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KETO

The Hidden Truth About Keto And Intermittent Fasting

Keto and intermittent fasting are all the rage these days. I mean, you usually don't hear about one without eventually hearing about the other.

But is there any benefit in combining the two  for the purposes of weight loss? 

There may be other benefits, weight loss aside, to combine keto and intermittent fasting, but is there any inherent fat loss benefit?

Keto and intermittent fasting pinterest cover

Can you combine keto and intermittent fasting?

Of course, you can combine keto and intermittent fasting, they go together like peanut butter and jelly. However, know that one also doesn’t require the other, and most people find it easier to implement intermittent fasting on a ketogenic based diet than a carb based one.

But we’ll get to that.

I am going to assume you know what keto is already, so we won't be doing an entire keto 101 in this article. If not, give my ketogenic diet guide a read through, but in general… 

What is Keto?

Most websites and people would have you believe that keto is a “diet” or a certain type of “food,” and they would be right… to an extent. 

In reality,  ketosis is a metabolic state  where your body essentially runs on ketones (fat) instead of glucose (sugar).

When you limit or eliminate your carbohydrates, your body has no choice but to break down the fat from the food you eat AND the fat on your body to create energy for your body and your brain.

It’s kind of like when you have a hankering for cereal and you run out of milk… so what do you do? You have to use water instead. 

Basically, your body ends up running out of sugar and it’s forced to use what’s left… your fat stores.

Blasphemy, I know… but don’t pretend like you’ve never done that in your lifetime. Besides, you’re on a keto diet now so you ain’t about that cereal life anymore. 

What is intermittent fasting?

In the most general of cases, intermittent fasting is combining periods of eating with periods without eating. Therefore,  Intermittent fasting is not a diet per se; instead it's a pattern or schedule of eating. 

When I say intermittent fasting is not a diet it's because IF doesn't change what you eat, it changes when you eat. That said, weight loss is the most common reason people give intermittent fasting a shot.

Examples of different intermittent fasting schedules

There is no one way to implement intermittent fasting, so I've outlined a few popular methods down below.

DAILY

One of the most popular ways to implement intermittent fasting is a daily fast of 16 hours followed by an 8-hour eating window. It really doesn't matter when you start your eight-hour eating window, but most people tend to start it around noon or early afternoon.

The reason most people have their feeding window in the afternoon is that, in general, people find it easier to skip breakfast, rather than dinner. Besides, if you went 16 hours without food and you can spend the first eight hours or so asleep… you would probably find it easier too.

On top of that, allowing for dinner makes it more convenient from a schedule standpoint. You can eat with your family or go out during social events and not be the only person in the room not eating

… because you're fasting.

Personally, I prefer this schedule because I like to go to bed on a full stomach. 

As far as daily scheduled intermittent fasts go, people start to either shorten the eating window or even lengthen it slightly. Some might even go as far as to take all the calories for the day and eat it in one big meal.1Often referred to as OMAD (One Meal A Day) 

Remember,  there are no hard or fast rules…  if you find yourself slightly hungry before your “eating window,” then go ahead and eat. Vice versa, if you aren’t hungry and want to remain fasted, then remain fasted.

I’ve used this method of intermittent fasting on and off for over 10 years now, but I’m not fanatic about it to the point that it runs my day. If my friends or family go out to breakfast or some friends invite me over to watch the game and nosh on some wings, guess what? I don’t care that it’s outside of my “feeding window.”

Keto and intermittent fasting daily example

WEEKLY

This schedule of intermittent fasting is generally a good way to introduce yourself to intermittent fasting. You pick one day out of the week and simply don’t eat. 

It’s really that easy.

If going an entire day from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed seems daunting, try fasting after dinner (6pm for example)  from the previous night until dinner (6pm) the following night. In the end, you still technically will have fasted for at least 24 hours and ends up like the (OMAD) one meal a day mentioned in the daily section.

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of doing a weekly fast is getting over that mental barrier of fasting in the first place. If you’ve never fasted before, this may seem like a daunting task, but successfully completing your first 24-hour fast can help you realize it isn’t as frightening as your head makes it out to be.

Keto and intermittent fasting weekly example
ALTERNATE DAY

Alternate day fasting may be the most challenging schedule from a mental standpoint since you will be going without food for about ~36-hours at a time.

For example, you would eat normally on Monday until dinner, then begin your fast until Wednesday morning. Then, you would repeat the process by eating normally Wednesday and beginning your fast Wednesday after dinner and not eating until Friday morning. 

Hypothetically, this would yield the most benefits since you are going long periods without food more frequently. Alternate day fasting would likely yield the most weight loss as well since you are going longer periods without food and more likely to have greater caloric deficit.

 Assuming you don’t eat like an asshole on the days you do eat. 

As I said, myself and many other much prefer the 18-hour daily fasts since it’s typically much easier to simply skip breakfast most days. If you do choose to combine keto and intermittent fasting then experiment with the different schedules and see how you feel.

Keto and intermittent fasting alternate day example

Intermittent fasting. Not to be confused with intermittent dieting or intermittent energy restriction. 

In short, intermittent dieting or intermittent energy restriction is NOT the same as intermittent fasting. Intermittent dieting is when you include brief periods, typically days or weeks, where you intentionally aim to MAINTAIN weight between periods of weight loss dieting.

These may be commonly referred to as refeeds or diet breaks.

But we’ll cover that in another article on why it may benefit you in the long run when it comes to losing weight.

Keto and intermittent fasting – They go to gather like peanut butter and jelly.

Keto and intermittent fasting for weight loss.

You may want to combine keto with intermittent fasting to accelerate your weight loss, but probably not for reasons you may have been led to believe.  Research suggest that an 8 hour feeding window produces mild caloric restriction and weight loss, without calorie counting.   2Effects of 8-hour time restricted feeding on body weight and metabolic disease risk factors in obese adults: A pilot study

In layman's terms, it caused people to eat less overall. I mean, it makes sense right? You are essentially giving yourself less time to eat.

Which leads me to my second point…

 Calories still matter.  On a keto diet, when intermittent fasting, or combining keto and intermittent fasting… calories still matter. BUT, as the study suggested, intermittent fasting MAY be a way for you to eat less without really having to count calories.

AGAIN, as long as you  don’t eat like an asshole  during your 8-hour or however long eating window.

Personally, I can still easily manage to overeat in such a short time frame. However, I am an endless pit, and most normal people will find it difficult to cram too much food in such a short period of time

Thus making it a viable option if you can eat “sensibly” during your feeding window.

Reasons why keto and intermittent fasting work well together.

People are more satiated on a ketogenic diet

People tend to eat fewer calories on a ketogenic diet… SPONTANEOUSLY, as in without trying to restrict calories.3Aragon et al., 2017 ; Gibson et al., 2015 This is important to note since hunger is a primary reasons people fall off most weight loss diets. 

There is no conclusive reason to as why this occurs, but one theory is that ketone bodies (our primary fuel source on a ketogenic diet) may suppress appetite.4Sumithran et al., 2013 

Pair intermittent fasting with keto and you have the benefit of:

  • Less or no hunger during your fasting window
  • Increased chance of weight loss without counting calories

On the flip side…

IF may ease your transition to a ketogenic diet

Intermittent fasting may help transition your body into a state of ketosis over doing a ketogenic diet alone.

During your fasting window, insulin and glycogen decrease, 5glycogen is just another fancy word for stored carbohydrates in your muscle and liver naturally leading your body to start burning fat for fuel. This is one of the driving reasons people even on a carbohydrate-based diet implement intermittent fasting. 

I also mention in my article How long does it take to get into ketosis? that intermittent fasting or just plain fasting will help speed up your transition into ketosis. 

Intermittent fasting and Keto – Weight loss aside, here are some benefits.

You can type in intermittent fasting in google or your favorite social media platform and you’ll hear things like “autophagy” and IF made me poop rainbows and dream about unicorns. 

Don’t get me wrong, you do you… and if you love doing it and you see results, then, by all means, keep doing it!

But if there comes a point where you’re stressing out about if you should eat, what can you eat, can you drink this, but I want this for breakfast, then you’re just better off not worrying about it. In the end, there’re bigger things you can focus on instead of watching the clock for when you can eat.

Up until recently, many of the intermittent fasting benefits you’ve heard (or haven’t heard) were weak at best. Many of the studies which reported benefits could easily be attributed to the weight loss participants experienced versus the actual intermittent fasting. 

However, there are recent findings that may suggest intermittent fasting (also known as time-restricted feeding) does have benefits even WITHOUT weight loss.6Sutton et al., 2018 

The only caveat, the feeding window would be more in line with your circadian rhythm. Meaning, you would eat according to your internal clock. 

To simplify,  you would have your FASTING window in the evening.  Basically, eat during the first 8 hours of the day, generally when the suns out.

Which is probably the opposite of what most people are doing.

KETO AND INTERMITTENT FASTING ETRF

This schedule of eating is referred to as Early time-restricted feeding (eTRF) and has been shown to:

  • Increase insulin sensitivity
  • Lower blood pressure and oxidative stress
  • Lower the desire to eat in the evening (so maybe skipping dinner or making it super early might not be as bad as you might think)
  • Improve health EVEN in the absence of weight loss

The only problem with this is people are social beings and we eat for reasons beyond hunger, which is a problem it and of itself. It’s also much easier to fast during the day because people are typically busy at work and can focus on other things besides food.

It’s also just my humble opinion, but I think most of the benefits of eTRF stem from the fact that you’re eating earlier in the day versus the actual time restriction.

A large majority of the population suffer from circadian arrhythmia. 7Arrhythmia is the loss or apparent loss of a rhythm. In today’s society, we tend to stay out (or just up) late, drink alcohol,  expose our eyes to artificial light in the evenings, etc. Eating earlier may be a way to re-align our circadian rhythms.

If eTRF sounds like something you want to give a shot, you have my blessing.

Not that you needed it.

That said, intermittent fasting for me makes my day simpler.

Intermittent fasting allows me to eat one less meal, which also means cooking one less meal and therefore stressing about one less meal. When I wake up, I don’t have to worry about breakfast, but can get to other more important tasks at hand.

Like coffee. 😉

I also like to eat more substantial meals.

I’m the type of person that likes to eat HUGE meals and go to bed on a full stomach, whether that’s good or bad is a whole other topic of discussion we’ll save for another day. I’m not advocating you eat huge meals or go to bed on a full stomach, it’s just my preference and what works to keep me adherent to a caloric deficit.

… and remember,  in the end a caloric deficit IS required to lose weight.   Intermittent fasting can be used as a tool to achieve a caloric deficit whether you want to count calories or not. 

Who should try an intermittent fasting Keto approach?

The jury is still out on whether there is an INCREASE in fat loss by using intermittent fasting versus traditional caloric restriction. A systematic review 8A summary of ALL carefully designed control studies to date. was published in December of 20189Cioffi et al., 2018 that found no difference.

Both intermittent and continuous energy restriction achieved a comparable effect in promoting weight-loss and metabolic improvements.

– Cioffi et al., 2018

So the jury is still out on whether or not intermittent fasting is MORE effective than if you were to spread your meals throughout the day. This is also assuming you ate the same amount in the ~8-hour window or ~16-hour window.

That said, I would try intermittent fasting if:

  • You enjoy less frequent but LARGER meals
  • You don’t necessarily find yourself that hungry in the mornings (or evenings)
  • It allows you to adhere to your diet over the long term
  • You simply want to experiment

Keto and intermittent fasting comparison

The bottom line on Keto and intermittent fasting

You need to be up front and honest with yourself if choosing to utilize intermittent fasting because context is everything. Don’t say that you’re doing it for health, autophagy, [insert reason you give your friends], when in reality it's that you think it burns more fat.

I do believe there are health benefits to intermittent fasting and fasting in general, but I’d be skeptical to assume there is any inherent fat loss benefit to restricting your eating window.

At the end of the day, intermittent fasting isn't magic when it comes to weight loss. If combining keto and intermittent fasting works for you and fits your lifestyle, then by all means…

Implement it.

However, if trying to implement keto and intermittent fasting makes everything much harder, stresses you out, or makes adhering to your diet more difficult, then it's not a worthwhile trade-off.

Keto and intermittent fasting F.A.Q.

Can you do keto and intermittent fasting together?

You can definitely do keto and intermittent fasting together. In fact, keto will make intermittent fasting much easier to adhere to due to its satiating nature.

Do I have to eat keto while intermittent fasting?

No, you do not have to eat keto while intermittent fasting.

Does intermittent fasting cause ketosis?

Intermittent doesn't directly cause someone to go into ketosis. That said, During the tail end of longer fasts it is highly likely that the body is beginning to produce ketones.

Do you fast on a keto diet?

Fasting is up to you whether or not you want to include it for the health benefits or diet adherence.

Is Intermittent Fasting better than Keto?

Intermittent fasting and keto are two entirely separate things. Intermittent fasting is a schedule of when to eat. Keto is a metabolic state achieved by what you eat.

Can I drink coffee during intermittent fasting?

Yes, you can drink coffee or any non caloric beverage during your fasting window.

How often should you intermittent fast on keto?

How often you intermittent fast on keto is dependent on your preference.

How much weight can you lose with intermittent fasting?

How much weight you can lose while intermittent fasting is dependent on your total caloric deficit. The recommendation is to lose between 0.5 – 1.5% of your total bodyweight per week. The more fat you have to lose the more you can expect to lose without risk of losing lean body mass.

How long is intermittent fasting?

The duration in which you intermittent fast is dependent on the method you choose to implement whether that's daily, weekly, or alternate day fasting.

How long does it take to get into ketosis while fasting?

From my experience, it typically takes between 24-48 hours to get into ketosis if completely fasting.

How long does it take for your body to go into ketosis?

How long it tales your body to go into ketosis depends on your previous diet, your activity levels, and what you are currently eating.

Can you go into ketosis in 24 hours?

Yes, it is possible to go into ketosis within 24 hours by fasting. While not always the case, you can typically start seeing low levels of ketones between 24 – 36 hours after starting a fast.

What is a fat fast?

People commonly refer to a fat fast as eating a diet composed of 80 – 90% fat for 4-5 days and limited to 1000-1200 calories broken down in 3-4 meals.

The Best Keto Weight Loss Guide On The Internet [Really]

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about keto weight loss.

Actually, all of weight loss in general.

Think of it as a keto diet for beginners manual

How to set up your keto diet.

When you should and shouldn't make adjustments.

Plus much much more.

Let’s get started…

but first click here => 10I 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 12,000+ words? Download a PDF to read offline at a later time.

keto weight loss pinterest cover

Chapter 1: But first…

I'm not kidding you, the title says it all…

this is and will be the best damn keto weight loss guide on the internet.

BUT FIRST…

Before we get into it, I want to bring to light some of the misinformation I see being spread throughout the keto universe.

In fact, this one particular notion being spread by many of the “gurus” is leading many individuals astray. Can you guess what it is?  It's this notion that it's not your fault.

And here comes the other BUT.

It is your fault…

Chances are, you landed on this particular keto weight loss guide because you're unhappy with your weight, or your body, for whatever reason.

I hate to sound cliché like we're in AA or something, but the sooner you are able to accept that it is your fault, the sooner you're going to start making progress. 2Yes, certain individuals legitimately suffer from health conditions and rare conditions where it's not their fault(most times this is not the case), but adopting this mindset moves you from being passive to active so that you can start working toward making a change. It's taking action that will ultimately get you to where you want to go.

And time for the last BUT. 

But I'm not here to motivate you to lose the weight or scold you for all the decisions you made that led up to this point. I was where you are right now, and sometimes still find myself there every once in a while.

In fact, if all I've done by the end of this guide is motivate you… then I've failed. What I really want is for you to take the information presented to you and  begin taking ACTION  towards your weight loss goals.

The Truth is, motivation is only one percent of the equation. The other 99 percent of the equation is taking action.

It's the action you take that ends up motivating you and becoming an endless loop that makes taking more action towards your goals inevitable.


Take action

KETO DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS ACTION MOTIVATION

Most people commit to action only when they feel a certain level of motivation, and they only feel this motivation when they feel a strong emotional response, usually a negative one. 

And that's why people (not you because you're an action taker right?) are more likely to take action ONLY when they are afraid of the consequences, or they've already experienced them.

For many, this usually means they were diagnosed with something horrible, had a loved one diagnosed or pass away from an illness, or maybe they just finally got fed up with feeling like crap or how they looked in the mirror.

 So don't fall into the motivation trap, the trap where you must feel motivated before taking any action.  If you're waiting for motivation to hit, you may be waiting a long damn time.

As funny as it sounds, the more you look for motivation, the less motivated you become. C'mon. Really? Yes, because now you're too busy looking to get motivated and spending less time doing what you already know you need to do.


Chapter 2: Keto, the best diet for weight loss?

Another tidbit the keto gurus want to leave out is that EVERY diet works. 

Don't believe me? Let's dig into some of the research down below.

Follow me.


A study in 2009 by Sacks FM et al. looked to see if there was an advantage for weight loss by emphasizing different macronutrients (protein, fat, or carbohydrates).

The research concluded that reduced-calorie diets resulted in similar weight loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize. 3Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates Sacks et al. 2009

don't believe me? A more recent study, this year as I write this in 2018, by Gardner et al. sought to determine the effect of a “healthy” low-fat diet vs. a “healthy” low-carbohydrate diet over a 12 month period.4 Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association With Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion Gardner et al. 2018

In this randomized clinical trial consisting of over 600 adults, weight change over the 12 months was not significantly different for participants in either the low-fat or the low-carbohydrate group.

What's even more notable is that it was partially funded by NuSI, an organization co-founded by low-carb advocates.

Dietary modification and adherence is the key to successful weight loss.  In fact, satiety, hunger, satisfaction, and most of all… behavior modification are more strongly associated with weight loss then which diet you choose. 

The people most successful in keeping their weight off are those who changed their relationship with food.

 The healthy diet that will work for you is the one that you can stick to. There is no “best diet.” 

So yes, all diets can work in the short term, but some diets may be better suited for you than others. Is that keto? there's only one way to find out.


All diets work by, in one way or another (whether they admit it or not) having you control calorie intake.

KETO AND WEIGHT LOSS THOUGH ALL DIETS WORK

You get the picture.

 Consistency with calorie intake is more important than your sugar intake, meal timing, fat intake, eating “clean” foods, and any supplement you can find. 

Sometimes strict dietary rules CAN be helpful in the case of any the diets above, but we'll come back to this a bit later on in the guide.

To clarify: all diets work by, in one way or another, having you control your calorie intake.

When it comes to weight loss, neither a low-fat diet nor a low-carb diet is inherently superior, so choose an eating style that fits your food preferences, health goals, and lifestyle.

Most importantly, choose an eating style you can sustain. It's not that people fail with diets, people fail to maintain their diets over the long-haul

Think about it, anybody can stick to a diet for a short period of time.

 Losing the weight is not what's actually hard, it's keeping the weight off.  Willpower is not enough to lose weight and keep it off.

This is the reason why people find it easy to fall for the latest Netflix food documentary telling you that the key to weight loss is to consume nothing but juice or that meat is making us fat, not only fat, but it will kill you. *sigh*

So like the Superbowl champions every year, people will inevitably jump on this bandwagon, like almost every diet.

People will likely begin to see some initial weight loss, sometimes even lots of weight loss, but somewhere down the line, they realize they can't sustain it and revert back to their old ways.

… and BAM regain almost all the weight and sometimes even more.

Moral of the story, there are MANY ways to lose weight, and using a keto diet for weight loss is one of them. This doesn't mean that a low-carb diet is ideal for everyone, but for some people such as myself, it fits the criteria for MY food preferences, MY healthy goals, and MY lifestyle.

Plus, it makes me feel FANTASTIC.

If you come across an article that tells you that keto is the BEST diet for everyone then go ahead and close your browser window, they are trying to sell you something.

That said…


Chapter 3: Things to consider…

So now that I've explained to you that any and every diet can help you achieve your goal, here's 7 ways a ketogenic diet may benefit you in adhering to your diet and reaching your body recomposition goals.

This is the best friggin keto weight loss guide on the internet after all.


A KETO diet and weight loss… 7 Reasons it may be beneficial for YOU.

7 REASONS KETO AND WEIGHT LOSS

Rapid initial weight loss

Especially for obese or overweight individuals. Let's face it, seeing progress early on is very motivating.

Typically, during the first week of a ketogenic diet, people see a rapid drop in weight – anywhere from 3 to 10 pounds. This is unrivaled by any other diet, but it is also not all coming from fat, not a majority of it.

In fact, most of this weight loss is the result of the body shedding water weight as a consequence of decreasing or eliminating carbohydrates, and that's because every gram of carbohydrate carries with it about ~3g of water.

But like I said, this is not inherently a bad thing since it can be very motivating to see the scale drop at the very beginning of any diet, just don't be surprised if it doesn't drop that rapidly every week ok?

Fewer cravings

There's something about low carbohydrate diets, especially ketogenic diets, that causes people to have fewer cravings, especially that of many trigger foods that tend to be very calorie dense, but nutrient poor.

A study in 2012 by Martin et al. found that compared to a low-fat diet, low-carb dieters had more significant decreases in cravings for high carbohydrate and high sugar foods. 5Change in Food Cravings, Food Preferences, and Appetite During a Low‐Carbohydrate and Low‐Fat Diet Martin et al. 2012  

I don't know about you, but most of the foods I tend to overeat happen to be pretty high carbohydrate/high sugar combined with high amounts of fat. Ice cream and donuts anyone?

Increased satiety

When you go on a weight loss diet, it's no surprise, but you typically feel hungrier. Surprisingly, the ketogenic diet does not seem to follow suit.

In most studies, people felt less hungry on keto, though the primary mechanism in which it does so is speculative at best.

Ultimately, fat loss depends on expending more calories than are consumed. Many individuals have difficulty restricting calories on a high-carbohydrate diet.

If lowering carbohydrates increases satiety, and makes it easier to control calories, then a low carb or ketogenic approach to weight loss may be the better dietary choice.

Increased and steady energy levels

Opposite of a standard high carbohydrate diet, a ketogenic diet relies on fat stores and dietary fat instead of carbs for energy.

It is because your body can tap into these stores (your fat) at any time that you’ll enjoy a constant, steady stream of energy instead of dips throughout the day because you’re not spiking your blood sugar levels.

Gone are the days where you wake up hangry or experience those afternoon slumps after your lunch break.

At least for the most part.

Mental clarity and increased cognition

Elevated ammonia levels and depressed GABA levels contribute to a condition called “brain fog,” and ketosis increases this GABA signaling. This might explain the cause for why people experience clearer thoughts and even a sense of euphoria. 6Gamma-aminobutyric acid, also known as GABA, is a neurotransmitter that helps send messages between the brain and the nervous system. Its main function is to reduce the activity of nerve cells in the nervous system. A good amount of emerging research has found that it could play a role in many conditions, including depression, anxiety and stress.  

Ketone bodies are the most energy-efficient fuel, especially for the brain.

Compared to glucose, ketone bodies are an ideal energy source for the brain, as they supply more energy per oxygen consumed, provide energy at a faster rate, regulate energy levels, balance the glutamate/glutamine ratio, and reduce damaging free radicals associated with inflammation.

Muscle sparing

Let me make note, that within this entire guide when I refer to “weight loss” what I am really referring to is FAT LOSS.

Our goal here is not only to just lose weight but to lose weight in the form of fat. This is why combining a ketogenic diet with some form of resistance training is HIGHLY recommended.

Even with the absence of resistance training, the ketogenic diet can still elicit a muscle sparing effect. More specifically, the ketone body called beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) has been shown in one study to decrease leucine oxidation and promote protein synthesis. 7 Effect of beta-hydroxybutyrate on whole-body leucine kinetics and fractional mixed skeletal muscle protein synthesis in humans. Nair et al. 1988

This may be why many individuals, especially bodybuilders, are drawn to ketogenic diets in an attempt to lose body fat while sparing the loss of lean body mass. 8Leucine acts as more of a signal in the body that new muscle protein should be built.

Decreased inflamation

Eating a ketogenic diet that is very low in carbohydrates helps halt the surges of insulin that raise blood sugar and create inflammation in the body.

Behind most chronic diseases, such as nerve damage, arthritis, or diabetes, is a high amount of inflammation.

There are many factors involved in chronic inflammation, but our dietary choices make up a big chunk of that.

Also, recent research has shown that beta-hydroxybutyrate, one of the three ketone bodies, can block what’s called the NLRP3 inflammasome, an immune system receptor linked to inflammation.

Now that I've expressed why you may be interested in utilizing keto diet for weight loss, here are some things you may want to consider.


Considerations for picking a diet

Is keto the right weight loss diet for you? I don't know, you'll have to ask yourself and come to that conclusion on your own. That said, here are some things you may want to consider before picking a diet.

KETO DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS CONSIDERATIONS

Enjoyment

Taste preference: Does your diet support your personal taste preference? If using keto for weight loss, you may want to ask yourself if you enjoy fattier foods versus carby foods.

Can you rid your diet of basically every carbohydrate-based food? Because If you enjoy carb-filled foods significantly more, perhaps a ketogenic approach may not be what's optimal for you.

Remember, you have to actually enjoy the diet otherwise (at least as much as you can…) you are likely to give up eventually.

Health

When referring to health, I am referring to both psychological and physiological health as having one without the other is a recipe for disaster.

When referring to health, I am referring to both psychological and physiological health as having one without the other is a recipe for disaster.

abstainer vs moderator keto and weight loss
Psychological health

One of, if not the biggest, psychological factors is how restrictive a diet is, or better yet, how restrictive the diet SEEMS to the dieter.

Don't get me wrong, we are dieting with the intention of weight loss, so restriction is going to be necessary, especially that of calories.

It’s usually when we tell ourselves we can't have something, it makes us want it that much more. Simply being on a diet, you're going to feel restricted, and that's something you have to take into account.

Then, we have to take into account our own personalities when it comes to dieting. I don't know how many times I've heard “as long as it fits your macros bro” or you can eat anything as long as it's in moderation.

And this is great advice if you are a “moderator.”

Moderators are those who do better when they avoid absolute truths and strict rules.

These are the individuals who can have one oreo and put the bag away… the ones who can open a pint of ice cream and have three spoonfuls and pop it back in the freezer.

I, my friend, am not a moderator.

For years, I've tried this approach of “moderation” only to end up failing and failing hard. It wasn't until I realized that I wasn't a moderator, I was an “abstainer.”

It is far easier for me to give something up altogether than to indulge moderately.

If I try to moderate, I inevitably end up exhausting myself debating whether or not I should have some? How much? Should I have some now? How about tomorrow?

On the other hand, if I never do something, it requires no self-control; if I do something sometimes, it requires enormous self-control.

In the end, there's no right or wrong way, it's just a matter of knowing which strategy works better for you and suits your personality. 

If moderators try to abstain, they tend to feel trapped and rebellious. And, when abstainers try to moderate, they up spending a lot of energy trying to justify why they should indulge.

And believe me… I can probably justify why I should be able to eat that entire pizza and pint of ice cream if given enough time. This is why strict dietary rules can be helpful for one person and detrimental to the next.

Physiological health

The other end of the health equation is the physiological factors that come into play when choosing a diet. Most importantly is the quality of the foods we eat and the current level of body fat percentage you are at when starting the diet.

On the topic of food quality, we'll save that for another discussion altogether, but just know that food quality does matter and will play a role in both your health and longevity.

Now, on the topic of body fat percentage, there is plenty of research to suggest that your body fat levels will semi dictate what type of macronutrient composition may best suit you.

That is because one of the primary determinants of insulin resistance is one's body mass index (BMI), more specifically, fat mass. 

Basically, this means people with higher levels of fat mass don't respond as well to carbohydrates as those with lower levels of body fat. 9

This leads to those with a higher body fat percentage tending to fare better on a lower carb diet due to this insulin resistance.

And conversely, someone with a lower body fat % tends to fare better with more carbohydrates, there are, of course, exceptions, and more importantly our preferences. But this holds true for most.

insulin sensitivity with keto and weight loss
 As long as there is a calorie deficit in place, YOU WILL lose fat.  However, in my experience, people with higher levels of body fat tend to fare much better restricting carbohydrates.

This restriction can come in the form of a low carbohydrate diet or a very low/no carbohydrate diet such as that of a ketogenic approach.

All of this is important to understand because while the basics of changing your body composition come down to energy balance, each person is different when it comes to psychologically and physiologically meeting his or her needs.

Once you've understood your own personal psychological and physiological needs, you can then begin to put the pieces of your diet together.

Get it? Got it? Good.

Now onwards we go to setting up your diet.


Chapter 4: Setting up your ketogenic diet

But first, a brief interruption to dispel another common misconception.

Despite what Dr. Keto told you and how it's all about your hormones, insulin, and pesky little gremlins keeping you from losing weight, the real reason you're not losing fat is that you're eating too much.

Yes, even when you swear you're not.


I have a slow metabolism, maybe my body is in starvation mode?

Here comes the but's again.

But what about metabolic damage or a slow metabolism or how about my body is in starvation mode, that's why! I mean, the intrawebs told you so it must be true.

Just to get everyone up to speed, starvation mode or “metabolic damage” is this idea that if you eat too little for an extended period of time, your body will compensate by somehow halting fat burning in its tracks and possibly even doing the opposite causing you to gain weight… on like 900 calories.

Sound familiar?

When you reduce calories, there is, in fact, SOME slowing of your metabolic rate over time. What DOESN'T happen is your body mysteriously enters the twilight zone where the laws of thermodynamics cease to exist, thus resulting in no fat loss on an absurdly low amount of calories.

The leaner and lighter you become the fewer calories your body will require to keep itself alive and functioning, that's just common sense. This process is referred to as adaptive thermogenesis.

Basically, your body has adapted to the lower energy requirements of your lighter, and hopefully leaner self.

And even then, studies have shown that when people have lost vast amounts of weight, the actual change in their basal metabolic rate is only around ~10%-15%. 9 Long-term persistence of adaptive thermogenesis in subjects who have maintained a reduced body weight. Rosenbaum et al. 2008  

The majority of the reduction in metabolism comes from decreases in the physical components such as NEAT (but we’ll get to that later on in this guide). Naturally, you begin to move less, so it only makes sense that you are not burning as many calories. 

Don't believe me still?

In the 40's, thirty-six men took up residence in the corridors at the University of Minnesota for what is known as the Minnesota Starvation Experiment.

The study was mainly to gather data on the psychological effects of starvation. Basically, 36 men were put on a 24-week long starvation diet.

Calorie intake was first established for 12 weeks before the experiment on a diet of 3,200 calories per day, then followed by the 24-weeks of semi-starvation at 1,570 calories a day.

Their calorie intake was then reduced further throughout the study to keep weight loss happening.

On top of the food restriction, they were required to work 15 hours per week in the lab, walk 22 miles per week, and participate in a variety of educational activities for 25 hours a week.

This was roughly around a 50% deficit in calories, general guidelines for most aggressive fat loss protocols still range in the 20-30% deficit; only half the amount of that in the study.

All the men lost about 25% of their total body weight and ended up around 5% body fat. By the end of the study, the men's metabolic rates dropped by about 40%, but their actual BMR only dropped by around ~15%.

Metabolic rate takes into account everything including physical activity while Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is how many calories you would burn if you were to do nothing but sit on your butt all day, literally.

So to give you a better idea of what actual “starvation” looks like.

keto and weight loss starvation

Now go look in the mirror, don't look that emaciated? You're not starving.

Ok, finally let's get into it.


Setting up your ketogenic diet take two

When setting up your keto weight loss diet, there is a hierarchy of priority as illustrated below.

body recomp for keto and weight loss pyramid

Starting from the bottom and moving our way up.

First off, what this pyramid leaves out is that the number one successful way to lose weight and keep it off is through behavioral modification.

Meaning,  implementing LIFESTYLE CHANGES and good daily habits is the ultimate way to lasting fat loss. 

That said,

Calories

As you can see, calories come first. Despite all the nonsense you've heard about calories not mattering on a ketogenic diet, they do.

Again, if someone tells you calories don't matter as long as you control insulin and yada yada yada they're just trying to sell you something (or live in a bubble) go ahead and stop listening to them. 10It's also not just a simple calories in calories out equation, but to lose weight we must create an energy imbalance where more calories are expended versus what we consume.

If your goal is to lose body fat, which is why I assume you're here in the first place, then the most efficient way to do this is to take in less food.

You can also increase your activity to create the deficit needed or utilize a combination of both (less food and move more).

calories in. calories out keto fat loss

To work out your fat loss calories, you can use the keto macro calculator or simply take your bodyweight in pounds and multiply it by 9-14, which will be further explained below.

Either way, you'll end up at around the same number give or take ~5%.

 Ideally, you would have kept a food journal and figured out what your maintenance calories were based on a week or two of record keeping. 

Maintenance calories = the number of calories it takes to roughly maintain your weight. This would make it a lot easier and be more of an accurate starting point. 

keto weight loss calculating maintenance

But I digress.

This is only a starting point, and  adjustments should be made based on actual results;  therefore it's easier to get a number and run with it rather than being paralyzed by fancy equations.

The sooner you begin, the sooner you can start seeing results. Remember, action action action action action action action action. TAKE ACTION!

So back to 9-14, why the range? Well, there are a lot of factors that go into someone's calorie needs. Here is a very rough guideline on where you may fall on that spectrum.

– If you're a sedentary female (desk job) who might train 3x a week at a very low intensity (or not at all), then first… start training, but stick with the lower end of (9-10)

– If you're a female who works a fairly active job and/or you're training more frequently 3-5x a week at a moderate to high intensity, go with the mid-range of (10-12)

– If you're a sedentary male then same deal, except lucky you… you have more muscle than your female counterpart, so you get to start a bit higher. Go with the low-mid range (10-12)

– If you're a male who works a reasonably active job and/or you train pretty intensely 3+ more times per week then go with the higher range of (12-14)

ez calclulaor to lose weight on keto

Keto macros

Ok, so we've calculated calorie intake either by using the calculator or using the simple equation above and finding your body weight multiplier. Now, we are gonna set your macros.

Macro is short for macronutrient, and macronutrients make up the components of food in the form of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Technically alcohol is a macronutrient as well, but we're not diving into that in this guide.

Macronutrients contain calories and each macronutrient contains a certain number of calories per gram.

So basically, protein and carbohydrates both contain 4 calories per gram while fat contains a whopping 9 calories.

keto and weight loss macros and calories

Now, every other ketogenic site on this earth will have you calculate your macros based on percentages, but I ain't about that life. 11The problem with percentages is it relies on how many calories you are eating in the first place. It was also established to optimize the diet for epileptic children. Here, I'm about getting you results, and by results, I mean fat loss.

My recommendations will be more evidence-based and skewed toward body recomposition, not based on if you were an epileptic child who would need to stick to specific percentages for the treatment of a disorder unless you consider fat a disorder.


Protein

The first macro we'll set up is our protein. Now, contrary to popular belief, protein does not automatically get converted into chocolate cake aka gluconeogenewhat? 12Gluconeogenesis is a metabolic pathway that results in the generation of glucose from non-carbohydrate carbon substrates such as protein (amino acids)

Technically, gluconeogenesis is happening all the time, but there is a common misconception in the ketosphere that “a little extra” protein in the diet will magically turn into chocolate cake. Sorry, but if that were the case, I would probably just eat some chocolate cake.

All kidding aside, you would need to eat a significant amount of protein to knock yourself out of ketosis. Secondly, ketosis is technically not our goal… right?

Fat loss is. Lastly, I would rather have gluconeogenesis occur from the protein I eat rather than break down my hard earned muscle tissue for energy.

Even if we get knocked out of ketosis, which would only happen temporarily, ketosis is a welcomed side effect, not our primary goal. Myself, along with many others have successfully eaten high protein diets while maintaining a state of ketosis.

Myself, along with many others have successfully eaten high protein diets while maintaining a state of ketosis.

So back to protein shall we? Protein is quite essential when it comes to fat loss. In fact, I would venture to say that protein is probably the most critical macronutrient of the three.

protein essential for keto weight loss

Protein is responsible for:

Muscle retention. In conjunction with resistance training, eating sufficient protein helps to limit or even stop the body from burning its own protein (muscle).

Satiety. Of the three macronutrients, protein is more satiating than either fats or carbohydrates. Additionally, protein stimulates the release of the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) which is thought to help regulate appetite.

Deliciousness. Protein is just delicious.

So how much protein do you need?

Again, we're not basing macros on percentages. Instead, we are going to calculate macros on body weight and more specifically lean body mass.

total weight – fat mass = lean body mass

Or at least that would be the ideal situation.

The problem with setting protein or any macro according to lean body mass is that most people simply don't know their body fat percentage and figuring it out can be both time-consuming… and possibly even inaccurate.

Just like we used per pound of bodyweight to calculate our total calories, I have a simple way to figure out how much protein you should eat. Set your protein intake at 1g per pound of DESIRED body weight.  13 If you do know your body fat or have a way to accurately measure then go ahead and do 1 – 1.2g/lbm

For example, if you are a 150lb female and want to weigh 120lbs, then you would eat 120 grams of protein per day.

This usually works well since it almost ensures an adequate amount of protein, and when it comes to protein too much is better than too little.

Easy Peasy. Now let's move on.

A SIDE NOTE
A little caveat I want to mention in regards to protein. During the first ~3 or so weeks of transitioning to a ketogenic diet, there may be an increased need for protein to provide enough glucose to supply the brain and prevent the body from breaking down muscle protein. This is because the brain hasn't yet become efficient at utilizing ketones. This may be why you often hear that it takes about 3 weeks to become “fat or keto-adapted.”

That said, I would advise people ingest a minimum of 150g of protein during the first 3 weeks of a ketogenic diet. After the 3 weeks, you may choose to reduce your protein intake if you wish or keep it at 150g and bring your fat intake down. This, of course, is dependent on if your calculated protein is below 150g to start with.


Carbs and fats

Lastly, we have our carbs and fats.

Why am I grouping the two? Well, being a ketogenic diet we're basically eliminating almost all carbohydrates except that of those coming from leafy greens.

So first, let's go over carbohydrates because then it will be a no-brainer when it comes to determining our fat intake.

When it comes to carbohydrates,  I generally recommend people utilizing a ketogenic diet for fat loss to limit their TOTAL carbohydrates to 30g or less.  Yepp, you heard it… TOTAL, not NET.

Why total?

Simply because I know people will take 30g of net carbs way too far. Sure, they might stick to 30g of “net carbs,” but they also have 40g of fiber, and another 40g of sugar alcohols from their “keto-friendly” treats… but hey, those aren't net carbs, so they don't count.

Funny enough, those tend to be the same people who wonder why they aren't seeing any results, but they conclude it's because their body is in “starvation mode,” and they are barely eating anything.

The majority, if not all, of carbohydrates consumed, will come from vegetable sources. So green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, chard, etc. are all fair game.

 In the end, it won't matter too much where the carb sources come from or how you spread it out with such a minuscule amount. Might as well make those carbs count and fill up with fibrous nutrient dense veggies. 

Which leads us to our last macronutrient. FAT.

We've basically covered protein and carbohydrates, the last remaining macronutrient is fat.

To reiterate everything up to this point, we've set our calories at roughly 9-14 x our body weight in pounds. We've also calculated our protein, or instead simply set it, at our desired body weight, and limited our carbohydrates to less than 30 total grams.

In practice, it would look a little something like this:

MEET SARA
Imagine my friend Sara is 160lbs and wants to get down to 120lbs at the end of her diet. Sara has a fairly active job where she's on her feet all day and does CrossFit 4x a week. To calculate Sara's calories, we'll start her off with a multiplier of 12.

160lbs x 12 = 1920 total calories per day

120lbs = 120g of protein x 4 calories per gram = 480 calories

30g of carbohydrates x 4 calories per gram = 120 calories

Protein + Carbohydrates = 600 calories

Now it will be easy for Sara to calculate how much fat she will need since she knows her total calories are at 1920 calories per day and she already filled up 600 of those calories with protein and carbohydrates.

This leaves Sara with 1320 calories left over to fill with fat grams.

Fat = 9 calories per gram so 1320 / 9 = 147g of Fat

Sara's totals are 1920 calories, 120g protein, 30g carbs, 147g fat


A common misconception

Now, there is often another misconception about ketogenic diets and that you must consume large amounts of fat to enter a state of ketosis.

Although a high fat intake is necessary for epileptic children since they must maintain a deep level of ketosis, dietary fat is not required to be in, or enter, a state of ketosis. 

 The only requirement for the body to enter a state of ketosis is a reduction or elimination of carbohydrates. 

Then why have any fat at all?

The primary reason for the inclusion of dietary fat in our ketogenic diet is to keep caloric intake high enough to prevent a slowdown of metabolic rate. Setting our calories too low increases the likelihood of muscle loss and metabolic slowdown. 14A total caloric deficit of more than 1000 cal/day seems to be the threshold for slowing the metabolism. Some slowing is expected when dieting, but it seems deficits greater than 1000 causes a more significant decrease.

Besides, fat promotes feelings of fullness and makes food taste better. Remember how diets must be enjoyable for adherence?

To summarize in one graphic

Just remember, carbs and protein are 4 calories per gram and fat is 9 calories per gram

Keto and micronutrients

he next level of our pyramid brings us to micronutrients.

Micronutrition may sound boring, but you can't afford to ignore it. Long-term deficiencies will ultimately impact your health and as a result, sabotage your fat loss efforts over the long term.

Some things to note:

  • Since you are dieting, you are at a higher risk of micronutrient deficiencies simply due to eating less.
    Six micronutrients (vitamin B7 (biotin), vitamin D, vitamin E, chromium, iodine, and molybdenum) were identified as consistently low or nonexistent in many diets.
  • A multivitamin isn't a substitute for a nutrient-poor diet but can act as insurance on a nutrient-rich one.  After all, a poor diet with a multivitamin is still a poor diet. 
  • If you have issues with energy, sleep, or just feel off, it could be that you're deficient in some vitamins and/or minerals such as electrolytes.
  • When it comes to water intake, a good rule of thumb is to aim for 5 clear urinations per day.

At the end of the day, if your diet consists of whole, unprocessed foods and you're fulfilling your 30g of total carbohydrates with green leafy vegetables you should basically have most, if not all, of your micronutrition covered.

The end.

Just kidding.

So you've calculated how many calories you should eat and have your macros all figured out, now what do you eat? This section usually leads us to the inevitable debate between the If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) crowd and the “Clean eating” crowd.

Clean eating

The truth is that  no food is inherently good or bad , but of course, there are foods which are probably more nutritious (fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc.).

The problem with this line of thinking is that it creates a black and white, good vs. bad, neurotic mentality toward food.

I know, because I used to be of this mentality.

If It Fits Your Macros

The exact opposite of the clean eaters, basically eat whatever you want as long as it “fits your macros.” 

The intent behind IIFYM was originally to prevent the neurotic mentality of clean eating and let people know that it was ok to have such “forbidden foods” once in a while so long as you accounted for it. 

Much like anything, people took it out of context and used it as an excuse to fill their diets with pop tarts and ding dongs.

The best approach likely falls somewhere in the middle of these two trains of thought. Food quality does matter, so let's exercise the 80/20 rule when it comes to food choices. 

80% of the time stick to whole nutrient-rich foods and 20% of the time feel free to have your keto treats and snacks.

For a list of foods, you can visit the keto foods list or click here to download a printable list of foods you can take with you to the grocery store.

Word of warning, almost everyone has some sort of trigger food or hyper-palatable food that can trigger overeating.  What triggers me may differ than what triggers you.

For example, give me a jar of peanut butter, and I can comfortably sit there and eat the entire jar with a spoon.

Foods such as nut butters, or better yet, nuts in general, are types of foods that are hyper-palatable, calorically dense, and easy to overeat if you don't pay attention.

You'd be surprised at just how little a single serving is of peanut butter is according to the nutrition label.

And no, a tablespoon doesn't mean how much you can fit onto one tablespoon. 

peanut butter tbsp comparson
Very deceiving, but can make a big difference

As you can see above, the difference between 100 and 200 calorie spoonfuls looks negligible.

So when it comes to choosing what foods to eat, be mindful of your personality type. If you're a restrictor, while no foods are technically off limit, some foods should be limited or avoided altogether since it can lead you down the wrong path.

This might mean that you should steer clear of these foods and even go as far as not having them in your home.

During a diet, hunger and cravings are almost inevitable, and like I always like to say… willpower is finite. Meaning, everyone caves in eventually.

I do, you do, your best friend does… it's human nature. That's why you have to create an environment that is conducive to your goals instead of relying on your willpower to get you through 100% of the time.

Besides, when dieting, you're better off choosing high-volume foods. High-volume foods are foods that are low in calories, but high in nutrients. High-volume foods are those with high water and fiber contents, such as vegetables.

These types of foods increase gastric stretching which can help one feel full and satisfied which is quite important on a diet.

At the end of the day, be mindful of your food choices.

Onto another hot topic in the keto community.


Meal timing

One of the significant benefits of a keto weight loss diet is that often, many people report never feeling hungry. On a weight loss diet, this is probably the most crucial part of the equation.

After all, the most successful diet is the one that you can adhere to, and most people end up quitting their diets, yes plural, because they are just plain hungry and miserable.

Just remember, it's still a weight loss diet, and there WILL be times you will feel hungry, and you WILL have to dig deep, even on a ketogenic one.

But first…

I know what you're thinking already, this is the part where you want me to tell you that intermittent fasting is the holy grail. If you are already doing IF and it's working great for you, awesome.

If not, don’t worry, you’re not missing out on much.

Intermittent fasting and just plain fasting, in general, has become rampant, but especially within the keto community. Just pop open Instagram, you'll see people going 16 hours without eating, then progressing to 20 hours, next thing you'll notice they are eating once a day.

Before you know it, they are seeing how many days they can go without eating.

But it's for the autophagy Steven. 15Autophagy is a natural process and it's the body's system of cleaning house

Stop kidding yourself.

First off, there are many health benefits to fasting, that's not what we are debating here. I know, and you know that you're fasting because you want to see the scale drop and you want to see it drop as fast as possible.

I get it ok?

 There is nothing wrong with implementing intermittent fasting, but at the end of the day, there is no additional fat loss benefit once calories and protein are equated for.  16Any additional “fat loss benefit” would really be insignificant in the grand scheme of things… therefor it really is nothing to worry about or mention.

Meaning, if you lose weight on 1800 calories and you eat that spread over 6 meals vs. 1 meal, it really won't matter all that much.

As recent as this year, 2018 depending on when you're reading this, after a 1-year study by Sundfør et al., they concluded that both intermittent and continuous energy restriction resulted in similar weight loss.

However, they noted in their study that the feelings of hunger were more pronounced in the group that was doing intermittent fasting.17Effect of intermittent versus continuous energy restriction on weight loss, maintenance and cardiometabolic risk: A randomized 1-year trial. Sundfør et al. 2018

I actually find that myself and many others experience the exact opposite concerning hunger. The sole reason I recommend intermittent fasting for most people is that they are better able to manage their hunger earlier for a bigger payoff (more substantial more satiating meal) later.

Mind you, while most people intermittent fast by skipping out on breakfast, you can do the opposite and eat earlier in the day and start your fast earlier as well.

There is some evidence to suggest that while intermittent fasting leads to no additional fat loss over regular calorie restriction, there may be some benefit to Early Time-Restricted Feeding (eTRF).

eTRF is a form of IF that involves eating early in the day to be in alignment with circadian rhythms in metabolism. In practice, instead of doing what most people do and skip breakfast you would eat breakfast and start your fast by about 3pm.

The jury is still out on this one, but the research shows that eTRF improved insulin sensitivity, β cell responsiveness, blood pressure, oxidative stress, and appetite.

So while not a direct correlation with increased fat loss, you can see how improving these factors may lead to greater adherence.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather have one or two substantial meals instead of 4-6 small bite-sized meals throughout the day. 18I just find it easier to skip breakfast. I also feel more energized and light on my feet in the daytime. I also like to go to bed on a full stomach, but that's just what works for me and my preferences.

So, if you want to give IF, or even eTRF, a go, and it works for you, more power to you.

Which finally leads meads to the question, how frequently should you eat to maximize fat loss?

You should eat 8 meals at two-hour intervals throughout…

Just kidding.

As stated previously, it really doesn't matter all that much once calories and protein are equated for. Meaning, in every trial that matched for calories and protein, 1 meal versus 6 meals, low carb vs. high carb, the end result is generally the same.

 Eat the number of meals and at the frequency that suits YOUR preferences and YOUR lifestyle the best.  Whether you enjoy eating three to four times or only once or twice, it really will not make much of a difference regarding fat loss.

Since we are talking about weight loss, you will probably benefit from eating bigger meals but less frequently, unless you enjoy eating smaller sized meals.

And off to the last little totem on the pole. Supplements.

intermittent fasting for weight loss

Keto supplements

Supplements, as the name implies, are meant to complete or enhance, not take the place of.

Unfortunately, when it comes to 95% of supplements, as sexy as their claims are,  very few supplements actually work  and even then, you'll only notice the benefits if your diet, training, and lifestyle taken care of first.

BUT

I know a lot of people reading this will disregard that statement and look below to see what magic pills, powders, and potions I'll recommend.

But that's not you, right? 

I know YOU definitely have your diet, training, and lifestyle optimized and are about to peek below to see what you can add to further your health and fat loss effort; therefore, these are for you guys and gals.

keto weight loss supplement list

Also, bear in mind that not all supplements are created equally. Many companies use fillers, have no quality control, and sometimes just blatantly lie.

The below supplements are what I recommend based on companies I trust and have also been third party tested to make sure what they say is in it is ACTUALLY in it.

Caffeine

Caffeine has been shown to aid in fat loss, gym performance, appetite suppression, and if you're drinking it,

aka black gold, aka coffee, aka nectar of the gods,

it's also filled with plenty of antioxidants.

The dose is often based on body weight, set at around 1.4–2.7 mg per lb of body weight or 3–6 mg per kg. This is about 200–400 mg for most people, although some studies use up to 600–900 mg. 19 International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and performance. Goldstein ER et al. 2010

Start on the low end to assess your tolerance before working your way up.

It's hard to give a blanket recommendation since some can tolerate 50mg, while others may tolerate 500mg and go right to bed.

Regarding when to take it, caffeine should be taken 30-60 minutes before exercise for its performance boosting benefits since it reaches peak stimulatory effect somewhere between 30 and 70 minutes.

Just be mindful if you workout in the evenings

Not a fan of coffee? You can try other caffeinated beverages or use caffeine tabs. Tabs usually come in 200mg doses but there a link below to 100mg tablets for easier adjustment.

Recommended: Caffeine Tablets

Creatine

Creatine is probably one of the most thoroughly tested supplements that is proven to work for increasing performance. Not only that, but creatine's benefits seem to also expand outside of just performance. This is why creatine has become one of my most recommended supplements.

Creatine has been proven to be safe and dirt cheap, which makes it a no-brainer in my opinion.

When it comes to dosing creatine, there is no need to front-load or doing a “loading phase.” Just take 3-5g (teaspoon) daily whenever convenient to you in the form of creatine monohydrate.

You can literally buy a 6 month+ supply for ~$30

  • Recommended creatine: Bulk supplements creatine
  • Recommended creatine: Musclefeast creapure

Fish oil

By fish oil, I am referring to EPA and DHA, the most useful types of omega-3s, which are generally found in fatty fish and algae.

Regarding body recomposition, fish oil has been linked to increased fat oxidation and decreased fat storage, but omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help with numerous health conditions: reduced inflammation, reduced risk of cancer and diabetes, and improved heart health.

While there are no “official” recommendations of just how much fish oil to consume, a minimum of 250-500 mg combined EPA and DHA seems to be the general consensus by most health organizations. 20 U.S. Department of Health Guidelines 2010

If you are eating fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines) at least 2-3x a week you should be ok, but for the rest, I would suggest taking in a quality fish oil supplement.

  • Recommended fish oil: Fish oil pills
  • Recommended fish oil: Fish oil liquid

Vitamin D

Getting in enough vitamin D is essential for optimal health, and it makes this guide because nearly 50% of the population has a vitamin D deficiency.

Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D functions similar to a hormone, and every cell in your body has a receptor for it. Your body makes it from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sun, hence why it's given the name the “sunshine vitamin.”

Consuming 400–800 IU of vitamin D should meet the needs of ~90% of healthy people. However, a variety of studies show that taking more than this is linked to more significant health benefits.

Based on current research, consuming 1,000–4,000 IU of vitamin D daily may be more ideal for most people to reach healthy vitamin D blood levels.

Your vitamin D needs depend on a variety of factors. These include your age, skin color, current blood vitamin D levels, location, sun exposure and more. 

If you're getting enough natural sunlight exposure regularly, go with the lower end and vice versa.

  • Recommended Vitamind D: Vitamin D3 Soft Gels

Magnesium

Like Vitamin D, magnesium plays a vital role in everyday bodily functions,  and it's estimated that 80 percent of adults are deficient in this vital mineral.

While magnesium can be obtained from our diet, soil depletion lowers the amount of magnesium present in our foods making it hard to get from diet alone (hard, but not impossible). Our bodies also lose stores of magnesium every day from normal functions.

When it comes to dosing magnesium, a good rule of thumb seems to be 200-400mg daily.

  • Recommended Magnesium: Pure magnesium glycinate
  • Recommended Magnesium: Zhou magnesium glycinate complex

Electrolytes (sodium in particular)

We've gone over magnesium already, so let's briefly go over sodium. A lot of the unwanted side effects that many experience on a keto weight loss diet is due in part to a deficiency in electrolytes, most notably, sodium.

Reason being, not only are you eliminating carbohydrates, you're probably not consuming many of the pre-packaged foods that you once were. You basically hit your body with a double whammy when you switched to a ketogenic diet.

For every gram of carbohydrate you consume, the body stores an additional ~3-4 grams of water. Eliminate carbohydrates, and you quickly see what happens as experienced by the frequent urination during the first week of a ketogenic diet.

Not only are you eliminating carbohydrates, but most people generally switch to whole foods (a good thing) instead of prepackaged foods.

However, the problem with this is that those pre-packaged foods are typically filled with tons of sodium already. You've now drastically cut your sodium intake without adding them back in.

It is suggested that you take anywhere from 4-6g of sodium per day whether from supplementation or just liberally salting your foods.

  • Recommended salt: Redmond real salt
  • Recommended salt: Celtic sea salt
  • Recommended salt: Pink himalayan salt

Multivitamin

A multivitamin CAN be useful especially while dieting and calories are low. A multivitamin can serve to help cover any nutritional deficiencies almost like an insurance policy. Again, NOT required, but may be beneficial.

The trouble with most multivitamins is they are filled with inferior ingredients and forms of vitamins and minerals that are not bioavailable and full of garbage. So like most other forms of supplements, quality does matter.

  • Recommended multivitamin: Pure multivitamin

Lastly, a list of all the effective keto weight loss pills.

. There

. Isn't

. Any

. 😛


Chapter 5: Making adjustments to your keto weight loss diet

One of the biggest differences between those who are successful and those who are unsuccessful with any diet is their ability to track fat loss and make adjustments.

There are certainly a number of tools that ketogenic dieters can use to maximize results. These include the weight scales, various body fat testing methods, blood ketone meters, a tape measure, etc.


The difference maker: How to track fat loss and make adjustments

And off to the first BUT of this section.

But first, let's differentiate between weight loss and fat loss. One of the reasons why I don't recommend using the scale as the only means to measure progress is that it is often unreliable.

There are just too many factors that can influence what the number on that pesky little thing will give you on a daily basis.

keto weight loss did you gain weight?

To give you an example:

Weight loss is easy, don't drink water for a day or two and you'll quickly drop three to five pounds on the scale. However, when you drink water again, you'll soon regain that lost couple of pounds, so apparently, it wasn't ‘real' weight loss.

 When most people refer to weight loss, what they really want and are referring to, is fat loss. 

Without knowing where the lost weight is coming from (fat vs. muscle vs. water), you won't know whether your diet and exercise is working optimally.

What's EVEN WORSE, if you are NOT exercising, you can almost be sure that over half of the total weight loss will be from muscle and water, not fat.

The leaner are when you start dieting the more susceptible you are to muscle loss.

This often leads people to what is commonly referred to as skinny fat or basically a skinnier version of your fat self.

keto weight loss vs fat loss

no Bueno.

To make it clear, your goal should be maximal FAT LOSS not WEIGHT LOSS. Retaining as much muscle as possible while burning fat should be your priority instead of just weight loss.

Muscle helps burn more calories at rest, promotes insulin sensitivity, helps preserve and maintain healthy bone density, and frankly, it just makes you look sexier…


On how to track progress

If you are putting in a serious amount of effort with your training and nutrition, you owe it to yourself to take a few extra minutes each week to track your progress.

Tracking progress will help ensure you are on the right track and achieve your goals is a systematic way. Here are my top 3 methods based on ease of use and accessibility for most people.

SCALE

Wait a second, didn't you just say the scale wasn't a good way to measure progress? Not quite. A scale is a valuable tool, one of many, and can be useful if you know how to use it to your advantage.

Here's how to use the scale.

Weigh yourself every morning upon waking, preferably after going to the toilet. Scale weight will fluctuate day to day, but we're after averages and trends over time.

At the end of every week, add up all your weigh-ins and divide it by 7 (assuming you weighed yourself all 7 days).

Frequency of measurement: DAILY

TAPE MEASURE

Much like scale weight, I suggest measuring in the morning when you wake up, after going to the toilet. If you have someone that can do this for you, i.e. your spouse or partner, great… if not, do it yourself.

Either way, make sure it's usually best done by the same person whether yourself or another for consistency.

tracking your keto weight loss progress

When used in combination with the scale, this will help you to gauge muscle growth and fat loss in different areas. Make sure you measure the largest point in each area.

Frequency of measurement: ONCE A WEEK

PICTURES

Our third method of measurement will be pictures. Your goal is to take two photos, front and side, every four weeks.

Why not every week or every other week? Simply, changes will be too small to be noticeable.

Every four weeks seems like a happy medium to show some decent progress.  Everyone loves progress pictures, side by side comparisons end up being great motivation when you're able to see where all your hard work is going.

Aim to use:

  • Same lighting conditions
  • Camera
  • Camera angle
  • Distance from the camera
  • Time of day
  • Pose

Frequency of measurement: ONCE A MONTH

Some additional methods of measuring progress can include subjective feelings. After all, everything affects everything else.

Rate all of these on a scale of 0 – 5.

  • Sleep quality (0 = Slept like a baby. 5 = GIVE ME COFFEE.)
  • Stress levels (0 = Life's great! 5 = The world's gonna end.)
  • Hunger Issues (0 = No prob Bob. 5 = I'm gonna chew my arm off.)
  • Energy levels (0 = Let's smash a workout 5 = Carry me!)

Lastly, another useful data point to track is your gym performance. Am I getting stronger? Faster? Maintaining my strength?

 Strength maintenance is usually a good indicator of muscle preservation. 

However, this is not always the case, and in some lifts the leaner you get, the less you will be able to lift due to a change in leverages vs. actual muscle loss.

And while we're on the subject of tracking progress, you might be wondering why I didn't recommend monitoring body fat percentage.  Getting a body fat test done is not as convenient and widely available to individuals as the methods listed above.

Besides, most people are aiming for a certain “look,” so what would it matter what the scale or a body fat test told you if you liked what you saw in the mirror?

Let me answer that for you.

It wouldn't.

More importantly, every method of measuring body fat has their own set of accuracy and consistency issues.

Over the long term, having your body fat tested is a great way to measure progress, but in the short term, where the decisions and adjustments happen accordingly, it doesn't fit the bill.

To summarize

Gauge progress by looking at data over a more extended period, about four weeks. Analyze the trend, not the day to day fluctuations or even the week to week ones.

This means you'll have to exercise some patience and hold off on making adjustments.

 Don't fix what ain't broke. 

If your weight is slowly increasing while your stomach measurements gradually decrease, this indicates simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain.

Muscle growth will hide fat loss which is another reason why we cannot just rely on the scale.

keto weight loss vs keto fat loss

Making adjustments to your diet

It's inevitable, every diet will need to be adjusted as you lose weight and get leaner. If you've come to the point where you are experiencing no weight loss on keto here's what you do.

Bear in mind, if you are just starting your fat loss efforts, it takes the body some time to catch up to the deficit. I suggest waiting at minimum 3 – 4 weeks before making any adjustments to allow enough time to gauge actual progress.

Assuming you've done the above, waited a good 3-4 weeks, been tracking progress and still see no weight loss on keto. How do you make the adjustment?

The impatient dieter would probably do something drastic like cut 1,000 calories from their diet, the patient dieter would make SMALL adjustments.

Just remember, it's not how fast you get to your goal, all that matters is that you get there.

Years from now, you won't even care or remember if it took you 3 months, 6 months, or over a year. You'll just be glad that you've built up some great habits and that you got where you so wanted to be today.

So how small of an adjustment? Reduce your calorie intake by 5-10%.

For example, if your starting calorie intake was 2000 calories, you would further reduce this by only 100-200 calories.

Where should the adjustment come from?

Since carbs are already low, the only two remaining macronutrients to pull from are protein and fat.

Since we calculated protein based on our lean body mass or our ‘desired body weight,' this number must remain the same. This leaves only fat as the lever to dial back on if we aren't seeing the progress we desire.

In the case of our 2,000 calorie dieter who will make a 100-200 calorie adjustment, let's call him Bob, he will reduce his fat gram intake by 100-200 calories.

This means Bob will reduce his fat grams by 11-22 grams and keep his protein and carbohydrate intake the same. That's it.

After making this adjustment, Bob will keep an eye on his weekly average weight, measurements, and progress photos.

If after another 2-4 weeks things look like they are stalling, Bob will make another 5-10% reduction. If progress is steady, he will stay the course and continue doing what he's doing.

Experiencing a keto weight loss stall? Perhaps it's time for a diet break.

Yes, you read that right… a diet BREAK.

You've read earlier, or at the least heard of intermittent fasting, now let's talk about intermittent dieting. Basically, I'm talking about breaking up your dieting with periods of 10-14 days where you bring your calories back up to maintenance.

Reasons for taking a diet break.

Physiological reasons

When we diet, specific metabolic adaptations take place to counteract the caloric deficit. This is part of the reason why we must make small adjustments on a continual basis. 

A short period of regular eating has the potential to reverse some of these adaptations and allow our hormones to recover to normal, or at least semi-normal levels.

Psychological reasons

Dieting sucks, so sometimes taking a diet break is what we need to re-light the fire we had when we first started. Taking a break also allows us to recover emotionally and mentally… and possibly relieve some stress that has accrued.

How to implement the diet break.

In a perfect world, you would take a break from counting food entirely and eat to your hunger. If you know that free reign to eat according to hunger is a bad idea, then you may want to keep to semi-regular meals and times.

Just like we used a simple calorie calculation to determine our weight loss calories, you may do the same to get a baseline maintenance. A good rule of thumb is to calculate your weight in pounds by 14-16 calories.

The increase in calories can come in the form of increased protein or from fat, your choice. It really won't matter too much whether you choose protein vs. fat, all that matters is that you increase your calories for the 10-14 days.

Current literature does suggest that the increase in calories should come in the form of carbohydrates as carbohydrates has the biggest impact on hormone levels.

That said, I will leave that at your discretion as to whether or not you wish to consider using a ketogenic approach during your periods of bringing calories up to maintenance.

For many individuals who adopt keto as a lifestyle this may not be a feasible option. In this case, make up the increase in calories by bringing up your fat intake.

Remember, we are trying to give our bodies a break, so don't panic and overcompensate by trying to do more cardio or anything of the sort. In fact, this is a great time to actually take it a tad easier if you've been going balls to the wall.

How often to implement a diet break.

The leaner you are, the harder it generally is to keep dropping fat. Also, the leaner you are, the harsher the metabolic adaptations become as you diet down.

Since leanness plays a part in how fast our body decides to hate us, this will determine how frequently diet breaks should be taken.

DIET BREAK KETO WEIGHT LOSS

You can expect a rise in the scale weight due to the increase in food, but that is to be expected.

Don't panic, we actually want this, and if you've followed the (14-16 calories per pound of body weight), and didn't go on a binge fest, then you likely didn't put on much if any fat.

This increase in scale weight will soon subside once you return to a caloric deficit.


Chapter 6: How fast can you lose fat?

First off, what's the rush?

Like I mentioned earlier,  whether it takes you 3 months, 6 months, or 12+ months, years from now you won't even care or remember. You'll only care that you lost the weight and built up the habits that kept it off. 

Besides, you didn't gain all that weight in a month, so why are you expecting it to come off in one?


Average weight loss in ketosis? Is there a keto weight loss rate you should be aiming for?

You'd be quite surprised, or maybe not, to see how often I get questions like ‘What's the average weight loss in ketosis?' or is there a ‘ketosis weight loss rate I should be aiming for?'

It's the ones who have this fast fat loss mentality who are also the ones who tend to regain the weight back after they end their diets, or quit entirely before accomplishing their goal.

Not to say that there is no such thing as aggressive fat loss diets or that they don't work, because they do.

It is because this mentality encourages the use of fad diets that won't be sustainable in the long-term nor will it help you build proper habits that allow you to maintain the fat loss in the long-term.

So be patient young grasshopper.

keto weight loss patience.jpg

Now that's out the way, just how fast should you be expecting to lose fat? To circle back, there is no average weight loss that everyone can expect while in ketosis or any other diet.

However, there is a sensible weight loss rate you could aim for, but this is dependent on how much fat you have to lose to begin with.

The higher your starting levels of body fat, the faster you can expect to lose. Conversely, the leaner you are, the slower rate of loss will be or at least should be, to best minimize muscle and strength loss.

With that said: I like to set fat loss targets between .5 – 1% of your total body weight per week. 

The benefit of using percentages is that the rate of loss will automatically scale as your weight decreases.

So, if you have a lot of weight to lose you will have a higher target, but this will be autoregulated downward as you drop weight and have less to lose overall.

For example:

 When in doubt, take the slower route. 

If you're unsure where to start, err on the side of slower fat loss rather than faster. If you were to ask me, I would probably tell you to eat as much as possible while still losing fat.

It may take a bit longer to reach your goal weight, but you will probably lose less muscle, feel better, and you get to eat more food vs. if you take a sledgehammer approach and be more aggressive with your calories.


Chapter 7: Training for fat loss

Remember back when we discussed the difference between Bodyfat vs. Bodyweight and how what most people want, yes… including you, is FAT loss and not just weight loss?

Well, if you are not including any type of resistance training in your keto weight loss program then the likelihood a good chunk of the weight you'll lose will be muscle.21Again, this will also come down to how lean or fat you are when starting the diet.


Where many folks go wrong

This is where most people go wrong. Many people I see on ketogenic diets either do no exercise whatsoever, or the only form of exercise they perform is some form of cardio, like running. 22I'm not saying cardio is bad, just that it is not technically necessary. You can create your caloric deficit with diet alone or a combination of the two.

What, so cardio is bad?

There is a common misconception that you need to do cardio to lose weight, but the truth is you can lose weight without it. Cardio, in the context of weight loss, is another form of calorie reduction.

Everyone should do some type of cardio for health purposes, and even more so if it's something you enjoy, but when it comes to fat loss… it's not required nor high on the priority list.

So what should I do?

Since our primary goal is ‘fat' loss, then our efforts should be to not only get rid of fat but maintain or even possibly gain as much muscle as possible. To do so, we must include some form of resistance/strength training in our regimen.

This is the part where a lot of females tell me, ‘but I don't want to get bulky.'

Believe me, the fact that you don't want to get bulky is already a sign that you won't, combine that with the fact that females don't carry as much testosterone as men and you're all set.

Besides, do you see all the guys in the gym who actually do want to get big and aren't? It's not that simple.

If you are wanting to lose fat and ultimately change the look of your physique, you need to incorporate resistance training.

Note:  I said you need to, not, if you want to. 

That lean, toned or ripped look that you so desire comes down to having at least some muscle in combination with a low enough body fat percentage.

In fact, the more muscle you have, the more you can get away with concerning body fat percentage, hence why I said ‘low enough.'

Simply put, the more muscle you have, the less fat you have to lose actually to achieve the look you desire.

To top it off, since there is no such thing as spot reducing fat (sorry everyone, but it's true), one way around that is to spot increase muscle. By increasing muscle on certain parts of your body, you can help “tighten up” that area.

At the end of the day, resistance training is essential for maintaining lean body mass, strength, and function. Being a functionally fit human being is vital for daily living no matter whether you want to lose fat or not.

I'm not saying you have to be a bodybuilder, there are plenty of workouts you can do with dumbbells at home or even with just your body weight.

What matters is that you progress over time in whatever you choose to do by increasing the resistance (weight), doing more reps, doing more sets, or a combination of the three.

If you're looking for a little more guidance on bodybuilding or putting on some muscle, you can check out the guide on the keto diet and bodybuilding.

Ok, so lifting weights will make me lose weight?

Not exactly, it's just one of the tools we are incorporating to get you that sexy body you so desire. When it comes to losing body fat, there is an order of importance as illustrated below.

keto weight loss order of importance

Wait a minute… what the heck is NEAT?

I'm glad you asked,  NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.  NEAT encompasses all of the activity that you accumulate throughout the day that isn't intentional exercise.

This may mean washing the dishes, fidgeting, folding clothes, etc.

Uhm, so what does this have to do with my weight loss goals?

Let me explain. There are 24 hours in a day, and if you're lucky, maybe you spend around an hour of that each day working out.

This means that the other 23 hours of your day will have a more significant influence on how many calories you burn vs. what you can accomplish in a one-hour training session.

So, giving you the benefit of the doubt here… but say you train an hour a day seven times per week, that's seven hours of physical exercise versus 161 hours of no training.

 That's ~95% of your week. 

OK… 96% if you want to get all technical on me.

keto weight loss exercise vs non exercise

What's your point?

My point is, the more active you are throughout the day, the more things begin to add up – taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a little further, getting up from your desk for a light stretch or short walk on your break, etc.

This is why fitness wearables can be useful tools since it gives us a simple way to measure activity (i.e. steps).

Moral of this story

When it comes to training for fat loss, a combination of both cardio and strength training should be incorporated, if not for fat loss, at least for your health, but the majority of the calories burned will come via non-exercise activity.


Chapter 8: Keto weight loss F.A.Q.

Just a little keto weight loss F.A.Q.

This portion will be updated as questions come pouring in.

Have a question of your own? Leave it down below in the comments section.



So there you have it!

What'd you think about the best damn keto weight loss guide on the planet?

I'd love to hear what you think or if you have any questions down below.

Enjoy the guide? Share it using one of the methods above, I would greatly appreciate it.

Keto Diet And Bodybuilding [The Ultimate Guide]

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about a keto diet and bodybuilding.

First off, it is possible to build muscle on a ketogenic diet.

You will learn…

How to set up your keto diet.

How to train on a keto diet.

Plus much much more.

Let’s get started…

but first click here => 23I 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 8,000+ words? Download a PDF to read offline at a later time.


keto and bodybuilding pinterest cover

Chapter 1: Consistency of the fundamentals

The keto diet and bodybuilding are two words you may not often see thrown in the same sentence.

In fact, you may be here because there's so much misinformation floating around and you're questioning whether bodybuilding on keto is even possible.

One question I hear most is whether or not you can build muscle while on a keto diet. In short, yes it is possible to add muscle while on a ketogenic diet and I'm here to tell you how.

Trust me, I was there and had those very same questions, but I'm here to share with you that IT IS possible and many individuals are doing so.

When it comes to building muscle, it boils down to about four fundamental principles whether you're on a ketogenic diet or a high carbohydrate diet.


Keto diet bodybuilding fundamentals

A “traditional” bodybuilding regimen typically follows a super high carb high protein and virtually no fat diet, almost opposite of a ketogenic diet.

It's no wonder why there are so many people that question whether or not they can build sufficient muscle on a ketogenic diet.

Again, trust me… I was there! But when it comes down to it, building and/or maintaining muscle comes down to a few fundamental principles:

  • TRAINING. Sufficient stimulus and overload
  • NUTRITION. Enough calories and protein
  • RECOVERY. Rest and quality sleep
  • ADVANCED. Supplementation and meal timing

The bodybuilding world filled with all sorts of bro science and overhyped supplements, but when it comes to building muscle, you can't argue with key fundamentals backed by science.

A little forewarning:

First off, there is a strong chance you will not be able to work out with the same intensity as before… INITIALLY. That is, your body hasn't adapted to using fat as fuel or what many refer to as becoming fat adapted or keto-adapted.

Many say this process takes about 3-4 weeks, but from mine and many others personal experiences… it only gets better and better as time goes on.

Eventually, your gym performance will surpass that of when you were on a standard carbohydrate based diet.

With that said, let's get to the fundamental principles for putting on some quality muscle on a ketogenic diet.


Chapter 2: Keto bodybuilding and progressive overload

The most closely associated variables with muscle hypertrophy (growth) are progressively overloading your muscles and increasing your training volume.

Meaning,  stressing your muscle over time and performing an adequate amount of volume  (done by increasing your reps and/or sets)

Depending on the program, this can occur daily, weekly, monthly, or even over a longer duration of your choosing.  The most IMPORTANT concept is that we do MORE over time. 


Different progression schemes

The body will adapt to the stress of resistance training with increased fitness, in our case… muscle growth. Of course, the stress must meet a minimum threshold of intensity.

If the stress is not sufficient to overload the body, no adaptation will occur. 

FORCE YOUR BODY TO ADAPT AND GROW!

LINEAR LOAD INCREASE

The weight used increases from week to week or session to session generally on the same exercise.

LINEAR REP INCREASES

An increase in the number of repetitions from week to week or session to session generally on the same exercise.

LINEAR SET INCREASES

Increase the number of sets performed from week to week or session to session generally on the same exercise. 

ust remember, you should be increasing your training load over time using a single method or a combination of the above methods.

While strength increases are a useful marker for the effectiveness of your training program, it is not necessarily our primary function when it comes to bodybuilding which is muscle growth.

Just think of strength as a very welcome side effect. Hypertrophy is one component of strength, but not the other way around.

Furthermore, if you are effectively overloading the muscle and generating growth, you'll likely get stronger over time, but a part of that strength increase is also due in part to skill development (becoming more proficient) with the exercise and neurological adaptations.

Nevertheless, an increase in strength is also a useful marker of your training programs effectiveness. 2Start on the low-end range of volume of what may seem optimal for you and then steadily increase if performance or muscle size is not increasing. Just realize that muscle gain is a slow process, even more so for those who are well trained or beyond their “noobie gains.” Provide enough stimulus, and your muscles will grow. With resistance training, you are sending the signal to your body to both recover and to rebuild. Your muscles grow as an adaptation to this stimulus and in a sense becomes more resilient.

You must provide enough of the right type of stimulus for your muscles to grow. This is accomplished by progressively overloading your muscles over time through resistance training using one or a multitude of progressions.


Chapter 3: Keto bodybuilding nutrition

Ever heard the phrase “Abs are made in the kitchen?” Well, that's because they are.

Whether you're looking to build muscle or lose fat, your diet is almost always the limiting factor WHATEVER your goal and given your training is in order.

That being said…


Keto diet and bodybuilding nutrition: CALORIES

 During the first couple weeks of starting a ketogenic diet, it is imperative that an adequate or even increased amount of protein intake is consumed. 

When switching to a keto diet for bodybuilding, your body has yet to shift to a fat-burning metabolism.

Before the adaptation period of about 3 weeks, small amounts of glucose are still required for your brain and body to function, in turn, your body ends up breaking down its own protein stores to provide that glucose. 

Eating enough protein will help prevent muscle loss by supplying the amino acids for gluconeogenesis that would otherwise come from your body protein.

However, once your body has made the shift from using glucose as its primary source of energy to using ketones, the need for gluconeogenesis from protein will also decrease.

In fact, once your body is adapted to using ketones for fuel, the ketones exert a protein sparing effect which makes it great while cutting for the summer or getting shredded for the stage.

In the end, the importance of nutrition is no different on a ketogenic diet vs. a carbohydrate-based one regarding the fundamentals laid out below.

However, the macronutrient breakdown will, of course, differ since we are relying on a different source of energy, fat.

Here is an image to help you visualize the degree of importance when it comes to nutrition and meeting your goals. 

keto diet bodybuilding keto body recomp pyramid of importance

How much weight is gained, lost, or maintained comes down to energy balance i.e. your calorie intake.

If you're not sure where to start, head over to our keto macro calculator to get a personalized starting point based on your lifestyle and goals or simply use the “easy” calculation method below to generate a great starting point.

keto bodybuilding calculator cheat sheet

When it comes to bodybuilding, people generally have one of two goals, ok maybe three. You either want to lose fat, gain muscle, or the third… accomplish both at the same time.

The ability to gain muscle while losing fat (caloric deficit) usually comes down to:

  • Your current body fat percentage
  • How trained you already are
  • The size of your caloric deficit

Essentially, the higher your body fat and the less training experience under your belt, the higher the likelihood you will be able to accomplish both, provided you're not HEAVILY restricting your calories.

Changes in your diet, rather than manipulating your training or cardio, should be used to create the energy surplus or deficit you need to put on muscle or drop body fat (for the most part).

It's just easier and more effective to control your energy balance through diet than it is through training, but hey… do what makes you happy.

As the saying goes, “You can't outrun a bad diet.”

For a better understanding of calories, how many you should eat, and best practices check out the article on How many calories should you eat on a ketogenic diet? 3Get clear on what your goals are so you’re not always yo-yo’ing between gaining and losing weight. When it comes down to it, the amount of fat you lose or muscle you gain will highly depend on how many or how few calories you eat.

The foundation of any diet whether that is muscle gain or fat loss is total energy intake (calories). It’s easier to manipulate what you do or do not eat vs. your training or cardio.

Keto diet and bodybuilding nutrition: MACROS

To oversimplify things a bit, while calories (energy balance) determines whether weight is gained, lost, or maintained, macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) determine whether that change comes from fat or muscle.

If you ever hear the term or see me refer to ‘macros' you're just hearing an abbreviated term for the word macronutrients: carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

Macronutrients will be the biggest difference when it comes to a ketogenic diet and bodybuilding vs. your standard bodybuilding diet since our primary energy source is fat and not carbohydrates.

ONE MACRO TO RULE THEM ALL!

Which leaves us to what I consider the most important macronutrient, PROTEIN aka PROTONS. Protein, contrary to all the keto hearsay, is not a bad thing and is actually quite important.

 Protein helps us to recover from our training, it preserves your lean tissue when dieting, helps us repair and grow muscle when bulking, and has the highest satiety effect of the three macronutrients. 

But what about gluconeogenesis?

What about it?

Technically, gluconeogenesis is happening all the time, but there is this common misconception in the keto community that “a little extra“ protein in the diet will magically turn into chocolate cake (wouldn't that be cool though).

As in, excess protein will be converted to glucose and spike your insulin, therefore, knocking you out of ketosis, but this couldn't be any further from the truth.

Gluconeogenesis is a demand driven process. Meaning, it will only occur if it is absolutely necessary.

Myself, along with MANY others have successfully eaten high protein diets while maintaining a state of ketosis. In fact,  the ONLY prerequisite to achieving a state of ketosis is the reduction or lack of carbohydrates , not eating high amounts of fat or eating low amounts of protein.

Mind you, if you are using a ketogenic diet for therapeutic reasons, please do so under the care of a medical professional.

Within the keto community it is quite common for people to stick to specific “percentages,” but this can often lead people to unintentionally under consume protein or over-consume fat.

Guidelines for protein intake should ideally be based on an individual’s lean mass and be given in total grams, rather than as a percentage of total energy intake.

Here's why you want to calculate by grams and NOT percentages.

Since we want to base protein on an individuals lean mass, let's give you an example:

Bob is a 195lb male with 20% body fat and wants to shed some of that fat.

This leaves Bob with 39lbs of fat mass and 156lbs of lean mass.

Per my experience and some of the scientific literature, Bob at the very least should be consuming 156 grams of protein, probably more since he is in a deficit. If Bob was dieting aggressively, say averaging 10 calories per pound of bodyweight based per our EZ calculator, that leaves Bob with 1950 calories.

Now, using traditional “ketogenic percentages,” even at the high end of the protein recommendation, 30% ( which is probably higher than what you'll see even at the HIGH end ) this leaves Bob with 146 grams of protein.

Imagine if Bob was eating even less than 1950 calories, protein intake would be insufficient.

One could argue that ketones are muscle sparing, and they are, but  when it comes to protein, too much is better than too little. 

HOW MUCH PROTEIN ON A KETOGENIC DIET? READ MORE.

For a better estimate, it's best to calculate protein requirements on lean body mass rather than total body weight. We can calculate lean mass by taking our total weight and subtracting our fat weight.

Protein recommendations are based on lean mass since individuals with more fat will end up with too much protein and leaner individuals end up with too little.

Basically, the more lean mass you have the more protein you require.

If you have no idea of what your body fat is, there are a myriad of testing methods such as body fat calipers, a bodpod, electrical impedance, or a DEXA scan.

Either way, all methods tend to have inaccuracies and inconsistencies so the purpose of having it done is to have a general starting point.

If you prefer, you can use the image on our keto calculator page to guesstimate your body fat and also calculate your calories and macros based on your preferences and goals. 4When first starting a ketogenic diet, regardless of body weight, I would recommend an intake of at least 120 – 150 grams of protein to stave off any muscle loss. Afterward, I recommend at least 1g per lb of lean body mass in protein or more depending on preference. The rest of your calories should be coming from fat with very little carbohydrates.

Another, rather simple, method is to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of DESIRED bodyweight. Meaning, if you were 180 pounds but wanted to cut down to 150 then you would simply eat 150 grams of protein per day.

Other great reads on the other two macros right below:

How many carbohydrates on a ketogenic diet?

How much fat on a ketogenic diet?

When it comes to macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) we want to make sure we have a sufficient amount of protein, especially during the first 3 weeks of a ketogenic diet. Eating between .8g – 1.2g/lbm should provide an adequate amount of protein to help maintain lean mass in a caloric deficit and put on muscle during a caloric surplus. Carbs are typically limited to under 30g of net carbohydrates and fats will make up the rest of your calories and adjusted up or down depending on your goal.

Keto diet and bodybuilding nutrition: MICRONUTRIENTS

In short, these are your vitamins and minerals. If you are following a diet rich in whole foods and not solely relying on processed meats or fast food you may more or less have this covered on a ketogenic diet.

Long-term micronutrient deficiencies will eventually impact your health and hamper your bodybuilding efforts.

BUT WHAT ABOUT FIBER?

Depending on which side of the keto fence you land on, this may leave you with some fiber or none at all.

With the rise of the carnivore diet or even the keto carnivore diet, new research is emerging questioning the role of dietary fiber or if it is even required at all to live a happy and healthy life.

Moral of the story, we might not need as much fiber as we have been led to… especially if utilizing a ketogenic diet for bodybuilding.

CAN I JUST TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN?

A multivitamin isn’t a substitute for a poor diet, but it can be insurance on a good one. Those in a calorie deficit have a higher risk of micronutrient deficiencies since their overall intake is less and may benefit from supplementation. 5Food quality matters! If you have the means, try to source high-quality foods such as pasture raised eggs and grass finished beef. Concerning fiber, experiment and see what works best for you and your body. Like mom says, you're a unique snowflake… so what works for me may not be what's best for you and vice versa.

Eat a diet high in whole UNprocessed foods such as pasture raised eggs, grass finished beef, full-fat dairy, and green leafy vegetables.

Keto diet and bodybuilding nutrition: NUTRIENT TIMING

To define nutrient timing simply, nutrient timing refers to eating specific macros (protein, carbs, or fats) in specific amounts and at specific times (such as before, during, or after exercise, before bed, you get the picture)

Trust me, I've done it all… everything from eating every 2 hours to downing a 4:1 carb to protein shake IMMEDIATELY post-workout, to eating my nightly cottage cheese, and even going as far as having a protein shake ready for when I woke up in the middle of the night.

Every fad, protocol, and bodybuilding folklore has been tested at some point.

As a whole, I've seen the shift from recommendations of eating every 2-3 hours throughout the day to everyone jumping into intermittent fasting and eating only one or two meals per day.

The best answer I can give you regarding meal frequency is that it likely falls somewhere in between one and five meals a day in terms of what is “optimal.”

At a certain point, you're seeing very marginal increases. For the recreational bodybuilder or those who are just trying to look and feel better, I don't believe it matters a great deal.

WHAT ABOUT PRE OR POST WORKOUT NUTRITION?

For years, we all used to believe in the “post-workout anabolic window.” Bodybuilders everywhere were rushing to chug down their protein and carb shakes within 30 – 45 minutes of finishing their workouts.

Well, hate to burst your bubble… but the “anabolic window” is actually a whole lot longer than we used to believe. In fact, muscle protein synthesis is elevated as long as 48 hours after a bout of heavy resistance training.

Recent data suggests that the total amount of protein and calories you eat, over the course of the entire day, is arguably more important for body composition and performance than worrying about nutrient timing.6Do whatever fits your lifestyle and preference the best whether that's eating four times a day or only once. If you really are looking for every possible edge, having a meal anywhere from 2-3 hours before and/or after should do the trick. Alternatively, you can supplement with a protein shake before, during, and/or after your workout if you feel so inclined

Nutrient timing may matter for high-level athletes or those performing multiple training sessions throughout the day, but for the recreational bodybuilder or those just trying to look and feel better, it doesn't matter a great deal. Your total protein and overall diet will have a more significant impact on your body composition and performance.

Keto diet and bodybuilding nutrition: SUPPLEMENTS

If everything else above is in order, supplements can benefit a good nutrition plan, but they cannot make up for a poor one.

Most people skip directly to this section, because the first thing they want to know is what are the best supplements for keto.

When it comes to a ketogenic diet, the only one I believe to be essential are electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and magnesium).

When everything else above is dialed in, you don't need an extensive supplement list. This is why supplements are at the top of the pyramid and really shouldn't be considered until you have your training, calories, and macros in order.

 There are very few supplements with strong evidence to support their effectiveness.  Unfortunately, when it comes to most supplements most of them are all talk but here are a few that have deemed themselves worthy of being recommended.

Here are the ones I do recommend along with the brands I use and trust due to purity of ingredients.

CAFFEINE

Shown multiple times over to aid in fat loss, gym performance, appetite suppression, and if you're drinking it (i.e. coffee) filled with plenty of antioxidants.

Depending on your sensitivity, I would recommend between 100mg and 200mg 30 minutes to an hour before your workout. Just be mindful of your intake if you workout close to bed since caffeine carries a half-life of 5 to 6 hours.

A 16oz cup of coffee carries about 200mg so that should do the trick.

Another study shows that maybe even higher doses ~3-6mg/kg is required to see any kind of performance benefits.7Performance of muscle strength and fatigue tolerance in young trained women supplemented with caffeine.

  • Recommended: Caffeine Tablets

CREATINE

Possibly one of the only well tested, tried, and true supplements.

Creatines benefits expand outside of just performance which makes it one of my most recommended supplements. It is indeed the number one supplements in my opinion for improving your gym performance.

I recommend a dose of 3g – 5g of creatine per day and with creatine being so cheap, why not? You can buy nearly a years supply for $20.

  • Recommended creatine: Bulk supplements creatine
  • Recommended creatine: Musclefeast creapure

Foods rich in creatine include beef, salmon, and tuna.

FISH OIL

I recommend eating plenty of omega-3 rich foods and possibly even supplementing in most cases. The typical diet contains about 10x more omega-6s than omega-3s.

This is why it's important to pay attention to food quality and sticking to whole and unprocessed foods when possible. Many experts believe we should be closer to a ratio of 2:1 (omega-6:omega-3) for optimal health.

If you're mindful of your food choices on a ketogenic diet you should be closer to the average than most people already. Personally, I aim for anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000 milligrams of combined EPA/DHA day.

  • Recommended fish oil: Fish oil pills
  • Recommended fish oil: Fish oil liquid

Foods rich in Omega-3 include fatty fish, ( mackerel, wild caught salmon, sardines ) walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, and pasture-raised egg yolks.

VITAMIN D3

Vitamin D is made by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight, so If you find yourself in an area with very little or don't get out much then I would highly recommend between 1,000 – 6,000 IU per day.

  • Recommended Vitamind D: Vitamin D3 Soft Gels

Foods rich in Vitamin D include fatty fish, ( mackerel, wild caught salmon, sardines ) beef liver, and egg yolks.

WHEY / CASEIN PROTEIN

First off, there's nothing magical about whey or casein protein, but if you're having trouble hitting your protein intake then supplementing can make a difference. Just look at protein powders as just foods in powdered form and nothing more.

  • Recommended protein powder: Grass-Fed Whey isolate
  • Recommended protein powder: Grass-Fed Casein
  • Recommended protein powder: Vegan protein

KETONE SALTS

Great for a boost of energy / pre-workout or while making the transition to a ketogenic diet. Ketone salts or exogenous BHB supplements can supply you with a quick burst of energy.

  • Recommended Ketone Salts: Perfect Keto Exogenous Ketones

MCT OIL

Medium Chain Triglycerides are digested easily and sent directly to your liver, where they can be quickly converted to ketones because they require fewer steps to be metabolized in your cells.

Personally, I'll take about a tbsp (15g) in my pre-workout cocktail. If new to MCT oil I would suggest starting with about 5g and work your way up in dose. MCT oil has been known to give people the case of disaster pants.

  • Recommended MCT (C8 Oil): C8 MCT Oil 
  • Recommended MCT Powder: Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder
  • Recommended MCT Oil: Viva Naturals MCT Oil

SO YA… 8If you have your training and diet in order and want to take it to the next level… you almost can’t go wrong with supplementing caffeine and creatine alongside your key electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) to give you a boost in performance.

Supplements are at the top of the pyramid and really shouldn't be considered until you have your training, calories, and macros in order. The only necessary supplements are electrolytes and any vitamin you may be deficient in such as Vitamin D.

Chapter 4: Keto diet bodybuilding recovery

Recovery from muscle breakdown is an often overlooked piece in this muscle building and fat loss puzzle.

After all, the better you can recover from workouts, the more frequently you can train, and training frequency does play a major key in hypertrophy (muscle gain).

I’m not advocating that hitting your chest every day is going to make it grow exponentially, but there is research to suggest that training a body part 2-3x per week seems to be more optimal if muscle growth is your goal.

With that said, recovery can be boiled down to some key principles.

  • Proper nutrition. Giving your body the fuel it needs.
  • Plenty of rest. Plenty of sleep, taking days off, and planned deloads.
  • Managing stress. Not much to add here.

Keto bodybuilding recovery: NUTRITION

Proper nutrition

Since we covered nutrition earlier, we won’t go into too much depth here, but a big part of recovery comes down to how much and what foods you put into your body.

You want your body to have the resources it needs to repair itself whether you’re looking to lose fat or pack on some muscle.

I can go on and on about food quality, but you either believe that food quality matters or you don’t so I’ll leave you with this tidbit, everything you put in your mouth either helps you or hurts you.

Now, when it comes to nutrition and recovery, you want to be following the guidelines we laid out above to first determine how many calories you should be eating and then following that up with making sure you are eating a sufficient amount of protein.

To rehash your memory here is the order of importance.

KETO AND BODYBUILDING HOW TO CALCULATE MACROS
  1. Determine your calorie requirements (yes, calories still matter)
  2. Eat an adequate amount of protein
  3. Restrict your carbohydrates
  4. Fill in the remaining calories with fat

If muscle gain is a priority

An extra 250-500 calories is really all it takes to give your body what it needs to build and repair. Any more than that and you risk putting on too much fat since there is a point of diminishing returns.

Muscle gain expectations

Regarding muscle growth, your level of training and even your genetics play a massive part in what determines muscle growth potential.

The more advanced in training age you are, the slower it'll likely be to pack on some muscle. Below is a rough breakdown of the rate of growth you can expect based on your training age:

KETO AND BODYBUILDING MUSCLE GROWTH POTENTIAL
Even for advanced lifters .5 lbs of actual muscle tissue is a stretch

If fat loss is a priority

How fast you want to lose body fat is determined by your caloric deficit. If we take the number of 3500 calories, the amount of calories in 1 pound of fat, we can assume that if we subtract 500 calories per day over the course of a week (500 calories x 7 days) that we would lose around 1 pound per week.

Therefore, if we were to increase our calorie deficit to 1000 calories per day, we could assume about a 2-pound decrease per week.

These are just estimates and don’t always work out this way since a lot of factors are at play, but in general, these principles do apply.

Fat loss expectations

Fat-loss tends to be proportional to a person's body fat percentage rather than total body weight. In general, the higher your starting body fat, the more aggressive you can be.

The below recommendations should be a realistic expectation of fat loss while also preserving muscle mass using a keto diet for cutting: 9Be realistic when it comes to muscle gain as it is a slow process. It’s much easier to lose fat than it is to gain muscle. With that said, when cutting, diet as aggressively as you can without losing muscle.

FAT LOSS EXPECTATION FOR KETO BODYBUILDERS
Proper nutrition plays a big part in how your body recovers from one training session to the next. Providing your body with sufficient calories and protein will give your body the substrate it needs to recover and rebuild.

Keto bodybuilding recovery: REST

All about rest

Rest comes down to three parts:

  1. Days off from training
  2. Deloading (strategic periods of less volume and intensity)
  3. Sleep. Many individuals undervalue the importance of getting a sufficient amount of rest and end up burned out or spinning their wheels wondering why they aren’t seeing any progress in the gym.

1. Days off from training

As a culture, we tend to think the harder and longer we go the “bigger the gains” and this is true… to a certain extent.

Up to a certain point, the more is better approach is fine and dandy, but you may quickly end up at the more is TOO much making it harder to recover. You end up taking a four steps forward three steps back approach.

Your body doesn’t grow while you’re in the gym. If you’re not taking time away from the gym, your body doesn’t have time to adapt by becoming bigger and stronger than it was before.

2. Strategic deloads

Just as in life or business, training should also have a period of time where you reduce the intensity and volume.

Much like taking a vacation from work, by taking our foot off the gas for a brief period, it allows us to dissipate any fatigue and come back with a renewed sense of purpose and energy.

 A deload may sound counterproductive, but if you want to make the best muscle and strength progress, you shouldn’t be training hard all the time. 

Or best put, you cannot. After some time, residual fatigue accumulates, and performance ends up taking a dip and worse performance = fewer gains. Now, what once was your 100% may now only be 85%.

Can you still make progress without a deload? Sure, but you could make better progress by incorporating these periods of less intensity and volume, and that’s where a deload comes in.

Again, Why should you deload?

  • Dissipate fatigue
  • Mental rejuvenation
  • Time to heal any possible injuries
  • Allows a progressive system to ensure overloading

Picture a deload as walking up four flights of stairs, but we stop for a short rest on the fourth floor. We stop just long enough so that we may catch our breath and regain enough energy to continue another four flights of stairs before rinse and repeating.

How to implement a deload

In order to deload, all we are doing is reducing our intensity and volume to reduce the accumulated fatigue from weeks of hard training while maintaining our fitness.

In practice, you should not be going so hard as to cause more fatigue and muscle damage. At the same time, you should not be going too easy that you lose substantial fitness.

Just depending who you ask, everyone goes about deloading in one of two ways, planned or “by feel.” Personally, I subscribe to the first camp and plan my deloads since if you are “feeling” that you need one it may already to be too late.

For this purpose, I generally schedule a deload every 4-6 weeks where I reduce the load (weight) on every exercise by about 5% and cut my volume by about 25 – 50%

For example:

If in my 4th week of training after coming off a previous deload I was squatting 315lbs for four sets of 10 reps. During my 5th week (deload week) I would do the below:

315 x .05 = 300lbs (we’ll just round for simplicity sake)

4 / 2 = 2 sets

10 / 2 = 5 reps

Essentially, I would do 300lbs for 2 sets of 5 reps on my leg day for squats during my deload week and then I would apply this same load and volume decrease on every exercise during my deload week.

Again, the main goal is to allow us to continue progressing with maximum performance. It may suck to take it a bit easier every now and then, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives IMO.

Done correctly, you should be coming off that week stronger, feeling better, and even more excited to hit the weights hard.

3. Sleep

We all know that the body needs sleep, after all… sooner or later we all get tired. But how much sleep we need is difficult to determine because, like many other things, it depends on individual differences.

Besides, who doesn’t like sleep?

What most people don’t realize Is that sleep and muscle growth, and even fat loss, go hand in hand. During our workouts and even day to day life, we create microscopic tears within our muscle on a cellular level.

It’s these tears that repair and rebuild resulting in muscle growth. The biggest factors in how well our muscles repair after training are our sleep and our nutrition.

While not always possible, you should be aiming for anywhere from 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. It is when we sleep that our body creates spikes in larger amounts of vital hormones for muscle repair and growth such as HGH, testosterone, and melatonin.

Moral of the story, get some shuteye. 


Keto bodybuilding recovery: STRESS LESS

DESTRESS

There’s an often overlooked aspect to muscle gain or fat loss, and that’s stress. That’s because stress physiology can cascade down and effect virtually every other system in our body including the immune system, endocrine system, neurological system, and gastrointestinal system.

If you’re frustrated and know you may be doing everything right and still not seeing any progress, stress may be one part of your life you may need to take a good hard look at.

Lots of chemical responses occur during periods of stress including:

  • Rising levels of cortisol secretion. Cortisol isn’t bad in and of itself, but when it spikes and stays elevated for prolonged periods this may hamper your progress in the gym. Elevated levels of cortisol may negatively impact blood sugar levels, digestion, metabolism, fat storage, and the immune system.
  • Hunger and cravings increase. FOR SUGAR! Yepp, quite counterproductive for those looking at bodybuilding on keto as an alternative to the mainstream. Hormonal changes in the body can be the cause for that Ben and Jerrys craving.
  • Thyroid gland slows production. One of the essential hormones needed for metabolism. It may be one reason why you may spinning your wheels in the gym and sticking to your diet and not seeing the scale budge in the right direction.
  • Increase catabolism. Breaking down of muscle to use as energy while increasing fat stores… quite the opposite of what we’re looking to accomplish.
9 WAYS TO DESTRESS FOR KETO BODYBUILDING

Adequate sleep, calories, and attention to recovery as we’ve gone over earlier in the article are three of the biggest factors that we have control over on a daily basis.

In addition, supplements like ashwagandha and chaga mushrooms have been shown to aid in adaptation to stress.

Recommended ashwagandha: KSM-66

Recommended chaga mushroom: Chaga powder

Also, take time to relax! Go for a nice walk outside and soak up the sun, get a massage, watch a good movie, and my personal go to. MEDITATE.

I was never into meditation and was even a bit skeptical at first, but having incorporated meditation into my daily routine, the results speak for themselves.

In the end, do something you enjoy and helps you relax, feel happy, and most importantly stress less and unwind. 10People often overlook recovery as part of their muscle gain and fat loss strategy. Everything from what we put in our mouth to getting in a good nights rest is paramount for not only fitness BUT YOUR HEALTH! My advice is to eat well, sleep well, and unwind every now and then.

Recovery is an often overlooked aspect in peoples fat loss or muscle gain goals. Some tips for helping manage recovery:

  • Get adequate sleep (8-10 hours)
  • Proper nutrition (sufficient calories and protein)
  • Taking days off from the gym and planned periods of lower intensity
  • Managing stress by finding things that relax you and give you joy

Chapter 5: Keto bodybuilding concerns

 Many of the same principles apply to gaining muscle and losing fat on a ketogenic diet as they do on your standard carbohydrate based diet. 

However, there are some common concerns when it comes to bodybuilding on keto due to a lack of understanding and frankly a lot of misinformation and hearsay.

While not everything is fully understood in the realm of a keto diet and bodybuilding, research and anecdotal evidence is beginning to emerge at an increasing rate.


Water loss on a ketogenic diet

It’s well established that low carbohydrate diets, especially a ketogenic diet, cause rapid loss of water in the first few days. Reason being, three grams of water is stored for every gram of stored carbohydrate.

Additionally, ketones appear to have a diuretic effect themselves causing the excretion of water and electrolytes.

With a water loss of only 2% of your body weight, physical performance will be impaired, and with a 2.8% water loss, your cognitive functions begin to be impaired as well.

This amount of water loss can easily occur during the first week of a ketogenic diet as the body sheds water and sodium due to the reasons explained above.

If not mindful of your water and electrolyte intake especially during the first week of transitioning to a ketogenic diet, you may experience what is commonly referred to as the “keto flu.”

Basically NOT GOOD.

To diminish or even avoid these symptoms altogether, make sure you are drinking plenty of water and increasing your electrolytes. I usually suggest people aim for close to a gallon of water a day and between 4,000mg – 6,000mg of sodium.

I suggest people liberally salt their meals and possibly even dilute some salt in their water throughout the day to ensure adequate sodium intake.

KETO DIET BODYBUILDING SODIUM DEFICIENCY

TAKE HOME

Ketogenic diets cause a loss of water due to carbohydrate restriction and the fact that ketones exert a diuretic effect causing a loss of water and electrolytes.

To counteract the performance and cognitive decline that may happen you should increase your water intake (around 1 gallon per day) and electrolytes, especially sodium (4,000mg – 7,000mg).


Glycogen replenishment without carbohydrates

Often, a concern about a ketogenic diet for bodybuilding leads one to ask how glycogen is replenished.

The whole idea behind replenishing glycogen immediately following a workout was to set our bodies up for the next workout and switch off catabolism (bad) and switch on anabolism (good).

To break it down, we are trying to accomplish:

  • Replenished glycogen I.e. replenish energy stores
  • Decrease protein breakdown i.e. build bigger muscles
  • Increase protein synthesis i.e. repair damage from our workout

This is why you’ll often recommend eating carbohydrates post workout or ingesting a sugar-filled protein shake immediately post-workout. I used to do it, I’m sure you may have or may still be doing it, but I’m here to let you know there’s no need.

You’d have to train a muscle twice daily with a volume you could not possibly recover from in order to require carbs to replenish your glycogen in time for the next training session.

It’s been shown that when ample protein is ingested, carbs do not have any additive effect on protein balance.

Even with very minimal amounts of carbohydrates, as with those trying to use a keto diet for bodybuilding purposes, your body has more than enough to maintain a proper bodybuilding routine.

Research by Volek found that long-term ketogenic dieters not only have similar pre-exercise levels of glycogen but also deplete glycogen slower AND replete glycogen at a similar rate compared to long-term carbohydrate-adapted athletes.

This is likely an adaptation that occurs following longer adherence to the diet and becoming fully keto-adapted.

So, do we need glycogen and if so, how is glycogen replnished without carbohydrates?

Glad you asked…

Yes… your body does use glycogen when lifting, but this glycogen is already in your muscles.

What you eat right before your workout has very little to do with what your performance will be like, it’s more about what you already had inside your muscle. 11Although, there have been benefits shown with carbohydrate mouth rinsing or small amounts of carbohydrates pre-workout (such as in a TKD) and an improvement in performance

Even high levels of bodybuilding (LOTS of volume) only roughly burn 40% of the glycogen stored within the muscle.

So how is glycogen replenished then?

The science behind this is explained via the Cori Cycle. The Cori Cycle provides the body with important pathways to maintain adequate muscle glycogen levels without glucose from the diet.

CORI CYCLE FOR KETO DIET AND BODYBUILDING

Glycogen can come from the conversion of lactate, a by-product of glycogen breakdown in the muscle, to glucose in the liver. This newly made glucose is released into the bloodstream and stored again in the muscle as glycogen.

As you see, low carbohydrate dieting isn’t the “performance killer” that people make it out to be. Therefore, If you’re looking at bodybuilding and strength training, the keto diet is not an issue.


Chapter 6: Keto diet and bodybuilding advanced strategies

Okay, so we gave you a breakdown of the three primary macronutrients in our ultimate keto diet food list. We even gave you our best recommendations for beverages, but what about supplements?

As this is primarily keto food list, we'll keep this section brief with some keto supplement recommendations we frequently get asked about.


Carbs as a tool to improve exercise performance

If you are an already lean individual or have noticed your performance in the gym still suffering, even after adapting to a ketogenic diet, you may benefit from strategically increasing carbs around your workouts.

The two main methods of strategically using carbs are known as a targeted ketogenic diet (TKD) and a cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD).

Having experimented with both a TKD and CKD, I much rather have people utilize the former rather than the latter.

The TKD is a much more simple strategy to implement that doesn’t involve complicated workouts and shifting your body out of ketosis for prolonged periods of time. 

However, there is a time and place for everything. There are plenty of successful bodybuilders that utilize a cyclical approach to a ketogenic diet and make amazing progress.

The Targeted Ketogenic Diet

The TKD is a compromise to staying in ketosis ala the standard ketogenic diet, but instead, we interrupt ketosis for a short period of time by strategically implementing carbohydrates before and/or after our workout.

While studies giving carbs prior to resistance training have not found an increase in performance, anecdotal evidence from myself and many others have noticed improved strength and endurance from as little as 5-10g of carbohydrates right before working out.

Research also suggests that carbohydrates consumed before or after exercise should not negatively affect ketosis. Though, if you happen to drop out for a short period do not fret, you’ll likely jump right back in within a couple of hours. 12If you’re an individual who is on a keto diet for bodybuilding or other high intensity activity and want to experiment with a TKD, I would recommend 5-50g of carbohydrates (depending on your training volume) 30 minutes prior to your workout. Experiment with the lower end and gradually increase the amount depending on the volume and intensity of your workout. As little as 5g may do the trick to increase your performance so taking more would be a waste.

If unable to sustain high intensity workouts on a standard ketogenic diet, a TKD may suit you. The targeted ketogenic diet (TKD) is your standard ketogenic diet (SKD) with carbohydrates consumed at specific times around exercise. Most individuals find that 5-50 grams of carbohydrates taken thirty minutes before a workout enhances performance.

Chapter 7: My top 5 tips for bodybuilding on keto

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.

🙂


Tip #1 Consistency is the name of the game. Muscle gain is a slow process and while fat loss can be achieved a bit quicker, results still take time.

Tip #2 Stick with a standard ketogenic diet for at least 3-4 weeks before deciding you want to strategically implement carbohydrates for performance.

It takes your body at least 3-4 weeks to become accustomed to utilizing free fatty acids and ketones as its primary fuel source.

Tip #3 Supplement sodium pre-workout. I take 1-2g (.5-1tsp salt) in my pre-workout cocktail. This allows me to push harder and also get those “pumps” we all seek at the gym.

Tip #4 If you want to optimize muscle protein synthesis, it might not hurt to spread out your protein between 3-4 meals.

Tip #5 Use good form and a full range of motion on all your lifts even if that means lowering the weight.

Recent studies suggest that a full range of motion led to more muscle activation and growth even with lighter loads than the participants who used heavier loads with partial range of motion.


Chapter 8: Keto diet plan for bodybuilding and closing thoughts

All good things must come to an end, but before I go, I want to leave you with some final tips and examples to get you on your way.


Sample keto diet for bodybuilding

First off, there are no magical keto diet bodybuilding macros that I am about to present to you. What follows is based on the principles outlined above and using our EZ calculation method for determining calorie intake. 

Muscle gain

Based on a 180lb male at 10% body fat looking to put on muscle.

  • 180 POUNDS X .10% = 162lbs of LBM and 18lbs of FAT MASS
  • TOTAL CALORIES = 180 x 18 = 3240 CALORIES
  • PROTEIN = 162 (lbm) X 1g/LBM = 162g PROTEIN = 648 CALORIES
  • CARBS = < 30 = 120 CALORIES
  • FAT = (3240 – PROTEIN CALORIES – CARB CALORIES) / 9
3240 – 648 – 120 = 2480 CALORIES / 9 (9 CALORIES PER GRAM OF FAT)

TOTALS 3240 CALORIES 162g PROTEIN 30g CARBS 276g FAT

SAMPLE KETO DIET FOR BODYBUILDING BREAKDOWN

TIME:BREAKDOWN

0600: PRE-WORKOUT COCKTAIL (CREATINE, SODIUM, CAFFEINE, 10g MCT OIL, 20g WHEY PROTEIN)

0630 – 0730: TRAINING

0830: MEAL 1 35g protein 10g carbs 66g fat

1230: MEAL 2 35g protein 5g carbs 66g fat

1630: MEAL 3 35g protein 5g carbs 66g fat

1830: MEAL 4 35g protein 10g carbs 66g fat

Fat loss

Based on a 180lb male at 20% body fat looking to drop body fat.

  • 180 POUNDS X .20% = 144lbs of LBM and 36lbs of FAT MASS
  • TOTAL CALORIES = 180 X 13 = 2340 CALORIES
  • PROTEIN = 144(lbm) x 1g/LBM = 144g PROTEIN = 576 CALORIES
  • CARBS = <30 = 120 CALORIES
  • FAT = (2340 – PROTEIN CALORIES – CARB CALORIES) / 9
2340 – 576 – 120 = 1644 CALORIES / 9 (9 CALORIES PER GRAM OF FAT)

TOTALS 2340 CALORIES 144g PROTEIN 30g CARBS 183g FAT

1000: MEAL 1 48g protein 10g carbs 57g fat

1400: MEAL 2 48g protein 10g carbs 57g fat

1700: PRE-WORKOUT COCKTAIL (CREATINE, SODIUM, CAFFEINE, 10g MCT OIL)

1730 – 1830: WORKOUT

1930: MEAL 3 48g protein 10g carbs 57g fat

These are just examples of how one can calculate their calorie needs macro needs.

Using the easy calculation above might serve as a great starting point for some and be way off for others. It’s best to track on a weekly basis and make adjustments based on results or lack thereof.


Closing words

Ultimately, fat loss or muscle gain boils down to expending more calories than is consumed or eating more calories than is expended. Some individuals have difficulty restricting calories on a high-carbohydrate diet. GUILTY.

If lowering carbohydrates and increasing dietary fat increases satiety, and makes it easier to control calories, then a ketogenic diet for bodybuilding may be a better dietary choice for you

(Not to mention many of the health benefits myself and others experience on a ketogenic diet).

7 REASONS TO USE KETO FOR BODYBUILDING

The keto diet is very appetite suppressing, this is one of the most significant benefits because it becomes easy to drop fat (by eating less than your body burns).

Fat tends to slow digestion, meaning that food stays in the stomach longer, providing a sense of fullness.

The same has been shown to for protein. Additionally, protein stimulates the release of the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) which is thought to help regulate appetite.

In general, individuals who begin a ketogenic diet without paying attention to calorie, protein, or fat levels will automatically lower their caloric intake below maintenance.

Therefore, if muscle gain is your goal, it may be useful for you to track your calories and macros. Otherwise, the resulting caloric deficit will result in weight/fat loss.

Putting it all together

Hopefully I’ve been able to shed some light about combining a keto diet and bodybuilding to obtain the results you seek.

Done correctly, a ketogenic diet with bodybuilding is an effective way to achieve not only health but your body composition goals.

IT IS POSSIBLE!

TO OPTIMIZE YOUR DIET FOR MUSCLE GAIN:

  • Eat a calorie surplus of 250 – 500 calories per day. The aim is to increase bodyweight by .5 to 1 pound a week. Stick to the lower weight gain range the more trained you are.
  • Keep protein intake between .8g – 1g per pound of lean body mass
  • Some studies show benefits of splitting protein between 3 – 4 meals 

TO MAXIMIZE YOUR DIET FOR FAT LOSS:

  • I usually suggest a deficit of 10 – 20% below maintenance to ensure muscle is preserved. Heavier individuals with more body fat may be able to get away with bigger deficits. Aim to decrease bodyweight 1 to 2 pounds per week.
  • Keep protein intake between 1 – 1.2g per pound of lean body mass and create your calorie deficit by reducing your fat intake.

AND IN SHORT:

  • Progressively overload your muscles providing the stimulus needed to grow.
  • Consume enough calories and protein based on your goal.
  • Get adequate sleep

These are the main principles to muscle growth or fat loss regardless of diet. However, you can further optimize your health and bodybuilding results by including some of the following:

  • Supplement with tried and true supplements backed by strong evidence such as caffeine and creatine.
  • Include MCT Oil and/or Exogenous ketones like Perfect Keto BHB
  • Use carbohydrates as a tool to improve performance by following a targeted ketogenic diet as described above.

I hope you enjoyed THE ULTIMATE KETO DIET AND BODYBUILDING GUIDE.

Are you currently on a ketogenic diet with the goal of adding muscle to your frame?

Any questions? Feel free to drop them down below.

Enjoyed the guide? Share it using any of the buttons above, I would greatly appreciate it.

The Ultimate Keto Friendly Food List [Over 100 Foods]

One of the most common questions we frequently receive is what can you eat on a keto diet? We've compiled this ultimate keto diet food list for you to reference.

Starting any new diet or significant lifestyle change doesn't come easy, especially when you don't have a clear understanding of what to eat and what to avoid.

To make this transition easier, we've put together this ketogenic list of foods to help you make the best and most informed choices.

Keto food list pdf

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

keto diet foods list pinterest cover

Chapter 1: Keto foods list intro

What are ketogenic foods?

Simply put,  keto friendly foods is any food that allows us to stay below our carbohydrate threshold.  Staying within or below or carbohydrate allotment will enable us to achieve or maintain a state of ketosis. 13The amount each individual can eat and stay in ketosis varies, but on average is around ~30g of net carbohydrates.

So: How many carbs can you eat and still be in ketosis?

On average, most foods that allow you to stay within the ~ 5% carbohydrate allowance is fair game.

Technically any and every food can be eaten on a ketogenic diet, the only requirement is that you stay within the carb limit that allows you to maintain a state of ketosis.


In summary, you can eat from the below keto diet foods list broken down into the following food groups:

  • Protein. We're here to tell you not to fear protein. The majority of meat, unless processed is typically free of any added sugar and has low to no carbohydrates. We recommend organic, grass-fed, and pasture-raised if feasible and available.
  • Carbohydrates (Fruits and Vegetables). Try to stick to green-leafy vegetables when possible. If consuming fruits, small amounts of berries are usually permissible.
  • Fats + Oils. We prefer getting most of your fats from natural sources such as fatty cuts of meats, egg yolks, and avocados. If looking to add additional calories and fats feel free to supplement with saturated and monounsaturated fats like avocado oil, coconut oil, and grass-fed butter.
  • Dairy. As long as you do not have an allergy to dairy, most dairy should be ok. Try to stick to full-fat dairy items and hard cheeses as they typically have the least amount of carbs.
  • Nuts and Seeds. Nuts, seeds, and nut butter (in moderation) are great for a ketogenic diet. Higher fat nuts such as macadamia and pili nuts also have the fewest carbs. Be careful with nuts and seeds and these can easily be over consumed.
  • Beverages. While it would be best to stick with water, beverages such as tea and coffee (unsweetened or with an approved sweetener) are also ok.
  • Spices, condiments, and sauces. Almost any spice (as long as there is no added sugar) is ok. Be wary of condiments and sauces as most of them have added sugars.
  • Sweeteners. We prefer to stick with stevia, erythritol, and allulose over any other sweetener.

Below you will be able to find an in-depth breakdown of the above food groups. You will be able to determine which ketogenic diet foods to include, and you'll never have to ask the question “How do I avoid carbs?” again.

This will be your keto foods roadmap.


Chapter 2: Keto diet foods list: PROTEINS

Contrary to what you may see or have already read, you need not fear protein.

It is true that a ketogenic diet is moderate in protein, but there is a lot of demonizing of protein in the ketogenic community and claims that too much protein will knock you out of ketosis.

Proteins are the building block of muscle and the most satiating macronutrient compared to fat or carbohydrates.

 Unless you are on a ketogenic diet for therapeutic reasons, there is no need to limit your protein intake on purpose.  We're here to tell you to eat up! … within reason of course.


We do recommend you get most of your fats from natural sources before supplementing them with nuts and oils. You can quickly hit most or all your fat intake directly through the fats tagging along from your protein sources.

To get your fat up through protein, stick to dark meat over white meat when consuming poultry and even buy them with the skin ON.

Fish also serves as an excellent source of protein and healthy fats. Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines are rich in omega 3's.

When it comes to red meat, try to stick to fattier cuts such as ribeyes and NY strips to get in your fats (and they taste better). If beef mince/ground beef is more your thing, try and stick to 80/20 or fatter mixes if you can get your hands on it.

US Wellness Meats makes an excellent ground beef/beef heart mix that we love.

Your best bet when it comes to your proteins, if available and the budget allows, is to stick with wild caught fish, grass-fed beef, and other pasture-raised meats.

Grass-fed and pasture-raised meats are higher in Omega-3 fats, lower in Omega-6 polyunsaturated fat, and more micronutrient dense than their grain-fed counterparts.

Organ meats are also highly recommended as they are the most micronutrient dense.

Organ meats do contain some trace carbohydrates compared to muscle meat but don't let that deter you as the nutrition massively outweighs a few carbs they contain.

If you don't have a local source for grass-fed or pasture-raised meat we recommend U.S. Wellness Meats and Butcher Box which delivers high-quality meat straight to your door.

Butcher box is a subscription-based service and U.S. Wellness Meats is on a per order basis where you choose meats individually.

  • Order from U.S. Wellness Meats
  • Order from Butcher Box

Note: Do be wary of cured meats and sausages as some have added sugars and other processed ingredients.

A few examples of protein sources include:

  • Beef. All percentages of ground beef, steaks, roasts, and organs. Try to stick to fattier cuts such as ribeyes and strip steak when possible.
  • Poultry. Chicken, turkey, geese, duck, quail, and other wild game for all you exotic meat loving folk.
  • Other Meats. Bison, veal, lamb, and other wild game.
  • Fish. Just like meat, all fish is fair game with the fattier fish such as mackerel and salmon preferred. When possible, stick to wild caught fish.
  • Shellfish. Oysters, lobster, crab, scallops, mussels.
  • Eggs. Consume whole eggs and cook them any which way you like. Stick to pasture-raised and organic when possible.

Below is a macronutrient breakdown of some commonly consumed proteins on a ketogenic diet.

ProteinCaloriesFats (g)Net Carbs (g)Protein (g)
Beef: Ribeye (4 oz.)32926024
Beef: New York Strip (4 oz.)25017023
Beef: Ground Beef 80/20 (4 oz.)20413020
Beef: U.S. Wellness Keto Ground 55/45 (4 oz.)48047015
Beef: Brisket (4 oz.)28522021
Poultry: Chicken Thigh Boneless Skin On (4 oz.)27817028
Poultry: Chicken Breast Boneless Skinless (4 oz.)1192025
Poultry: Chicken Drumstick (4 oz.)18010022
Poultry: Turkey Thigh Boneless Skinless (4 oz.)17810022
Poultry: Turkey Breast Boneless Skinless (4 oz.)1280025
Fish: Sockeye Salmon (4 oz.) 1616024
Fish: Sardine (4 oz.)12817025
Fish: Mackeral (4 oz.)23216022
Fish: Tilapia (4 oz.)1003020
Fish: Tuna (4 oz.)1241028
Pork: Tenderloin (4 oz.)1203023
Pork: Belly (4 oz.)58760011
Pork: Sirloin (4 oz.)1363026
Pork: Shoulder (4 oz.)30421027
Pork: Loin Boneless (4 oz.)1404027
Egg (1 large)705.56

Carbohydrates : AKA Fruits and Veggies

Carbohydrates… we're not here to demonize carbs, but the number one underlying factor in obtaining AND maintaining a state of nutritional ketosis is the reduction of carbohydrates.

You can see why it would be essential to know which and how much to eat when it comes to carbs.

 Almost all, if not all, carbohydrates should be coming from keto vegetables and lower carb fruits such as berries. 

First off, not all vegetables and fruits are created equal. Some vegetables and most fruits are not conducive to a ketogenic diet.

Not to say that you cannot eat them, but it may not be worth eating such a small amount of certain vegetables and fruits.

But that will be for you to decide.

Vegetables are great for a ketogenic diet because they are high in nutrients and relatively low in carbohydrates.

When choosing, try to stick to cruciferous vegetables grown above ground such as nopales, spinach and kale. Green and leafy is usually a safe bet, and they typically contain the least amount of carbs and are the most nutrient dense of the bunch.

Underground vegetables or root crops such as carrots, yams, and potatoes should be avoided as they are very high in carbohydrates.

Regarding fruits, almost all of them are high in sugar. Yes, the sugars are natural sugars, but they still are counterproductive to achieving and maintaining a state of ketosis.

The exception here are berries which you may choose to have in moderation.

Much like our protein sources, we do value quality. Try to opt for organic produce when possible, but if it's not feasible then don't worry about it.

Studies have shown that both organic and non-organic vegetables and fruits still contain similar, if not the same, nutrition profiles.

In the end, there are no hard or fast rules when it comes to vegetable consumption besides the ones we've stated. Vegetables are very filling and hard to overeat (hard, not impossible) so just be mindful of your intake.

Some commonly consumed keto vegetables and fruits with their calorie and macronutrient breakdown shown below.

Keto Carb SourceCaloriesFats (g)Net Carbs (g)Protein (g)
Broccoli (4 oz.)39053
Cauliflower (4 oz.)28035
Spinach (4 oz.)25023
Mushrooms, White (4 oz.)25034
Cabbage (4 oz.)28041
Green Beans (4 oz.)33031
Romaine Lettuce (4 oz.)19021
Yellow Onion (4 oz.)45091
Green Bell Pepper (4 oz.)23031
Kale (4 oz.)56165
Raspberries (4 oz.)60161
Blueberries (4 oz.)650131
Strawberries (4 oz.)36071
Blackberries (4 oz.)49152
Plum (4 oz.)52091
Kiwi (4 oz.)691141
Cherries (4 oz.)710161
Clementine (1 small)35080
Cantaloupe (4 oz.)40091

Additional questions


Chapter 4: Fats and Oils

Fats will make up the bulk of your daily caloric intake, but that is more a byproduct than a necessity.

Meaning, we want to determine our calorie intake first based on our goals. Then, once we have our caloric needs met, we must assess our protein requirements and limit our carbohydrate intake.

Finally, as to not have our calories be too low, we fill in the rest of the calories with fat making a ketogenic diet a high-fat diet as a result.

Confused? Download our quick start guide which will help you set up your ketogenic diet down below.


As we said, fats will make up a significant portion of your calories as to not have calories set at such low levels.

If you're sticking to fattier cuts of meat and oily fish for proteins as we've recommended above, only small amounts of supplemental fats and oils should be necessary or perhaps not necessary at all.

Fats themselves are vital to our bodies; they help store energy, insulate us, and protect our vital organs. With that, not all fats are created equal.

You want most fats coming from saturated and monounsaturated fats with limited amounts coming from polyunsaturated and trans fats.

Saturated and monounsaturated fats such as those that come from meats, butter, avocado, and egg yolks are commonly consumed amongst the ketogenic community. Below you can find a brief overview of the different fats.

  • Saturated. Eat – Saturated fats can be found naturally in meats and sources such as butter, ghee, and coconut oil.
  • Monounsaturated. Eat – Monounsaturated fats are found in avocados, macadamia nuts, olives, and their oil equivalents (olive oil, avocado oil, etc.)
  • Polyunsaturated. Avoid – While you can't avoid them, there is no need to add any polyunsaturated fats INto your diet purposely. You will get enough of them through animal protein and fatty fish as it is.
  • Trans. Avoid – Highly processed and chemically altered (hydrogenated) fats should be avoided.

Another great way to get fats into your diet is to cook with them. Use fats like tallow, coconut oil, butter, and lard.

They are lower in polyunsaturated fats, but they also have a higher smoke point which reduces its chances of oxidation, something we don't want.

Additionally, you can use fats as toppings or drizzle oil on your vegetables and salads.

Who doesn't like a tab of butter atop a warm medium rare steak?

Medium rare grilled Black Angus Steak Ribeye with herb butter on fork on stone slate plate

Tip: We like to cook our fatty proteins first and then soak up the remaining fat while lightly sauteing our veggies directly after in the same pan.

Note: Almost any pure fat source will provide you with about ~12g of fat per tablespoon.

Below is a keto diet food list of fats and oils:

Keto Fat SourceCaloriesFats (g)Carbs (g)Proteins (g)
Egg Yolks (1 Yolk)55513
Macademia Nuts (1 oz.)2042122
Pili Nuts (1 oz.)1982313
Tallow (1 tbsp)1151300
Lard (1 tbsp)1161300
Butter (1 tbsp)1021200
Ghee (1 tbsp)1351500
Mayonnaise (1 tbspc)901000
Olive Oil (1 tbsp)1191400
Avocado Oil (1 tbsp)1241400
Macademia Nut Oil (1 tbsp)1201400
MCT Oil (1 tbsp)1281400
Coconut Oil (1 tbsp)1201400
Cocoa Butter (1 tbsp)1201400
Coconut Butter (1 tbsp)1001100
Avocado (1 med.)2342123

Chapter 5: Keto diet foods list – DAIRY

Within moderation, dairy is perfectly acceptable on a ketogenic diet so long as you don't have any specific dairy allergies or intolerances.


Everyone loves their dairy, and we're here to tell you that you don't have to give dairy up on your ketogenic diet. Dairy, depending on the source, serves as a great way to add both additional fats and proteins into your diet.

Just be wise with your choices, and keep the consumption to a moderate level ok?

When possible, try to stick to grass-fed, raw, and organic dairy products. Not only are grass-fed cows healthier, but the dairy they produce is far more nutritious than their corn-fed counterparts.

Grass-fed dairy contains a more considerable amount of beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids, and also high in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a healthy fat associated with lowering inflammation-related disorders like asthma.

Secondly, make sure to opt for higher or full-fat dairy products over the low-fat or non-fat choices as the latter typically contain more carbs, and we are not looking to shy away from the fat.

Tip: If you have a lactose sensitivity, they almost certainly have a non-dairy alternative. There are plenty of almond or coconut milk alternatives of their dairy brothers and sisters.

Of course, if you wish to have the dairy then try to stick to ricotta and cottage cheeses and aged cheeses like cheddar, Parmesan, Colby, and Swiss.

Yogurts with live active cultures may be tolerable as the live active cultures also help to digest lactose in the yogurt, especially in dairy items like kefir, which is keto friendly as well.

Some of the most commonly consumed dairy items on keto:

  • Heavy cream. For tea and coffee… or what we like to use to make our omelets and scrambled eggs light and fluffy.
    * Read: HWC and Keto
  • Cheese. As a keto diet snack or atop their protein and veggies.
  • Mayo. Make dips and sauces or use it in an egg salad (our favorite use)* We recommend Primal Kitchen Mayo
  • Unsweetened Greek Yogurt such as Two Good Greek Yogurt or Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt.

Here are a nutritional calorie and macronutrient breakdown of commonly consumed dairy items on a ketogenic diet.

Keto Dairy SourceCaloriesFats (g)Net Carbs (g)Protein (g)
Heavy Cream (1 oz.)1001200
Cream Cheese (1 oz.)94914
Sour Cream (1 oz.)62611
Greek Yogurt (1 oz.)28113
Icelandic Yogurt (1 oz.)23023
Half n' Half (1 oz.)40411
Cottage Cheese (1 oz.)25114
Mayonnaise (1 oz.)1802000
Almond Yogurt (1 oz.)40232
Coconut Milk (1 oz.)45500
Coconut Cream (1 oz.)63611
Brie (1 oz.)95806
Triple Cream Brie (1 oz.)1201104
Aged Cheddar (1 oz.)110907
Parmesan (1 oz.)1107110
Mascarpone (1 oz.)1201302
Mozzarella (1 oz.)70515
Gouda (1 oz.)101817
Goat Cheese (1 oz.)76605

Chapter 6: Nuts and Seeds

Contrary to popular belief, nuts are an excellent source of fat on a ketogenic diet, not protein. While they do contain protein, their most prominent contribution is in the fat category.

But not all nuts are created equal… and no a peanut isn't a nut.


We've established that nuts are mighty tasty and high in fats, but maybe you've come across some conflicting information whether they are acceptable on a ketogenic diet.

The quick answer is that you utterly can consume nuts on the keto diet, but there are some caveats, and not all nuts are created equal.

Many nuts and seeds contain phytic acid, an anti-nutrient that binds to minerals in food and prevents us from absorbing them.

So, if you are planning to consume nuts and seeds on your ketogenic diet, then we recommend that you either soak or eat roasted nuts as it reduces the phytic acid content in nuts and seeds dramatically.

With that said, nuts are high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates (in general, and when eaten in moderation). They are also very high in nutrients that may be harder to get from other food sources like magnesium, selenium, and manganese.

When asked for perfect keto diet snacks we almost always recommend nuts as they are convenient to carry and easy to find when on the go.

However, nuts and seeds don't come without any cons. Besides the anti-nutrient properties stated above, one of the significant issues with nuts and seeds is that they are way too easy to overeat.

I have to almost hide the nut butter in the house as I can comfortably sit with the jar and a spoon and mindlessly be hitting bottom in no time.

 If losing weight is your goal, be mindful when it comes to eating calorie dense and addictive foods such as nuts, seeds, and nut butter. 

Nut and seed flours are great to substitute for regular flour in many of your favorite non-keto recipes. Nuts and seed flours are frequently seen in off the shelf ketogenic goods and used by many in popular keto dessert recipes.

Tip: For those that have a nut allergy and want some baked goods or need almond flour for a recipe, you may substitute coconut or sunflower seed flour.

Below are a calorie and macronutrient breakdown of the most commonly consumed nuts and seeds on a ketogenic diet from highest to lowest in fat. Typically the higher the fat, the lower in carbohydrates a nut or seed will be.

Keto Nuts or SeedCaloriesFats (g)Carbs (g)Protein (g)
Macademia Nuts (1 oz.)2032212
Pili Nuts (1 oz.)1982313
Almonds (1 oz.)1641426
Cashews (1 oz.)1621385
Walnuts (1 oz.)1851824
Brazil Nuts (1 oz.)1861812
Pecans (1 oz.)1852012
Hazelnuts (1 oz.)1781814
Sesame Seeds (1 oz.)1641445
Sunflower Seeds (1 oz.)1661546
Pine Nuts (1 oz.)1781723
Peanuts (1 oz.)1601437
Pistachios (1 oz.)1601356
Chia Seeds (1 oz.)138925
Flax Seeds (1 oz.)1511106

Additional questions

Can you eat peanut butter on the keto diet?

While a peanut is a legume and not an actual nut, you can eat peanut butter on a keto diet, but they are high in omega 6's compared to other nuts such as macadamia and pili nuts.

Are almonds low carb?

Almost all nuts are relatively low carb. A 2oz. serving of almonds contains about 5g of net carbs.


Chapter 7: Keto diet list – BEVERAGES

In a perfect world, we'd say to drink tons of water, and that's it. And if you're perfectly fine sticking to only water, then you can skip over this chapter and keep on your path.

While not technically “food,” beverages deserves a spot on the keto diet foods list. For the rest of us, here are a few of the common and acceptable drinks on a ketogenic diet.


In general, we've established that water is king when it comes to the beverage of choice. But what do you do when you want something besides water? Well, let's dive in.

First off, the ketogenic diet in and of itself has a natural diuretic effect. This is why it's paramount to not only make sure you are drinking an adequate amount of keto approved liquids but possibly even supplementing with additional electrolytes.

Just a few facts about the vital role of water in our bodies.

  • The average adult human body is up to 60% water.
  • Water helps lubricate our joints.
  • Water helps distribute essential nutrients to cells within our bodies and removes waste products like toxins.
  • Contrary to popular belief, drinking MORE water tends to lead to less water retention.

For this reason, we recommend you drink when thirsty, and then some.

The standard eight glasses of water may not be enough on a ketogenic diet, and for this reason, we recommend you drink a gallon of water per day or at least as close as possible.

Many people turn to coffee or tea whether for extra alertness or a nightcap. We're here to tell you that coffee and tea are both acceptable on a ketogenic diet. Just be mindful of any added sugars, and you should be ok,

Coffee and tea especially can help not only with alertness but many report feelings of satiety after consuming a cup of joe. Another favorite way individuals drink their coffee is by making keto bulletproof coffee. 2Just remember, if weight loss is your goal then calorie dense beverages such as keto coffee can quickly start to add up.

Sometimes drinking keto bulletproof coffee is used in place of breakfast and to hold individuals over until lunchtime, aka keto coffee fasting.

Some common coffee ideas include:

  • Black. Enjoy as much black coffee as you like brewed any way you like.
  • With milk. A splash of full-fat dairy or dairy alternative is acceptable or try it with some heavy cream.
  • Keto coffee. Add good fats to your coffee via coconut oil or MCT oil along with some grass-fed butter or ghee and blend it up.

There are a plethora of different variations when it comes to coffee. Try adding different spices, approved sweeteners, or even some cocoa powder for a nice mocha treat.

Here is a list of commonly consumed beverages on a ketogenic diet below:

  • Water. Tap water, bottled water, sparkling water like La Croix, any and all water without any added sugars will be your go to.
  • Coffee. Black, with a splash of milk, heavy cream, and some calorie-free sweetener is all perfectly acceptable.
  • Tea. Virtually all teas have no carbohydrates. Black tea, green tea, and other miscellaneous herbal teas are great. Be cautious about some herbal teas with any added fruits or sugars.
  • Broth. Chicken broth, vegetable broth, beef broth… and especially bone broth. Broth is a great and delicious way to increase your sodium intake naturally.
  • Diet soda. Almost all diet soda is acceptable, though we recommend zevia sodas sweetened with stevia if you plan to indulge.
  • Alcohol. If consuming alcohol try to stick to hard liquor as wine and beer tend to carry a larger amount of carbohydrates. Try to drink them either neat, on the rocks, or with any calorie-free mixer. Zevia also makes cocktail mixers that are keto friendly. Popular now are seltzer alcohols such as White Claw, Truly, and Corona Hard Seltzer
  • Electrolyte drinks. low and no-calorie electrolyte mixes are a great way to flavor your waters and include additional electrolytes
  • Milk alternatives. Almond milk, coconut milk, flax milk, and any other nut milk usually contain fewer carbs and calories than dairy milk. Make sure you choose the plain/unsweetened versions.

Chapter 8: Spices, condiments, and sauces

Spices, condiments, and sauces are great for added flavor and variation. However, a majority of them are full of added sugars.

Homemade condiments and sauces are preferable since you have full control what goes in. That being said, here is a list of approved spices, seasonings, and sauces that should be safe to use on your keto diet.


You would be surprised to see that a lot of seasoning on store shelves contain added sugars and carbs. This is why we highly recommend you make your own blends and mixes.

Make sure you check labels to ensure you are getting the purest form of the spice.

The best way to determine the purity is by checking the ingredient list. Typically there should only be one ingredient on the label, and that's the spice you are buying.

Spices themselves DO have carbs in them, but so long as you are using spices in moderation while cooking, you should be perfectly fine, and the carb count is negligible. Again, just be careful with any pre-made spice mixes since many of them will have added sugars.

There are a lot of brands coming out with low carb and sugar-free condiments that fit within a ketogenic lifestyle.

While we'll do our best to give you our recommended brands, it behooves you always to check labels when it comes to sauces and seasonings even if they make claims like low carb or keto approved.

Below you'll find a low of common herbs, spices, condiments, and sauces that individuals use on a ketogenic diet.

Sauces and Condiments

  • Yellow mustard
  • Ketchup without added sugars and in moderation
  • Horseradish
  • Hot sauces
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Certain balsamic vinegars
  • Salad dressings fattier dressings and without any added sugars
  • Mayonnaise (We like primal kitchen brand)

Herbs and Spices

  • Salt – We prefer pink Redmonds Real Salt, Himalayan or Celtic salt.
  • Pepper
  • Basil
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Cilantro
  • Thyme
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Chili powder
  • Cumin
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Curry powder
  • Ginger
  • Saffron
  • Sar Anise
  • Allspice
  • Corriander
  • Garlic
  • Paprika

To give you a general idea of the number of carbs per tablespoon of a given spice, please see below:

SpicesNet Carbs (g)
All Spice, Ground (1 tbsp.)3
Black Pepper (1 tbsp.)2.4
Caraway Seed (1 tbsp.)0.8
Cardamom Ground (1 tbsp.)2.4
Cayenne Pepper (1 tbsp.)1.6
Cinnamon (1 tbsp.)1.7
Cloves (1 tbsp.)1.7
Coriander Leaf Seed (1 tbsp.).6
Cumin (1 tbsp.)2.1
Curry Powder (1 tbsp.)1.6
Dried Basil (1 tbsp.)0.9
Dried Parsley (1 tbsp.)0.3
Dried Spearment0.3
Fennel Seed0.7
Fresh Pepperment0.2
Garlic, Ground (1 tbsp.)5.3
Ginger, Ground (1 tbsp.)3.1
Imitation Vanilla Extract (1 tbsp.)0.3
Mace, Ground (1 tbsp.)1.6
Nutmeg (1 tbsp.)2
Onion Powder (1 tbsp.)5.2
Oregano, Ground (1 tbsp.)0.4
Paprika (1 tbsp.)1.2
Poppyseed (1 tbsp.)1.2
Poultry Seasoning (1 tbsp.)2
Pumpkin Pie Spice (1 tbsp.)3.1
Sage (1 tbsp.)0.4
Tarragon, Ground (1 tbsp.)2
Thyme, Ground (1 tbsp.)1.1
Vanilla Extract (1 tbsp.)1.6
White Pepper (1 tbsp.)3

Chapter 9: All about those sweeteners

We find that on a ketogenic diet, craving for sweets is significantly reduced and sometimes even eliminated.

If you do have a high addiction to desserts, we would highly recommend you just avoid sweet foods and sweeteners as much as possible.

While we can have cravings for a savory T-Bone steak, most cravings are a result of sugar. There is plenty of studies showing that sugar stimulates the reward center of the brain creating a temporary high.

Packets of artificial sweeteners in glass container sitting on bright blue wooden table

Though there are many different sweeteners that people choose on a ketogenic diet, we tend to favor both stevia and erythritol in our keto cooking and baking.

All of the sweeteners offer their pros and cons regarding taste, after-taste, texture, etc…

Below is a recommendation of sweeteners that have been shown to have zero impact on blood sugar.

  • Stevia. One of the most common sugar substitutions, stevia is an herb. If you can, get the liquid stevia drops and if using a granulated or powder form be mindful of any added fillers.
  • Erythritol. Another excellent sugar substitution with 0 blood sugar impact. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is naturally found in fruits, vegetables, and fermented foods.
  • Monk Fruit. Also known as luo han guo is just about as sweet as stevia without the same bitter aftertaste.
  • Allulose. The new kid on the block. Not as easily found on shelves just yet, but many companies, such as quest nutrition, are bringing out new products made with allulose for the taste and texture.

Chapter 9: Keto diet foods list – SUPPLEMENTS

Okay, so we gave you a breakdown of the three primary macronutrients in our ultimate keto diet food list. We even gave you our best recommendations for beverages, but what about supplements?

As this is primarily keto food list, we'll keep this section brief with some keto supplement recommendations we frequently get asked about.


As with any supplement, we wholeheartedly believe that they are just that….

supplements.

As in, they are there to supplement a proper diet and exercise lifestyle, not to replace or make up for a lackluster one. So with that, here are a few of our recommendations of the what and why you may want to take certain supplements.

MCT Oils and Powders

MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) is a type of fat that is readily used for energy by our body. In short, your body takes them and converts them to ketones almost immediately providing a fast-acting source of energy.

  • Recommended MCT (C8 Oil): C8 MCT Oil 
  • Recommended MCT Powder: Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder
  • Recommended MCT Oil: Viva Naturals MCT Oil

Tip: Be wary of some MCT Oil Powders as many contain some less than desirable fillers.

Exogenous Ketones

As the name implies, you are introducing ketones directly into your body by ingesting them, thus providing one less step for your body compared to MCT Oils and Powders as the body doesn't need to convert them to ketones.

Exogenous ketones can be great for those in transition into a keto diet, for those who fell of the bandwagon temporarily or even as a potent pre-workout.

  • Recommended Ketone Salts: Perfect Keto Exogenous Ketones

Collagen Protein

Considered the glue that holds your body together, collagen is the most abundant protein in your body.

Anecdotally, collagen protein seems to help with joints, hair quality and helps repair leaky guts. You can get collagen protein in the form of powder or a yummy cup of bone broth.

  • Recommended: Collagen peptides protein

Greens Supplement

Maybe you don't like eating vegetables or have a hard time getting enough in on a daily basis. Taking a greens supplement can be a great way to consume a wide array of nutrients easily.

  • Recommended: Green Vibrance

Chapter 11: The danger zone

One of the most common things we hear is How do I avoid carbs? And you'd be right to ask because there is hidden sugar in almost everything on the shelves nowadays.

Hopefully the above sections give you a good idea of what to eat.

Make sure you familiarize yourself with the foods listed above alongside our general guidelines so you may gain a better understanding when you go grocery shopping or eating on the go.

Now, we want to provide you with a general breakdown of what foods to avoid so that you can arm yourself with knowledge and not mistakenly sabqotage your efforts.


Remember, fewer ingredients on the ingredient list are better and typically mean something is less processed. And if possible, we'd recommend sticking to whole foods with most, if not all, of your food choices coming from meat and vegetables.

With that said, here are ketogenic diet foods to avoid:

  • Grains. While the jury is out on gluten unless you are celiac, you want to avoid grains merely because they are pure sources of carbohydrates. Grains include all wheat products, corn, etc… this applies to even whole grains as well including couscous, rye, wheat, barley, buckwheat, and quinoa.
  • Starches. Avoid starches on keto like plantains, sweet potatoes, potatoes, pasta, rice, beans, etc…
  • Fruits. Aside from a few berries in moderation, most fruits are high in sugar and fructose.
  • Sugar. Avoid it. Enough said. Sugary soft drinks, candy, juices, cakes, etc…
  • Anything labeled “low-fat.” Most items tagged low-fat usually fill the void with additional sugar. Since fat is technically our friend on a ketogenic diet, there is no need to avoid it.

Be wary of certain low-carb products off the shelves as many of the times they are just regular versions disguised in fancy boxes and confusing verbiage.

Not to name any names, but even a few of the companies have also been caught lying about the actual carb content of their products.

Read labels and in general, avoid items that say “low-carb” or “net carbs.” They may be great as a treat once in awhile, but you should avoid them most of the time.

Tip: If a product contains maltitol then we HIGHLY recommend you avoid it as maltitol causes a similar insulin response to eating plain table sugar.


I hope you enjoyed The ULTIMATE ketogenic diet foods list. What are some of your favorite foods to eat on a ketogenic diet? Feel free to leave your favorite keto consumables below or any questions you may have floating around.

How Long Does It Take To Get Into Ketosis? [Real Case Study]

Chances are, you landed here because you’re considering a ketogenic diet or maybe you’ve even started your ketogenic journey. Usually, the first question people ask when considering a ketogenic diet is:

A. What is ketosis?

B. How long does it take to get into ketosis?

How long does it take to get into ketosis? How long it takes to get into ketosis can vary from individual to individual, but it will take on average between 24 and 72 hours.

Just like I always say about almost everything… IT DEPENDS, but we’ll get into the nitty-gritty along with tips and tricks to get you there as quick as possible.

So hold your horses.

how long does it take to get into ketosis pinterest cover

When you enter a state of ketosis, your body switches its primary fuel source from using glucose (sugar) to using FAT, most notably ketones and free fatty acids. This has been associated with many health benefits including:

  • Reduced hunger and increased satiety
  • Increased and steady energy levels
  • Decreased inflammation

So just how long does it take to get into ketosis and experience these wonderful benefits?

How Long Does It Take To Get Into Ketosis

 It’s been my experience that we can achieve ketosis, producing ketones, possibly within just a day or two of fasting or ketogenic dieting…  but, I figured I would show you how long it took to get into ketosis rather than just telling you how long it does.

How long it takes to get into ketosis – the experiment.

This led me to run an experiment on myself to answer that very question.To do so, I couldn’t already be in a state of ketosis.

Therefore, part one of the equation was knocking myself out of ketosis. I accomplished this by doing exactly what you’re thinking, I ATE CARBOHYDRATES! In fact, I ate just shy over 500g of carbohydrates a day for over 4 weeks.

Why so many and for so long?

Part of the reason I ate so many carbohydrates was that my calorie intake was around ~3500 calories. Since my fat intake was kept relatively low (~75g a day) the only way to get my calories up to that level was to increase carbohydrates and/or protein.

Why not just eat carbohydrates for a day or two?

They say it takes about 3 to 4 weeks to become “keto-adapted,” basically when you become efficient at utilizing fat/ketones and experiencing most of the benefits of ketosis. I decided to do the opposite, but with carbohydrates, and take the same amount of time to revert back to becoming primarily a sugar burner.

And just maybe this was my excuse to eat tons of rice and cereal for a month.

Just kidding.

OK, kind of kidding.

Once you’ve been fat adapted for so long, it’s a lot easier for your body to dip in and out of ketosis. I wanted to kind of hit the “reset button,” and make sure I was starting without an advantage for lack of a better term. 

Below is a typical breakdown of my macros over the four-week period.

~3500 calories 500g of carbohydrates, 200g of protein, 75g of fat

A typical day during the experiment

There you have it, this was my typical intake for over four weeks before this experiment. It’s almost impossible for me to be in a state of ketosis given the sheer amount of carbohydrates I’ve been consuming.

Before getting started, I will be defining entering a state of ketosis as registering .5 mmol/L or higher on the blood ketone meter.

It was Dr. Stephen Phinney and Dr. Jeff Volek whom coined the term “nutritional ketosis,” which is a ketone production that lies between 0.5 mmol/L and 5 mmol/L. So that’s the definition I will use.

how long does it take to get into ketosis ketone chart

Day 1

I’m confident I’m not into ketosis, so I decided to hold out and not test until the evening of day 1. Below is a picture of my blood ketone reading via my keto mojo. Obviously, I am far from being in ketosis! So here then begins the journey.

how long does it take to get into ketosis day 1
Nada.

Activity for day 1

I didn’t want to do anything out of the ordinary, so I decided not to work out at all today (even though that would be ordinary for me). However, I do aim for a minimum step count each day and ended my day with around 11k steps.

Macro breakdown for day 1

I decided to kickstart the process a bit while also giving my digestive system a break. I did fast for all of day 1 and didn’t have anything except coffee and water until breakfast the next morning.

What I failed to mention was that I ended my last carb day with a good amount of pizza and a very hefty serving of ice cream 😉

Day 2

Well, looks like I’m still not technically in nutritional ketosis territory, but at least I’m registering something vs. just getting a “LOW” reading. It may only say 0.1, but I’ll take it!

A little progress

7am – 9am

On the morning of day two, I did go to the gym for a light workout with weights. I had some coffee before working out mixed with some C8 Oil, grass-fed butter, and a scoop of whey protein.

10am – 2pm

Post-workout I had one of my standard go-to meals of 12oz ground beef with half an avocado and two hard-boiled eggs. About 4 hours or so later I had the same meal… I’m boring, what can I say?

But what do you know, before eating my final meal of the evening it looks as if I am already hitting a mild level of ketosis. This is about 36 hours after consuming about 800 – 900g of carbohydrates.

I could have possibly been registering above .5 mmol/L earlier, but I didn’t test my ketone levels again until I returned home in the evening around 5:30pm.

So, if I were to assume I was starting hitting mild levels of ketosis around this time, it puts me at about ~40 hours after my last carbohydrate-filled meal.

There you have it, it takes precisely 27.231091 hours to get into ketosis.

Just kidding. Like anything, results will vary by individual. It may take as little as a day for one person while it may take four or five days for another. Things that may influence how fast or slow you get into ketosis include:

  • Your previous diet before starting
  • Your activity levels
  • Lifestyle (Stress, sleep, etc.)
  • Carbohydrate intake

But the truth is, it really doesn’t matter how long it takes you to get into ketosis. You have to realize that it’s a lifestyle and how fast you get into ketosis is irrelevant in the big scheme of things.

 What really matters is how consistent you will be over the LONG TERM? Ketosis or not. 

That said, how many days to ketosis will vary from person to person, but there are ways to speed up the transition that we’ll go over below. I just wanted to show you first-hand how long it took me to give you a baseline.


How To Get Into Ketosis Fast As Possible

I know I said it doesn’t matter how fast you get into ketosis, but there’s always those who don’t care or just want to know LOL…  So, the section below is just for you.

7 Tips to get into ketosis quicker

Just like my self-experiment, we will define ketosis as reaching a level of .5mmol/L or above via a blood ketone reading.

My preferred blood ketone meter: keto mojo

how long does it take to get into ketosis 7 tips on how to get into ketosis in 24 hours
  • ELIMINATE CARBOHYDRATES
  • INTERMITTENT FASTING
  • DRINK COFFEE
  • LOW-INTENSITY EXERCISE
  • MCT OIL
  • INCREASE FAT
  • EXOGENOUS KETONES

Eliminate carbohydrates

We already know we have to limit carbohydrates on a ketogenic diet severely. How many carbs that is will vary by individual and is usually dictated by one's activity levels.

The general carb limit for a ketogenic diet is around 30 net grams per day. [footnote]Net grams are total carbohydrates minus any fiber and/or sugar alcohols.[/footnote] Take this a step further and reduce your carbs to 30 grams or less of TOTAL carbohydrates.

Intermittent fasting

Fasting is often used in combination with keto by many individuals. By prolonging the time in which you eat your first meal, you begin to deplete the body of readily available glucose and stored glycogen.

An easy way to implement intermittent fasting is merely to skip breakfast. A popular intermittent fasting protocol many people start with is a 16:8 fasting to eating window.

In short, don’t eat for 16 hours and eat all your calories within an 8-hour eating window. In practice, this might look like eating all your meals between noon and 8pm.

Drink coffee

Ok, coffee won’t really help speed things along, but it should help out with curbing your appetite, and that’s important for any diet. It’s also a great way to help ease into intermittent fasting if you’re giving that a go.

Low-intensity exercise

Low-intensity exercise, such as walking or light cardio, can help speed things along in the beginning.

People often confuse depleting muscle glycogen (which happens with high-intensity exercise) with achieving ketosis, but it’s when liver glycogen gets low enough that it starts producing ketones as a new source of energy.

Definitely one of many pieces of misinformation I see being spread. Not to say that you shouldn’t do any high-intensity exercise, but for the sake of getting into ketosis faster, it’s not required.

MCT Oil

Medium chain triglycerides are one of the quickest sources of energy we can use on a ketogenic diet, especially at the onset. MCT’s are easily absorbed and transported throughout the body since it travels straight from the gut to the liver.

MCT’s can also help suppress hunger and provide quick, clean energy, especially for the brain. Just be careful and start with a low dose before going all in… or you may find yourself scurrying to the bathroom.

  • My favorite MCT Oil.
  • My favorite C8 Oil.

C8 Oil (caprylic acid) is a form of MCT Oil, but C8 converts explicitly to ketones much quicker. I also find C8 oil a bit easier on the stomach. The one drawback is it is slightly more expensive than straight MCT Oil.

Increase fat intake

At the beginning of your keto journey, I usually recommend keeping fat intake up. We don’t want to cut calories drastically at the beginning, and we must replace those calories that were once filled with carbohydrates with healthy fats.

You can accomplish this easily by eating fattier cuts of meats, whole eggs, and including fat sources like avocados and nuts.

There’s often another misconception that to enter a state of ketosis that you must eat a high-fat diet. Truth is, the only requirement to enter a state of ketosis is a reduction/elimination of carbohydrates.

Exogenous ketones

Taking exogenous ketones can possibly help decrease the amount of time it takes to reach a state of ketosis. Another benefit is that taking exogenous ketones can almost act as a buffer in helping avoid common side effects while transitioning to a ketogenic diet.

Basically, it can help avoid the dreaded “keto flu.”

My favorite Exogenous Ketones supplement.

Ok, but what is the absolute FASTEST way to get into ketosis if you had to pick one?

How To Get Into Ketosis In 24 Hours

That’s an easy one.

DON’T EAT!

 Fasting to get into ketosis is literally the fastest way to get into ketosis. 

As mentioned previously, when liver glycogen is depleted, the liver will start producing ketones. The easiest way to get rid of liver glycogen is not to eat combined with a bit of low-intensity exercise like walking.

How Many Hours To Get Into Ketosis?

If you're up to the challenge and want to exercise your way into ketosis, no matter the pain you must endure, this may interest you.

In this study, liver glycogen stores were substantially depleted within ~90 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise.3https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00232.2016?usestrictdates=yes&andorexacttitleabs=or&resourcetype=HWCIT&hits=1&andorexactfulltext=or&ct=&searchid=1&andorexacttitle=or&titleabstract=fructose&maxtoshow=&RESULTFORMAT= 

If you've run a marathon or know someone who has, you may have heard the term “bonking” or “hitting the wall.” These terms describe the sudden onset of fatigue and loss of energy you may experience.

From first-hand experience, it's not a great feeling. Your legs feel like cement, you get a bit dizzy, and continuing to run is the last thing your body wants to do.

Liver and muscle glycogen are both severely depleted. 

It's not uncommon to be producing ketones by the end of a marathon run, even by those not following a ketogenic diet.


Additional Tips While Transitioning Into Ketosis

Stay hydrated

People often experience rapid initial weight loss at the beginning of a ketogenic diet. Most of this weight loss in the first few days is due to water loss. For each gram of carbohydrate, your body carries with it a good ~3-4 grams of water.

Plus, staying hydrated can help keep you from overeating since many people sometimes mistake hunger for thirst. Aim for four to five clear urinations per day as a good general rule of thumb.

Increase electrolytes

Increasing electrolytes goes hand in hand with staying hydrated, most notably sodium. Aside from reducing carbohydrates, when most people switch to a ketogenic diet, they are also eliminating a lot of pre-packaged foods that were high in sodium.

Double whammy.

A lot of the side effects such as the keto flu can be mitigated or significantly reduced just by drinking more water and increasing electrolytes. Don’t be shy and salt your food to taste.

Get enough sleep

It always surprises me how much people don’t pay attention to sleep. Proper sleep is vital for hormone function, and it’s the time our body repairs itself from the stresses of everyday life.

Try to aim for a solid 7-8 hours of sleep each and every night.

How Can You Tell If You Are In Ketosis?

There are three primary methods to test your ketone levels:

Urine

Probably the most accessible and most affordable method, but also the most inaccurate and messy of the three.

You can likely find ketosis sticks at your local pharmacy or order them online via the link below.

  • Perfect Keto Urine Test Strips

Breath

More accurate than urine testing, breath testing measures acetone being exhaled on your breath. You can measure the level of acetone on your breath using a breath monitor, such as a Ketonix or LEVL meter.

The upfront cost of a breath meter is the highest of the three, but you don’t really have to repurchase test strips or pee on sticks making it cost-effective over time and probably the least messy of the three.

  • Ketonix breath meter

Blood

The most accurate way to test whether you are in ketosis and what I’ve been referring to previously in my experiment. Testing for blood ketones is the same way someone with diabetes would check their blood sugar levels.

The drawback to a blood ketone meter is it can get expensive purchasing the ketone test strips over time. Also, if you have an aversion to blood, it might not be the best option.

I recommend the keto mojo blood ketone meter as they offer the cheapest ketone test strips at 99 cents each. The test strips also require the least amount of blood compared to that of their competitor.

how long does it take to get into ketosis how to test your ketone levels

And the fourth method…

But you said there’s three?

The fourth way is subjective as it doesn’t require an actual test to measure your ketone levels.

Instead, if you don’t have access to a blood, urine or breath ketone test OR just don’t want to test then you can use the below signs and symptoms to gauge whether you may be in a state of ketosis.

But of course, you won’t REALLY know unless you test.

Increased focus

When you are in ketosis, your brain switches its primary fuel source from carbohydrates to ketones. You might start to notice a marked increase in mental clarity and less brain fog than before.

Decreased hunger

Ketosis has been shown to affect both satiety and hunger. Basically, satiety and hunger are two of the most critical aspects that cause people to quit their diets.

This may be another reason why a ketogenic diet is the preferred form of dieting for weight loss for many individuals.

Increased energy

When you’re in ketosis, you tend to suffer less from energy swings as you have a constant supply of fat for energy, both from your body and from your diet.

Compared to that of a carbohydrate-based diet where insulin and energy levels tend to spike and dip in relation to a meal.

Keto breath

In the beginning, many people report a slightly sweet smell coming from their breath. Better yet, their friends and family start to report the smell since you probably won’t notice it on yourself at first if you’re not paying attention.

Since acetone is expelled via your breath, you may notice your breath smells like that of nail polish. I find this smell usually goes away after a few weeks on a ketogenic diet.


Reasons Why You May Not Be In Ketosis

how long does it take to get into ketosis reasons you may not become keto adapted

You’re eating too many carbs

Sometimes people simply underestimate how many carbohydrates they are actually consuming (along with calories in general).

They also try to see just how far they can push their net carbohydrate consumption and have a tag along of 100 grams of sugar alcohols and fiber from “keto friendly” protein bars and other miscellaneous snacks.

QUIT IT!

If you’re not eating these keto friendly snacks filled with sugar alcohols and prebiotic fibers… there’s a slight chance you may be eating something with enough carbohydrates to keep you out of ketosis.

Your best bet is to track your food intake, and be honest because you’re fooling nobody but yourself if you’re not.

You have too much stress in your life

There’s a reason they say stress is the silent killer. Below are 9 ways to help eliminate or at least lower your stress levels.

For myself, meditation and a gratitude journal have been a game changer. Personally, I use the headspace app for meditation every morning along with the five-minute journal.

You're pretty sedentary

I’ve personally found that those who combine a mix of low-intensity exercise and strength training not only get into ketosis faster but have exponentially more significant results. 

Nobody says you have to become a bodybuilder, but I firmly believe everyone should be including some form of resistance training and trying to stay active when possible.

A great way to get in more activity is to use a fitness tracker like a Fitbit. Start small and work your way up. A great goal is to aim for 10,000 steps a day but don’t let me stop you there.

If you're still stuck wondering why you're not in ketosis, I wrote an entire article all about it.


Getting Into Ketosis Quickly: The Takeaway

Hopefully, you’ve followed along from my self-experiment to the tips on how to get into ketosis faster. If you skipped everything just to read the summary, then shame on you! Go back up and obtain some edu mi cation.

There are some things that I listed above that might seem obvious, but sometimes it takes hearing it from someone else before we actually start implementing it.

In short, how many days to get into ketosis will vary from person to person, but in general, you can expect to reach a nutritional level of ketosis between one and four days for most individuals.

If you are looking to get into ketosis at lightning speed for some reason, then fasting to get into ketosis is the FASTEST way to get into ketosis.

Tips on how to get into ketosis fast include:

  • Utilizee intermittent fasting
  • Eliminate carbohydrates even more or completely
  • Drink coffee / consuming caffeine
  • Use MCT Oil and/or exogenous ketones
  • Incorporate low-intensity exercise
  • Increase your fat intake

And to really close it out.

I just want to reiterate that your goal shouldn’t be to get into ketosis as fast as possible. What you should really focus on is how to make ketosis more than a diet, but a lifestyle that you can sustain over the long term.


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