These fat-loss posts are being published retroactively. I originally wrote the following in mid-July.
| week | date | gut" | weight lb | gut loss" | weight loss lb |
start | 7-Jul | 40.25 | 183.4 | - | - |
| 1 | 14-Jul | 39.63 | 178.6 | 0.63 | 4.8 |
Last week, I mentioned keto as the possible answer to my seemingly perpetual yo-yo belly size; that keto/paleo might be the thing to stabilize my thinner-self over the long haul.
If you skipped the links, keto is low-carb nutrition. Why low-carb? Carbs raise insulin levels, and elevated insulin does three things to slow fat-loss: 1) It blocks stored fat from being used as energy, 2) takes fat from the bloodstream and adds it to stored fat, and 3) sparks your appetite.
The goal of low-carb is to induce a state of nutritional ketosis*. This is where the body generates ketones via fat metabolism to use as energy. In contrast, with high-carb meals the body turns instead to glycogen, the energy derived from carbs (and protein to a limited extent).
In carbs' defense, I've heard it sad that "carbs are the flame that burns fat" -- ie, that you need carbs to fuel workouts that burn fat. That might be true for those conditioned to use energy that way. But that's not for everybody all the time. Not for me. Not nowadays.
Check the graph:
Eating low-carb foods (eg, bacon) results in minimal insulin response, resulting in greater use of stored fat. At the opposite end, eating high-carb foods like pasta increases insulin and slows/stops fat loss.
In practical terms, going keto means cutting out all grains and everything made from grains: bread, cereal, oatmeal, tortillas, crackers, pasta, rice, quinoa, etc. It also cuts starchy veggies like potatos and beans, and calorie-dense veggies like corn, tomatoes, and onions. It even sharply restricts fruits when fat-loss is the goal.
65/30/5, What That Looks Like
Right, so I replace all of those calories from grains, bread, fruits, and high-calorie veggies then replace them with fat (assuming I'm already getting enough protein). These are the fatty sources I've found most convenient: Fish, beef, pork, eggs, chicken, coconut butter, olive oil, avocado, and nuts. Here's a good source of keto-friendly foods.
So, yes, that means going hard-core and weighing my food and checking food labels. That's simply how it's done.
This is what a typical day looks like (taken from this week's food diary):
breakast
food total cal fat protein carb
2 eggs 180 120 60 0
2 bacon 140 90 50 0
2 bacon 140 90 50 0
lunch 1
food total cal fat protein carb
chicken thigh 152 86 66 0
mixed veggies 25 0 0 25
coconut oil 37 37 0 0
mixed nuts 170 130 24 16
mixed veggies 25 0 0 25
coconut oil 37 37 0 0
mixed nuts 170 130 24 16
lunch 2
food total cal fat protein carb
chicken thigh 152 86 66 0
mixed veggies 25 0 0 25
coconut oil 37 37 0 0
mixed nuts 170 130 24 16
mixed veggies 25 0 0 25
coconut oil 37 37 0 0
mixed nuts 170 130 24 16
dinner
food total cal fat protein carb
8 oz flat iron steak+ 496 256 240 0
2 oz avocado 90 68 0 22
2 oz avocado 90 68 0 22
Totals
total cal fat protein carb
1674 1040 530 104
Percent of total calories
fat protein carb
62% 32% 6%
(+That's a lot of food for dinnertime, when I should be tapering off, but that's an example of a real-world bump in the road.)
As shown above, the day's food is almost spot on with the keto-guideline 65/30/5 split (percent of fat/protein/carbs).
Whoa, Arithmetic
The below are thermodynamics weight-loss basics (calories in vs. calories out and Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Read only if you don't already know what I'm talking about.
If I look at my total calories for the sample day (1,674), it's about 400-500 calories below my maintenance (roughly 2,100 if my lean-mass guesstimates are close). If I add a quality 40-minute workout, that's about a total 700-800 calorie deficit for the day.
If the above is a typical day and I average that five to six days a week, that's a minimum of 3,500 calories lost. It just so happens that a pound of body fat is roughly 3,500 calories.
So I should lose at least a pound a week. Ketosis combined with adequate protein and strengh training should help ensure that that lost pound is mostly fat.
If I'm not losing at least a pound a week, it means my calculations are way off and I need to go back to the lab. If I'm consistently losing a large amount of total weight (say over 3-4 pounds) per week and I'm not seeing any strength gains, I'm probably losing lean mass -- which I want to avoid.
Adaptation
When starting keto, the body adapts to a dwindling glcogen supply and becomes better at using stored fat for energy. The adaptation period may not be so pleasant and is the main reason lots of people quit and/or conclude that keto is unhealthy.
As I alluded to last week, carbs may be as addictive as hard drugs. I'm in rehab this first week.
As I alluded to last week, carbs may be as addictive as hard drugs. I'm in rehab this first week.
People describe this sometimes-icky adaptation as the "keto-flu". This week, I felt some of the classic symptoms: 1) headaches, 2) sluggish workouts, and 3) foggy-headedness, but nothing too terrible. (I did, however, try an all-out HIIT session on the bike trainer early in the week, and suffered sharp headaches afterward. I'll need to temper the intensity for now.)
One pleasant fat-adaptation effect is that I got the elusive "runner's high" following a strength workout. This would never, ever happen after a strenth workout for me, and is the main reason I enjoy running over strength work. Overall, I do feel a steady low-grade eupohria.
Progress
Body-measurement-wise, the first week's significant progress (5/8", 4.8lbs down) was likely due to water-weight loss. (With less glucose in your muscles, the less water you carry.) Still, it's nice to see expected results.
Next Week: Stubborn Fat
I'm carrying more fat to start this fat-loss cycle than in previous cycles. I also have a good idea of where the most stubborn fat is on my body (when I'm leaner), and at which point that fat starts to be, well, stubborn. This time around, however, I think I have better methods to tap into that stubborn fat for energy. I'll get into this more next week.
Stay tuned.
(NOTES 1: Nutritional ketosis should not be confused with ketoacidis, which is a serious medical condition.) 2: If my primary goal was workout/competitve performance, elevated insulin would actually be helpful and I wouldn't stress carbs as much. This is all a whole other fitness realm that I won't get into here.)
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