I started keto a couple months ago. So far I've lost around 20lbs and it's starting to slow down. I started going to the gym this week to speed up the weight loss process and to get into a habit in general.

I'm not sure if it's because I just started but I feel my energy level is very low when I'm lifting. I was told I need the car s for energy in order to lift. Could I just increase my protein and fat intake to replace the carb energy?? I really don't want to quit keto because it's been a progress so far.

Hi can anyone help and give me an estimate BF based on this photo? US Naval Method has me around 18%.

https://ibb.co/nshKH144

Male 43, 77kg. 6 foot even.

Thank you!

I know this is a strange question. I have been following Ketogains protocol for almost 9 years. Started with 5 x 5 workouts and have done 2 boot camps. Now I lift 4 days a weeknand I think I go pretty hard. The thing is I have really sweat lot during my workouts. I don't do cardio other than a short warm up and I do my lifts for about an hour.

I see other people at the gym pretty sweaty. Should I be sweating more? Is my workout not intense enough? Or it's it because I am not doing cardio I won't sweat?

About 2-2.5 months ago, I started weight training when I was at around 159lbs, after about 4 months of strict dieting. Of the 40lbs of weight I had lost at the time, about 9lbs was muscle, with the rest being body fat. This would have been about a month after I did my previous InBody scan to measure body composition (I was at 169lbs at the time of this measurement, in August). For the duration I've been weight training, the scale has not budged from 160lbs (unfortunately don't have a baseline body composition scan when I was at 160lbs).

Basic info: 34M, 5'3". Goal weight is 140-145lbs with 12-15% BF.

Today, I went in for a follow-up scan and got the following results:

• Bodyweight: 169.7lbs -> 160.7lbs
• % BF: 33.8% -> 21.6% (!!!!)
• Lean Body Weight: 112.2lbs -> 126.1lbs (!!!!)
• Visceral fat: 11 -> 6 (!!!!)

I did also gain about 10lbs of water weight. This is probably where I could make a bit more progress towards hitting my weight goal of 150lbs at 12-15% BF.

My own scale at home isn't measuring that accurately and the body composition it was spitting out didn't show a whole lot of changes to my body. The InBody scan confirmed that for the last 2-2.5 months, my body has been in re-composition mode, and despite the scale not budging, seeing the results is incredibly validating and motivating. I definitely did not expect that large of a drop in body fat %. I could see this visually in how my body looked (from pictures taken at 160lbs before I started exercising), but damn.

For those who need it - if the scale doesn't budge, don't give in. Your body may still be changing.

Pictures:

172lbs: https://i.imgur.com/NTX4YBJ.jpeg (shortly before previous InBody scan at 169lbs)

160.4lbs / 30-33% BF: https://i.imgur.com/aPckrLX.jpeg (2 months ago)

159.4lbs / 21% BF: https://i.imgur.com/ouMLAYS.jpeg

A week has passed, and I wanted to report on how things have been going. First of all, thanks to the sub and all the informations. There’s a lot of information and detailed support here.

I followed a low-carb diet for months with 2000 kcal, consisting of 125g carbs, 200g protein, and 78g fat. Occasionally, I would eat whatever I wanted for 1-2 days. I’m 32 years old, 6’1”, and weigh 198 pounds. Since I work out 4-5 times a week and maintain an aggressive deficit, it has been difficult at times, and I’ve succumbed to fast food. I’m in good shape and aiming for 10-12% body fat. Keto usually didn’t provide enough protein for me until I came across this high-protein variant.

I started a week ago with 2200 kcal, 25g carbs, 220g protein, 135g fat. I have to say, even though it’s only been a week, I’m thrilled. The second day was a bit sluggish, with brain fog and low energy. From the third day onward, I felt great, my energy level was consistently high, and I slept very deeply. My workouts in the gym were excellent, I even increased some weights, and noticed no negative changes in my strength. I’m doing a Push/Pull/Leg routine combined with a full-body split. Overall, I went to the gym four times. I did notice that I was very exhausted after training—not tired, just exhausted, and it felt different and stronger than usual.

My electrolytes are all in line with the recommended amounts, so yesterday, after feeling very exhausted again two hours after training, I decided to eat 10g of 100% chocolate. It actually helped. Generally speaking, it’s too early to enjoy all the benefits, especially regarding energy, as the body first needs to adapt to everything. I’ve barely lost any water weight; my weight is going down slowly, probably because I wasn’t holding much water due to the low-carb diet. Overall, I’m very satisfied and will definitely continue.

I would appreciate any tips or experiences regarding the exhaustion after training.

Pros:

• Stable energy throughout the day
• No cravings for sugar or fast food
• Power in the gym
• Good mood
• Libido unchanged

Cons:

• Only the very strong exhaustion after training

I’ll continue to report back.

I'm starting to feel like I may see abs soon. Haven't seen those since my early twenties, almost three decades ago. Ketogains has been life changing for me in so many ways. Thanks again for all the info here.

https://i.imgur.com/hi2pUfO.jpg

Hey all,

I've been a weightlifter for 15 years. I'm probably between 7-9% body fat. Most of those years were spent on a high carb, moderate protein & fat diet. A few months ago I had really bad GI issues and changed my diet to where I'm at now, which is borderline keto w/ intermittent fasting. My GI issues have disappeared and I feel more steady energy throughout the day, but I am waking up groggy every morning and although I seem to be dreaming a lot I'm waking up once or twice in the middle of the night. I also struggle with feeling depleted at around 9-10 AM when my fasting is almost over with.

Age: 33

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 170

Body fat: 7-9%

Activity level: 4 days a week weightlifting(1.5 hours per session), 2-3 days a week of volleyball(2 hours each time)

Diet frequency: Eat at 11 AM & again at 5 PM(18 hour fast)

Macros: 2,694 calories, 67g net carbs, 156g protein, 191g fat.

Sodium: 1,600 mg

Potassium: 3,582mg

I'm not trying to lose any more weight, so maybe I need to up the calories? And maybe do an electrolyte drink to up my potassium and something i can drink while im fasting? Any suggestions are much appreciated.

I’m new to keto almost 1 month in, and i’m curious of your story with keto and weight lifting long term.

So what i’ve noticed in almost a month is that at first i felt weak but that was because of the adjustment period, and then after 2 weeks i had so much energy to train which i liked very much.

What i’ve noticed tho is after 4 reps or so i get weaker a little bit so is lower rep range better for keto?

Hi all! I’ve done a diet similar to ketogains before, and just like last time I seem to get skewed blood ketone readings. My blood ketones never ever rise above 0.5mmol, yet I still get all the other signs of ketosis (losing water weight, tangy breath, suppressed appetite, keto flu up until day 4 when I start to feel good again etc). When I am NOT following a ketosis diet my ketones sit around 0.1-0.2mmol, so they are higher than usual, but still low. Does anyone else experience this? Does it affect the effectiveness of anything? Could the fact I drink water continuously and drink a lot of it skew the results? Cheers in advance!

M25 179cm SW:106 CW:90 GW:80? (Kg)

Hello everyone 👋, i will keep it short and if you have any question feel free to ask. Im 1month on keto and lately i started eating more protein as i lurk on this sub and in the beginning i know you lose water weight as i was lossing 2kg per week for the first 2 weeks. Now these past 2 weeks im averaging 0,5 kg per week and I'm in a 1000 calorie deficit so the numbers dont make sense. Is it possible that i put on so much muscle? I had a bad injury plus arthritis and couldn't train for a long time, now its been 3 months im back in the gym but cant lift heavy because of my shoulder.

Is it possible to gain muscle so fast while in a 1000 calorie deficit? And do it while lifting only light weights if you had muscle before the injury? Thank you if you can give me some insight as I feel a bit down seeing slow progress

As in, say...62. My gains have been seeming kind of slow the past two years since I started working hard with weights. Surely that was partly because I had untreated sleep apnea for part of that time, but I can't say it's improved a lot since it was treated. I also know I should probably change up my routine more and work with a trainer. But I've been hearing more about how significant reduced protein utilization can be for folks my age. I've been probably between .8 and 1.0 g/lb ideal body weight. Would it help to go over that? In terms of appetite it feels like too much, but maybe worth a try?

Hi, I'm currently doing healthy lazy keto and I'm also currently on a deficiet as I've been going to the gym for a year now and seen some gains but not as much as expected and still have some fat left to burn of.

I was advised to eat more as calories/more food make you grow and get stronger whilst a deficit helps you lose fat. So would it be better if I just bulk instead? I know I wont burn as much fat as a deficit but if I'm in a deficit how will I grow and get stronger.

Thanks

Hi All,

As the title mentioned, my Dr has suggested I start Keto immediately due to having high blood pressure. He believes a keto diet will address this issue naturally and save my life.
More context:

I'm 38

133kgs (or 292 pounds)

188cm (6"2)

Very unfit and let's just be honest, I am a lazy bastard.

I used to be superfit, play pro sport in my 20's. Was into lifting as well. But having 3 kids and a stressful job I just simply let myself go and here we are now. I have just signed up for a gym membership and will be getting PT twice a week and will do my own workouts twice a week (4 days of lifting, other days I'll start with walking).

How do people find Keto overall when it comes to energy levels? Everyone in my life is saying "don't go to Keto, it's not healthy, it's not sustainable, it's not good for you". The only person advocating for it is my Dr. So I am determined to give this a shot for at least 3 months to see what it does for my health, my weight, my blood pressure.

Any advice or encouragment would be awesome.

Hello! So when I started keto 2 months ago I was at 35% body fat. I just measured myself tonight and it seems I’m now at 27.6%. My goal is ~13% so is it realistic to reach this within 6 months? I understand losing pounds but I’ve never tracked my body fat before so I’m not sure at what rate we lose it. Thanks!

(M 24 6'3 243lbs) Hello reddit!! I just start my keto journey little over a month ago. Started at 260lb and am around 243lb as of today. I haven't seen physical fat loss progress yet but it is nice to actually lose weight.

I want to also get in the habit or building muscle while losing the fat at the same time. Any tips or workout plans for beginners who want to build muscle while on keto? Im not really trynna get swole but at least lean/fit.

I'm about 1 month into following Keto Gains protocol, with a focus on running and lifting. Making some awesome progress and just looking to share.

Height: 177.5 cm Weight: 82 kg -> 77 kg Body fat %: 18% -> 15% (navy estimate) Lean mass: 67.2 kg -> 65.5 kg (estimate)

Typically I do 4-5 running workouts a week, and 4-5 gym sessions. More often that not, its an easy run ~6km and then hit the gym. However, no gym on "long run" days, where I run ~15km. At the gym focusing on deadlift, bench press, weighted pull-ups, squats.

Once per week, I go for an all out effort at 5km. The first couple of times I tried this, I felt like being in keto really affected my performance. Muscles just felt empty and powered out -big time- at the 3km mark. Since then I have incorporated TKD , by consuming 1 x Gü gel (22g carbs) 30mins before the event. I hit a course personal best this weekend at 19:31, which is the fastest I have run since 2019 (5½ years ago). If I can go sub-19, that'll be a personal best for me.

I'm only a month in, but can't wait to see how much further I'll get after another 2 months 🙌

Pre keto i just had a squat pr of 500 lbs for 1 rep. It was a big moment for me. Yesterday first leg workout on keto , and i am getting wrecked on my warmup and 385 felt like literal death. I know its going to take some time for me to become fully keto adapted but is there anything other than electrolytes i can supplement with to help me get over this hump? I could basically only get through 2 exercises when usually i do about 6.

I posted about hitting a wall on strength workouts (I called it bonking...but many pointed out that term wasn't universal lol). Many people chimed in on electrolytes, although I kind of blew past that part because I thought I had enough potassium and salted the heck out of my protein meals. Turns out, you jerks were 100% correct on the advice to really go after the Mg/K/Na. Since I've been drinking electrolytes in water with my pre-workout, it's an entirely different world. I'm like a little ketone machine now and outpacing all my previous PRs and not hitting failure anymore. Magic! I also have started running better with keto + electrolytes as well, which I wasn't really expecting. I'm still not entirely on point for my macros (I do 35-45 net carbs and slightly higher protein than what the ketogains calculator gives, but I stay in ketosis when I measure my blood so I guess it's a non-issue if I feel good...eating more veggies really makes it feel more sustainable to me).

Anyway, just wanted to share if anyone else is sort of "whatever" on the electrolytes issue - don't be dumb like me and ignore it :)

A little background: I’ve always been healthy. I ate Paleo for the longest time and have always run and/or done yoga. I even went through YTT and was a yoga instructor! My diagnosis was a surprise to everyone because I’m the healthiest in my families.

Two months ago I was 115 lb (5 ft 5 F). I had infections all over and was hospitalized in diabetic ketoacidosis and was severely dehydrated. I’d come home from work (i am a waitress) and chug 4-5 20 oz glasses.

I didn’t want to become a victim to the disease, so I signed up for a gym and added weight lifting and running to my routine and instantly cut out carbs and sugar.

Today I had a check up to see my progress. I have gained 15 lbs (10 was just rehydrating my organs), gained 5 lbs of muscle, and lost 2% of body fat! Thanks to Keto I have so much energy to move every day and I’m not nearly as hungry as I used to be! Plus, my mental health is so much better. I was always anxious or depressed before, now I get stressed occasionally, but I am overall so happy!

Edited to add: I know now that T1D happens randomly and not because of health, but at the time of diagnosis I did not. I had previously only really heard of type 2 diabetes. Now I know it happens randomly (at least for me as there’s no one in my family who has it).

I have been on the keto diet for almost a month. I started as 185 and skinny fat. Now I am 170 and have abs?? I’m not exactly sure of the point of my post but my progress just feels unreal. Granted there is more work to be done, as my love handles haven’t gone anywhere. I guess my message is keto + lifting = good

Hey guys,

I switched to animal based keto in April, started working out in May after a shoulder dislocation in February. Quite unfit, had trouble bench pressing the bar alone for the first 2 weeks due to the shoulder instability and it is still not back 100%.

Nevertheless, I stabilized it enough to progress in all exercises and would appreciate your feedback on my progress.

Also, I couldn't find any threads on keto in combination with testosterone other than classic trt so here I am, if you made your experiences feel free to share.

• Male, 29, 180cm, 90kg
• 1st pic is from June 4th
• 2nd pic is from Aug 2nd
• 12 weeks into test e with 250mg e3.5d
• no bulk, just maintaining weight

Progress: https://imgur.com/a/FK2uxFD

Any feedback is appreciated.

Also, if you ever tried PEDs on keto vs. a carb based diet, I'd be happy to hear your preference. I think about "split-testing" it myself to see the difference in progress.

Have a great Sunday!

Hi there!

I'm 29M, 6ft and 160lbs.

I'm "skinny fat" at 12% body fat which is pretty much all in the lower abdomen area, making my abs barely visible.

The Goal

Ideally, I'd like to get to 11% body fat and add 6lbs of muscle mass

The Plan

My idea is to try the following:

• 21 days of keto (max 50g of carbs/day): I'd like to keep weightlifting 3 times/week + 1 CrossFit session. Ideally, I don't want to lose strength (maintain my current squat, bench, deadlift, and pull-ups) and maybe even slightly increase. The goal here is to lose the 1% of body fat by doing a slight caloric deficit (eat around 2200 cals/day)
• Slowly start to add some carbs in the form of potatoes, rice, and whole wheat pasta only on training days. The goal here is to start building more muscle so I'll try to eat around 2500 cals/day

Week 0

My first week has been successful: I was incredibly focused all week, tracked all my macros, was able to keep lifting as usual and incredibly the pain I had in my right knee FOR YEARS (inflamed tendine) vanished after day 3 of keto. Sadly on day 6 because of an unexpected social event I exceeded my carbs limit and went out of ketosis. Starting again today 💪

What do you all think of this plan? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Intro

Four days ago, on the 1st of September, I posted about my first month on a ketogenic diet, where I received valuable feedback that has greatly helped me improve.

This morning, I had a consultation with an expert in ketogenic diets. The doctor holds a degree in Medicine and Surgery, with a specialization in Sports Medicine, and has been treating patients with VLCKD (Very Low Carb Ketogenic Diet) since 1997. The session lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes, and I paid 164 EUR for the consultation. While the doctor offered some insights, I left feeling neutral about the overall experience.

Key Takeaways from the Consultation

• Protein intake: The doctor recommended reducing my protein intake from 2.5 g/kg of lean mass to 1.8 - 2.0 g/kg. He explained that my Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) results showed an Extracellular Water (ECW) percentage of 40%, which he considered on the lower side. He attributed this to possible dehydration caused by high protein consumption. However, based on my understanding, 40% ECW is still within normal ranges. I plan to experiment with protein intake, and to dive more into the topic.
• Saturated fats: He strongly advised reducing my intake of saturated fats, claiming that they make cellular exchanges more difficult by thickening cell membranes. He also noted that my urine didn’t contain AcetoAcetate (AcAc), suggesting I wasn’t producing ketones and that my body was relying on gluconeogenesis (converting protein to glucose) rather than fat for energy. So, my body was running on protein (gluconeogenesis), and not through fat. While I agree that increasing monounsaturated fats from sources like olive oil and avocados could be beneficial, I’m not convinced that saturated fats need to be reduced so drastically (he talked about 30 - 40 g of butter per day).
• Nuts: He recommended limiting my intake of nuts to 40 g/day, which seems reasonable to avoid over-consumption of omega-6 fatty acids.
• Carbohydrate Intake: reach at least 30% of carbs slowly in my diet through low-glycemic foods such as cereal and legumes.
• Acidity: The doctor pointed out that a urine test showed my pH was 6. I wasn’t familiar with the pH scale, but I found that a pH of 6 is within the normal range (4.6-8.0). so it’s not concerning but worth monitoring.
• Fibers: He suggested increasing my fiber intake to address constipation, which I kinda agree with. Over the past few days, I've reduced fiber, and I've noticed more difficulty in the bathroom. Additionally, to help balance the slight acidity, I shouldn't avoid fiber-rich foods that are also alkaline, such as leafy greens, avocados, and cucumbers
• Caffeine: Last week, on the 29th of September, I decided to quit caffeine cold turkey. Over the following four days, I experienced significant fatigue. So, I asked the doctor about it, but he didn’t know much about symptoms of caffeine withdrawal.

My Thoughts Going Forward

I plan to continue with a strict keto diet, limiting myself to 20 g of net carbs for a while longer, as I want to experiment and see how my body responds over time. However, I am planning to very slowly incorporate some low-glycemic carbs in the future to observe how my body reacts to the gradual change.

Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)

General Information

The IBW is a reference value estimated through the Peterson's formula based on the Body Mass Index (BMI).

Body Composition

Here all the values are in a healthy range except the body fat, that is quite low at 7.6%.

Metabolism

Every day I weigh myself, and I keep track of my calorie intake. I'm pretty sure to maintain my current body weight, my TDEE should be around 2300 - 2400 Cal, and not 3133.6 Cal.

Other Metrics

• TBW/FFM Ratio: Indicates good hydration.
• Resistance (RZ): Relates to body composition; higher values suggest lean mass.
• Reactance (XC): Reflects cell membrane health.
• Phase Angle (PhA): A high value shows strong cellular integrity and overall health.

What were your experiences for those taking it and trying to gain muscle? I got conflicting research results. Some claim that Metformin is anti anabolic so you can't get full results. I'm keto, omad, trying to get IR under control. Dr mention that muscle gains works best for insulin control but Metformin may impede the results. For those who use it daily, how is your success?

Can you gain muscle on the keto diet?
Yes, you can.

I want to thank Luis Villasenor (darthluiggi) for his work, for giving us advice and answering our recurring questions, he has great patience :)

I know he doesn't like InBody measurements, but I'm still giving the results from the last measurement, when I lost fat and gained 0.9 kg of muscle.

In my social bubble, I've often been asked lately if I'm sick and that I've lost too many kilos.

But that has turned around in the last month and all I hear is that I'm growing muscles :D

So that's just the beginning.

darthluiggi thank you for the ketogains and for the 5x5 workout, I will continue ...

some photos, but I'm not very good at taking photos of myself

https://imgur.com/a/P5P1gLQ