic diet is not required to successfully implement an intermittent fasting or OMAD approach so long as calories are controlled. 

Why YOU Are Not Losing Weight On Keto [11 REASONS]

Just looking at the top 3 articles that come up when I search ‘not losing weight on keto’ makes me cringe.

So, this is my attempt to clear up much of the misinformation that many individuals and websites are spewing.

If you’re not losing weight on keto, this one’s for you.

If I had to give you the top 3 reasons why most people are not losing weight on keto right off the bat from my 15+ years of experience, I’d say (in no particular order):

 Not losing weight on keto is most typically a result of… 
  1. Eating too much. Eating more than you think.
  2. Impatience/Comparing your progress to others.
  3. Metabolic adaptation. Not adjusting your diet or activity as you lose weight.

Ok, technically that was 4.

Don't have time to read all 6,000+ words? Download a PDF to read offline at a later time.

That said, let’s dive in.


not losing weight on keto pinterest cover

One of the most common questions I get emailed or DM’d about is people asking why they’re not losing weight on keto.

Actually, it’s the number one question I get asked.

As much as I wish there was ONE universal answer to why you’re in ketosis but not losing weight or even in ketosis but gaining weight, there isn’t a one size fits all answer. In fact, I almost inevitably reply with a question of my own such as:

  • What's your primary goal?
  • What are you currently eating?
  • Are you currently tracking your food intake?
  • How long have you been “stalled?”
  • Do you have any medical conditions I should be aware of?

I’m sure many of you reading this now can attest to this. 😉

There are simply too many reasons to why you may be experiencing no weight loss on keto and kudos on being proactive and trying to figure out why.

Here’s my attempt to list all the reasons I’ve come across with those I’ve helped, and chances are one or more of these reasons may apply to why YOU are not losing weight on keto. I’m sure I might be leaving something out, but rest assured I’ll keep this updated.

Reason # 1 – You’re IMPATIENT.

It’s not that you’re not losing weight on keto,  you’re not losing weight on keto FAST ENOUGH. 

Seriously, most of the time people start a conversation telling me that they’ve been on a ketogenic diet for a whopping 5 days, or MAYBE… it has been a whole month.

So, here’s the thing, when you first hop on a ketogenic diet you begin to see quick results, as a result, you become more motivated to continue. After all, it’s not unheard of for people to drop anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds within the first week.

But here’s the rub.

Even though these initial results motivate you to continue, it leaves many with a false sense of what the process will actually be like.

Progress inevitably slows down after that initial drop in weight and you enter into what I refer to as “the suck.”

Yes, you read that correctly.

Basically, “the suck” is this period of time where you may be doing everything correctly, but no progress is, seemingly, being made.

This is the part that people throw their hands up in frustration, break their keyboards, seek help, or give up altogether. This is why I typically recommend people dismiss scale readings during the first four weeks on any weight loss diet.

You’re here though because YOU are one of the few that didn’t give up and are wondering why you’re experiencing no weight loss on keto, so this doesn’t apply to you. 

For all the people that did give up and had given it time, this is likely what would have happened.

weight loss vs fat loss
The realities of fat loss vs. what the mind games the scale will play on you.

SOLUTION

So here is what you’re going to do now that you know about the suck.

YOU are going to calm down and be patient. Ask yourself, years from now after you’ve lost the weight, will you even care or remember if it took you a week or a year to lose the weight? Heck no.

You’ll just be glad you built the habits that allowed you to lose weight and maintain it for the rest of your life.

Usually, it’s the people who have the quick fat loss mentality that end up regaining all their lost weight plus more.

Not that aggressive dieting doesn’t work, because it most certainly does, but because a quick fat loss mentality usually leads people to extremely low-calorie levels and trying all sorts of crazy unsustainable gimmicks and protocols.

We’re after a lifestyle change, not a quick-fix.

So just how fast should you be expecting to lose fat?

How fast or slow you lose depends on where you are in your journey.

The more body fat you have to lose, the faster you can expect to lose; conversely, the leaner you are, a slower rate of loss is preferred as to minimize any muscle and/or strength loss.

That said: I like to set fat loss targets between 0.5 – 1% of your total body weight per week. If you're very overweight you can even get away with upwards of ~1.5% weight loss per week.

What’s great about using percentages is the rate of loss autoregulates itself as your bodyweight decreases.

For example.

Let’s look at Sara and Sam in the image below.

Sara weights 250 lbs so she can expect to lose about 1.25 – 2.5 pounds per week. On the other hand, Sam weights 150 lbs so she can expect to lose about .75 – 1.5 pounds per week.

not losing weight on keto rate of fat loss expectations
Remember, it's not about how fast you get there… it's that you get there AND stay there.

Reason # 2 – You're comparing yourself to others

Let’s be real, it’s just human nature for us to compare ourselves to others. I do it, you do it, Barbara Ann does it, and so does Bobby Lee.  It’s bad when comparing yourself turns to insecurity, envy, and discontent with yourself.

You can only control one person’s progress, and that’s your own.

The comparison trap is as old as humans have walked the earth. It’s even worse now with social media and having easy access to compare yourself with millions of others at the tip of your fingers.

I’ve literally come across studies that show a correlation with how much time is spent on social media with a rise in depression and envy.

Think about it, nobody posts their struggles, failures, spousal arguments, or kids acting out and being grounded.

People post made up photos of themselves, their kid receiving awards, and the best family vacation photos they could muster out of the whole vacation.

Heck, I even wonder if some of my friends work since the only thing they post on Facebook is pictures on vacation along some beach drinking a pina colada.   

Nobody knows what good is anymore because perfect became the new normal.

– Me

But I digress…

What I was trying to get at before getting sidetracked is  the more you look and compare yourself to others, the more you are likely to feel discontent with your own progress and jump from one diet to the next 

Truth is, you don’t know what Peggy Sue’s circumstances were. Maybe she’s just genetically superior, maybe she’s worked out consistently for the last 20 years, and who knows, maybe she simply has an easier time losing weight than you or I.


SOLUTION

Be aware of the situations that you find yourself playing the comparison game, social media is probably the biggest culprit of them all. Since I know you’ll do it anyway, use it as MOTIVATION instead of a way to nitpick at yourself.

And lastly, seek out advice and ask questions. The most successful people, dieting or not, are the ones who know how to ask the right questions and seek the correct answers.

There’s only one thing within your control, and that’s what you do.  So practice some patience, give the diet some time, and focus on you, not what everyone else is doing.


Reason #3 – You’re eating too damn much.

I don’t know who started it, but I get a comment nearly every day about it, can you guess what “it” is? The “it” I’m referring to is that calories don’t matter. They usually comment something along the lines of one of these:

  • It's a hormonal problem
  • It's due to insulin (which is a hormone btw)
  • It's about the correct macros

Inevitably followed up by:

  • Look up Dr. Fung
  • Look up Dr. Berg
  • Etc. etc. etc.

And yes, all of that may be true… up to a certain extent.

Can hormones make a difference in energy balance? Yes.

Will a hormonal response ever supersede an energy deficit? No.

Everything listed above does play a factor in weight loss AND those people they mention are indeed some smart individuals.

However, they take everything out of context and I’m almost certain if they asked their “gurus” if calories mattered they would tell them that they do, but of course, in addition to all of the other factors.

These zealots preaching it’s all about hormones or it’s all about controlling insulin totally miss the boat.

They’ve become so dogmatic in their approach that they mislead many people to believe they can eat however much they want as long as they eat some magical percentage of protein, carbs, and fats.  

In a perfect world, controlling insulin would control your hunger, and thus prevent you from overeating, possibly even undereating, thereby causing weight loss. This, along with making better food choices, is typically the case with all these said individuals along with fixing their previously poor diets.

What they’re failing to realize is that they’re in a calorie deficit, whether they believe it or not.

But this is far from a perfect world… and eating is as much a psychological thing as it is a physiological one. To tell someone they can eat all they want as long as they eat x or y percentage of fat or don’t eat any carbs and lose weight is ludicrous.

It’s much like the person who previously ate a relatively poor diet and decided to give veganism a try. They to, began to see some weight loss, maybe even lost all the weight they wanted.

Now they firmly believe a vegan diet is the only way to lose weight.  Correlation does not equal causation. 

Calories in vs. calories out is a myth. I've lost fat without being in a caloric deficit.

– Person who was unknowingly in a calorie deficit

Just because they don’t believe that calories matter nor counted them, AND also happened to lose weight does it make it any truer. I also believed in the tooth fairy and found a dollar under my pillow every time.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to count calories. Many individuals lose large amounts of weight switching to a ketogenic diet and not counting calories AT ALL.

However, chances are you landed here because you are not one of those lucky individuals.


SOLUTION

If you’ve never tracked calories before, I would highly encourage you to do so, If at least for a short while (3-4 weeks).

This means weighing and portioning out your food. Doing so will give you a better understanding of exactly how much you are eating and how it effects your progress.

NOTICE that I said for a short while… You don't have to track calories forever, but I think it's a VALUABLE skill that generates more awareness and makes you more conscious about food.

Granted, if you think this may make you neurotic about food then perhaps you shouldn't.

During this period, I encourage people to use an actual kitchen scale in addition to their measuring cups and spoons.  Using an actual scale may paint a clearer picture of what exactly a serving of a particular food looks like in actuality.

A classic example here is of a tablespoon of peanut butter which when weighed comes out to 16 grams (and about 100 calories).

If you were to “eyeball” and measure out a tablespoon of peanut butter then place it on the scale, it will invariably be more than 16 grams.

Combine the fact that the spoon is overfilled with licking the sides and underside of the spoon (cause hey… it’s on the tablespoon) it’s easy to get quite a bit more calories than you’re actually writing in your journal.

not losing weight PEANUT BUTTER difference
Over time this can easily add up to A LOT

Can you see how this would begin to add up with multiple spoonful’s a day and over the course of days, weeks, and months?

Sadly, even vegetables, which are often encouraged and considered ‘free foods’ on most diets, can be a problem. Due to hunger, some dieters eat enormous amounts of vegetables to fill themselves up, but that too can begin to add up.

There’s inevitably a few of you who will take this out of context and say I’m now advocating that vegetables are bad for you. Really guys?

As you can begin to see, it’s quite possible for smaller dieters, and especially females who may not have as much wiggle room in the calorie department to completely eliminate the deficit they assumed they were in.

Is weighing and measuring your food a pain in the ass? You bet.

Will this lead certain individuals to become obsessive and neurotic about food? Quite possiblly.

Just remember, what gets measured gets managed. If you’re not losing weight on keto as it is, what do you have to lose by weighing and measuring your food intake?

In some cases, it’s absolutely necessary to make sure how much you think you’re eating is in fact how much you are actually eating.

Now, assuming you are properly measuring and weighing your food and still not seeing any progress, try increasing your deficit by another 10%, whether through diet, exercise, or a combination of both.

Give this calorie level a go for a good 4 weeks or so before assuming it’s a bust. If there is still no progress to be had, try dropping another 10% and reassessing after 4 more weeks.

If there’s still no progress, then I would highly recommend you get some blood work done, not to be confused with donating blood, as there is likely some underlying issue or even take a break from dieting altogether if you've been at it for a LONG time.

That said, here are some resources to track and measure down below.

Websites for tracking

  • MyFitnessPal
  • Fitday
  • Cron-O-Meter

Apps for your mobile device

  • MyFitnessPal iPhone | Android *What I personally use
  • Carb Manager iPhone | Android
  • My Macros+ iPhone | Android

Recommended kitchen scales

  • OXO Stainless Steel Kitchen Scale * What I personally use due to the large weight capacity. The display also pulls out for when you have a big plate sitting on top that would normally hide the display on other scales.
  • Ozeri food scale – Bit more simple than the one above, but gets the job done.

Reason # 4 – You're not eating enough!

Now you’re thinking…

Wait a minute…

You just finished telling me I may be eating TOO much and now you’re telling me I may not be eating enough? What gives Steven?

Somehow, we’ve gotten it in our heads that if something works, then more is better. This is also the mentality when it comes to dieting. Well, if eating this much makes me lose weight then eating even less will make me lose weight faster.

And this is true, up till a certain point.

Studies support the idea that there is a threshold deficit allowing for maximum fat loss to occur with minimal side effects. Meaning, there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to dieting.

At a certain point, for some individuals, you are actually causing more harm than good.

What is the point of diminishing returns?

It seems as deficits greater than ~25%, while leading to greater fat loss, is  unsustainable  for MOST individuals.

A few drawbacks to a large calorie deficit include:

  • Increased potential for muscle loss
  • Increased chance for binging
  • Doesn't teach long-term habits required to keep the weight off
  • May be hard to sustain due to hunger
  • Largest drop in energy expenditure *more on this later in the article.

Some pros of a large calorie deficit:

  • Faster rate of fat loss
  • Leaves plenty of room for error
  • Quick initial weight loss can provide positive reinforcement to keep going.

While resting metabolic rate doesn’t drop drastically as one might think when dieting, large deficits ( >25% ) usually lead to a decrease in a person’s daily activity, mainly due to fatigue and lethargy.

When people think their metabolism has somehow slowed down to that of a snail’s pace, it’s usually that they offset much of their supposed deficit with the fact that they simply aren’t moving as much.

This is a biggie, because what you do the other 23 hours of the day outside of the gym has a bigger impact in how many calories you expend versus the 30 – 60 minutes you spend in the gym.

Not losing weight on keto - exercise vs non exercise
See how this can play a more important role?

SOLUTION

A little caveat to this is that large calorie deficits DO work, I’m in no way saying that they don’t. In fact, there is evidence that suggests quite the opposite, BUT with the following inclusions:

  • Nutritional education
  • Behavior modification
  • Increased physical activity

While large deficits will work if you can sustain it, they likely won’t last unless there is some type of intervention implemented alongside as outlined above.

In the end, cutting calories too much often creates more problems than it solves, but that’s not to say there isn’t a downside to a small deficit either.

Deciding how much of a calorie deficit has a lot of considerations, all of which will depend on your goals, preferences, and tolerances. A deficit that’s appropriate for one person might end up being completely inappropriate for another.

A good rule of thumb is to stick to a deficit that allows you to lose ~ 0.5 – 1% of your bodyweight per week. Bigger individuals with more fat to lose can safely aim for the higher end (sometimes even higher) while leaner folks with less fat to lose should stick to the lower end.

You may give my keto macro calculator a shot for a great starting point with setting up your calorie deficit along with a custom macro breakdown based on your lifestyle and preferences.

If you want my personal take on it, diet aggressively as you can without losing muscle.

Because let’s face it, dieting sucks, and most people are impatient.

I’m of the mindset that one should eat MORE and move MORE versus the old adage of eat less move more.

What you should be aiming for is maximum FAT loss and not simply weight loss. This means you should be eating an adequate amount of protein and including some type of resistance training in addition to your diet.

AND, if you’ve never done any sort of weight / resistance training there’s a good chance you may be able to simultaneously build muscle and lose fat, a dieter’s dream. In which case, you may not even see a change on the scale since you are building muscle and losing fat at the same time.

Of course, if you’re dieting on too low of calories you’ll eliminate almost any chance of this occurring, so be smart.


Reason # 5 – Metabolic adaptation… and you're not moving enough.

I briefly explained this in the last section, but a major reason why people’s fat loss comes to a halt or they hit a plateau is due to metabolic adaptation. NOT DAMAGE.

You see, the body doesn’t like change. In fact, the body will do everything within its power to maintain a level of homeostasis.

What most people don’t realize is that the metabolism or TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is composed of four main components.

Resting metabolic rate (RMR)

Your resting metabolic rate is essentially the number of calories to keep your body functioning at rest. This applies to basic functions like breathing and circulating blood throughout your body.

RMR makes up the majority of calories MOST people burn… unless you’re an ultramarathoner or an ironman triathlete. RMR accounts for around 60 – 70% in your average adult.

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis is all the activity that isn’t intentional. Meaning, everything outside of your gym or CrossFit session.

This includes everything from fidgeting and walking your dog to washing the dishes and walking to your car.

NEAT accounts for somewhere around 30% of your total daily energy expenditure.

Physical Activity (PA)

Physical activity is intentional exercise. This will vary individual to individual depending on the type of exercise you perform and the duration in which you perform it.

For most of us who may exercise 3 – 6x per week for 30 minutes to an hour this accounts for around 10 – 15% of our total daily energy expenditure.

As you can see, this doesn’t make up a huge chunk of your total activity and the reason why you may have heard the phrase “you can’t outrun a bad diet.”

Because you can’t… at least for most people. Again, if you are pounding the pavement as an ultra-marathoner or ironman triathlete, perhaps you can, but that’s not most people.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

Thermic Effect of Food is the number of calories required to digest your food. It surprisingly takes up a good amount of energy to digest that meal, but it only accounts for 5 – 10% of your total daily energy expenditure.

Weight loss will impact each one of these components to a certain degree, but the biggest impacts tend to be on RMR and NEAT.


SOLUTION

RMR: As you lose weight and get smaller, you simply won’t require as many calories as you once did. Makes sense, right? A smaller person requires less calories than a bigger person, even if that bigger person used to be you 15 pounds ago.

This is why, on average, men have an easier time losing weight than women. Not only do they carry more muscle, but they are larger in general.

So what do we do here? Well, we adjust our diet as we lose weight and get leaner. If you’re not losing weight on keto and hit a plateau, you may just need to make an adjustment in how much you’re eating.

There are no hard or fast rules on when to adjust but reassess your caloric needs after every 10 – 15 pounds lost.

However, if you’re still within the first 4 weeks of starting your diet, don’t make any adjustments.

Your body takes some time to ‘catch up’ to the deficit and waiting this amount of time is usually a good time frame to have a clearer picture on what’s really happening.

Just how much should you adjust your diet?

A 5 – 10% reduction in calories is a good starting point. Assuming carbohydrate intake is already really low, and protein is moderately set, I would remove these calories from your fat intake.

If you are still eating a decent amount of net carbohydrates, you can reduce those further or do a combination of carbohydrates and fat.

Remember that carbohydrates are 4 calories per gram while fat is 9 calories per gram.

I wrote all about keto weight loss and how to set up your diet, track progress, and adjust.

NEAT: As you diet, your body senses the change and fights back by decreasing your energy and making you feel more tired. As a result of this tiredness, you begin to move less and less, even without you realizing.

Conversely, NEAT tends to increase as weight does.

Since NEAT makes up nearly 30% of our total calorie expenditure, the second biggest slice of the pie, this can greatly affect weight loss or even stop it dead in its tracks.

To remedy this, I would encourage setting a daily target for movement OUTSIDE of the gym. For this, fitness wearables like a Fitbit or a simple pedometer can be a great tool to track a minimum number of steps per day.

Alternatively, you can do something like choose a length of time.

In practice it may look like:

10,000 steps per day

or

45 minutes of light walking every morning

OR

Just be mindful if you're vegging out on the couch watching Netflix because you're too tired to do anything else.

This is a great time to do all the other stuff you've might been neglecting like mowing your lawn, cleaning the house, or walking your pup.

Physical Activity: As mentioned earlier in the article, I’m of the eat MORE move MORE mentality vs the old adage of eat less move more.

While we can’t outrun a bad diet, feeding your body the right amount and not starving yourself will allow you to train harder and thus preserve or build muscle and burn more calories.

It goes without saying, just like your RMR decreases due to the weight loss and the fact you are now a smaller human being, so does the calorie expenditure when performing the same type of exercise.

Example: Running a mile at 180 pounds burns more calories than running a mile at 160 pounds.

TEF: The thermic effect of food is the amount of energy required to digest the food you eat. It goes without saying that if you eat less food then less calories will be expended.

While this can be influenced only so much on a calorie deficit, the biggest impact on TEF will be your protein intake as it’s the costliest macronutrient to digest.

Studies also suggest that the TEF of highly processed foods is significantly less than their whole-food counterparts.

Another checkmark for adding in more whole foods, especially protein.

To summarize the metabolic adaptation section

Your body begins to downregulate its resting metabolic rate, but probably not as much as most people would think.

The majority of the adaptation comes in the form of reducing your Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) which makes up around ~30% of your daily caloric expenditure and even upwards of 45% in HIGHLY active individuals (think of a construction or farmer heaving heavy things around all day for 8 hours at a time).

Therefore, things you can do to counteract the adaption are as follows:

  • If fat loss has truly come to a halt after a certain caloric intake has been maintained for  ~4 weeks then reduce total calories by 5 – 10% taking them from fat and/or carbohydrate grams
  • Have a trackable minimum daily activity goal outside of the gym i.e. 10,000 steps
  • Don’t eat so little as to not have enough energy to train hard in the gym
  • Eat an adequate amount of protein ~1 gram per pound of lean body mass

Reason #6 – Water retention

THE YAY, OH CRAP MONTH.

This is, in part, the reason many people think they’ve stalled when in reality they are still losing weight, especially within the first month of starting their ketogenic diet.

 People often confuse the rapid weight loss during the first week of a ketogenic diet with actual fat loss.  While some of it may be fat, the majority of the initial weight loss is really just extra bloat and water being flushed from your body.

During the second, third, and fourth weeks the body inevitably puts back on some of that water weight and masks any real fat loss that you may see on the scale.

This is another reason why using only the scale to measure and track fat loss isn’t the best method and why I say to usually give your body ~4 weeks for the calorie deficit to catch up and your body to level out.

An example of what it may look like:

YAY!

JoAnn weighs 170 pounds when first starting her ketogenic diet. At the end of week 1, JoAnn weighs 163 pounds for a whopping 7 pounds of scale weight lost.

In reality, of the 7 pounds maybe 1 – 1.5 pounds of that was actual fat loss. Meaning, the other 5.5 – 6 pounds was mainly water weight.

OH CRAP…

During the second week JoAnn’s body begins to normalize and actually regains 2 pounds of water weight back but drops an additional 1 pound of fat.

Now, if we were simply looking at the scale JoAnn would freak out and assume no fat was lost. Not only that, but that some fat was gained. This usually leads someone to drastically cut their intake even more or give up altogether.

OH CRAP

NOT LOSING WEIGHT ON KETO, MAYBE IT’S WATER RETENTION

In addition, diet and exercise act as a form of stress on the body. The longer you diet, the more stress begins to accumulate. As a result, due to a myriad of factors including a rise in cortisol, people start retaining more water,

ESPECIALLY women.

NOT LOSING ON KETO WEIGHT VS FAT

WEIGHT LOSS VS FAT LOSS GRAPHIC

Also, there is this phenomenon known as the “Whoosh” effect. As you start to lose fat, your fat cells begin to fill up with water as a ‘placeholder’ waiting for the cell to fill up with fat again. Fat cells can hold onto this water for days… maybe even weeks. Then, boom, almost overnight, you drop 4 pounds and look leaner in the mirror.

not losing weight on keto whoosh
Not always the case, but definitely happens more often than you think

SOLUTION

  • Chill out
  • Be Patient
  • De-stress yourself

Meditate

I know what you’re thinking, but don’t knock it till you try it. There is proven research on the benefits of meditation for health, especially stress and stress related conditions like IBS, PTSD, and fibromyalgia.

Hang out with friends

When people diet they sometimes start to become a bit antisocial, especially since many social events tend to be centered around eating and drinking.

I get it, I’m right there with you… why put yourself amidst all that temptation as it’s not conducive towards your goals right?

Still, we are social beings at heart. Try to plan an activity that doesn’t revolve around food or use this as an excellent time to practice mindful eating choices when eating out.

Easier said than done, I know.

Go for a walk.

Depending how you go about it, this can be a Zen like meditation as well for people.

Use the walk as a time to reflect, think about life, and enjoy mother nature. This can also double up as part of your 10,000 steps you told yourself you would start doing 😉

Get more sleep

Remember the last time you didn’t get any sleep? Bet you felt like crap, weren’t productive, and felt more stressed.

Journaling

We have so many thoughts that run through our head on a daily basis. I don’t remember where I heard it, but we the average person has somewhere around 70,000 thoughts per day.

Getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper can free up some of that mental baggage that weighs you down and possibly even affecting your sleep.

Another great journaling technique is to keep a gratitude journal. There is so much to be said for remembering and being grateful for even the little things in life we take for granted on a daily basis.

Also, every time you find yourself saying ‘I have to’ change it to ‘I get to…’. Basically, do whatever makes you happy and helps you de-stress.


Reason #7 – You're putting a stick of butter in your coffee

This goes back to the third reason, you’re simply eating too damn much. If you’re drinking keto coffee, bulletproof coffee, or whatever the cool kids are calling it these days, then this is an easy 200 – 300 calories you can eliminate from your diet.

Often, people use a keto coffee as a meal replacement for breakfast and to help with hunger. Here’s the point everyone who has a counter argument is missing, you’re not losing weight on keto as it is and that’s why you’re here reading this.

Eliminating fat from your morning coffee is a lot easier than reducing your food intake or increasing your activity level for most people.


SOLUTION

I’d like to challenge you, if this applies, to simply drink the coffee black or only with your MCT oil. Just like when you replaced your breakfast with keto coffee, now all you have to do is eliminate some or all of the add-ons you’re dumping into it.

However, if you TRULY believe this keeps you from overeating and is a net positive in your fat loss efforts, by all means you do you.

Of course, you can always keep it in and eat less food later.

Or move more to compensate.

not losing weight on keto burn one bpc
Hey, if you need it then you need it.

Reason #8 – Health conditions and medications

There are certain health conditions and medications that may affect fat loss. Conditions such as:

  • PCOS
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Menopause | Not really a disease or disorder, but it does trigger some profound changes within a woman’s body.

Medications including:

  • Diabetic drugs like insulin
  • Antipsychotic drugs
  • Antidepressant drugs
  • Drugs for epilepsy
  • Birth control

Sometimes there are factors beyond our control, at least until we know about them and can be proactive towards it. If you’ve been consistent with your diet, training hard, making the right adjustments, and still not losing fat, it may be time to consult your doctor and get some bloodwork done.


SOLLUTION

I am not a doctor and not qualified to give you any sound medical advice, but you may try the following.

  • Discuss with your doctor if there are any other options in terms of medications or treatments. There may be an alternative, but that’s not always the case.
  • You may have to just deal with the cards your dealt, so do your best to control what you can and leave the rest to the powers that be.

If you email or DM me I can give you my opinion, but it would be just that… my opinion.


Reason #9 – You don't need to lose fat

Is it possible that you really don’t have as much fat to lose as you think? We can be our own worst critics at times and I can definitely relate to this.

In fact, as I am writing this I get a message on Instagram from a female telling me she’s stuck and needs to lose more weight to hit her goal. Mind you, she’s 125 pounds currently, down from 160, and she wants to get to 115 pounds.

AND… SHE’S 5’9!

 Much of the time, people really need to just add more muscle to their frame rather than try and shed any more weight.  The more muscle you have on your frame,  the better you’re going to look when you do lose the fat.

You may even simply look better without losing any fat and putting on muscle.

Ladies, I’m talking to you especially!

And you don’t need to worry about getting “bulky” cause guess what… it’s pretty dang hard to put on muscle. Walk into any gym and look at all the guys who actually do want to put on muscle and look big but aren’t.

It’s not as simple as picking up some weights a few times a week.

Take a look at the below photo as an example. Clearly, Bale has a lower body fat percentage and weighs less in The Machinist compared to his role in American Psycho.

But which look do you prefer? Can you see how having some muscle despite having a bit more fat is more aesthetically pleasing? After all, that is the goal correct? To look and feel better?

I can almost guarantee you that he felt better on the right than he did on the left.


Reason #10 – You're gaining muscle

Ok, so if you’re certain you are in a calorie deficit and DEFINITELY not overeating because you’re measuring and weighing food like I asked you to, perhaps there’s a chance you may be gaining muscle.

If you’re not losing weight on keto and doing everything correctly, perhaps somebody is smiling down on you from above.

 Gaining muscle is actually a GOOD thing, even if that means your scale weight stays the same or the off chance going up. 

Granted, this is usually the case if you’ve just started working out or perhaps switched your diet from one with very little protein to something more moderate.

This is also one of the reasons why using only the scale to track progress will usually lead you astray.


SOLUTION

The scale is only one tool you should be using. Other tools to give you a better picture of your progress are:

  • Tracking body measurements
  • Progress photos
  • Strength in the gym
  • How clothes fit

All of the above will serve you better in tracking your progress.

Tracking body measurements

If your waist measurement has decreased or stayed the same, but your arms, legs, and/or chest measurements have increased, good job, you’ve gained muscle.

Progress photos

Look slimmer despite the scale having not budged or gone up? Seeing some extra definition or lines that were not there previously? Good job, you’ve gained muscle.

Probably best to compare photos on a bi-monthly or monthly basis to have a better comparison.

Strength in the gym

For beginners, you can do almost ANYthing when first starting and it’s enough stimulus to put on some muscle.

However, there is also a correlation with an increase in strength and an increase in muscle size (not always, but for most beginners and intermediate lifters)

How clothes fit

Not losing weight on keto but your pants are looser in the waist? Well, that’s a good thing.


Reason #11 – You're not a finisher

Are you the person that starts many diets, but you never stick with them? Are you what I like to refer to as a ‘chronic dieter?’

Maybe you’re always dieting for some occasion or perhaps you constantly end your diet only to start it again a week later. Maybe you slip up after a couple days or a couple weeks and figure F*** it I’ll start again on Monday.

After all, diets can only start on Mondays, right? Jk

This state of perpetual dieting is neither healthy or conducive to ever reaching your goals. Quite the opposite, it’s very unhealthy, and leads to a disordered way of eating.

The constant dieting approach is what causes many people to ride the high and low train of calorie restriction followed by binging after you realize that you can’t adhere to it any longer.

As a result, you spin your wheels making no progress over the long term.


SOLUTION

If this resonates with you, perhaps it’s time to stop dieting and give your body AND mind a break from the constant rollercoaster you’ve been on.

Raise your calories back up to maintenance, eat until satiated, and stop worry about dropping weight for once. The goal for you should be trying to find some normalcy with your eating.

Instead, focus on your training and performance. Heck, focus on other parts of your life that you may have been neglecting while trying to lose weight.

Yes, you may put back on some fat during this period, but it’s something that may be necessary to propel future progress over the long-term.


All good things must come to an end

There you have it folks. If you’ve made it this far, then kudos to you. I really hope you’ve been able to pinpoint one, if not a couple of reasons why you may not have had the success you had hoped for.

If you’re not losing weight on keto, I’m almost certain one of these is the culprit.

As I stated in the beginning, there’s just so much nonsense in this space when it comes to fat loss. I’ve literally read reasons on other sites why you’re not losing weight on keto that range from eating too much protein to not actually being in ketosis.

First off:

  • You don’t HAVE TO be in ketosis to lose weight
  • It’s not that you’re eating too much protein (or even carbs), you’re eating too much in general. In fact, there are a plethora of studies that show nothing but positives when protein is increased.

You’ll come across these kinds of “tips” on almost every keto site you come across and it’s just plain misleading people, but hopefully not you because you’re here now!

Just know that you don’t have to literally be in ketosis 24/7 or even at all to lose weight.

There are definitely plenty of pros to a ketogenic diet for both health and weight loss, which is why myself and many others choose to adopt the lifestyle.

BUT don’t let anyone tell you that the only way to lose weight is to be in ketosis, or that you’re not losing weight on keto because you’re not really in ketosis, because it’s untrue and very misleading.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and found some value in it.


Would love to hear your thoughts or maybe if a lightbulb went off. Simply let me know in the comments down below.

Keto Diet 101: The Definitive Guide

It’s no secret that a ketogenic diet turns ones body into a fat-burning machine.

With many proven benefits such as weight loss, improved cognitive function, possible treatment of major diseases, improved health, and significant performance benefits, you’d be quick to wonder why you haven’t dived in just yet. Bottom line?

If you’re ready to dive into the ketogenic lifestyle, this guide will show you everything you need to to know to get started.

So let’s get started…

but first click here => 9I am a footnote. Every time you see one of these gems you can click it to perhaps learn a bit more, read my thoughts, or to reference a study.

Don't have time to read all 5,000 words? Download a PDF to read offline at a later time.


ketogenic diet pinterest cover

Chapter 1: Consistency of the fundamentals

Before diving into the intricacies of the ketogenic diet, we must first define the fundamentals to understand it

What is ketosis?­­­­­

Ketosis is when your body’s metabolism shifts away from glucose / sugar (carbohydrates) towards mainly ketone / fat utilization.

What is a ketogenic diet?

Essentially, the ketogenic diet triggers the production of ketone bodies by the liver.

The tipping point to a ketogenic diet is how much carbohydrates are restricted, causing a series of adaptations to take place.


What are ketones?

Ketones (or ketone bodies) are the byproduct of the incomplete breakdown of free fatty acids (FFA) in the liver.

Under “normal” dietary conditions, the body draws energy from all of the macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) When you restrict carbohydrates or remove them all together, the body is forced to find an alternative fuel to provide energy.

One of which is free fatty acids (FFA) Most tissues in the body are capable of using FFA, but a select few major organs cannot – most notably the brain and nervous system.

However, break down those FFAs and now, the brain and other tissues can utilize ketones.

In fact, ketone bodies may be a preferred fuel source for the brain over glucose due to greater energy efficiency.

This may explain the improved cognitive function many experiences on a ketogenic diet. Now that you have a basic understanding of what ketosis is and what ketones are, how can this benefit YOU?


Chapter 2: Benefits of a ketogenic diet

Everyone has their own reason for going keto, even you.

While keto may not be the easiest diet to get started on due to years of various eating habits we’ve accumulated, it offers a TON of benefits if you’re willing to commit.

If you’re willing to give keto a fair shot you can look forward to feeling amazing, looking fantastic (more fantastic), and possibly recover from chronic health issues you may be plagued with.

Here are a few of the benefits of a ketogenic diet.


Increased fat loss

One of the biggest benefits of the ketogenic diet may be its effectiveness in massive weight loss.

Ketosis isn’t “magic,” though some would say that it is; instead, it generates a combo of synergistic effects that make dieting easier for the individual.

Here are just a few…

A keto diet reduces insulin, increases mobilization of stored body fat, and decreases, maybe even completely suppress appetite. 2 Ketosis, ketogenic diet and food intake control: a complex relationship. Antonio Paoli et al. 2015

This is important because the overwhelming drive to eat as a result of cravings when dieting is the BIGGEST impediment to weight/fat loss, and the reason why most diets fail.

This is why ketogenic diets appear to be more beneficial for the long-term maintenance of weight loss compared to low-fat diets. 3Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Bueno NB et al. 2013

At the end of the day, almost all diets will work, but if you can’t keep it off then what’s the point? We’re after both effectiveness and sustainability.


Increased energy / Improved cognitive function

Once your body has shifted to utilizing ketones for energy you’ll begin to notice increased, uniform energy throughout the day.

Being in a state of nutritional ketosis results in a steady flow of fuel, to the brain, thus avoiding the sugar swings and crashes most people experience on a “standard diet.”

This is why many people claim feelings of mental clarity on a ketogenic diet. In adults with bad memory, adding ketones improves cognition.

In fact, the higher the ketones, the higher the scores. Many people also report a sense of euphoria and well-being, which I too have noticed.

Moreover, many individuals use keto diets specifically for the sole purpose of increased mental performance.

There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a ketogenic diet may be beneficial for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, and even depression.4The ketogenic diet: uses in epilepsy and other neurologic illnesses.Barañano KW et al. 2008


Increased physical performance

Ketogenic diets increase energy efficiency.  At any given intensity, a keto-adapted athlete will burn more fat and less carbohydrate (glycogen) than not keto-adapted athletes. This allows glycogen to be spared for when we really need it.

Our bodies store glycogen (sugar) in our muscles and liver, but there is an upper limit of approximately 2000 – 2500 calories.

This is why you may see, or have experienced, hitting “the wall” during prolonged endurance events such as a marathon or ultra-marathon. Your body simply runs out of its stored energy.

This wouldn’t be the case if you were fat adapted (keto-adapted) The below table illustrates that carbohydrate stores are minimal compared to protein or fat.

The average person has enough energy stored as body fat to exist for weeks, even months, without food intake.

In fact, in one study 5Features of a successful therapeutic fast of 382 days' duration, a 27-year-old male fasted for 382 days! (under close supervision of course) As a result, the individual went from 456 pounds (~207kg) to 180 pounds (~82kg) for a total  loss of 276 pounds (~125kg) 


Disease treatment

By no means is this an endorsement to forego any treatment or not seek medical help. Always seek professional help if you are suffering from a disease.

DIABETES

Since a ketogenic diet manages blood sugars fairly well, it is excellent for prevention, managing, and even possibly reversing type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes.

CANCER PREVENTION / TREATMENT

Ketogenic diets are currently undergoing study as they have been shown to reduce tumor growth and improve survival. Ketogenic diets may even increase the effectiveness of standard cancer treatments. 6Effects of a ketogenic diet on tumor metabolism and nutritional status in pediatric oncology patients: two case reports. Nabeling LC et al. 1995

EPILEPSY

The ketogenic diet first emerged as a tool for clinicians to treat patients with epilepsy.  It remains the only method with the consistent ability to prevent seizures through a variety of mechanisms.

KETOGENIC DIET POTENTIAL BENEFITS
  • Normalize blood pressure
  • Less acne (In my case, completely eliminated my lifelong struggle)
  • Reverse or manage PCOS
  • Fewer sugar cravings

As you can see, a ketogenic diet provides a slew of benefits with very minimal, if any negative effects.

Now that you have a general understanding of what a ketogenic diet is and how it may benefit you, The next chapter will discuss the how.

We will show you how to get started and set up your diet for success based on your goals.


Chapter 3: How to setup your ketogenic diet

There are right ways, yes… ways as in more than one, and wrong ways to implement a keto diet.

What’s wrong or right is subjective, of course.

BEFORE GETTING STARTED As always, you should always consult with a medical professional before starting any diet.

However, there are a few groups I’d strongly recommend consult a medical professional or employ a more moderately balanced diet (also open to interpretation) If you belong in any of these groups the diet is not generally recommended for you:

  • Type 1 diabetics and diabetics taking medication.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers
  • Young adolescent children

While the above groups MAY be able to safely employ a ketogenic diet, it is advised you do so under close medical supervision.


Ketogenic diet: DO IT RIGHT

Depending on your underlying reason for implementing a ketogenic diet…

i.e. disease treatment vs general health and weight loss

You may need to vary the percentages of calories coming from certain macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates, and protein)

In general, while a ketogenic diet is nearly the same for everyone in how it is set up, those using the diet to treat serious neurological diseases want to maintain high levels of blood ketones.

This means sticking to very low carb AND erring on the side of lower protein ~10-15% of calories.

Then again, if this applies to you then please consult your physician or another qualified medical professional.

For those doing keto for general health, weight loss, and/or performance, you may be able to handle more protein and/or carbohydrates and still remain in ketosis.

In fact, I would suggest a more moderate protein intake for active individuals (and if you’re not active then there is also an argument for why you should be)

But more about that at another time…

For now, let’s get to the nuts and bolts of the diet.


Getting started prologue

A ketogenic diet is a major change for some, if not most people. You’re literally telling your body to switch over from one fuel source to another.

It’s like taking your car’s petrol engine and switching it to a diesel engine. 

Or better yet, strapping a tanker truck to you with unlimited energy.

Big fuel gas tanker truck on highway

With that being said, it may take some getting used to. Make sure you are well prepared both mentally and physically on the journey you are about to embark on.

My top 3 recommendations to ease your transition and make it as enjoyable as possible.

1. Get plenty of electrolytes

(sodium, potassium, magnesium) You can easily accomplish this by salting your foods liberally and eating foods rich in potassium and magnesium such as leafy greens or avocados.

You can also achieve this by supplementing electrolytes as well.

2. Eat extra fat the first few days and maybe even the first couple weeks

While this may slow fat loss down if that is your intended purpose, increasing fat can accelerate keto-adaptation. Of course, dial it down after you’re adapted according to your goals.

Exactly how much fat you should eat on a ketogenic diet will inevitably be determined by your overall calorie intake and other macronutrients.

3. Exercise

Lift weights and perform a low-level aerobic activity.

Why? because it’s good for you that’s why.

While a ketogenic diet in and of itself is nitrogen sparing (muscle sparing) lifting weights helps prevent muscle breakdown and you may even increase muscle (depending on a lot of other factors such as your training age, overall calories, and workout routine)

Ok, I said 3… but lastly, make a minimum commitment of 4-6 weeks. 

Everyone responds differently to the diet. The first couple of weeks may be difficult for some, while a breeze for others.

In my experience, the longer you’re on the diet the more benefits and breakthroughs you will experience in health, weight loss, and performance.


Getting started – The Nuts & Bolts

Just because the ketogenic diet is a “high-fat” diet doesn’t mean you have an all-access pass to eat unlimited quantities of fat.

 Establishing a metabolic state of ketosis is more about the lack of carbohydrates, not eating copious amounts of fat. 

By default, a ketogenic diet is considered a “high fat” diet because once protein intake is calculated and carbohydrates are restricted, the remaining calories will be comprised of fat calories.

Since it’s easier to know exactly how much and what to eat, from a percentage standpoint this will usually leave an individual at:

ketogenic diet percentages
  • 50-85% of calories coming from fat
  • 15-35% of calories coming from protein
  • 5-10% of calories coming from carbohydrates.

With that being said, let’s get started.

In general, the guideline for a ketogenic diet, keto diet, ketosis diet is high fat, moderate to low protein, and low to no carb.

So exactly what does that entail? In general, we like to stick to the (K.I.S.S.) approach at The Art of Keto “Keep it simple…”

how to calculate macros on ketogenic diet

STEP 1: Set your total calorie intake depending on your goal

The amount of calories boils down to what your goals are concerning fat loss or muscle gain. If you are looking to lose fat you want to eat less than your body burns on a daily basis to be in a negative energy balance.

When trying to put on muscle, you want to eat more than your body burns on a regular basis to be in a positive energy balance.

To give you a general starting point and a better understanding of tracking calories you can see the what and how many calories you should eat on a ketogenic diet?

Or if you prefer plug and play visit our handy keto macro calculator that will help individualize a breakdown that fits your preferences and goals.

Below is an easy graphic to get you in the ballpark and make adjustments based on actual results

easy calorie cheat sheet for ketogenic diet

STEP 2: Determine your macronutrient breakdown

You will see a lot of conflicting information when it comes to a keto diet macro breakdown. As stated previously, the percentage breakdown usually is a byproduct of setting our protein and carbohydrate targets first.

With that said, we shouldn't look to strive for a certain percentage of any macronutrient (carbohydrates, protein, or fat) albeit unless the use of a ketogenic diet is for therapeutic purposes where the percentages originated.

One of the main reasons you should not base your diet on percentages is better understood given our recommendations of how much protein should you eat on a ketogenic diet which is based on a person's lean body mass (total weight – fat weight).

Someone who carries more muscle and lives a highly active lifestyle given the same weight as another individual who is inactive and has a higher bodyfat would have a higher need for protein and likely carbohydrates.

STEP 3: Track and adjust.

As with any new endeavor, you want to make sure you are heading in the right direction.

What gets measured get's managed. It shouldn't matter if you're using a ketogenic diet for fat loss, muscle gain, improved cognitive function, or decreased inflammation… make a note of any changes you observe.

The only way to continually improve is through small changes over time that compound into MASSIVE change.

Some questions to ask yourself depending on your goal(s).

Do I look visibly leaner?

Do I look more muscular?

Am I getting stronger?

Am I less sore?

Am I less tired?

Is my thinking clearer?

Do my clothes fit better?


Chapter 4: Types of ketogenic diets

Generally, there are 3 types of ketogenic diet protocols. We will discuss them briefly below:

  1. Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD) is what most think of as the ketogenic diet. The majority will utilize a standard ketogenic diet while avid exercisers and athletes might tend to gravitate toward the other 2 methods below.
  2. Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD) is your standard ketogenic diet (SKD) with carbohydrates consumed generally before and/or after exercise.
  3. Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) is when you alternate between periods of eating a standard ketogenic diet (SKD) and introduce 1-2 days of high carbohydrate intake.

Let’s delve into each protocol a tad more, but briefly, to give you a better understanding of each.


STANDARD KETOGENIC DIET (SKD)

As previously mentioned, a standard ketogenic diet (SKD) is what most people think of or refer as a ketogenic diet. In general, it is a diet low in carbohydrate and moderate-high in both protein and fat. An SKD forms the foundation for both the TKD AND CKD.

TARGETED KETOGENIC DIET (TKD)

The targeted ketogenic diet serves as a compromise between your standard ketogenic diet and full-blown carb up (period of greatly increased carbohydrate intake) as used in a cyclical style ketogenic diet.

Primarily based on anecdotal experience, a TKD allows individuals to perform high-intensity exercise such as weight training or even endurance type training without interrupting ketosis for a long period of time… if at all

(unlike a CKD, which is coming next) With a targeted ketogenic diet you would typically ingest a few fast digesting carbohydrates before and/or during and after your workout. 

Without delving too deeply into the intricacies of a targeted ketogenic diet, many people have reported having better energy levels and therefore more productive workouts by utilizing this strategy.

CYCLICAL KETOGENIC DIET (CKD)

Unlike a standard or targeted ketogenic diet, a cyclical ketogenic diet employs a full 1-2 day period of high carbohydrate eating with the goal of refilling muscle glycogen.

Based on a standard 7 day week, you alternate 5-6 days of ketogenic dieting (SKD) with 1-2 days of high carbohydrate eating.

The theory behind the carb load is to refill muscle glycogen and sustain exercise performance for the next cycle while even possibly providing an anabolic response (muscle gain/re-gain in our context)

Unlike the targeted ketogenic diet, a cyclical approach employs HIGH carbohydrate intake over the full course of a day or two (and possibly even longer).

The carbohydrate scheduled days are usually preceded by a very intense and specific workout protocol.


Chapter 5: How to know you're in ketosis

So the question now is how do you know if you’re in a state of ketosis?

While there are actual test methods (blood, urine, breath), there are also telltale signs that don’t require any testing. 

 In the end, remember that we’re after results.  7There is no magical ketone level that indicates you are losing more fat. Therefor, there is no need to strive for a certain level. If your fundamental purpose for a ketogenic diet is therapeutic in nature then you may require the monitoring and testing of ketones

For a variety of testing methods visit my article on how to measure ketosis.


Testing methods

It’s possible to test for ketones in the urine, blood, and your breath.

There are drawbacks to each, but as previously stated, unless you have an underlying medical condition that requires that you stay at a certain level of ketones, it may be unnecessary.

In the end, we are big advocates of testing, at least in the beginning to draw any correlations to weight, mood, and/or performance related to ketone levels.

We’re also just big analytical data nerds.

Also, note that for certain individuals, eating under 100 grams of net carbohydrates is sufficient to reach a state of nutritional ketosis, but for others, they may need to go as low as <20 grams.

This is why testing can be beneficial since everyone responds and is affected differently.

Bottom line – it’s not necessary to test for ketones depending on the person, it may even lead some to become obsessive with constant measuring.

how to test for ketones on a ketogenic diet

Read more about How to Measure Ketosis.

On to the different test methods.


BLOOD KETONE METERS

 Blood ketone meters are considered to be the “gold standard” as they are the most accurate way to measure your level of ketosis.  It uses beta-hydroxybutyrate (a type of ketone body) as the indicator for this test.

Pros: 

  • Most accurate

Cons:

  • Ketone test strips can be pricey $1 – $2 / strip
  • Only measures levels in your blood vs actual utilization.
  • You must prick your finger to produce a drop of blood for measurement.
  • Usually not available at your local pharmacy (depending on where in the world you are)

Suggested Meters

Recommended: Keto Mojo Blood Ketone Meter


URINE STRIPS (KETOSTIX)

By far, the cheapest and easiest method to measure ketosis is via urine strips. You can find these at your local pharmacy such as CVS or Walgreens or order them on online sites such as Amazon.

I do apologize for folks outside of the U.S. since I am unfamiliar with the popular chain pharmacies… but I am sure you can grab these at your local pharmacies as well.

The urine strips are likely the first option for most beginners. You simply hold the sticks in your urine stream for a few seconds and watch it change color.

Then, you compare it to color on the side of the bottle which corresponds to a ketone level.

Pros:

  • Cheap
  • Available locally

Cons: 

  • Not very accurate, especially the longer you are in ketosis.
  • Hydration levels can give you different readings.

Suggested Strips :

  • Recommended: Perfect keto urine test strips

BREATH METER

Breath meters measure the level of acetone in your breath which gives you an indicator of actual fat utilization.

Breath meters are usually connected to a PC or Mac via USB (although bluetooth ones are being made now)

While not completely conclusive, this method may give you more real-time indicators of how different lifestyle factors and dietary changes affect your state of ketosis.

Unlike urine or blood testing, the breath analyzer is reusable and can potentially save you money over time.

Pros:

  • Measures actual fat being burned (whether from the body or diet)
  • No need to constantly purchase testing strips

Cons:

  • Larger upfront cost $150 – $300
  • Not always accurate
  • Does not always correlate well with blood ketones

Suggested Breath Meters :

  • Recommended: Ketonix breath meter

What if you don't want to test?

Each method of testing will help you gauge your ketone levels, however, when used separately, does not paint the whole picture.

 There is no conclusive evidence that more ketones equate to more fat loss or more muscle gain.  However, higher ketone levels generally have more therapeutic benefits in the treatment of certain medical conditions.

How to know without measuring

Once you’re keto-adapted (fat-adapted) and your body becomes more efficient at utilizing ketones, you might not see the big numbers on your measuring devices that you once saw in the beginning of your ketogenic journey.

Or, if you’re of the (K.I.S.S) keeping it simple as possible mentality,  simply go by how you feel along with the results or the lack thereof you're experiencing

(basically… be intuitive, which we should all strive for).

Below are some physical signs many people on ketogenic diets have experienced.

ketogenic diet signs you are in ketosis

Reduced hunger

Many individuals, myself included, experience a marked reduction in hunger. In fact, some people who used to have bottomless pits report feelings of satiety with less food.

Increased energy

Depending on the individual, for the first few days (or weeks) during the acclimation period, you might feel tired aka “keto flu”.  This is your body learning to use fat vs carbohydrates for fuel.

After the hump people experience a clear increase in their energy levels. Some even report a sense of euphoria and mental clarity.

It goes to show, sometimes we’re so used to feeling bad and having the dreaded “brain fog” that we don’t realize how bad it is until we experience what it’s like to feel good.

Keto breath

You may have heard about the dreaded ketone breath. It can make a person’s breath smell “fruity,” or like nail polish remover.

Increased Urination

As the body burns through stored glucose (glycogen) you’ll be excreting a lot of water in the process. When insulin levels are kept low, the kidneys excrete sodium at a higher rate which also leads to additional water loss.

This is why it is important and suggested to increase sodium while following a ketogenic diet.


Chapter 6: What do you eat on a ketogenic diet?

The key factor in reaching ketosis is the restriction of carbohydrates. In theory, the lower the carbohydrate intake, the greater degree of ketosis.

In fact, the fastest way to nutritional ketosis is simply to fast.

Fasting for 24-72 hours will get you into a state of ketosis the quickest.

For everyone else, it is generally advised to stick to under 20 grams of net carbohydrates per day to allow for adaptations to take place.

So, what does this look like?


Ketogenic foods to eat

CARBOHYDRATES

As a general rule, you want all your carbohydrates from low GI sources such as vegetables with trace carbohydrates coming from nuts and dairy.

Dark leafy greens are generally a good rule of thumb with small amounts of berries (raspberries, blackberries, etc.). Remember how many carbs you should eat on a ketogenic diet? The main goal is to stick to under 20g of net carbohydrates (total carbohydrate grams – fiber grams)

PROTEIN

Just about any meat, especially organ meats (liver, tongue, heart, etc)  as they are highly nutritious, is fair game. This will include beef, poultry, bison, fish, eggs, etc.

FATS

  • Nuts and seeds (especially macadamia and pili nuts)
  • Avocados
  • High-fat dairy (heavy cream, butter, hard cheeses, etc,)
  • Oils
  • Coconut, Avocado, MCT

SWEETENERS

  • Stevia
  • Erythritol
  • Monk fruit
  • Allulose

DRINKS

All the drinks listed below are unsweetened, but if sweetened with the above-listed sweeteners they are permissible.

  • Water
  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Small amounts of wine and hard liquor may be permissible, though generally not recommended during the adaptation period.

For a more complete list of keto-friendly foods to incorporate in your diet and what to avoid, give our KETO FOODS LIST | THE ULTIMATE GUIDE a read.


Foods to avoid

In most cases, you generally want to avoid all starchy and refined carbohydrates.

  • Grains – rice, corn, wheat cereal, etc.
  • Sugar – any caloric sweetener such as honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.
  • Fruits – Almost all fruits aside from small amounts of berries
  • Tubers – Potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, etc.

Failing to plan is planning to fail. When you begin your ketogenic diet, you will want to plan ahead.

Try to keep things as simple as possible in the beginning by eating foods that not only you enjoy, but provide satiety.

Once you become keto-adapted or have been on the diet for a while, feel free to experiment with different foods and/or carbohydrate intake to see how it affects you.


Chapter 7: Common Q&A, Troubleshooting, and Resources

I'll be the first one to say that what works for one person may not work for the next.

If you decide on a keto diet and bodybuilding as your plan of attack, the best thing you can do is EXPERIMENT.

Every day is a chance to learn about yourself, your body, and make adjustments based on real-world results.

I believe a ketogenic approach is a great compromise between optimal health and aesthetics.

That said, I guess that makes it 6 tips.

🙂


Will physical performance suffer?

There are plenty of misconceptions when it comes to the ketogenic diet and physical performance.

While, in the short term, there may be small performance drops during the adaptation period, there are many promising longterm benefits from switching to a fat burning athlete.

In keto-adapted athletes, energy efficiency is increased. Meaning, at almost any given intensity of their V02max, they are utilizing more fat and less glycogen than their sugar-burning counterpart.

In fact, fat-adapted athletes have been shown to burn up to 2.3 times more fat at peak oxidation 8Metabolic characteristics of keto-adapted ultra-endurance runners. Volek et al. 2016 59% more fat overall than non fat-adapted athletes, AND at higher intensities.

As a result, there is less of a dependence on stored and/or external carbohydrate sources during exercise. Instead, glycogen is spared and stored for when we really need it, such as during higher intensity periods of activity.

This is crucial as we only store about 2400 calories worth of carbohydrates within our muscles and liver, while even the leanest of individuals may carry tens of thousands of calories of body fat.

Energy stores become virtually limitless on a ketogenic diet.


Are there any side effects on keto?

KETO FLU

Common for those new to keto or low carb, but often fades after a few days.

While your body is transitioning primarily from sugar burning to fat burning people have reported bouts of fatigue, dizziness, headaches, cramps, etc. This is often in part due to a loss of electrolytes.

When you stop eating foods rich in carbohydrates, you’ll start to drop excess water and salt which may result in dehydration and the aforementioned symptoms.

You can minimize or mitigate dehydration completely by increasing your water and salt intake.

Muscle cramps

As with the keto flu, muscle cramps are typically a result of a loss of electrolytes. Aside from adding additional salt, make sure to eat foods rich in potassium and magnesium such as dark leafy greens and avocados.

You may want to also supplement with magnesium or potassium if you prefer to go that route.

Constipation

One of the most common causes of constipation is dehydration (starting to see the trend here?) The simplest solution is to increase water intake and make sure you intake an adequate amount of fiber from non-starchy vegetables. 

Also of note, you may be eating less “bulk” due to cutting out all the carbohydrates and processed foods you may have been eating previous to going keto.

As a byproduct, you will likely have less waste. Try not to confuse constipation with just not having the urge to go number two.

Keto breath

Some people experience the smell of acetone on their breath (or more often, the people around them do) This, in part, is due to acetone being one of the ketone bodies created during ketosis and often resembles the smell of nail polish remover.

This typically goes away for most individuals within 1-2 weeks after the body adapts to ketosis and stops inefficiently expelling them through the breath, sweat, and urine.

Keto rash

While there is no real scientific reason or explanation for the keto rash, a handful of people report bouts of rashes appearing once starting a ketogenic diet.

As with the keto breath, this may be due to skin irritation from the acetone excreted through sweat.

Another theory floating around is that the rash is a sign of toxins being released through the skin.

Since toxins are primarily stored within the fat cells and we are now mobilizing more fat and using it as our primary source of energy… the toxins are also being circulated and excreted out through our skin.

Possible solutions include loose-fitting clothing, showering immediately after exercise, and even possibly upping carbohydrate intake slightly. There is a site which delves more into this in depth.


Some tips to help avoid keto side effects

As you can see, most of the issues are related to dehydration which also leads to a lack of electrolytes.

You want to ensure that you're drinking enough water, salting your foods liberally, and supplementing with additional electrolytes if you are engaging in substantial bouts of exercise or just tend to sweat more than the average. 

  • Drink more water
  • Increase electrolyte intake
  • Eat enough fat

Chapter 8: My top 3 takeaways

1. K.I.S.S.

Don’t over complicate the whole process. In general, one can achieve a state of ketosis simply by limiting carbohydrate intake to 20g of net carbs

(Total carbohydrates grams – Fiber)

Also, we would recommend keeping food choices basic at first before trying to re-create all your favorite food dishes in keto friendly versions. This means sticking to fatty meats, eggs, healthy oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables, etc.

2. Increase water and supplement electroltyes

As you can tell from a lot of the “side effects” mentioned, a lot of it boils down to dehydration and electrolytes.

Strive for a  gallon of water a day and make sure you are getting enough:

  • Sodium
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium

You may get them from foods or supplement them in your diet. The above links are what we personally use here at The Art of Keto.

3. Track what you eat

What gets measured, gets managed.

Peter Drucker

When people track their food intake, they usually eat less (or more if weight gain is your goal) and are more likely to keep the weight off long term.

It’s also easy to over-consume carbohydrates as they are hidden in just about everything. Keeping a food log keeps your accountable regardless of your goals.

I recommend MyFitnessPal

KETOGENIC DIET KETO FLU

Saving money on a ketogenic diet

A common concern we hear about ketogenic diets is that they are more expensive in general compared to other ways of eating.

Yes and no.

An excellent grass-fed steak does cost more than a cheeseburger from the local fast food joint, but a ketogenic diet isn't as expensive as you may think.

Also, grass-fed meats aren't a requirement for this diet, but if you have the means to afford to do so, then we would recommend you opt for grass-fed over grain-fed.

In the end, I would much rather invest in my food quality and nutrition now then all the costly medical bills from a lifetime of subpar dietary choices.

With that said, a ketogenic diet doesn't cost more than any other “healthy” diet lifestyle. You may even find that you will spend less money and time overall when you fall into a groove and follow the tips below.

These are our recommendations for getting the most bang for your buck:

Search for deals

I don't know about you, but I get weekly mail from the all of the local grocery stores with the latest savings. Not only that, but almost every grocery store now has their own app now with coupons and the most current deals.

Don't hesitate to talk to your local butcher and ask if there is anything not on display or if you have any special requests. You'd be surprised how often you can find some hidden gems.

Buy in bulk

Costco is your friend. Buying food in bulk can reduce the cost per pound tremendously. Off the top of my head, you can buy hard cheeses, grass-fed butter, lots of veggies, and proteins such as steak and canned salmon from many food wholesalers.

Meal prep

People in the fitness industry are no stranger to Meal Prep Sundays. While it may seem convenient to buy pre-made food or eat out, the costs add up (both time and money).

Try cooking your veggies and proteins ahead of time. We like to prep our food twice a week, so we always have a fresh easy to grab meal ready to go.

Meal prepping is also a great way to set yourself up for success as we sometimes don't make the best food choices if we find ourselves tired after a long day of work and don't want to cook.


I hope you enjoyed the ketogenic 101 guide. What did you think of it? Or maybe you have a question. Either way, let me know by leaving a quick comment below right now.

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