Keto Friendly Beverage

Thanks to a fellow Keto -er for recommending this.
Tastes great! I have found Blu Dot available at Zehrs and Sobeys and online at vitocost

Blu Dot Protein Tea
* There are 2 versions make sure you get the version that has  Natural Stevia Sweetened, lower calorie the flavors with no sugar (stevia instead) are:

Blueberry Acai Green Tea (50 Calories)
Apple Pear White Tea (50 Calories)
Orange Pineapple Green Tea (45 Calories)
Per Bottle

45 Calories, 10 Grams of Protein, 5 Grams of Fibre
The simple formula is filtered water, organic cane sugar, New Zealand whey protein isolate, chicory root inulin, organic green tea, organic honey, natural pineapple and orange flavours and citric acid. *contains MILK

Blu Dot Protein Tea

Keto - Explained in 5 Minutes

For those that still don't quite get what Keto is I found this short fun 5 minute video that explains Keto in a nutshell.

Take 5 minutes if you still don't have a basic understanding or if I just haven't explained it well enough.
The video explains the state of Ketosis and the pros and cons of being in ketosis.

Enjoy and Keto On!

Keto - The Satiety Serenity

Hunger Be Gone?

Well not entirely I hope as I really do enjoy the act of eating! I have mentioned in recent posts that I have been experiencing little to  no effects of feeling hunger since going Keto just over 3 weeks ago. This past Sunday I experienced something extremely rare for me. I skipped lunch!  This might not sound like a big deal because people have busy lives and seem to do this frequently. I just don't skip meals period! Sunday mornings are heavy training days for me and by the time I get home from the gym  I am ready to refuel. Sunday when I got home I wasn't feeling that need to refuel so I decided to do some running around town and by the time I was finished it was close to diner time. I do not advocate skipping  meals and always advise against it and chastise my clients when they tell me that they are skipping meals in an attempt to lose weight. In order to make up for the missed lunch I will had some extra Keto friendly snacks later in the day  in order to keep my calories and macros up for the day.

Some Keto gurus  and other nutritionists do advise to not schedule meals and only eat when your body notifies you that you are hungry and I am not disagreeing with this. For myself I am a "planner" type of person and like to make sure I am getting enough nutrients and am hitting my macros on regular daily basis.
Remember do what feels right and works best for you. For a proper nutrition plan to be effective it needs to work around you and your lifestyle. If you try to force in a nutrition plan and schedule that is contrary to your lifestyle it will be too difficult and unrealistic to maintain and likely  to result in failure in the long term.

My point for even mentioning this, is  that this lack of hunger can be normal for some people when doing Keto as the hunger you are used to is caused by a need for glucose --- low blood sugar. 

Blood sugar is strictly regulated on a ketogenic diet, so you just simply do not experience hunger in the same way. As well "fats" calories are known to be more satiating for some people. You may have noticed I said "some" people proteins, fats and carbs seem to have a different satiety effect on different people.

Take Away Message

My take away message is this. Be sure to get enough calories and macros to support your daily needs and daily activity level. Choose a plan that fits you!

Dave Does Keto - Week 3 in Review

Well 21 days in on strict Keto.

I continue to finely tune my Keto diet and I can say that I am feeling on top of the world! My energy levels are very consistent and high. My mood and sense of well being is very good.
I have not had 1 hunger pang or episode of feeling "hangry".

I am continuing to drop in weight and am showing obvious signs of body fat reduction.* I forgot to start tracking my body fat percentage when I started so I am just going to use the scale, my clothing  and most importantly the mirror to track my progress as far as the outward physical tracking of the Keto plan.

Starting Weight - 206
Weight on Day 7 -198
Weight on Day 14 - 193
Weight on Day 21 - 189

As you can see by the above weight the initial weight lose was pretty extreme for the first 2 weeks and was still quite significant for week three. I expect this to slow down to a much more appropriate level of 2 to 3 lbs going forward and I will just add in a few extra calories of fat in the event it does not slow down. In my experience this is fairly normal and what would I expect in any weight lose program for myself .  But this is Keto so it is pretty new for me and we will let time tell. There is no rush here folks. That being said it is important to note that water weight loss is common when you first start a low carb diet. Ketosis has a diuretic effect to it that can cause many pounds of weight loss in only a few days. While I hate being the bearer of bad news, this isn’t fat. But on a side (and more positive) note, that shows that your body is starting to adjust itself into a fat burning machine! Now I just want to be clear with everyone. The ongoing weight lose is due to a few very important factors.

1. I am on a calorie deficit - A calorie deficit is the number of calories you need to eat in a day to lose weight compared to the calories to maintain your weight. You create a calorie deficit by either eating less calories, burning more calories (through exercise) or a combination of the two.

2.  I am in Constant state of Ketosis - A low-carb diet lowers your levels of the fat-storing hormone insulin, allowing your fat deposits to shrink and release their stored energy. This tends to cause you to want to consume less calories than you expend – without hunger – and lose weight.

3. I am be very, very strict, no cheating!

Protein Bars and The Keto Diet - A Protein Bar Junkie Confession

A  Protein Bar Junkie Confession

My name is Dave and I am recovering  Protein bar  Junkie.

For a while now protein bars have been my vice. But lets be honest eating a protein bar is essentially little more than a license to eat a candy bar and get a little extra protein along the way or in my case a lot of extra protein. I am not knocking protein bars as they have come a long way and eating them is a far better option than a lot of things. But I had myself convinced it was all good!

The Big Question

Can or should you eat protein bars while running a Keto diet?

The answer in my opinion is a resound no!. Now there are exceptions. The problem as I see it is trying to keep within 50 total carbs. Yes I count total carbs and net carbs. If I were to eat one typical protein bar I would be eating on average 20 to 25 total carbs. Yes I know you are going to say but Dave about 15 to 20 of those carbs are fibre and the remaining is only a small amount of sugar.or sugar alcohols.
Here is my response. I just cant put my faith in the fact that this is still a processed food item and I am not getting my very valuable fibre from whole foods like brocolli and asparagus.
If I were to eat just a single Quest protein bar (which would I enjoy thoroughly) I would be at half of my daily allowed carb intake for that day leaving me very little room for "real" fibre in the remaining 25 grams of carbs for the day.

The fiber of choice these days for protein bar companies is something called Isomalto Oligosaccharide Fiber (or IMO fiber for short). When IMO fiber was first being considered for use as a food additive, they subjected it to two enzyme tests to see if those enzymes could break it down – one of these is found in your mouth, and the other in your stomach. The result - Neither enzyme broke IMO down, so voila – it isn’t digestible! It’s a fiber!

More recent studies have found that IMO does in fact get digested in the small intestine. If it were a true fiber, it wouldn’t (it would get fermented in the colon).

What does that mean? IMO is a good old-fashioned carbohydrate. NOT a fiber.

IMO is getting digested and metabolized, and all those carb calories aren’t showing up on the nutrition facts panel.

Swearing off Protein Bars For Good?

Now I still think protein bars have there place but only in a real pinch such as when traveling etc. I will be keeping them to an absolute minimum.

A Special Mention

There is one Keto approved protein bar that I have come across however it is not yet available in Canada and is too pricey to import at this time. See below
Keto Bars

Keto - What not to Eat!

Foods to avoid while going all Keto

Any starchy food.
All foods with added sugar.
No grains and cereal
No bread of any kind - Yes this means no PIZZA! (there are keto pizza recipes though)
Beans (some exceptions, like green and yellow beans, read the labels!),
Pop
Soda
Coke
Pasta
Potatoes
Pizza,
Beer
Cookies
Crackers
Bagels
Candies
Sugar
Honey
Chips
Pretzels
Popsicles
Ice Cream
Any sweet fruits: oranges, bananas, peaches, etc.
Small fruits (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.) in very small amounts are acceptable.

**If it comes in a box it  most likely 99% not Keto approved
***Never eat anything low fat or reduced in fat.

Keto Shopping List

List of Keto friendly foods to Have on Hand

Its not an exhaustive list but this will give you a really good idea and head start for what you need in your kitchen

eggs,
bacon
pepperoni
pepperonni stickes
chorizo sausage
salmon
tuna
chicken breasts
ground beef 85/15 (protein/fat)
pork rinds

mozzarella cheese
cheddar or farmers cheese
ricotta cheese
olive oil
coconut oil
butter
almond butter
broccoli
caulifour
asparagus
mushrooms
spinach
lettuce
truvia or stevia
almond milk
almond flour
coconut flour
flax
chia
cream cheese
sour cream
heavy whipping cream

Total Carbs VS Net Carbs

If you have ever read a protein bar nutrition facts label you will find that carbs are listed and then broken down by fibre content and sugar content.

In an effort to cash in on the low-carb craze, food manufacturers have invented a new category of carbohydrates known as "net carbs," which promises to let dieters eat the sweet and creamy foods they crave without suffering the carb consequences.

But the problem is that there is no legal definition of the "net," "active," or "impact" carbs popping up on food labels and advertisements. The only carbohydrate information regulated by the FDA is provided in the nutrition facts label, which lists total carbohydrates and breaks them down into  dietary fibre and sugars.

A Definition of Total Vs Net Carbs

Total carb is the count of all of the carbohydrate grams available in the food, including fiber, sugar alcohols, and other indigestible carbohydrate. Usable, impact, effective or "net" carbs are a measure of the total carb grams minus the indigestible carb grams.

Huh? - Say that Again?

In short, net carbs are total carbs without fibre. There are two types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. The reason why most people use net carbs (aka available carbohydrates) is because they believe that dietary fibre doesn't affect blood sugar and our body cannot derive any calories from it. However, this claim isn't entirely accurate because it only applies to insoluble fibre which cannot be absorbed and has no affect blood sugar and ketosis.

 

Should you count total or net carbs?

It depends on what your goal is and how sensitive to carbs you are. Some people may be affected by the tiniest amount of carbs from berries while others can eat most foods without any issues.
I personally prefer using total carbs. I still track both fibre and sugar content of my total carbs so that I can be sure that I am getting enough fibre and limiting sugar as much as possible.

What do the Experts Say?

There are differences of opinions amongst experts not only whether to count total or net carbs but also regarding the "ideal" carb level. Dr Volek & Phinney suggest that ~ 50 g of total carbs a day is enough to induce nutritional ketosis. This is 20-35 grams of net carbs depending on the fibre content. Most people on a ketogenic diet successfully follow this approach. This is the approach that I haven chosen to follow.

Take Home Message

My suggestion is this. Regardless please ensure that you keep your carbs low but in doing so keep your fibre intake as high as possible within the allotted 50 grams of carbs. It can be difficult. Nobody said it was easy but its pretty straight forward.

Keto and low carb Baking

Keto and low carb Baking

When making recipes and baking, use recipes that are low carb, low sugar recipes that call for  stevia and erythritol.   Stevia and erythritol are all natural and all processed, but I choose stevia or erythritol as they do not raise blood sugars.  Don’t be fooled by the so-called healthy alternatives to refined sugar such as honey, agave, medjool dates, are  too high in sugar regardless that they are unprocessed. Your body will still raise its insulin to respond to the natural sugars. However, you may decide that using unprocessed honey or dates is a better alternative for you, especially if you can tolerate more carbohydrates. Just don’t think that by choosing honey, is any better for you from a carbohydrate point of view. It is really down to you, as long as you are aware natural sugars count too.

 Don’t be fooled by so many recipes claiming they are refined sugar free, look closer and they are generally packed with coconut sugar (sugar), dates (sugar), honey (sugar), agave (fructose which is worse than sugar), maple syrup (sugar) or rice malt syrup (yup, glucose).

Look for recipes that call for almond or coconut flour instead of  wheat floors.
Almond milk, heavy cream, baking powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, peanut or almond butter, psyllium husk powder, whey protein powder ( check for added sugars), Xanthum gum  ( which is a thickener) are all acceptable ingredients you should expect to find in Keto baking recipes.

Sugar Is Hiding From You

Do you ever read a nutrition label and think to yourself what on earth are all these ingredients? Did you know that many of them are actually an alias for sugar?

Food manufacturers know if sugar is high on their ingredient list, their product isn’t exactly going to fly off the shelf. So what do they do?

1   Firstly they disguise sugar under all these different names knowing people don’t associate many of these with just regular table sugar.

2   Secondly, they use many different types of sugar. Food manufacturers know that if sugar is no.1 on the list, people probably won’t buy it. They want sugar to be as far down the list as possible so they use multiple types of sugar and then each type of sugar is individually smaller and will now appear further down the ingredient list, giving you the impression sugar is no longer the number 1 ingredient. So watch out for all the names of sugar, and add them up. Look at the nutrition label for total sugar per servings as well as the ingredient list.

3   “No added sugars” or “refined sugar free” are other terms floating around these days. Do they mean sugar free? Well no, not exactly. They may still be high with naturally occurring sugars or packed with coconut sugar, dried fruit or some other sugar. Sugar is sugar no matter what you call it.
So ignore the front of packet (advertising fluff and wonder) instead look at the nutrition label for total sugar per serving as well as the ingredient list.

And lastly. What is natural It’s just another advertising term that is thrown on most products and their packaging to improve sales. But do you know what it means?

What Happened as Obesity Doubled

 

From the Diet Doctor
Between 1971 and 2000, obesity doubled. Look at what happened to macro-nutrients at the same time.

People ate way more carbs and much less saturated fat. Maybe that was not such a great idea?

Ketostix - Determining if You are in Ketosis

So What are Ketostix?

Ketostix are small, thin plastic strips with a small reagent area on them.  When Ketostix are dipped in urine (or passed through a stream of urine), the reagent area changes color to indicate the amount of ketones that are present in your urine.  This is an important indicator for those on ketogenic diets because it lets us know that our body has adapted to ketosis and we are doing the diet right. The goal is to achieve a colour match in the purple range.

Ketostix are  useful because it is an indicator that you are doing the ketogenic diet correctly and have  limited your carbohydrate consumption sufficiently to force the body into ketosis, thereby starting the process of burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.  More advanced keto dieters use the strips to help figure out exactly how many carbohydrates they can eat before they are kicked out of ketosis.  It can also help determine how different foods affect one’s ability to stay in ketosis.  For example, some people’s bodies can handle sugar alcohols without having trouble staying in ketosis, and Ketostix can help diagnose this.

 Ketostix are available at most pharmacies. I just purchased a box of 50 strips at my local Shoppers for $6.99. You need to ask the pharmacist as they are over the counter. Below is my first reading taken this past weekend. Ketosois is identified by having a reading in the purple range. As you can see by the matching colour I am in ketosis.

Diet, Health and the Wisdom of Crowds

From the Creator of the Fathead documentary

This is a speech  describing how the dietary wisdom of crowds was replaced by advice from the so-called experts, which is now being replaced again by the wisdom of crowds.

Breakfast Cereals - BBC Documentary

A BBC documentary on Breakfast cereal - The Foods that make Billions
FYI - 59 minutes in length

It’s Official – Frosted Flakes Are Healthier Than An Avocado!

What Happens to Your Body When You Drink a Can of Coke

What Happens to Your Body When You Drink a Can of Coke.This is what happens to your body when you drink a can of coke.

Dave Does Keto - Week 2 in Review

DaveDoes Keto - Week 2 in Review

Week number 2 was an absolute breeze! I am not sure I am out of the woods yet but if I don't suffer from carb depletion in the next couple weeks I think I may just have escaped the dreaded "Keto flu" . I do believe I owe this to planning well in advance and tapering off my carbs during the last couple months before going "all in".

I am showing definite signs of weight lose. My face is thinning out, my size 34 pants are becoming lose fitting, My size large t-shirts are getting loser, no more stomach poking out in front when I where a tighter t-shirt and I can see my abdominal s coming back in. That and I have received a few unsolicited comments from people.

How am I Doing Indicators?

 Feeling of well being- Excellent

Weight Change - Week Two Start weight 198  lbs
                             Week Two Finish weight 193 llbs
Energy level is fantastic.
Strength in the gym has not dropped.
Workout intensity and endurance has not been affected as of yet.
Sleep is still a bit  erratic but I am still waking up quite easily, early and refreshed.
Only change this week was to add 1 tablespoon of psyllium (metamucil) to a cup of water once per day to help with the lack of fibre intake.

Just as a note I have not changed anything in my routine. I am not currently doing cardio just averaging about 13,000 steps per day per normal daily activities just like I did before going on Keto.

Keto Fudge - Walnut & Chocolate

Going Keto can be delicious.

Now I'll be the first to admit that  am not all that talented in the kitchen. I am very good at meal prep and organizing however any recipe that has more than 3 steps or 10 ingredients is just a disaster waiting to happen. I still like to snack and so I build small snacks into my daily macro's. This recipe took a total of 10 minutes start to finish. Just mix and place in refrigerator. That I can handle. The fudge turned out absolutely delicious too! I highly recommend this recipe to satisfy a Keto sweet tooth fix.  The key here is just like anything. Moderation. One small piece per day. This recipe filled a 5 by 7 glass dish about an inch deep. I carved into 9 pieces. each individual piece worked out to :
208 calories each. 17.3 grams of fat. 6.8 grams of carbs and 3.8 grams of protein.

See the recipe and instructions by following the link below. Enjoy!

Walnut Keto Fudge

How I Track My Calories and Macros - Lose It!

There a a few good apps out there that you can use that make tracking your calories and macros quite easy. The most popular app is Myfitness Pal the next would be Lose It!.

I having been using the Lose It! app for a while now off and on. They both have there pros and cons. My fitness Pal may have a larger food database because it is more popular and focuses a lot on exercise. I just seem to like the Lose It! app better because it really focuses on tracking macros and was simple to use. Both of these apps are PC, Android and IOS friendly and will sync all of your data instantly between your multiple devices. It will take a little bit to set up but once you do and the more you use the app the quicker it gets because it remembers your previous food choices and portions so that you can easily add to your next days food intake. You can add custom foods and recipes but most foods can be selected from the huge online database. You can also track weight and water consumption as well as exercise. Both apps integrate with Fit Bit and other devices. Both apps have really good free versions with a few added features with the paid versions.
There are a myriad of charts and graphs to help you really get a quick look of how you are progressing by the day, week or linger. Just remember the data is only as good as what you put into it!

Link to Lose It!
Link to My Fitness Pal

When I am starting a new nutrition plan I log every morsel of food so that if I need to make adjustments for my goals I can easily determine where to make the changes.

It may seem tedious but I also recommend not only counting calories in the first few weeks but weighing your food. a food scale runs about $30. If you are really serious you really need to get a firm handle of what 6 ounces of chicken or 2 cups of asparagus really looks like on your plate and the weight scale and calorie counting will teach you this. There are others that would advise against this but if you are new to this how will you really know how much you are eating? Just take the guess work out. I am not suggesting that you have to do this for ever just a few weeks.

Below are a couple examples from my Lose It profile

The Sugar Lane Effect

Now that I have cut virtually all sugar and processed food from my diet  as part of my Keto plan one of the weird side effects  is this...

When I walk down the lanes in the grocery stores just like this

All I can see is this.
I get a little bit of a "yuck" feeling when I just think of all the crap and sugar I have ingested throughout the years.

Sugar by Another Name is still Sugar.

Why Are There So Many Names Of Sugar?

If we want to really read and understand labels so we can avoid sugar, we need to know all the tricks of the trade and how sugar hides from us. Food manufacturers are getting savvy, knowing if sugar is high on their ingredient list, their product isn’t exactly going to fly off the shelf. So what do they do?
Firstly they disguise sugar under all these different names knowing people don’t associate many of these with just plain old sugar.

Secondly, they use multiple versions of sugar. Ingredients are listed in order of the quantity present in that product. If a product has more sugar than anything else, sugar will be the first ingredient on the list. Now food manufacturers know that if sugar is no.1 on the list, people probably won’t buy it. They want sugar to be as far down the list as possible so they use multiple types of sugar and suddenly each type of sugar is individually smaller and will now appear further down the ingredient list, giving you the impression sugar is no longer the number 1 ingredient.

So watch out for all the names of sugar, and add them up. Look at the nutrition label for total sugar per serving as well as the ingredient list.

And don’t be fooled by “no added sugars” (may still be high with naturally occurring sugars) or “refined sugar free” (generally means it’s packed with coconut sugar, dried fruit or some other sugar). Sugar is sugar no matter what you call it

MCT - Medium Chain Triglycerides Supplementation

As mentioned in a recent post I decided to add MCT  or Medium Chain Triglycerides to my Keto  plan

Why add MCT?

I added the MCT supplement due to the fact that I just wasn't hitting my macros the way I wanted to and the MCT supplement provided me with an easy way to just add to my protein shake. It is a convenient way for me to boost my fatty acid intake. . It adds no taste and actually creates a much thicker creamier experience. Just an fyi some people do can experience digestive issues with this type of supplement.

MCT Fats

Whereas carbohydrates and fat turn into components that can enter the bloodstream directly from the digestive system, most dietary fat converts to water soluble molecules that enter the liver via the lymph system. The liver then converts these molecules to fatty acids and ketone bodies. MCT fats are medium chain triglycerides and are present in relatively small amount in most sources of dietary fat. Unlike their longer cousins, they can enter the liver directly without having to go through the lymph system. So, consuming MCT fats gives the body an opportunity quickly to produce ketone bodies as an energy source for the brain.

MCT Ketogenic Diet

The MCT ketogenic diet recommends that 30 to 60 percent of the fat intake in the diet comes from MCT fats. Good sources include MCT oil, coconut oil and coconut products, such as coconut milk and cream. Because MCT fats quickly convert into ketone bodies, without having to take the detour through the lymph system, an MCT ketogenic diet allows for a greater intake of carbohydrates and protein, potentially making it easier to follow the diet.

14 Tips on what to AVOID in a low carb diet

14 tips on what to AVOID in a low carb diet

1. Bread:
Most breads are too high in carbs to include on a low-carb diet, including whole-grain types of bread.

2. Fruit:
Fruits on a low-carb diet are limited or restricted, depending on your personal carb tolerance; Restrict banana, raisin, dates, mango, pear; Opt for berries, occasionally and in season.
3. Starchy Veggies:
Although many vegetables are low in carbs, some are actually quite high (eg corn, potato, sweet potato, beets & other veggies that grew below ground). It’s best to choose mostly non-starchy, high-fiber vegetables.
4. Pasta:
Both regular and whole-wheat pasta are high in carbs. Spiralized vegetables or shirataki noodles offer healthy low-carb alternatives.
5. Cereals:
Even healthy whole-grain cereals are high in carbs and should be avoided on a low-carb diet.
6. Beer:
Avoid drinking beer on a low-carb diet; beer is made of grain and provides no nutritional benefit. Dry wine and spirits are better alcoholic beverage options.
7. Sweetened Yogurt:
Sweetened low-fat or nonfat yogurt often has as many carbs as ice cream and other desserts. 1 cup (low-fat) can contain 47 grams of carb. Try plain greek yogurt instead and sweeten with berries or stevia.
8. Juice:
Fruit juice is a high-carb beverage that should be avoided on a low-carb diet (eg unsweetened apple contains 48 grams, grape juice 60 grams).
9. Fat-free or Low-fat Salad Dressings:
Avoid fat-free and low-fat salad dressings, which are typically high in carbs. Use creamy dressings or olive oil and vinegar instead.
10. Beans and Legumes:
Beans and legumes are HIGH in carbs. Avoid them altogether.
11. Honey or sugar;
Avoid sugar, honey, maple syrup and other forms of sugar, which are high in carbs but low in nutrients.
12. Chips and Crackers:
Avoid eating chips, crackers and other processed, grain-based snack foods while on a low-carb diet.
13. Milk:
All milk, whole or low fat, still contains 13 g carbs per oz. If you only use it in your coffee, heavy cream aka double cream is actually a better option.
14. Gluten-Free Baked Goods:
Gluten-free breads and muffins can be as high in carbs as traditional baked goods. They’re also often made with carb sources that raise blood sugar quickly.

Take Home Message
When following a low-carb diet, it’s important to choose foods that are highly nutritious, yet low in carbs.
Some foods should be minimized, while you’re better off avoiding others altogether.

Keto Comes Early

Keto - Week One in Review

Alright so a bit of a change in schedule / plans. Instead of waiting until Aug 29th I decided to begin my Keto journey on Aug 7. There were a few factors in this decision but when it comes down to it I was mentally prepared and ready to go. I will post below some information with a breakdown of my first weeks macros - percentage of fats , carbohydrates proteins. The first week went really well. Within just 3 days I had a feeling of being "cleansed" . Now I don't belief in cleansing or detoxing and juice diets and all that stuff but reducing carbs and all the sugar and fructose that is contained in my normal diet definitely feels very good. That being said historically I always feel good the first few days of starting a new nutrition plan.

How am I Doing Indicators?

 

Feeling of well being- Excellent

Weight Change - Week One Start weight 206 lbs
                           Week One Finish weight 198 llbs


Endurance, Strength and fatigue levels - The first 3 to 4 days I definitely noticed a performance drop during the very beginning of my training sessions. However this was only the first couple of sets / minutes and once I got into my usual "zone" everything went well. Yesterday (Sunday Aug 14th) was my back training day. Next to leg day, Back day is usually my most grueling and longest workout. I maintained my strength levels and actually was feeling so energized I added  additional volume to my session.

Hunger Satiety - Not much of an issue. I have kept my eating patterns the same and am averaging 2400 - 2500 calories.per day. My stomach feels empty (not hungry) but that is good because often with higher carbs I feel bloated. 

Cravings- I did not experience any sugar or carb cravings.

Muscle Cramps - Some muscle cramping in biceps and upper back during the first 3 to 4 days.

Sleeping - I do find my sleeping a bit more restless so far although I find myself waking up early and refreshed.

Frequent Urination
On average I drink approx 1 gallon of water daily.
Normally when I am sleeping well I may take 1 trip to the restroom overnight or in the early morning.

After the first full day of going Keto I took about 6 trips to the restroom and about 4 trips each evening after. . This means my body is burning up the extra glycogen (stored glucose) in my liver and muscles. Breaking down glycogen releases a lot of water. As your carb intake and glycogen stores drop, your kidneys will start dumping excess water.
When going low carb high fat one needs to make sure sodium, potassium, magnesium and electrolytes are kept up.

I anticipated this possibility and have been taking  magnesium supplements . I am eating plenty of avocado  which is extremely high in potassium so I am not too worried but I have potassium on hand if needed. I am also monitoring my sodium intake and it is between 3 grams to 5 grams per day which is right where I want it to be. I have also added MCT oil  supplement an or medium chain triglycerides. More on this in a followup post.

Next Steps

I still have some very minor adjusting to do to tighten up my Macros. I need to get my fats to 70 % and keep my carbs as close to 5 % percent as possible. I will just need to swap a few grams of protein for fats. It should be dialed in by the end of week Two.

That Sugar Film

That Sugar  Film

Time well spent watching this documentary.  I highly recommend this Film.

Storyline

One man's journey to discover the bitter truth about sugar. Damon Gameau embarks on a unique experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body, consuming only foods that are commonly perceived as 'healthy'. Through this entertaining and informative journey, Damon highlights some of the issues that plague the sugar industry, and where sugar lurks on supermarket shelves.
http://thatsugarfilm.com/

Recipe for Obesity

Time to turn your world upside down

Following USDA Diet Recommendations Is a Recipe for Obesity

Some of you may be old enough to recall the 1992 Food Pyramid, which had grains as the largest bottom block of the pyramid, encouraging you to eat 6-11 servings of bread, cereal, rice and pasta each day. This excess of carbohydrates, most of them refined, is precisely the opposite of what most people need to stay healthy. At the very top of the pyramid was fats and sugar, and while sugar clearly belongs there, healthy fats do not. In fact, most people would benefit from getting anywhere from 50 to 70 percent of their total calories from healthy fats!
The food pyramid was replaced with "MyPlate"³ in 2011, which slightly downplayed grains as the most important dietary ingredient, making vegetables the largest "slice," but it still has a long way to go before it will offer a meal plan that will truly support your optimal health.
One of its most glaring faults is that MyPlate virtually removed all fats from the equation! In fact, except for a small portion of dairy, which is advised to be fat-free or low-fat, fats are missing entirely... There is no mention of the importance of dietary fats, even the "politically correct" ones like the monounsaturated fats in olive oil and nuts, such as pecans (canola oil is also in this category, but I advise avoiding it and using coconut oil instead).
Of course, one of the most important of the healthy fats is animal-based omega-3, which is also absent from the plate. Deficiency in this essential fat can cause or contribute to very serious health problems, both mental and physical, and may be a significant underlying factor of up to 96,000 premature deaths each year.
Not surprisingly, the US government still has not acknowledged the ever mounting data showing that saturated fat is actually an incredibly healthy, nourishing, and all-natural fat that humans have been thriving on for generations. It provides the necessary building blocks for your cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances that are critical to your health. Saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources, such as coconut oil, avocado, non-CAFO meat and dairy, also provide a concentrated source of energy in your diet.
When you eat fats as part of your meal, they also slow down absorption so that you can feel satiated longer, which helps curb overeating. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and are needed for mineral absorption and a host of other biological processes. To get these healthy saturated fats in your diet, you need to eat animal foods like butter and other full-fat raw dairy products and eggs, yet these foods are still demonized by the establishment.

Sugar - The Bitter Truth

If you are interested in nutrition and some of the politics and history behind outdated govt nutritional standards and recommendations  I highly recommend giving this a listen. It gets a little "sciency" during some parts but it is quite informing.
Just an FYI this is 90 minutes in length.

Robert H. Lustig, M.D. discusses sugar and the damage it causes to your body in this engaging lecture.

Saturated fat and Cholesterol Lies

A good entertaining layman's explanation of  the whole "they got cholesterol wrong thing"
An interesting insight on the economic and political pressure that scientists were under to go with the flow despite overwhelming evidence.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Fat Head Movie is a comedy-documentary by Tom Naughton (comedian and former health writer). The documentary explains how low cholesterol is unhealthy, saturated fat does not cause heart disease but instead sugars, grains, starches and processed vegetable oils do. This is one of his short clips titled “Saturated fat and Cholesterol Lies”.

17 minutes in length

Cholesterol - The Bad Rap

For most of you readers. This report will come across as pure heresy -  "A belief or opinion contrary to  doctrine." This really isn't breaking news it is just not yet generally accepted but is continuing to grow in popularity and acceptance. I am not trying to push anything on anybody but if you take some time you will see that there is another way to look at nutrition and just maybe what you thought were good nutritional guidelines because they were released by govt agencies may have been wrong all along. People do make mistakes.

Gatorade vs Donuts

Sports drinks aren’t ‘recharging’ your kids. They’re just pumping them full of sugar.

 I think the images will speak for themselves

 

Some Good Keto Resources

I thought I would just put together a few of the better resources out there on the interwebs that I have come across regarding Keto for your perusal.  Like I said these are just a few that will help you get a really good understanding of Keto

Video - Low Carb High Fat Athletic Performance

Video - CEREAL KILLERS 2: RUN ON FAT

The Ketogenic Diet 101: A Detailed Beginner’s Guide

A Guide to the Keto Diet

The Diet Doctor

You Tube Channel - Stephanie Keto Person

Primal Edge Health

 Ketozone on Facebook