Keto and fasting for lean people not wanting to losing weight

(German Ketonian) #1

Hi everyone,

I am fairly new into the ketogenic diet (approx. 2 months). Doing keto VERY strictly for those 2 months, I figure I am fat adapted quite well. My average macros as of today are 88% fat, 11% protein, 1% carbs (around 200 grams of fat, 40-60 grams of protein, usually well below 10-15 grams of total carbs).

Now, I am not keto for weight loss, but rather for lifestyle, feeling, appetite control etc. I also love the way I can spontaneously fast if required. However I now have lost roughly 9 pounds during those 2 months, pretty much all of it during my fast experiments. I only do intermittent fasting (16-8, 20-4, rarely a 24h fast), so no extended fasts.

My stats are 6"1 (185cm), 150lbs (68kg), BMI around 20-21 (so well within the healthy range. But I have a very slim frame and am described as “long and thin”, “lank” and “wispy” by my friends.

I really don’t want to tamper with the macros because of the way they make me feel. I am willing to go higher with my protein, but carbs I’d rather keep very low

Thus, Keto and fasting for me is just a way of feeling well and balanced. For keto, I am sure there’s nothing wrong with being on the diet for people trying to maintain weight. But I am unsure whether fasting is a good idea for me. I would be curious to know what people think.

Thanks!

(Sjur Gjøstein Karevoll) #2

I know there are normal and thin people that fast without issue and are able to keep their weight stable doing so even on longer fasts of 5 or 10 days. That means it’s definitely possible, but if you’re not maintaining weight then that’s a problem. On intermittent fasting your weight might be more variable than if you’re eating frequently, but you should be weight stable from week to week. On extended fasts it could take a few weeks to regain your weight, but you should still end up where you started.

If you don’t regain that weight after fasting then you don’t eat enough. You are already at the low end of protein for someone of your size so it’s possible you have a minor protein deficiency. Some micronutrients are also found mostly in carb and protein rich foods so you could be deficient in something else that causes you to shrink.

You have to experiment with your diet to figure out what’s going to work best for you, but if you want some suggestions on where to start I would suggest upping your protein to about 100-120g per day (or even higher if you want) and see how that works then adjust from there. You could also double your carbs and still be within a ketogenic range, which could help you expand your food choices to a wider variety and reduce the chance of micronutrient deficiencies. Personally I find fasting gives me greater leniency in my carb intake without losing any of the benefits. I don’t know what’s going to work for you though, you have to experiment for yourself. It’s also important to not lose sight of the fact that you’re not eating just macros, you’re eating food and that food can affect you in other ways than just through its macro composition.

(Adam Kirby) #3

You can try eating more, but honestly your body weight might just find a new set point on its own. If my case I am specifically using higher protein/lower fat in the form of zero carb, and it has been super effective for weight loss, so that approach may not work to maintain your weight. The best way to address this long term is to build muscle. No dude with decent lean mass will be thought of as “wispy”.

(David Cumming) #4

I won’t pretend to have an answer to your question but my first thought was that you could do a fat fast (think bullet proof coffee) during your fasting period. This would allow you to keep your calories at BMR but you would still get the benefits of low insulin (pure fat such as MCT oil or butter barely touches your insulin).

(German Ketonian) #5

Thanks for all the suggestions so far! That really helps a lot! Much appreciated!