That describes my pre-contest diet to a T. (Although it is far from the only way to get into contest shape!)
I have gotten a few e-mails asking what keto is like and if it's as horrible as everyone says.
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| What keto has done for my body - this is an eight week difference |
I spent the accelerated summer semester (6 weeks vs 16 weeks) in keto, and I got straight As with a full-time course load. I was not horribly grouchy, either - I actually made a couple of great friends and forged a strong connection with my Microbiology professor, who is putting in a good word for me at a couple of labs in the area. (I want to shadow the scientists and see whether I would enjoy research as much as I think I would.)
The carb cravings you hear about disappear within a week or two. I actually find myself craving veggies and fats now.
Your energy levels do dip for the first week or two, but after that, they level out.
The only real drawback.... is keto breath. For some people it's just a slightly fruity taste in the mouth; for others it's metallic. Some dieters just experience it in the morning or after cardio. Me? I am brushing my teeth literally all day long. Good news is, they've never been whiter!
I've utilized many different dieting techniques: moderate carb, moderate protein, low fat (worked well), carb cycling (very very effective), moderate carb, high protein, low fat (eh), and of course keto, and I have to say that keto is my favorite. Now I just need someone to send me a lifetime supply of Listerine.
I'm in that first 3 week adaptative period. NOT liking the decrease in the strength, but I'm never hungry and I don't have cravings (so far). Training for my first powerlifting comp this fall, and need to get my weight down and my strength up. This seems like the best way to do so.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think keto is the most muscle-preserving way to cut - at least for me! =)
DeleteOh, gosh, Keto breath is the worst thing in the world. Yum, nail polish remover smell coming from my mouth. Everything has its downside though, right? Happy Friday!
ReplyDeletelol seriously! At least it kills my appetite I guess? haha!
DeleteHey Sable.. looking good, girl :)
ReplyDeleteI noticed you did a refeed recently; do you think it helped maintain your sanity of cutting out the junk? I follow a mostly paleo-diet M-F but give myself cheats all weekend. Not sure if it's really working for me though. I'm actually not eating enough now, which is hard.. :\
I definitely think refeeds help with sanity!! =) I've heard of people doing refeeds all weekend but I usually prefer to do one refeed day. During contest prep, my refeeds are about 4 hours. I don't know that anything briefer than that would work.
DeleteAre you trying to lose fat, gain muscle, or maintain? =)
Oh, I don't know.. lol :)
DeleteI want to lose fat and gain muscle like everyone else, of course :) But know the two really don't work hand in hand. Right now, I think my focus is more on just gaining muscle, and I'm quite okay with adding a few pounds (since I've lost 2lbs since I started lifting heavier recently.. ugh.)
I have a hard time being hungry when I eat high fat/protein.. so I feel like my calories are just too low and don't know how to force myself to eat more I guess.
Gotcha! So maybe a re-comp or slow bulk? I'd recommend using this calculator - http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/ - it says it's for intermittent fasters but it works for everyone, and it lets you adjust the macros to fit your goals/accommodate Paleo. Eating 100-150 extra calories a day will probably (slowly) get you the results you're looking for. Some people do an extra 200-250 cals on workout days and 100 less cals on off days, or they just add 100-150 to every day. =) Either way, that produces slow & steady results.
DeleteThanks for the link; it's super informative. Based on a different calculation, I found about the same; 1900 on rest days, 2300 on workout days. I just struggle with the food part. I'll usually eat dinner at 6:30 or so. Then "fast" until 10:00, and I'll eat 2 whole eggs and an avocado, often a side of berries. But then I don't get hungry for lunch until 1:00; then I'm more than fine until after my workout (like 5:00). I'll have a protein shake but then sometimes not be hungry for dinner.
DeleteI don't know how to trick my body into wanting to eat more! lol
Yeah, satiation can be an issue when you consume a decent amount of fat and protein =/ I've never had that problem, haha, but when Max does, he just makes sure to eat at the same time every day and pretty soon he starts getting hungry about 30 min before each scheduled meal time. So maybe you could start eating a few small snacks between lunch and dinner, and build them up as you start getting hungrier?
DeleteThanks for the advice.. I'm still working on figuring out what works best for me. I recently started StrongLifts and I'm just now getting where it's becoming really hard each day to progress, so I know I need to change something soon!
DeleteDo you have a typical weekly meal plan somewhere on here? Like what you consume on a lift day/rest day? (well, you're competing so it may be a bit different..)
Really interesting about the keto breath. I guess I'll be experiencing that at some point. *blech*
ReplyDeleteRight now I can't imagine keeps carbs that low! You'd really have to limit even veggies, right?
Actually, I eat a pound of veggies a day! =) No carbs other than veggies & trace carbs in nuts on off-days, but on lifting days I also eat 4oz sweet potato & an apple. =)
DeleteWow, I'm really impressed that you can keep that diet up - I try to eat high protein but I get grouchy if my carbs get too low.
ReplyDeleteAnd interesting about the keto breath - at least your dentist will be happy with you? :-)
Thanks Sam! =)
DeleteHaha my dentist is going to LOVE me!
i've had friends (other trainers) go through Keto for training. They were MOODY. haha. Luckily no bad breath, that i knew of .
ReplyDeleteI don't know which I'd rather - grouchiness or bad breath! lol!
DeleteI did a low carb diet a good few years ago and my mother accused me of literally stinking our family living room out with my breath! ha. Although it was an Atkins style diet so that could have made my keto breath worse! You should ask listerine to sponsor you ;-)
ReplyDeleteLOL Max claims my car stinks =( I hope it's not true!
DeleteYou were doing high fat? I was under the impression you were going for high protein, low starch carb, low fat. Sorta paleo. I think high fat is a 4:1 ratio fat to comb pro/carb. Were you making it up with olive oil portioning?
ReplyDeleteYep yep - there is quite a bit of olive oil on almost everything I eat! =)
DeleteGotcha. Ya know I have been reading a lot lately - a growing consensus that good fat and lots of it may be the key to good and healthy weight maintenance. That it is the sugar they sub in for the fat they take out that is causing a large portion of the obese pop. - Like why the proportion of obese is exploding. I think there is something to that.
DeleteI am not saying live in a state of ketosis, but certainly something short of it. Just short.
I wonder what you think on that and if you have read articles books that speak to that.
I have read a lot about that, and I agree that taking fats out of our foods is not helping the obesity "epidemic." If nothing else, less fat = less satiation which means we eat more - and it could be much more complex than that. This is actually something I discussed with my Micro professor... he made the very good point that the percentage of obese Americans jumped when the US government first labeled fats as "bad."
Deletewell dang, it is definitely working for you. You look gorgeous Sable!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kristi! =)
DeleteHoly crap! Yea it is working for you! haha Curious to know what your protein intake is?
ReplyDeleteAround 120g/day =) It used to be much higher!
DeleteFINALLY. I want to hug you right now-someone that understands about ketosis. I train my high mileage a lot of the time in ketosis then real carb load before serious races and have found it works wonders for me. People ask how I "survive" running so many miles but fat provides me with the energy and it makes my races so much better. This post makes me really happy.
ReplyDeletei think moderate protein is one of the most important aspects of keto! so many people go low carb and then replace those carbs with protein but it's the fats that should be giving your body energy! grouchiness & brain fog are probably due to burning protein for energy and not a result of the low-carb aspect!
ReplyDeletegreat job on your A's and your progress!
This was super interesting to read. I love how you just laid out how it is for you. I always wondered what keto really was and what it was like. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteSo fascinating. I've never tried keto. You look stunning so it has definitely worked for you.
ReplyDeleteYou have made amazing progress!!! Congrats. I tend to lean towards a keto diet myself and you are right after the first two weeks your body adjusts and it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. I actually feel mentally clearer on keto then on anything else.
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