New to Keto, Exercising Question (2)

(NP) #1

Hello, I am new to Keto and this forum. I’ve been reading as much as I can but I thought I’d give it a shot and ask some particular questions about my case specifically. This question is on exercising/weightlifting.

I have been intermittent fasting (16:8) for about 3 months now (skipping breakfast). It’s been working well for me, no major weight loss (probably because of lack of consistency). My goals are weightloss, becoming more athletic, and managing my acne.

I should preface my question saying that I am a full-time graduate student with very little ability to adjust my schedule. I have been very inconsistent with working out in the past, but I found group fitness to be my thing. I do whole body workouts three days in a row. BodyPump on Wednesday evenings which uses weights, BodyCombat Thursday evenings which uses body strength training, and again BodyPump Friday mornings.

Since I started working out I’ve always thought that I needed to consume as much protein as possible to recover and build/maintain muscle. With Keto, how can I make sure I am fueling my body with what it needs without drinking protein shakes and added carbs on my workout days? While also making sure I consume them within my feeding time? (11am-7pm ish)

(less is more, more or less) #2

Your question suggests a limited understandingof what “keto” means. I humbly submit that you spend a little more time understanding what precisely we roughly mean by a ketogenic way of eating. This PDF is created by the 2KetoDudes themselves. Comprehensive but not exhaustive.

http://pwop.com/download/TheKetogenicDietInANutshell.pdf

There’s as many wrongful concepts in our heads (including myself) about what is healthy eating and what fuels us, as there is bad food in the system, inside and out.

(Ken) #3

The typical training macro is 60-35-5 percent along with carbs on the weekend for glycogen recompensation. Lyle McDonald’s laid that out nearly 20 years ago. It has been successfully used by countless people since.

(Running from stupidity) #4

Eat real food™ in the right amounts, pretty much.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #5

I do a progressive 5x5 strength training piece and my routine is as follows, I have 5kg to lose in the remainder of my journey but I miss lifting weights so now I;

Monday, feast, workout, feast
Tuesday, fast
Wednesday, feast, workout, feast
Thursday, fast
Friday, feast, workout, feast
Saturday Feast
Sunday Fast

I am not bothering to add in any extra carbs or anything like that. I can easily ingest up to 50g without being kicked out of ketosis so I generally eat ‘good’ carbs, vegetables etc.

#6

If you’re new to Keto - it can be helpful to wait until you’re well established in fat-adaptation before focusing on exercise (ie, take a break). To reach 100% fat-adaptation takes at least six weeks of a well-formulated keto way of eating - IF alone won’t get you there necessarily, and can even delay your hormonal balancing.

Also, overtraining is a thing, and can interfere with recomposition, due to inflammation and cortisol. Keto physicians and trainers talk about how if one is going to bother with physical activity to speed body recomp, it should be slow intense strength training which massively boosts mitochondria (any other activity should be for pleasure - otherwise, it’s pretty much ineffective for recomposition). And recovery time is extremely important… as in, 3-10 days between workouts! For more on that, see the book Body By Science by Doug McGuff MD and The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution by Fred Hahn, Mary Dan Eades MD & Michael Eades MD (not that you have time for more books rn tho).

99% of body recomposition is dietary. (That’s the current science - back when Dr. Phinney & Jeff Volek PhD RD wrote their books, it was thought to be “only” 90%, but that’s been updated). Through specifically strength training, we can asymmetrically leverage mitochondrial activations and speed recomp and boost HGH - but only if it’s not stressful! Cortisol management can be tricky. And whatever the body experiences as ‘overtraining’ can play havoc w/hormonal healing. Being that body recomposition is about regulating insulin/ghrelin/leptin and healing the pituitary-hypothalmic axis, primary focus should be on your full keto fat-adaptation process as well as significant mineral balancing (salt & magnesium are soooo impt on keto), sleep, detoxification, and recovery time.

After you’re well established in keto, you’ll have plenty of time & energy to advance your physical training should you wish to. LCHF/keto is a way of life, a regenerative process, not a quick fix. :avocado: :coconut::herb::sparkles:

(NP) #7

could you elaborate on the “glycogen recompensation” or recommend a thread/article that I read?

(NP) #8

It’s good to know you lift while consuming minimal carbs and haven’t felt any side effects (dizziness, low performance, nausea).

I read that when starting on Keto I should minimize my exercise… I’m not going to lift this week and just do home workouts, but I also want to continue toning … any recommendations?

(NP) #9

Thank you @SlowBurnMary I really appreciate your time in explaining all this to me. I am still getting familiar with all these medical terms, but I’m going to stick with it.

Though, could you elaborate on what you mean by body recomposition?

(NP) #10

Thank you for suggesting this, It clarified a lot more questions I had.

(Randy) #11

Unless you are going right back in to a heavy work out this is not at all necessary IMO. Your glycogen stores will come back without adding needless carbs. Just not as fast. But if you’re metabolically healthy and not wanting to lose weight, knock yourself out.

(Ken) #12

True. Full recompensation is more necessary when training heavy. It also requires a 500 calorie per day deficit the other five days. The simplest thing to try is simply flipping your carb and fat macros on the Weekends.

The protocol for glycogen recompensation can be found on the Keto forum on Bodybuilding.com.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #13

https://stronglifts.com/5x5/ :slight_smile:

(Bob M) #14

Hmmm… Can’t do squat due to back issues, overhead press or bench press due to torn rotator cuff. I’ll have to keep to doing what I can do.

#15

You have plenty of stored fat and most likely excess skin as well (protein) if you are trying to lose weight. I would eat a reasonable amount of protein but I would not overdo it I do not think you need it unless you are an elite athlete or are underweight. I agree that you should not over exercise until you are fat adapted

#16

Recomp is many things - such as fat burning (visceral and subcutaneous), organ healing/detox, biomarker changes in lab tests, resolution of a range of health issues, and lean mass muscle restoration.

Depending on ones body type (whether one is overweight or not, obese, or morbidly obese) losing excess bodyfat (esp the dangerous visceral fat), and healing inflammation may mean that the body’s measurements change very much, but the actual weight does not change much in smaller persons. Also, it’s fascinating that body on keto does very well at restoring lean muscle! Better to have bodyweight with more muscle and less fat, overall. Hope that helps :blush: