Sunday, March 18

eat clean, get lean: ketogenic diet

i need to get back to weight-loss business!

so, every sunday i'll give you a big serving of motivation to help you and me start the week strong and finish stronger. i'll also give a little recap of my week, and sneak peak for the week the come! not to mention that the updates through the week.

little background:

after being on a ketogenic diet for two months, i successfully lost fat and inches all over. back in january, i started on Lyle McDonald's rapid fat loss diet, and then switched to a cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) with carb loading. after diligently sticking to a CKD, i was losing weight, just not as fast i wanted to. i thought the 500 gram carb load, even though only once a week, might have been the culprit.

i modified the diet by increasing my daily calories and fat in take and dropping the carb load this is a healthier approach for continuing weight-loss. i dropped the carb load and began losing weight fast. my measurements and body fat percentage showed i was doing something right... skipping the carb load did the trick for me. less than a month later, i slipped into a swimsuit and enjoyed a fabulous getaway to Belize without focusing on my thighs.


taking a month long full diet break after a ketogenic calorie restrictive diet is a great way to reset your metabolic rate. after months of ultra-low carb dieting, your body adapts to the changes. this results in a metabolic decrease. basically, your body gets used to what you're feeding it, and it burns less fat.

if you want to read more about a full diet break, read this. i'm totally a fan of body recomposition and Lyle McDonald! if you want read about the rapid fat loss diet, read this. there are lots of weight loss websites and books, but this one worked for me. i'm not getting paid to promote it...i just think it does a good job of explaining the ins and outs of fat loss.

so, let's get back to the diet. it's pretty friggin' strict and not meant for the long-term. i'm 5'6" and weigh-in at 160 lbs. i can stand to loose a little, right? after doing my homework, i understand the risks and the benefits. maintaing a balanced diet and lifestyle is important. because i normally eat relatively clean (no processed foods, no refined sugars, and organic), this diet isn't a far reach for me. be responsible, and do your homework.

no matter what diet you decide to follow the key is sticking to it. set yourself up for success by preparing and planning. also, allow your self to make modifications in order to achieve results. most of us aren't professional body builders preparing for a competition, so keep that in mind. understanding the principles and implementing a healthy diet is important.

lets' get started:

tools
knowledge - i can't say it enough. do your homework. buy a book or just google it.

food scale - you don't need a fancy one. it just needs to read ounces and grams. i couldn't figure out why i wasn't losing weight as quickly as i wanted...i was following the rules. but, i was super surprised once i began weighing my food. my eyeballed 4oz chicken breast was really 7 oz. if you're eat 5 meals a day, that 15 oz of chicken that can really throw things off.

measuring spoons and cups - measure, measure, measure, and measure some more.

food diary - i use a my fitness pal app on my phone. it's got a cool scanner that reads bar codes and a huge database...you can find anything! paper and pen works just fine, too. keeping track of what you eat helps keep YOU on track. and, if you don't put EVERYTHING down, you're only cheating yourself!

measuring tape - a better way to gage fat loss. a scale can be deceiving if you've had a big meal, slacked on drinking water, or had muscle gains from working out.

calipers - these give a pretty accurate at-home measurement of body fat percentage.

food

i'm sticking to a ketogenic diet. that means the majority of calories i consume will only come from fat and protein.

the veggies i eat are high fiber and low sugar...no sweet potatoes, no beets, squash, corn, etc. it's easier if you stick to the green stuff. no sugar, no starches, no cereal, no crackers, no bread.

since i will be working out and don't want to lose muscle, i will be taking in about 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight. fat consumption will be about 60% of my diet. my maximum daily carb intake will be less than 30 grams.

i generally follow a paleo diet (plus dairy). so, when i'm not dieting i generally get about 50 grams of carbs a day. trying to stay under 30 isn't too hard for me. but the average person gets between 100 and 200 carbs a day. carbohydrates quickly add up, so being vigilant is a must. you can easily surpass your max by eating loads of lettuce greens and veggies. measure everything!

my goal

my current body fat percentage is 31%. the goal i'd like to start with is to reach 20% body fat...pretty reasonable.

i don't really have a goal weight since i've never really had the body i'm going for, but i totally want to look like this!
via crossfitbabes.tumbler.com



the plan

this week i'll tell you what my diet plan is along with a daily menu. also, i give you my workout plan.

do you have a diet? tell us about it!

did you like this post? leave me a comment or click one of the links below!

3 comments:

  1. First off, can we all just acknowledge that I am a terrible food photographer!! I know this, and I always say I'm going to get better... hmmm. Obviously not this time. lose weight

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  2. I'm currently doing The Carb Nite Solution and it is nice to find a Blog like this. I'm curious to know what results you had from yours

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    Replies
    1. The Keto diet helped me get very lean...for my curvy body type. I needed help losing fat and this did the trick. I didn't track body fat percentage. I used an old fashioned tape measure. Not sure I'd do it again...it takes a lot of discipline! Right now, I'm working on losing weight after second baby (he's now 18 months old). Maybe after I get to a plateau, I'd try again. I know it's serious results pretty quickly!

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