[CKD] CKD 101

[Trainerdan]

OK, here we go ...

The CKD is what Fern and Wa'il touched on ... You cycle (hence, cyclical) low-carb phases (Monday morning thru Friday evening) with high-carb/moderate protein/low-fat phases (Friday night thru Sunday).

The #1 concern I often hear from low-carb dieters is "How can it work? You break ketosis every week!" Well ... that's true.

BUT, the whole basis of a CKD is that it is designed with the idea that your body needs fuel for intense workouts. Without intense weigh training, you will not add muscle. And I think we all know how intense weight training ISN'T while you are low-carbbing.

So, by carb-loading on weekends, you give your muscles enough fuel to provide intense weight training for Monday. By the end of Monday (Tueday AM at the latest), you will have performed an intense weight training workout, along with a morning cardio workout, and will be in ketosis Monday night thru Friday.

The workout plan structure that Fern followed is as follows:

Monday:

AM - cardio on an empty stomach and a fat burner

PM - Full body intense weight training (3 sets of 8 for all exercises, at a weight that is very challenging for 8 reps), resting 2 minutes between sets. This allows full recovery, and will allow you to push yourself.

Tues:

AM - empty stomach cardio, while on fat burner

Weds:

AM - empty stomach cardio, while on fat burner

PM- Circuit training, full body routine. The trick is to do the workout with as little rest time between esxercises. Use SUPERSETS ... which is one exercise, then go right into another exercise, then rest, and repeat. So, say your superset was chest presses and chest flies. Do 15 presses, then 15 flies, then rest 20 seconds. Repeat 2 more times, then move to the next superset.

Thurs:

AM - empty stomach cardio, while on fat burner

Friday:

AM - empty stomach cardio, while on fat burner

PM - as Wednesday night. Then the fun starts ... after this workout, begin the CARB-UP!!!

Weekends, you don't workout since that would effect the storgae of carbs.

Of course, this oversimplified the paln that Fern went thru, but it was the structure.

It is also important that you change the intensity of the cardio porgram every week. You can do this by just making it longer each week. Start at 30 mins, and increase by 15 mins each week. When it gets over an hour, split it up into 2 workouts. So, for example, a 1 1/2 hour cardio workout can be broken into a 45 minutes morning sesssion and a 45 minute evening session, after weight training if they both fall on the same night.

As for adapting weight training, you should change the program every 2 weeks of so.

The idea behind the Monday double session (weights/cardio) is to deplete carbs and get you into ketosis.

The Wednesday and Friday weight training sessions are butt-draggers, since you will be depleted. They are circuit training which means light weights/higher reps/short rest periods. 3 sets, 15 reps, 20 seconds rest.

If you need help putting all of this together, the exact program Fern (and I) followed are on our site ... it's in the fitness/nutrition articles section called "SUPERCUT CYCLE". That article also contains some helpful linnks, like a ratio calcualtor for the low-carb (ketogenic) phase, as well as the carb-up (supercompensation) phase.

I think I covered the major points ... then again, it's late and I am up past my bedtime so I may have been unclear.

If there are any questions out there, fire away! I will answer them all. I check in to the board at least once per day.

[Trainerdan]

These are both fat burning products made by Syntrax.

Adipokinetix contains: norephedrine HCL, yohimbine, and caffeine. Very potent. I will dig up a study that shows why this formula (called the "NYC" stack) is effective.

Lipokinetix has been discontinued. Apparantly, it is SO effective that the FDA considered it "drug-like" and asked Syntrax to do a voluntary recall. IT contained the same ingredients and Adipo, but added diiodothyronine (which supports the thyroid activity), as well as sodium usinate, which is nicknamed "chemical exercise" since it tricks your body into thinking that it needs to produce ATP (which it uses during exercise).

Part of what makes LipoKinetix so appealing is the fact that it causes a process in the body called oxidative phosphorylation to occur.

Oxidative phosphorylation is the process during which the body converts various other substances found in the body (pyruvate, ADP, etc.) into ATP.

[If you didn’t know, ATP-- adenosine triphosphate-- is what the muscles use for fuel.]

Your body already does this naturally during exercise. When you take LipoKinetix, you allow this process to occur ALL DAY LONG, so your body will be burning fat like mad.

What does that mean to you? Well, it means that by taking this product, you can increase your metabolism by a natural process. To maintain its normal amount of ATP, the body steps up its production of ATP, which uses a tremendous amount of energy (calories). The best part is that most of the calories will come from fatty acids found in fatty tissue!

The company only recently recalled the product, so if you go to a good supplement store (not GNC, etc.) you may still find some of this on the shelves. It will probably be priced higher than the usual $35 though.

[We lucked out ... the store had 1 bottle left ... :D ]

[tamarian]

Originally posted by Trainerdan
The company only recently recalled the product, so if you go to a good supplement store (not GNC, etc.)

LOL, what's wrong with GNC? All I know about them is they sell things at twice what they're worth. :)

As for studies on stacking/fat burners, here's a link for those interested:

http://www.drumlib.com

Thanks for the summary of CKD!

Wa'il

[rainny]

Trainerdan
What about metabolife? And if I can't find the Lipokinetix, What do you recommend next?
Also, My hubby has very small chest muscles. He doesn’t want to lose too much weight because he say his chest sinks in. What is the best way for him to build this up? It really the upper chest.
THANKS,
L:) RRAINE

[rainny]

Also,
What level am I suppose to keep my heart rate at? I used to know this…before I stopped working out and stopped eating LowCarb. I’m 5’4, 215, age 32 {33in August! WOO HOO! Yeah right! HA!}. My Hubby is 38, 6’2, 173.
THANK YOU SOOOO SUCH,
Lorraine

[Trainerdan]

The guidelines normally used is very basic, but will give you a good target to shoot for ...

220 - age = MAXIMUM heart rate

Then, take a percentage of this (figure 65% and also 80%) to get your training "zone". Try to stay near the middle of these two, and get up to the higher number once or twice during the workout.

After you "spike" to the top of your zone, reduce your pace until you drop to the bottom of your zone, then repeat the process until you are done "serving your time" on the treadmill/elliptical trainer/sidewalk/etc.

As for Metabolife, it is good to use for 3 to 4 weeks, then you will want to switch to a product theat helps support your thyroid.

Since LipoK is off the market now, a good alternative is a product called ThyroLean (I think MHP makes it). It's not the same, but it serves the purpose.

To get into the "deep geek" of it, the way to tell if your thyroid is slowing down your progress is this:

Take your temperature every morning. When it drops more than .3 to .5 below normal for 3 days straight, it is time to get support for your thyroid.

Just another trick of the trade ... :p

[Trainerdan]

Wa'il,

LOL ... GNC is soooo funny. Yeah, they overprice everything. Everyone should really look in their phone books for alternatove nutrition stores to GNC. Looking under "health food" you will see them. They tend to carry the good stuff (especially stores that cater to bodybuilders ... they usually carry names like "Discount Nutrition" or "Rock Bottom Nutrition ... LOL) that GNC stays away from.

Even most gyms carry supplements, cheaper that GNC. The gym I work at has a GNC in the same plaza, and we sell a product called Xenadrine (another fat burner) for $29.00. GNC? $39.00.
And I already know that "cost" is $19.00 Crazy.

Rainny ....

to develop the upper chest, he should do chest movements that are done in a inclined position ... such as incline dumbbell presses, incline dumbbell flies ... any incline machine version of a chest press also works ... shoulder presses (dumbbell or machine) also indirectly call in the upper chest.

Another exercise that many people forget that hits upper chest is called a pullover.

You lie down on a flat bench, and start with a dumbbell held with both hands over your chest, arms extended straight up. Then, keeping arms "locked" in position (elbows will not be bent), rotate at the shoulders and bring the weight until it is in line with your head ...

Think of the motion you would use when doing one of those "Strongman rings the bell at a carnival" things. Except you will be lying down.

When you pull the weight back over (see? Pullover), stop when you get back to the start position, over your chest.

Putting these into a workout, I would do:

Incline Chest Press: 3 sets x 8 reps (this rep range builds)
Inline flies: 3 x 8
Pullovers: 3 x 8
Push-ups: 2 x Failure (do as many as you can, rest, then go)

Have him rest 1 1/2 to 2 minutes betwen sets. This wil allow him to recover and handle as much weight as he can.

As a guide, he should be using a weight that he has to work at to get those 8 reps. If he thinks the rest periods are too long, he isn't using enough weight. LOL. But, as with all weight training, FORM is more important than WEIGHT.

And rep speed should be 2 seconds each way.

[rainny]

Trainerdan,
THANK YOU!!! I'm leaving in a couple of hours to go get my treadmill!!!! We are ready to start!! I feel real good about this! Can't wait to see what happens!
Thanks again...and Have a GREAT WEEKEND!
L:)RRAINE

[Trainerdan]

This is LOOOOOOOONG, but it completes the overview of a CKD. It is good reading, and should answer most questions. If you have any others, post them in the CKD forum.

Here we go:

There are a great number of myths associated with the low carb diet. Many authoritative sources have indicated the public must consume a diet, which is 60% carbohydrate, 15% protein and 25% fat for optimal health and performance. Carbohydrates are considered the primary fuel source by the body and those who have achieved degrees in institutions of higher learning would like us to believe that dietary carbohydrates are of such importance that without them, we won't survive, or if we do, we'll be so unhealthy we'll wish we were dead.

I'm here to tell you these ideas are only partially true.

NORMAL CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM

Let's look at what happens when carbohydrates, the typical primary energy source, are nearly removed or greatly reduced This is where dietitians start to panic and ill informed medical professionals start to cry because they've forgotten their biochemistry from way back when

First, let me paint a very clear picture of what type of low carbohydrate diet I'm about to describe. This diet is considered extreme and compared to the typical U S D A Food Guide Pyramid, is extreme.

Typical dietary intake on this low carbohydrate diet will contain carbohydrates at no greater than 5% of dietary intake, fats at approximately 55% of dietary intake and protein at 40% of dietary intake. This diet will herein be called the ketogenic (producing ketones) diet and you'll see why later.

I am going to briefly describe the basic metabolism of food that it will upset some, cause a great sigh of relief from others but in the end will hopefully provide just enough information to help you understand how food is processed and why we can live on a ketogenic diet for intermittent periods, with energy, vitality and weight loss.

When we eat a meal, typically consisting of some carbohydrates (sugars), lipids (fats) and proteins (amino acids), digestion begins in the mouth. Enzymes begin ripping apart the carbohydrates in the mouth and when the food hits the stomach more acids and enzymes begin ripping apart the proteins and fats. The food then passes into the small intestine where it is further digested and absorbed into the blood stream for transport to body tissues That which is not absorbed and remains unused is passed further to the large intestine and finally is defecated

Let's briefly cover what happens specifically with carbohydrates during digestion.

Remember that carbohydrates start to digest in the mouth and are further digested in the stomach and small intestine. When they are finally absorbed via the small intestine all carbohydrates circulate in the blood as glucose. This means that whether you consume carbohydrates from bread, fruit vegetables, pasta or candy the various usable sugars eventually are dismantled into plain old glucose.

When glucose is plentiful, such as when a person is eating the typical high carbohydrate diet described in the beginning, the body will use glucose preferentially as a fuel to produce energy (ATP). This means that fats (stored or dietary) are not a major fuel source when following the typical high carbohydrate diet. Major organs use glucose and so do our muscles when carbohydrates are the major source of energy. Pretty convenient how the body does that isn't it? You should also know that carbohydrates yield about 4 calories per gram



GLUCOSE AND INSULIN INTERACTION

When glucose enters the blood the pancreas is signaled to release a hormone called insulin. Insulin's primary function is to keep glucose levels from soaring too high. If glucose was left unchecked, the body would enter a very unhealthy metabolic state of hyperglycemia after eating a high carbohydrate meal. Therefore insulin prevents this condition from occurring, among many other functions.

One other action which insulin exerts is fatty acid synthesis (making fats) and storage. Simply stated, when insulin levels are high, such as a 2-4 hours after a high carbohydrate meal, you stand a greater chance of storing fat and a lessor chance of lipolysis (breaking down fat).

TYPE II DIABETES - A PERFECT METABOLIC CONDITION FOR OBESITY

Untreated type II diabetics are walking examples of what continual high blood glucose and subsequent high insulin levels can do to the body. This disease literally makes you fat. Untreated type II diabetics almost always have high glucose/insulin levels because their body is not functioning optimally and insulin is doing a very poor job of removing glucose from the blood. Glucose levels remain high. The body is signaled to release more insulin. It doesn't do its job very well so glucose and/or insulin levels remain high. The body is signaled to secrete more insulin and the vicious cycle continues on and on.

Many overweight individuals (literally millions of Americans) are type II diabetics and don't know it. What they do know is they can't seem to reduce bodyfat no matter how hard they try.

A very important point to understand at this point, is that it is very well established that when insulin levels are high, the body stores fat quite easily and may convert carbohydrates or proteins into adipose (stored fat). Also, lipolysis (dissolving fat) is nearly blocked in the presence of insulin.

STARVATION VERSUS THE KETOGENIC DIET-CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM

Now that some very basic carbohydrate metabolism has been covered I'll address the issue of starvation/fasting versus the Ketogenic diet.

The two conditions are relentlessly compared because there are some similarities between the two. There are some striking differences, however, that can't be ignored. During normal periods of fasting (2-6 hours, in between meals) the body will secrete glucagon, another hormone, but considered the opposite of insulin.

Glucagon will break down stored glycogen at the liver, increasing blood glucose so we have glucose to fuel major organs, such as the brain, kidneys, small intestine and muscles. This process occurs everyday and is a part of normal physiology for most Americans who aren't eating constantly. After 12-36 hours of fasting, however, we will run out of stored glycogen at the liver.

When this occurs during a fast some deleterious effects occur such as severe muscle wasting because the body will begin mobilizing body proteins to make glucose until adjustment has occurred to the fast. Once adjustment has occurred, (usually within a two-week period or less) the body will reduce the use of precious body proteins and rely on high levels of fat burning and ketone bodies as fuel sources.

Ketone body production occurs as a direct result of mobilizing and burning large amounts of fatty acids for fuel. When stored body fat and body proteins have run out, or become so low the body can't function properly, (about a week for a normally lean person) they die.

A very fat person may be able to live for months, however, with only water and a vitamin/mineral supplement (Don't even think about it This is very unhealthy!)

It might not be obvious at this point, but one major difference between a ketogenic diet and starvation is FOOD. With a ketogenic diet you're not starving and are eating a plentiful diet. One reason the body begins mobilizing body proteins to make glucose, during starvation, is because there are NO dietary proteins to use. There's no food!

The body still uses non-carbohydrate sources, like amino acids from proteins; to make glucose (called gluconeogenesis) during a ketogenic diet but a greater proportion of the protein used to make glucose can be provided by the diet, instead of muscle and other cellular proteins. Thus, muscle wasting, a real concern for someone starving, is much less of an issue for someone following the ketogenic diet

A period of adjustment may still follow initial startup of a ketogenic diet and some muscle proteins may be sacrificed for a few days to a week but dietary proteins will be plentiful and will be used for gluconeogenesis.

STARVATION VERSUS KETOGENIC DIETING-FAT AND PROTEIN METABOLISM

I've made the distinction between starvation and the ketogenic diet with respect to protein for gluconeogenesis but what about fats? During starvation the body uses adipose (stored body fat) as its major fuel source after the adjustment period. It also uses ketone bodies, which are acidic byproducts of very high levels of fatty acid oxidation (burning fats for fuels). Both fatty acids and ketone bodies are used preferentially over glucose as energy sources during starvation.

During a ketogenic diet the body doesn't solely rely on stored body fat and ketone bodies as the primary fuel sources. It will also rely on dietary fats as well. Once again, a major difference between starvation and the ketogenic diet. It is also for this reason that one cannot eat unlimited calories with a ketogenic diet and expect to lose weight.

The body will use dietary fats as a primary fuel source along with the subsequent ketone bodies from oxidation of dietary fats and then will use adipose only if calories are below those needed to maintain current body weight

If calories are kept at just below maintenance, and you are following a ketogenic diet, the body is forced to begin a fat dissolving state called lipolysis. Simply stated, we are breaking down adipose and using the fatty acids as an energy source. Not only is lipolysis activated, it is now the primary energy source with other physiological mechanisms stepping up to allow normal and efficient operation of our everyday lives while following a ketogenic diet.

Most reading this and wanting to lose weight have a tremendous store of energy in the form of fat just waiting to be used. The typical fuel reserves in a young, adult male amount to about 90,000 to 110,000 calories of energy In contrast, the carbohydrate energy reserve is about 2% of this total, or approximately 2000 calories.

THE BODY'S INHERENT NEED FOR GLUCOSE

But what about the body's inherent need for glucose? Doesn't the brain need glucose to function? Yes, the body does have a need for glucose and as I briefly stated earlier, glucose can be made within the body from non-carbohydrate sources such as amino acids. This is called gluconeogenesis.

Additionally, the Cori cycle and the Glucose-Alanine cycle are pathways that ensure critical glucose will be available for the organs that absolutely require it. We will not cover those cycles in this article.

Suffice it to say that they are very efficient cycles for the body to preserve glucose levels so they don't fall too low when dietary carbohydrates are nonexistent (such as during starvation) or very low with the ketogenic diet. Let's not forget that we're eating with a ketogenic diet, and at least a small part of our diet (5%) is derived from carbohydrates, which ultimately ends up as circulating glucose

FATS BECOME THE PRIMARY ENERGY SOURCE

Probably the most feared but greatest asset a ketogenic diet has on its side is the fact that when the diet is not rich in carbohydrates, the body relies on them less as an energy source. This is called the glucose-fatty acid cycle it basically says that when glucose is low and fatty acids are high glucose needs will be less. Isn't the body a wonderful machine?

When carbohydrates were plentiful it used them as the primary energy source. Now that fats are the primary energy source the body uses them preferentially over carbohydrates. Simply amazing!

One question you're all thinking relates to how we can possibly lose weight eating 55% of our calories as fat. The greatest answer is that carbohydrates are no longer the primary energy source-fats are. Doesn't fat make you fat? Let me give you a law you can use forever:

**Dietary fat doesn't make people fat. Excessive calories, a lack of activity, metabolic disease or combination of any two or more of these factors make people fat**

If you stopped reading right there and based any diet you use on this law you would know everything you need to know to lose weight and stay lean. Since dietary fat doesn't make us fat, we need not fear a relatively high fat diet, as long as calories are controlled for age, lean mass and activity.

KETOACIDOSIS- IS THERE NEED FOR CONCERN?

At this point the naysayers are hoping I'll forget about the metabolic condition called ketoacidosis so they can show their friends and whine about how the ketogenic diet is really a killer and how anyone who even remotely suggests it's an alternative diet is also a killer and a lunatic. Sorry, you don't get your wish.

Ketoacidosis is a condition in which ketone bodies are created in such large quantities that they literally make the blood more acidic. When this happens a series of events occur which may cause impairment of organ function and eventual death. It is a very real concern for diabetics who are insulin dependent because they are missing a natural feedback mechanism to prevent excessive ketone body formation. For them, or any other person with any condition being treated by a physician, this diet should only be implemented with physician assistance and guidance.

For normally healthy, non-diabetic individuals, there is always some insulin present in the blood. Always!

As you mobilize more fat for energy, ketone production rises. When ketone production reaches a particular threshold, however, insulin is released by the pancreas (even in the absence of dietary carbohydrate) which slows the mobilization of fats and subsequently reduces the number of ketone bodies produced. Insulin is believed to keep ketone body production in check. Because this is so, those individuals who possess the natural ability to secrete insulin from the pancreas, will not allow ketones to be produced in such excess that the blood becomes acidic. The body also has several buffering systems in place which react quickly to changes in the pH of the blood. These systems are highly effective and minimize potential changes in blood pH.

Therefore ketoacidosis is not a condition experienced by adults with normal pancreatic function and who are otherwise healthy, even on a ketogenic diet. If this were the case we'd have a lot of dead bodybuilders and dieters on our hands right now that have used the ketogenic diet with positive results.

HIGH CHOLESTEROL-IS THERE NEED FOR CONCERN?

The same naysayers who hoped I'd shut up a page ago before the ketoacidosis section, are now pointing a finger and saying that with all that fat in the diet we're going to have cholesterol levels shooting through the roof. Wrong!

First of all, if foods are chosen wisely, the source of dietary fat is given due consideration, and the person using the ketogenic diet is also reducing calories and losing weight, I can almost 100% guarantee that cholesterol will drop or at the worst, remain the same. Triglycerides (another factor being given weight with respect to cardiovascular disease) will fall substantially. Good cholesterol may also go up, which is a positive factor for reducing cardiovascular disease risk. I hope I've kept this article somewhat readable so far and I'm not going to change course and go into the dozen or so studies which prove my point but they are readily available for anyone wanting to do some digging.

KETOGENIC DIETING AND ATHLETES

If, by using the ketogenic diet, we've created a fat burning machine that will:

Still function perfectly fine,
Will make and preserve necessary glucose,
Will not store fat easily,
Won't raise cholesterol,
What else could there possibly be to say about the diet and why isn't everyone using it?

The first point to address is using the ketogenic diet along with weightlifting or other exercise.

While we've created a fat furnace of sorts and the body functions optimally during daily activities, muscles need glucose and/or stored glycogen to be at their very best. This is why we must incorporate a period of carbohydrate loading to refill or even overfill muscle glycogen stores so they have the energy needed to function optimally. If you're not exercising this carbohydrate loading period is not necessary. But if you're not exercising, you're also not following my recommendations for proper weight loss.

Earlier I stated that liver glycogen stores are gone in 12-36 hours after beginning the ketogenic diet. Muscle, however, retains its stored glycogen, even after liver glycogen is gone. This is great!

With liver glycogen gone we use fatty acids and ketone bodies as fuels and muscle retains glycogen for physical activity. One problem…

When we hammer our muscles in the gym on a daily basis, the glycogen in them also gets used up and because our dietary carbohydrates are so low the glycogen isn't replaced to proper, maximally optimal levels. This is where the carbohydrate loading comes in.

THE CARB LOAD

Very simply, we follow a ketogenic diet for 5 1/2 days per week and for the remaining 1 1/2 days we eat a typical high carbohydrate diet. During the 1 1/2 days of high carbohydrate eating our muscles will supercompensate with glycogen and while we're also causing liver glycogen to refill and insulin to be secreted like crazy, this 36 hour period is not long enough for the body to store any appreciable fat.

What did I just say? I said you can go nuts for 36 hours a week after 5 1/2 days of watching calories and eating a ketogenic diet, without any fear of getting fat because of it. And as an actual survivor and thrive on this diet I can tell you that those 36 hours are absolutely great!

Eat carbs like there's no tomorrow and don't worry about calories but don't exceed 36 hours or you'll start laying down fat like crazy.

Here's what I do when I'm on the ketogenic diet

Sunday through Friday at lunch I keep my calories at 2000 (10 times my body weight) per day. At supper on Friday I start my carb up, right after my workout (if your workout doesn't fall on Friday don't sweat it).

I then eat a grand total of approximately 2000 additional calories above my daily goal of 2000 calories for a total of 4000 calories on Friday.

On Saturday I consume approximately 5500 calories with carbohydrates making up approximately 60-70% of my dietary intake.

When I wake up Sunday I go right back to the ketogenic diet.

It takes time for the body to refill the muscle with glycogen but by Sunday night or Monday morning my muscles feel pumped and full. My best performance in the gym is between Sunday and Thursday of every week. As I go through workout after workout between Sunday and Thursday I use up muscle glycogen. By Friday my workouts are suffering, just in time to refill again come Friday night.

WHY DID I USE THE KETOGENIC DIET AND WHAT HAPPENED?

I started the ketogenic diet because I was bored with low fat foods. I was sick to death of them actually. I had been eating low fat for about a year and missed the higher fat foods that I believed were totally.

I had reduced my bodyfat to 15% from 32% but I wanted to see 9%. I didn't feel I could reduce my calories any further and stay with low fat foods so I decided to give the diet a try after speaking with a true ketogenic diet guru, Jeffrey Krabbe, who has more knowledge of the diet than anyone I know, including Atkins, Dipasquale, Duchaine or any other alleged low carb diet guru.

By simply reducing calories and eating more low fat foods I did reduce my bodyfat from 32% to 15% I then used the ketogenic diet to reduce my bodyfat from 15% to the 9% you see in the photos of me.

Was it a miracle? No.

Was I able to eat as many calories as I wanted and still reduce the bodyfat? No.

Was I able to break the monotony and eat some foods I consider delicious and missed very badly? Yes.

Did I lose weight eating high fat, low carbohydrate foods? You decide.

It works ladies and gentlemen I believe it's an alternative that can be used to break up boring cycles of low fat chicken and tuna with generous helpings of fat free this and fat free that as the mainstays.

At the time I started the ketogenic diet low fat foods were enough to make me puke.

With all of this said I will briefly state that I believe some supplements are warranted on this diet I will then conclude with my general recommendations and guidelines for anyone wanting to follow the ketogenic diet.

SUPPLEMENTS

A basic multivitamin and mineral supplement is warranted due to the lack of breads. cereals, grains, fruits and some vegetables for 5 1/2 days per week.

I also recommend Fibersol by Twinlab because of the lack of dietary fiber that low carbohydrate foods possess.

Fibersol is a carbohydrate-free soluble fiber Even if you want to forget all the healthy benefits of a high fiber diet, at

least know that it may be very unhealthy and unpleasant to not have at least one bowel movement per day. If you

don't supplement with fiber you may not have a movement for 3-4 days. That's way too long.

During the week I used Designer Protein as a midmorning, midafternoon or bedtime snack

I never took more than two protein shakes per day. They were only a sweet snack I craved and as you can see from the dietary list I used, protein intake was not a problem. That's also a benefit for weightlifters using this die. Protein intake is naturally, very high.

I used a product like Xenadrine for a preworkout energy boost.

I supplemented each of my protein shakes with 1.3 grams of evening primrose oil, and 500 mg of fish oil. What a great source of essential fatty acids! They're polyunsaturated too.

Although not a supplement, I cannot suggest or recommend highly enough, that you consume at least 1 gallon of water every day. That's plain old water. Not pop or coffee. With a higher protein intake and because ketone bodies act as a natural diuretic, you'll urinate more. This can cause mild states of dehydration that could cause some not-so-mild performance problems in the gym if you don't replace the water lost.

Ketostix were purchased to monitor urinary Ketone levels and to determine when ketosis was established each week (must be purchased at a drug store, usually at the pharmacy counter). Ketostix measure some Ketone bodies in the urine.

Presence of ketone bodies in the urine indicates fat is being utilized as the major fuel source while following the ketogenic diet. Check it at different times of the day. You may not show ketones at all times.

All you want to see is a trace, very light purple. It's not a matter of the darker the better. Read the directions with the package.

SUGGESTIONS

Don't whine and complain about the restrictiveness of the diet. It's only temporary and like anything worth having, will only work with fortitude and dedication.

Eat about 8-10 times your body weight in total calories per day.
Exercise vigorously for at least 3 times per week

WHO MIGHT USE THIS DIET?

Dieting bodybuilders in precontest dieting phases. up to 12 weeks in duration.

Strength phase athletes who want to incorporate more meat and potentially more testosterone production without a weight gain for maintenance of lean mass and strength while dieting.

Type II diabetics (non-insulin dependent) with medical supervision.

Anyone who is otherwise healthy, but overweight, and not happy with the mirror may try this diet for 12 weeks but after giving the diet a 12-week run should eventually bring at least 100-200 grams of carbohydrates back into the daily diet.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Initially expect a feeling of mental unclarity for a few days. Not serious, but noticeable. This is normally only experienced during the first few days of the first week only.

Expect a feeling of less energy for the first week (during adaptation) but some may experience no less energy or an increase in energy.

Expect carbohydrate cravings like crazy for the first three weeks. You will raid the cupboards come Friday night and all day Saturday during carb up.

After three weeks, however, my cravings were very much reduced and I could have taken them or left them. I took them for my muscles' sake.

Expect great workouts after a week or two of adjustment, for the days of Sunday through Thursday Expect not so great workouts on Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon Glycogen is depleted in the muscle by then and hasn't had time to replenish yet

Expect to urinate more frequently

Expect a weight fluctuation of between 3 and 10 pounds per week due to water loss. Every molecule of glycogen has 4 molecules of water attached to it. As you lose glycogen from the liver and muscle during the week you will see a weight loss but it's not primarily fat.

Expect a weight gain by Sunday or Monday. During your first week or two you may even be heavier on these days than when you started. This is due to glycogen supercompensation occurring within the muscle.

You will literally store up to 50% more glycogen than normal. Remember the glycogen-water issue

Expect your friends and family to whine and snivel about your new diet and tell you how you're an idiot and are going to die from it. Most have never heard the word "ketone", much less spell it

Expect any one you know, in the medical field, to shun it.

Condemn it and repeat what your friends said. They've forgotten biochemistry and think that everyone will end up like a type I diabetic. Ask them for studies, which showed a ketogenic diet raised cholesterol or was shown to be unhealthy in humans. They'll talk plenty about typical unhealthy diets where carbohydrates AND fats are high but not about diets where carbohydrates are kept at 5% of dietary intake. Don't miss this distinction.

Expect it will take no less effort then any other diet where weight loss is the goal. It's not easy. It's simply an alternative that works.

Expect that you will have to monitor calories for success, as all successful weight loss plans require.


There are over one million questions left unanswered in this article but you now have the basic tools to decide if the diet is for you or not.

In the meantime please write me if you have any questions specific to your individual needs I've done 4 cycles of the ketogenic diet at between 8 and 12 weeks each time. It's always a nice break from the SOS

TYPICAL WEIGHT LOSS RECORD FOR 8 WEEKS

(A FEMALE SHOULD EXPECT LESS OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MONDAY AND FRIDAY A FEMALE GENERALLY HAS LESS MUSCLE AND THEREFORE, LESS MUSCLE GLYCOGEN AND WATER TO LOSE)

Week 1 Monday 200 pounds - Friday 194 pounds

Week 2 Monday 202 pounds - Friday 193 pounds

Week 3 Monday 199 pounds - Friday 192 pounds

Week 4 Monday 197 pounds - Friday 190 pounds

Week 5 Monday 195 pounds - Friday 188 pounds

Week 6 Monday 193 pounds - Friday 186 pounds

Week 7 Monday 192 pounds - Friday 185 pounds

Week 8 Monday 191 pounds - Friday 184 pounds

58 of the Most Common Foods I ate on the Diet

Dairy Products

Whole eggs
Egg Whites
Egg Beaters
Chicken Breast
Turkey Smoked Sausage
Ground Turkey Burgers
Velveeta Cheese
Cheese (Cheddar & Salami)
Cheese (Premium processed slices)
Cottage Cheese

Pork products

Bacon (Thick)
Spam
Pork Sausage
Brat Wurst
Pork Chops (pan fried)
Ham

Fish products

Tuna
Salmon (Pink. Canned)

Condiments

Real Mayonnaise
Miracle Whip
Mustard

Beef products

Braunschweiger
Beef (Hamburger)
Salisbury Steak
Roast
Steak (any kind)

Vegetables

Broccoli
Sauerkraut
Other mixed vegetables (check frozen section at grocery)
Cut Green Beans


Snacks

Sugar Free Jello
Protein drinks
Protos Ostrich Meat
Half of a Worldwide Pure Protein Bar

Cooking and Essential Fatty Acids

Canola Oil
Olive Oil
Barlean's Organic Flax/Bor (Don't cook with Barlean's oils)
Butter

Fast Foods

KFC Tender Roast (2 breasts with skin)
McDonalds Double Quarter (No bread)
Burger King Double Whopper (No bread)
Subway Grilled Chicken & Tuna Salad (2 scoops of tuna plus 1
chicken breast topping a lettuce salad with a few pickles, a few black olives and vinegar & oil dressing)

Any Fast Food Egg & Bacon or Sausage Breakfast (No bread)
Hot Dogs (no bread)
Beef bologna

Other garnishes

Olives
Pickles

Dressings

Italian Dressing
Blue Cheese Dressing
Thousand Island Dressing
Kraft Bacon & Tomato

[fern2340]

Dan-
Great CKD info.... I tried to copy this to the Low Carb Plans forum so all who are interested could see it but alas, my brain has decided to take the night off! Doreen came to the rescue and just an FYI, now your post is in the Low Carb Plans forum also!

[MLS]

... to a very long message!

I think I stumbled across this 'method' of following low carb by accident. I typically follow low carb most days, but occasionally allow myself to 'eat normally' - last night I had a pizza! :yum:

I have maintained my weight at my target for about eight months now, and can still enjoy eating out with friends without worrying about what I order. :)

It was very interesting reading the biochemistry behind the 'diet', so thanks a lot TrainerDan for your explanations. MLS

[DivaDani]

This is probably a dumb question, so I apologize in advance, but I'm not sure whether you're supposed to start with the Friday depletion workout and the carb up or be in ketosis when you start (say Sun or Mon). I think the Mon. workout would kick my butt without the extra carbs...? Anyway, tomorrow is Friday and I'm all fired up to workout till I drop and then carb up, so please let me know if this is the wrong way to start.

Thanks,
Dani

[Trainerdan]

If you are already following a LC plan, then start withthe carb-up phase ... :D

If you are not following a LC plan, start with the keto phase.

[fern2340]

I am adding this to the CKD 101 thread as some more info. This link takes you to a page where Lyle McDonald breaks down a 20-week BodyOpus experience, a BodyOpus FAQ, and a technical paper on the CKD. Body Opus/CKD (http://www.solid.net/lowcarb/lylemcd/)

Enjoy!
Linda

[Beaver]

Dan Duchaines book says on teh back "A Diet book for people who arent fat" I am 6'1" 265 pounds, was 290 in april and have been doing the Zone thing for a few months. I am not a small built guy, my shoulders are wider than my hips, I have a hefty frame hehe, yeah yeah I know. Anyways. I have lifted weights casually off and on since an early age. Never really stuck with it. Since April I have been doing a a steady weight and cardio routine. Anways again....to stay on track, I get the impression that CKD is not for obese folks or out of shape folks. ITs seems really really gung ho. I like that aspect, I like to feel like I am activley dieting, I like the strictness and discipline.....but at the same time I feel like its arrogant for me to try a cycle or two being as I am, by all right,s fat.

So all that babble boils down to....is CDK just for bodybuilders who want to get trim and defined before competitions or can a fatty like myself,doing it properly, not have a heartattack and see noticable results?

I have the feeling I rambled through that whole thing so if its confusing I apologize haha

[Trainerdan]

Anyone can use it, as long as weight training and cardio work are done with intensity.

DD wrotes his way because that was his style ... in your face, and pro-bodybuilder. He created a market for BodyOpus with the bodybuilding community, since that was what he was a part of.

The principles will work for anyone looking to lose bodyfat while maintaining muscle and workout intensity.

[jane anne]

dan:
personal info first: have been lc ing since april. at the same time i started a workout program at the 'y'. i work out mon. wed. and fri. early am and take weekend off. i work thurs. noon til sunday 8 pm (caring for elderly, challenged gentleman) fri.'s my adult daughter will stay with him will go to gym.
i work 15 reps 3 X's with 1 min. rest between. work abs, thighs (inside and out) legs, gluts, shoulders, chest, arms using machines plus this week started 15 min. on rowing machine. hate excercise but am menopausal (52), have hypothyroid, want to stay healthy.
weighed 208 when started (april) lost 8# initially, stalled at 200 until this week down 1# more. took measurements june 9 took again today.... lost .5"off waist, 1" off hips, .5 " off each foot! ....gained 2" on breasts & thighs, 1.5 on calves, .75 on biseps.
found this site today.

questions: what's happening? and how can i improve given my limitations?
hope you can help.
thanks anyway,
jane

[Zeus]

[I] gained 2" on breasts- questions: how can i improve given my limitations?

-Looks like you already have. :cool:

[jane anne]

Zeus:
thanks, but i see no help from the peanut gallery :D i'm not exactly trying to put inches on! i am trying to reduce my size.......all over!
j

[Zeus]

Just a little positive reinforcement on my part. :roll:

[jane anne]

zeus:
thank you, after all you are the only response i've had...... and positive is good. :)
j

[Zeus]

Ok, all joking aside... I'll see if I can't help you out for the time being until Dan gets to it:

i work 15 reps 3 X's with 1 min. rest between. work abs, thighs (inside and out) legs, gluts, shoulders, chest, arms using machines plus this week started 15 min. on rowing machine. hate excercise but am menopausal (52), have hypothyroid, want to stay healthy.

-Hmm, your workout routine looks sound.

weighed 208 when started (april) lost 8# initially, stalled at 200 until this week down 1# more. took measurements june 9 took again today.... lost .5"off waist, 1" off hips, .5 " off each foot! ....gained 2" on breasts & thighs, 1.5 on calves, .75 on biseps.

-It seems like you're encountering a rather annoying 'plateau'. I'm not too sure of what you're getting at with your post. Do you want to try the 'CKD' ... or... do you just want some advice as to how to continue on 'Atkins' while losing more fat- efficiently. In any case... I would recommend that you try the 'CKD' (as it will allow you to 'carb-up' on weekends- thus, breaking through rather disheartening plateau's- caused by metabolic slow down and such). Give yourself a very good understanding of it (looking around on this board for information is a good place to start). Buy 'BODYOPUS' (by Dan Duchaine) or 'The Ketogenic Diet' (by Lyle McDonald). Of course, you'll have to work out around your already (what seems to be) busy schedule. A 'CKD' requires one to workout (within the 6-8 rep range... so you'll have to bump up the weight) Monday and Tuesday. Then, you'll have to perform a circuit-training type workout- called the 'depletion workout' on Friday. If I haven't answered your question(s)... please tell me what answers it is that you are looking for.

[jane anne]

zeus:
i spent an entire evening trying to glean infor off this site about weight training but find it very confusing.......may have something to do with being dyslexic, but can't seem to make any sense of it. so what i'm looking for is advice. i can't figure out why i'd be gaining inches when i'm working out and on the atkins diet. surely my mass would be getting smaller..... muscle being more dense and all. i understand that muscle weighs more than fat so my weight may not change but if muscle burns fat, theoretically i should still be getting smaller. or am i way out to lunch? :confused:
j

[itsjoyful]

Hi there Jane Anne~ I'm no expert, and have yet to complete Lyle's book, but I do have a thought or two about your plight.

Regarding the inches gained...
First of all, it is possible that maybe you mis-measured on the first one? Just a thought.
Could it have to with water retention?
You could be building an upperbody faster than the rest, too. Muscle weights the same as fat, just takes up less space, but if you are building muscle, then that 'could' be it.

IMHO, if you are working all these muscles 3X a week with only 1 day rest in between, you may be doing yourself a dis-service. The muscles need to rest a lot longer to recover.


Good luck to you, and I can't wait to see what others have to say on the subject.

Peace,
Brenda

P.S.~ Just on the side to anyone answering...how long exactly does it take to start "gaining" muscle from your first work out?

[jaluka99]

Two questions (one is actually almost a statement, sorry)

re: Plateaus - being an ex-college athlete my experience with plateaus is to take a break. My guess is that if you reach a plateau, switch up for a week or two. Take a break and go low-fat (it won't kill you either) for a week, gradually work back into Ketosis w/o a carb load for a week or two before you start working out again. This always helped me.

re: Carb-Types (this is a question)
I assume that it is better to consume LowGI carbs on the weekend carb-up to avoid insulin spikes. I imagine I should eat a lot of Complex carbs, but still take it easy on the sugars (ie: no gallons of soda/Gatorade).
Is this right, or does it matter.

TIA,
j

[jane anne]

hey jaluka:
i'm not sure how to respond. first are you saying to take a break from the work out or take a break from lowcarbing..... or both. i have heard that carbing up on the weekends is supposed to help break a plateau but i've been afraid to try it.
and second what is low gi carbing. it's the gi i don't get.
if you are going to carb up for the weekend, i would not eat anything refined. no sugar, no flour. and increase fibre as well.when low carbing, the key is to stay away from carbs that contain sugars... even natural sugars. ie. green beens instead of carrots. broccolli instead of winter squash. and very little fruit. there is a list of foods and their carb counts on this site somewhere. i'll try to find it for you. read lables and stay between 20 and 30 g. of carbs per day......unless you are carbing up .
hope this makes some sense.
j

[Zeus]

if you are going to carb up for the weekend, i would not eat anything refined. no sugar, no flour. and increase fibre as well.

-Ok, no offense but- could you be more wrong? (*says in Matthew Perry voice*). During the first 24 hours of the 'carb-load' ... we want high G/I carbohydrates (to take advantage of insulin sensitivity). The things you listed as 'bad' ... are actually ideal 'carb-up' ingredients/foods (during the first 24 hours at least). ALSO, you say to increase fiber... well, lets see... fiber will slow down the absorption of carbohydrates and blunt insulin sensitivity... not good.

[jane anne]

zeus:
i'm doing atkins. it's pretty obvious that i don't know anything about weight training but i do know what is really bad for the body...... anything refined! it is poison to your body. and so i could be more wrong. having spent 4 years fighting the effects of refined foods on my body i can in good conscience say "no refined foods".
i would still like to know what a low gi carb is.
i also apologize for suggesting high fibre but in atkins the fibre can be subtracted from the carb count. so it made sense to me.
j

[jaluka99]

LoGI(low glycemic index) v HiGI(high glycemic index) simply refers to the glycemic index of the carbohydrate - ie: the amount of insulin that is stimulated and the speed of release (someone correct me if that is wrong, I know it is close though) and the burn rate of the carbohydrate for energy.
LoGI would be wheat bread, HiGI would be refined sugar.

I actually have to agree with Zeus that you prefer refined sugar at the begining of the carb up to trigger the insulin response and guarantee sensititivity for the rest of the carb-up, making sure that you switch to LoGI carbs for the remainder of the day on Saturday to ensure that you have "cleaned out" your insulin by the time you start eating "high fat" on Sunday morning.

Makes sense

ps - I did refer to taking a break from both lifting and lo-carbing

thanks,
jeff

[jane anne]

okay jeff..... but what if you can't eat sugar. i have battled ulcerative colitis and sugar really is poison to me. too much grain or flour can cause another attack. i eat potatoes, squash, carrots, red and yellow peppers, and lots of fruit, pineapple, melons, and berries.......but no sugar or flour. by the way they really are some of the worst things to put into your body. that and hydrogenated fats can cause cancer to the bowel.
thanks for the info on low and hi gi carbs. it does help.
j

[jaluka99]

If you can't eat refined sugars, then you definitely shouldn't. Sugar is sugar and will raise your insulin either way.
In my opinion, unless you have a medical aversion, nothing will kill you if used in extreme moderation (ie: once a week).

take care, good luck
j

[Zeus]

okay jeff..... but what if you can't eat sugar. i have battled ulcerative colitis and sugar really is poison to me. too much grain or flour can cause another attack.

-That has got to SUCK! <edited out the "donkey" image>

[Chas. Shar]

O.K. trainerdan, I'm ready to try your regime! I've carbed up Sat. and had a gooood breakfast this morning. The only thing I'm hoping is that everything didn't have to be low fat. If so, then I'm busted. I've written the workout schedual you posted that Fern used. The only difference to my own is really to split up cardio and weights on monday, wed. and Fri. This should be much better for my purposes. I want to start training for our local Cooper River Bridge Run,which is next spring! It would have been very hard on the old Atkins diet, so I'm really excited about this. I had lost another 3 pounds on Fri. 8-23-02 so I'll let you know how I'm doing in 2 weeks. Is that about right? Let me know if I flubbed up on the low fat this weekend please. And for Pete's sake, wish me luck!!

Shari in Charleston :wave:

[Niky Brady]

I was wondering where I could find the article "SUPERCUT CYCLE" that you mentioned ages ago in the first post of this thread. It is not on your site anymore (I can't find it , at least :o ).

[Big Dog]

What types of foods are legal during the carb ub?

Fruits?
Grains?
Donuts?
Chocolate?
Potatoes?
Veggies?
Cereal?


I am trying to piece together enough information to get started. I have done Atkins in the past so i am familiar with waht to eat during the week but i havent really found which foods should be eaten during the carb ups.


Also can the cardio and weight training sessions be combined in the morning? rather than going back to the gym later in the day for strength training?

[Trainerdan]

Niky ... I dropped you a Private Message. :)

Big Dog .... Any foods low-fat are game. Early on in the carb-up you will want to eat foods that are higher on the glycemic index. These typically temd to be sugary foods or refined grains.

Later in the carb-up, switch to foods that are lower GI.

So, going by your list ...

Fruits - minimize fruit intake.

Grains - refined early in carb-up ... whole grains later

Donuts - unless they are low-fat, no

Chocolate - unless it is low-fat, no

Potatoes - baked potatoes (white) early in carb up, yams/sweet potatoes later in carb up

Veggies - yes. And you can have carrots on carb-ups!

Cereal - yes. Check glycemic index lists to see where they fall. Cron flakes are higher GI, whereas Museli is lower-GI.

[Trainerdan]

This was posted in a seperate thread by Chevi elsewhere in the forum, but I figured it would be good to also include it here. So here it is:


---


In this article, I'm assuming fat loss with minimal muscle loss is your goal. While ketogenic diets can be effective for muscle gain with minimal fat, I don't feel they are optimal for this purpose, what is optimal for this goal is another article.

So, how do you set up this diet to lose that pudge? There are a few ways, but since it's me writing this article you're going to get my opinion of the best way to set it up.

OK, so give me the plan already...

The basic plan is this, days 1-5, conveniently days Monday - Friday (although the actual days don’t matter) are your ketogenic/low carb days, and Saturday and Sunday are your carb-load days. Nothing new there. Here's where I get a little different, on Monday and Tuesday in order to get into ketosis quicker your ratios will be different, with more fat and less protein and trace-no carbs. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday you will go to the usual 75% fat, 25% protein ketogenic ratios. So, the 5-day low carb phase would look like this, on a 2000-calorie diet:

Monday and Tuesday - 2000 calories, 190g of fat, 75g of protein, trace carbs.

Wednesday - Friday - 2000 calories, 165 fat, 125 protein, less than 30g of carbs.

Divide this intake over however meals you prefer, 3-6 meals is a good guideline. I eat 5.

On the carb-load days, I recommend eating more carbs on the first day than the second day due to the simple fact that glucose uptake is higher during the first 24 hours of carb-loading. The carb load will look like this, for a 200lb guy:

Saturday - 700g of carbs (high GI liquid carbs)

Sunday - 300g of carbs (low GI solid carbs)

The reasoning for the high GI liquid carbs on the first day is to get glucose into your muscles as fast as possible, and the lower GI carbs on the second day simply keeps glucose stores full and prevents or at worst minimizes spill-over into fat stores.

During the carb load fat should be kept very low (no more than 1/2g per pound of bodyweight), and protein should be kept to no more than 1g per pound of bodyweight, this will ensure that most if not all the glucose will go into your muscles (and liver) rather than be stored as fat. To get specific, less fat on day one, and more fat on day two would be optimal. Water intake should also be higher during this period, because of glucose bringing 4g of water/gram of glucose when stored, this will serve to further saturate muscle glycogen stores as well as potentially take advantage of the anabolic effects of cellular hydration. Try to get down at least a gallon, but I'd say just drink as much as you can handle.

If you have quite a bit of fat to lose and/or need to lose it faster, a 24-hour carb-load may be ideal. If this is your case, then simply push the depletion workout back to Saturday night or Sunday morning and carb-load from there, with primarily high GI carbs at first, then go to lower GI carbs later in the day.

What about supplements?

Supplements are very important on this diet; the necessary supplements are a multivitamin/mineral supplement to counter-act any nutrient deficiencies caused by the elimination of carbs. Fiber supplementation to keep things running nicely, a calcium/magnesium supplement, and while not necessary highly recommended free-radical scavengers and antioxidants such as N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), vitamin C, vitamin E, Alpha lipoic acid during the carb load (ALA), and beta carotene. I recommend ALA during the carb load because of it's quite unique ability to allow more glucose to be stored in muscle. Other supplements I recommend are creatine (load during the first carb-up, 2 days of loading will result in equal saturation as does 5 days, so the carb-up is prime time to load), this will help against the muscle "flatness" that you will likely experience during the low carb days (due to glucose depletion, of course). Supplementing with potassium (400mg/day) will also help this. Other useful supplements would be an ECA stack (ephedrine, caffeine, and aspirin) because of it's fat burning, nutrient partioning (meaning more nutrients go to muscle, less to fat), stimulating, appetite suppressing, and thermogenic/metabolism boosting effects. I also drink 3 cups of green tea daily during fat loss periods for it's anti-oxidant properties and the ability of EGCG to enhance fat loss. Further, glutamine may be of use for it's growth hormone releasing effect, as well as to prevent muscle catabolism due to low levels of glutamine in the muscle cell. If you need to get some protein somewhere, a simple protein powder could also be of use, although I'd rather eat steak and ground beef :-).

Training

Training on a CKD is pretty simple, the basic idea is to train your entire body over Monday and Tuesday while you still have muscle glycogen from the carb-load to fuel your workout, and then deplete all muscle glucose on Friday prior to the carb load (the "depletion workout").

For Monday and Tuesday's workout you can split the body in two (upper/lower works nice), or as I personally prefer just train the entire body on Monday. The reason I prefer to train the entire body on Monday is primarily just to get it over with, and also to make sure I'm not sore during the depletion workout. Your training on these days should be basic, compound exercise-based, heavy weight training with the goal to keep or perhaps build strength and size. My workout looks like this (although you can change your workout as you see fit, stick to the basic principles):

Monday - Full Body

Chins: 5x6-10

Superset: DB Press: 5x6-10

Squat: 5x5

Leg ext/leg curl superset: 2x6-10

Shoulder Press: 3x6-10

Barbell Curl: 3x6-10

Skull Crusher: 3x6-10

Hanging leg raise: 2x6-10

Calf Raise-2x6-10

After this workout I'm pretty much dead, then I usually eat my first meal (I do this workout before my first meal to make sure I burn as much muscle glucose as possible) and go on to do 20 minutes or so of cardiovascular exercise.

For the depletion workout, first you have to take yourself out of ketosis by eating about 50g of carbs, specifically fruit (or pure fructose) because fructose preferentially saturates liver glycogen which is the fastest way to get out of ketosis. The reason is that when in ketosis ketones are the preferred source of fuel, so if you perform this workout while in ketosis you won't further deplete muscle glycogen rather you will just burn ketones. By taking yourself out of ketosis for this workout you will deplete intra-muscular glucose to the greatest degree possible, which in turn allows for maximal glycogen resynthesis (and local insulin sensitivity will be increased in every muscle, further increasing the effectiveness of the carb-load). The depletion workout is not meant to damage muscle fibers, just to deplete glucose, so heavy weight and training to or even near failure is not needed and is actually detrimental (you have to train again in 2 days). 15-20 (with a relatively fast, yet controlled rep cadence) reps per set are good, using your 25-30-rep maximum and obviously stopping well short of failure. Your depletion workout should cover the entire body in a circuit fashion, as shown below:

Squat: 1x15-20

Stiff Leg Deadlift: 1x15-20

Barbell Row: 1x15-20

Bench Press: 1x15-20

Pull Down: 1x15-20

Flyes: 1x15-20

Leg extension: 1x15-20

Leg Curl: 1x15-20

Tricep press: 1x15-20

Barbell Curl: 1x15-20

Calf Raise: 1x15-20

Repeat this entire circuit until your strength drops quite a bit, at this point you are glucose depleted (you'll know when you're done) and begin the carb load as explained above. Again, the specifics of this workout can be changed as you feel like, but stick to the basic principles.

Cardio

While in ketosis you will burn more fat during your cardio, but muscle loss is also a concern. I recommend you perform 20-30 minutes of moderate-high intensity cardio (stay aerobic) 2-3 days, 4 days maximum per week. Less cardio is needed during a ketogenic diet because of the fuel efficiency of ketones versus fat (9 cal vs. 7 cal); so more fat is burned in less time.

Dealing with cravings

Carb cravings are going to happen, but you can do some things to help. First, a carb-suppressant is in order. In my opinion, the supplement 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is the best (legal) stuff on the market for this purpose. Just don't exceed 100mg daily. An ECA stack will also help a bit here, and stocking up on sugar free snacks isn't a bad idea either. Be careful of diet sodas, though, as the citric acid has been reported to kick some people out of ketosis. Personally this wasn't the case for me, and it would take quite a bit, but it's a possibility. Sugar free jello and pudding is fine, aspartame or other artificial sweeteners will not kick you out of ketosis. Just drinking a lot of water and eating a lot of filling things such as lettuce, for example, will keep your stomach full and help with appetite suppression. The high fat intake required also serves this purpose.

Summary

While I think the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet is a very effective and safe method of losing fat and retaining hard-earned muscle mass, it is not the best option for everyone, and certainly isn't necessary. As mentioned previously, if your job or other activities require a significant amount of mental acuity, since it may take up to 2 weeks for the brain to adapt to using ketones as fuel, this diet may not be a good idea. But, when it's all said and done, I think a CKD is a very good choice for going about getting rid of that fat we all hate so much. Now go lose that fat, and look out for my next article on building muscle with minimal fat gain...or don't.


Written by

Justin Frank

http://www.wannabebig.com/printarticle.php?articleid=45

[Luxsit]

Ok, Let me summarize what I think I learned for tomorrow’s first carb up.

First, according to L. McDonald a small carb meal 1-2 hours prior to depletion workout is recommended. Next, immediately after the training you should try to consume 1.5 grams of carbs per kg of lean body mass. For me that 200lbs/2.2 = 90 kg x 1.5 = 135 grams carbs. Along with these carbs add 1/2 amount of protein. Again for me 135grams/2 = 67.5 grams protein. Since I am allowed a hi GI carbs at this point, I plan to use Maltodextrin powder 36 grams of carb/scoop = 4.5 scoops plus two scoops of Whey Isolate and a scoop of Soy Isolate in water. Going to be some pretty think stuff. This is to be followed by a similar composition meal two hours later. I think I am going out for Italian. Since my target is 900 grams of Carbs over 24 hours (8-10 x pounds lean body mass) I've already got 900-(135 x 2) = 630 grams to go. Also, fat must be kept low (88 grams or less for me).

Here's a link for an article Lyle McDonald wrote on “Carbing Up for CKD”. Might be redundant, but I will error on the side of CKD newbies like me. Article has some good breakdown charts toward the end for various lean body masses in pounds.
Carbing Up on CKD Lyle McDonald (http://www.thinkmuscle.com/articles/mcdonald/carb-up-and-ketogenic-diet.htm)

On Saturday, the important thing is to continue to watch fat intake, and to move from hi GI carbs to lower GI carbs by day end. Also, protein will be 1 gram per pound of lean body mass. Remaining 630 grams of carbs to be split into several meals throughout day. I plan to go to Mexican on Saturday night, looking forward to Chicken Fajitas w/tortillas, rice, and beans (small tab of sour cream and guacamole)

Regards,
Lux :wave:

[Beaver]

Lyle mentions a 1 day carb up. I am leaning towards this, but should I consume the total amount for the usual 2 day carb up, whcih for me would hover around 8000-9000 calories, or should do a normal one day, or maybe take 50% of sundays carbs with saturdays. He says that the 2 hour thing showed no benefits, so I am assuming that splitting 6100 or so calories over 24 hours should be as beneficial as 2 days at 8000, am I off here?

[Chas. Shar]

O.K. guys, I told you last week that I was gonna try CKD and let ya know how it went: Well....I gained three pounds!! Is this common? I think I'll take advice found on this board and carb up only one day. I still have about 80 pounds to lose. Also what do you think about taking 5 hydroxytryptophan while on this diet? After 4 months LCing, my seratonin level is mighty low. :( shari's not so happy and bubbly(trademark) anymore! I ordered some online yesterday then wondered about it's effect on this woe. Can ya help me out?


Shari :wave:

[dewdrop]

Hi Trainerdan :wave:
My husband and I are just finishing week 5 of BFL. We have not lost any weight. My husband is following the BFL meal plan and I am LCing it. I am currently following 30-40g carbs and 200g protien. I do not take a "Day Off" of LCing. We like to think our workouts are hard(we are just too competitive with each other) We have taken caliper test (twice) and measuring tape (twice) my husband has improved, I have not. Should I have seen results by now? Could it be the LCing? Should I be doing a minnie carb load on my "day off?" We have "officially" entered the challenge, so I really want to finish and not let my husband down. Can I incorporate your CKD into BFL? Keeping the BFL workouts the same but following the CKD food intake? I hope I haven't totally insulted you. It is just getting so hard with little results. Thanks.

[Bec]

Would anyone please point me to where the supercut cycle article is at. I also couldn't find it.
Thanks :)

[Trainerdan]

Supercut is available on my site (quadrafit).

The best way is to purchase a membership for $5, which gives you access to the members area ... which has all of my programs in it.

Administrators, if this crosses the line, feel free to delete the post. :)

I usually just PM the info, but if this is going to be a re-occurring question, I felt it might be easier to post it.

OK, I am just lazy. But I mean well. LOL.

[Bec]

Thank you :)

[Demi-God]

So your saying, fri night - sat night i can have as much sugar/bread/carb stuff as i want and it won't add fat? ( assuming come sunday im back to low carb)

[Trainerdan]

You have to follow the exercise protocall, and the LC portion of the diet ... And them, use the calculator to figure out how many carbs you can have. It's usually a pretty high number, so basically the answer to your question is yes ... but there are limits.

See the CALORIES post at the top of the forum for a link to the calculator.

[Demi-God]

How would you recommend putting ECA stacks ( or any other stacks like that) with this ?

[Luxsit]

Demi,
I think the advice is to go from Hi GI foods on Friday and move to lower GI foods by Saturday night. Also, that you are going to be incorporating resistance training into your overall plan. Also there are specific calorie grams for carbs, protein, and fat depending on your lean body mass. So saying you can eat any amount and not put on fat is not completely true. I suggest that you read L. McDonald article throughly before starting CKD. Here's the link.

Carbing Up on Cyclical Ketogenic Diet - L. McDonald (http://www.thinkmuscle.com/articles/mcdonald/carb-up-and-ketogenic-diet.htm)

As far as supplementing stacks, I suggest investing in Trainerdans Metabolism book. He gives a complete strategy.

Regards,
Lux :wave:

[tyrelle]

Originally posted by Luxsit
Demi,
Also there are specific calorie grams for carbs, protein, and fat depending on your lean body mass.



I'm looking ~ my parameters...esp the carb up phase. I'm getting confused...

Should I follow the grams protein, grams carb and grams fat..or should I follow something else... portein cals, carb cals, fat cals

It also has my total cals 6768 and 4738

Any help would be appreciated....Thx.

[Luxsit]

Tyrelle,
I am by no means the expert here, but if you look at the Lyle McDonald article, it has some charts towards the end. First step is to determine your Lean Body Mass. Now I see your target weight is 195? How did you reach that number? My guess is that you are closer to my size, therefore I would assume your Lean Body Mass is closer to 200 pounds and your ideal weight is somewhere above that. I may be wrong on this. I am 6 feet tall, large bone structure. So for example for me, with a Lean Body Mass of 200 pounds, the McDonald Article suggests the follow gram ratios for a 24 hour carb up. I would not go beyond 24 hours since the benefits are not worth the risks of putting on fat.

Carb 900 grams
Fat 83 grams
Protein 193 grams

I like grams better than caloires, because for me grams are easier to visualize.

Next, there are some details regarding consuming calories within 2 hours of depletion workout. Check back one page for my post on my Carb plan.

Finally, you need to move from Hi GI carbs to Lower GI carbs as you go from Friday night to Saturday night.

Again, If anyone with more experience would like to chime in, be my guest.

Regards,
Lux :wave:

[tyrelle]

Originally posted by Luxsit
I would not go beyond 24 hours since the benefits are not worth the risks of putting on fat.

Carb 900 grams
Fat 83 grams
Protein 193 grams


I remember reading that, but i didn't see my LBM on the chart. When I calculated it stated that is 260... I think that's kind of high and plus I don't really know my weight so i guess it at 380lbs.

[tyrelle]

Ok... I found this in the article....it says:

"During the first 24 hours of carb-loading, carb intake should be 10 grams per kilo of lean body mass or 4.5 grams of carbs per pound of LBM"

So for me that would be 1170 grams of carbs for the first 24 hours? But half would be HIGH GI and the second half would be LOW GI correct?

[Luxsit]

Ok, let's do the math:

Example:
Lean Body Mass = 200 lbs
Conver to Kilos 200lb/2.2 kg/lb = 90.9 kg

90.9 kg x 10 carb gr = 909 carb grams for 24 hours

Does that make sense so far ?

My guess is that you are using a Lean Body Mass that is not quite accurate. Your ideal weight is listed at 195, so your Lean Body Mass would be a number at best 5-7% below that number assuming you were a bodybuilder, completely buff.

Next, as you move from Friday to Saturday, switch your carb consumption from Hi GI carbs to Lower GI carbs. So some people here eat smarties and twizzlers on Friday which are candies made from Dextrose, then by Saturday afternoon to evening you should be looking for lower GI carbs, sweat potatoes, etc for your meals. Here's the link on GI index, the ideal is to fit more Lower GI carb in as you get closer to Saturday Evening. It's not a 50%/50% thing.

GI Food Index (http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm)

Hope this helps,
Lux :wave:

[Natrushka]

Although..... I read that you may want to stay with the high GI carbs if you're only doing a 24 hr carb up. There is next to no spill over with that short a window. Or did I imagine that, Dan?

N

p.s. any info on my 'rockets' or pixie sticks? :)

[tyrelle]

I pulled 195 out of the air, but I used the protein power book and it caculated it ~ 260lbs. 195 would be what I what I would want to get down to...lol but that's my dream. So should I not go with 260 as my lean?

[tyrelle]

Originally posted by Natrushka
Although..... I read that you may want to stay with the high GI carbs if you're only doing a 24 hr carb up. There is next to no spill over with that short a window. Or did I imagine that, Dan?

N

p.s. any info on my 'rockets' or pixie sticks? :)

I was thinking about just staying with HIGH GI's because I really do want to do the full sugar thing just yet. :D

[Luxsit]

Tyrelle,
I guess I would ask you what was the lowest weight you've ever been during your adult life. For me it was 235 pounds. I was doing Karate 3 times a week, and lifting weights. At that point I still was about 15% body fat, I still had excess visible fat on my body. So if I take 235 x .85 = 199.75 lbs. Lean Body Mass - That means 0% fat which is not possible to get to and survive but is the measure that most these calcuations use. Now it's entirely possible that if you are 7 feet tall and have been lifting weights for a while you might be at 260 pounds lean body mass, but if you been fairly sedentary and are closer to 6 feet tall, I suspect a number closer to 200 is more reasonable. Now by working out, i.e., doing resistance training over time you also could get to a higher LBM number.

Like I have suggested these automatic caculations of body mass, and daily intake don't work well for people more than 150 pound overweight, the models have built in assumptions that when extrapolated out to people our size are not representive of reality.

Hope this helps
Lux :wave:

[tyrelle]

OHhhhhh...I see what you are saying now..I haven't been lifting any, just started when I started doing LC. Hmm..I just started my carbup...and it was tuff eating all this food. I'm going to recaculate off of a 200 LBM. Thanks for clearing it up for me. :thup:

[mojoKID]

You need to do high gi's on a carb-up, the main point of a carb-up is to restore leptin levels so that your metabolism is back on track for another week of intense workout and caloric deficit eating. Leptin levels get raised by a influx of calories and such, and the best way to go about loading yourself up with calories is via carbohydrates, Leptin responds better to high gi carbs which is why you want to do this at the beginning of your carb-up, and to reduce the risk of storing large amounts of water/fat at the end of the carb-up, you switch to low-gi carbs which do not spike your insulin as much as high gi's do! But you need the high gi carbs. I always get a bit frustrated and confused because I learned all my low-carb stuff from a bodybuilding forum. I'm not a body builder, I have nice muscle tone, but not bulging muscles, anyway, there is a lot to be learned from their methods, and from what I learned on the bodybuilding boards is you need to restore leptin levels as you get leaner. Some bodybuilders carb-up every 2 days or every other day!

[JCLAY53]

DAN,
THIS IS SOME GREAT INFO. I TRIED THE ANABOLIC DIET A FEW YEARS AGO WITH SOME SUCCESS. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING THIS AGAIN. I DID THE PROTEIN POWER DIET IN 1999 AND LOST 30 LBS IN 2 MONTHS. I GAINED THE 30 AND THEN SOME BACK. I WAS GOING TO DO THE PROTEIN POWER PLAN THIS TIME, BUT I AM GOING TO DO THE CKD INSTEAD. :thup:

THANKS

[mugget57]

The more I read the more I see the end in sight. It is like waking up to a beautiful day. Being heavy all my life and having an illness that I have to monitor seemed like I would be locked in an unhealthy weight forever. But, now, I feel like I am getting armed with some powerful tricks to help me succeed.

First thing I am going to do is keep that journal. It will be the only way I can measure My success. And, I've decided to go for a solid 12 weeks/ starting weight, etc, and mark my progress in charts. I am so excited about the possibilities. I'm hoping to share what I learn with some very dear friends to.

Thank you so much for the help!

[sugarwars]

I take synthroid and I've just started the atkins diet. do you know how the thyroid and burning of fat are related in the body chemistry?

[incogne]

How can I adjust your plan so my window of oppertunity for 36 hours of carb load , lands between sat and sunday. Also what about just intaking carbs immediately after an intense workout when your muscles are yearing for it and the rest of the day low carbs.

[Big Dog]

incogne, you just need to adjust the timing of your depletion workout so that it happens just before you can begin the carb load

I carb load from first thing friday morning until saturday night. I do my workout early friday morning, then as soon as it is over i start my carb load. I finish up Saturday night and start back to low carb with breakfast on sunday morning.



as for the second part of your question - that is the simple definition of a Targetted Ketogenic Diet (TKD). I am not 100% sure but i think some folks take thier carbs pre workout, some post workout and some split them.

[incogne]

Big Dog , so your 36 hours starts ticking then immediatley after your Friday morning workout. I want that window to start for myself mid Saturday ending Sunday evening.So that would mean My intense workout can begin Monday evening and end mid-saturday .

As far as post-carb loading , I heard its a good method to get your carbs during this period , since your mucles are depleted of all its glycemic stores and most your carbs will be absorbed by them.

[dirty-c]

How can beer fit in this diet? Are the carbs in beer high GI? What about alcohol? Will it hurt the ability of the insulin to usher in the glucose? I'm a college student who likes to drink w/ my friends on weekends. I know that when your under the influence, you body WILL use ketones since they are most easily converted into energy. During the HI carb phase, are we attempting to turn glucose back into our body's primary source of energy, or are we merely trying to get the glucose into our muscles (forming glycogen)?

[joe_]

im currently on the atkins diet for about a week but want to lose around 30-40 pounds, would it be wise to switch up to the ckg with 24 hour carb load instead? i just don't want to put on any extra weight, but in the same time i would like to put on muscle so when it all works out i come out pretty muscular but still lost the fat, the reason i came looking for this is because i finally did some weights since starting it, (previously only doing cardio) and mannn, it was the weakest workout i think i've ever had, i couldnt finish anything or hardly flex my muscles when i tried... im thinking i should try this but hopefully somebody will respond!!! :) thanks.

[montecarlo]

I am coming from the anabolex and elitefitness forums. I found the Mr X CKD program to be very usefull. Maybe a little complicated if your not math savy. Low carb diets takes planning and will power. Been on ckd several times and every time I get on it, I do better from the previous cycle. I normally go for 12-16 weeks, and then up the carbs slowly.

Mr.X CKD Manual


I would like to dedicate this to Bart, without him I would not be writing this nor would I be the person that I am today.


by: Mr.X


So, you want to start a CKD. Now, what the hell is a CKD you ask? Well, a CKD (cyclo-ketonic-diet) is simply a diet that consists of two cycles: low/no-carbohydrates and high-carbohydrates. How do these two come together to actually make a diet, simply stated: they do, that’s it. But, to be serious. A Ketonic diet is something that we all hear from Atkins, which is basically High-Fat, Moderate-Protein and Low/No-Carbs. Yet, this type of diet, although very effective for the average Joe, is not sufficient for a bodybuilder’s (weightlifter’s) needs.


Why? Well, once your muscle glycogen is depleted, your workouts become a pain in the ass, you are sluggish and muscle loss can occur. (due to the fact that no insulin is present in the system, there will be NO muscle gain while in Ketosis) Because, the main goal of Ketosis is to have no glycogen in the liver so glucagon can be released. (yada yada yada yada, well I don’t think anyone cares about the technical aspect, so I’ll get to the point)Basically, it all boils down to the following: Day 1-6 you eat High-Fat/Moderate-Protein/Low-No-Carbohydrates, then Day 7 you eat HIGH-GI carbohydrates and low-fat, in order to achieve supercompensation and refill muscle glycogen. (this will ensure quality training throughout every CKD cycle you do)




Mr.X, can you please just shut-up and give us some information on setting up a CKD.


YES, I can-------




Setting up a CKD (6days Ketosis/1day Carb-Up)


First-off, let’s figure out your BMR (basal-metabolic-rate). Take your weight and multiply it by 12=daily calorie intake without a deficit.


(100lb person) Example: 100lb x 12cal= 1200cal…1200cal=BMR


Everything I put forth will revolve in one way or another around your BMR, so listen up.




6/1 ratio (6 days in ketosis/1 day carb-up)




Figure out your BMR...(basal-metabolic-rate)=caloires needed to maintain current weight


weight x 12=BMR....(EXAMPLE: 100lb x 12=1200 cal a day)


Use the following fat/protein ratios w/ BMR deficit:



Ketosis:



Day:



1-&gt; 85%fat/15%protein--BMR-5%



2-&gt; 75%fat/25%protein--BMR-10%



3-&gt; 65%fat/35%protein--BMR-15%



4-&gt; 70%fat/30%protein--BMR



5-&gt; 70%fat/30%protein--BMR-10%



6-&gt; 65%fat/35%protein--BMR-15%



Carb-Up:



Day-7-&gt; (CARB-UP) BMR+30% ---I will go into detail on the


carb-up later in the article---




So, how do you calculate these percents and BMR. Well, let’s use a 200lb person as an example of this.



EXAMPLE BASED ON 200lb PERSON:



200lb. x 12cal=2400cal (BMR)



Ketosis: Days 1-6:




Day 1: 85%fat/15%protein-- BMR-5%



2400cal (BMR) x .05=120cal (is 5% from BMR)



2400cal (BMR) – 120 cal (5%deficit)=2280cal for day 1



---fat ratios for day 1---



2280cal x .85 (that is 85% fat)=1938cal from fat



Fat has 9 calories/gram



1938cal divided by 9cal/gram=215g fat for day 1



---now we need the protein ratios for day 1---


,p&gt;2280cal x .15(that is 15%protein)=342 cal from protein



Protein has 4 calories/grams



342cal divided by 4cal/gram=86 g protein for day 1



Totals for Day-1: 215g fat/86g protein




Now, you might ask, why is the protein so low? Because protein can keep you out of Ketosis and, remember, everyday you are in Ketosis, you are burning fat while preserving muscle because Ketones (hence the name Ketosis) are protein sparing. Protein can convert to glycogen at almost 58% efficiency, so you see why excess protein is a bad idea. Plus, strictly from a scientific standpoint, a person can maintain current muscle mass at merely a 15%protein ratio, while no muscle gain is possible, maintenance is a very feasible idea with these ratios.




Day 2: 75%fat/25%protein-- BMR-10%



2400cal (BMR) x .10=240cal (is 10% from BMR)



2400cal (BMR) – 240 cal (10%deficit)=2160cal for day 2



---fat ratios for day 2---



2160cal x .75 (that is 75% fat)=1620cal from fat



Fat has 9 calories/gram



1620cal divided by 9cal/gram=180g fat for day 2



---now we need the protein ratios for day 2---



2160cal x .15(that is 15%protein)=324 cal from protein



Protein has 4 calories/grams



324cal divided by 4cal/gram=81 g protein for day 2



Totals for Day-2: 180g fat/81g protein




Day 3: 65%fat/35%protein--BMR-15%



2400cal (BMR) x .15=360cal (is 15% from BMR)



2400cal (BMR) – 360 cal (15%deficit)=2040cal for day 3



---fat ratios for day 3---



2040cal x .65 (that is 65% fat)=1326cal from fat



Fat has 9 calories/gram



1326cal divided by 9cal/gram=147g fat for day 3



---now we need the protein ratios for day 3---



2040cal x .35(that is 35%protein)=714 cal from protein



Protein has 4 calories/grams



714cal divided by 4cal/gram=178 g protein for day 3



Totals for Day-3: 147g fat/178g protein




Day 4: 70%fat/30%protein-- BMR



2400cal (BMR)



---fat ratios for day 4---



2400cal x .70 (that is 70% fat)=1680cal from fat



Fat has 9 calories/gram



1680cal divided by 9cal/gram=186g fat for day 4



---now we need the protein ratios for day 4---



2400cal x .30(that is 30%protein)=720 cal from protein



Protein has 4 calories/grams



720cal divided by 4cal/gram=180 g protein for day 4



Totals for Day-4: 186g fat/180g protein




Day 5: 70%fat/30%protein--BMR-10%



2400cal (BMR) x .10=240cal (is 10% from BMR)



2400cal (BMR) – 240 cal (10%deficit)=2160cal for day 5



---fat ratios for day 5---



2160cal x .70 (that is 70% fat)=1512cal from fat



Fat has 9 calories/gram



1512cal divided by 9cal/gram=168g fat for day 5



---now we need the protein ratios for day 5---



2160cal x .30(that is 30%protein)=648 cal from protein



Protein has 4 calories/grams



648cal divided by 4cal/gram=162 g protein for day 5



Totals for Day-5: 168g fat/162g protein




Day 6: (same as day 3) 65%fat/35%protein-- BMR-15%


2400cal (BMR) x .15=360cal (is 15% from BMR)


2400cal (BMR) – 360 cal (15%deficit)=2040cal for day 6


---fat ratios for day 6---


2040cal x .65 (that is 65% fat)=1326cal from fat


Fat has 9 calories/gram


1326cal divided by 9cal/gram=147g fat for day 6


---now we need the protein ratios for day 6---


2040cal x .35(that is 35%protein)=714 cal from protein


Protein has 4 calories/grams


714cal divided by 4cal/gram=178 g protein for day 6


Totals for Day-6: 147g fat/178g protein




Essential-Fatty-Acids: flaxseed oil, sesames seed oil, sunflower seed oil, grape seed oil, olive oil, peanut oil




Now, I know, I know. You want to know how to do this the easy way. Because, what I’ve just shown beforehand is probably damn complicated. So, here is a simple rule-of-thumb way to break down your Ketosis ratios:


1)Set calories at: 12 cal/lb


2)Set protein intake: typically 0.9 g/lb. Protein has 4 cal/gram


3)Set fat intake: take protein calories and subtract them from total calories, then divide by 9 to get grams of fat.


In practice, most people end up eating about 1 gram of fat for every gram of protein. Ketosis almost always establishes with 1/1 ratios. (fat/protein -grams-)





CARB-UP:


I’ve heard different ratios stated by different people on this subject, but as you know, opinions are like ass-holes everyone has one and it stinks. So, I will attempt to come up with a feasible ratios for you.




DAY 7: --carb-up— BMR+30%


EXAMPLE FOR A 200lb PERSON:


2400cal (BMR) x .30= 720cal


2400cal + 720cal=3120cal


~70%carbs/20%protein/10%fat~


CARBS:


3120 x .70= 2185 cal from carbs


Carbohydrates have 4cal/g


2185cal divided by 4ca/g=546g carbs


PROTEIN:


3120 x .20=624cal from protein


Protein has 4cal/g


624cal divided by 4cal/g=156g protein


FAT:


3120 x .10=312 cal from fat


Fat has 9cal/g


312 divided by 9=35g fat


Totals: 546g carbs/156g protein/35g fat




SAMPLE CARB-UP: (6meals) –based on 200lb person—


1-2: 150 g liquid glucose polymers...like carb powders (ex..carbo max, dextrose..etc.) w/ 1 scoop protein


3-4: 75 g of liquid and solid glucose polymers...sugar cereals (frosted flakes,honey-nut-cheerios..etc) w/ fat-free milk w/ 1/4 cup walnuts


5-6: 50 g of complex carbs (low-GI)...oatmeal, brown-rice, beans, yams, sweet potato w/ 1/4 cup walnuts




FRUCTOSE: (i.e. FRUITS)


Why is it that people say to avoid fructose? I've heard that quite a few times, and was curious why. How important is this? Fructose resupplies the liver with glycogen first, if the liver is full, then via the pentose phosphate pathway, all additional fructose goes to FAT.




I know that every reader wants a simple way to figure out a carb-up, so here it is:


1) Set total calories at: 16 cal/lb


2) Set protein intake: typically 0.2 g/lb. Protein has 4 cal/gram


3) Set fat intake: usually 0.1g/lb. Fat has 9cal/gram


4) Set carb. intake: add protein and fat calories and subtract it from total calories, then divide by 4 to get grams of carbs.


In practice, most people end up eating about 2.7 grams of carbs for every lb of weight.





So, what type of workout and cardio do you have to do while on CKD. Here is a sample workout routine based on a 6/1 CKD. (6day Ketosis/1day carb-up)


Day:


1- 30 min cardio morning(empty stomach)/workout: Chest, Upper-Back, shoulders, arms, traps, abs


2- 30 min cardio morning/ workout: Legs, (includes, calfs, hams,quads), lower-back


3- 45 min cardio morning OR 1 hour cardio during the day


4- SAME AS DAY 3


5- 30-45 min cardio AM no workout


6- 30 min cardio AM/ full body workout = circuit training 3-5 times (very light 20-25reps)


7- before carb-up…early in AM do a full body circuit workout 3-5 times (very light 20-25reps), then IMMEDIATELY begin CARB-UP.




-(DAY 1-6) For each bodypart do 1-2 exercises with 12-10-18-6 -dropset-12 reps---


ex: bench-press 12/10/8/6 drop set 12 reps


-You can increase the number of exercises for legs 1-3 with 12-10-8-6-12 reps---




Ok, now that I have given you way too much information to comprehend, I am going to load up a little more info about supplements and then we’re done.


Supplements you need for CKD:


FIBER –soluble or any other form


Multi Vitamins(MV)/ Multi Minerals(MM)


AdipoKinetix


Ephedrine


(PPA stack on EliteFitness is a very good buy…great quality too)


HOW TO TAKE THEM:


Take MV and MM two times a day (recommended dose), one in the morning and one in the afternoon (around 2-3pm)


Take each 1-3 pills AdipoKinetix with 25mg of ephedrine. 2-3 times a day.


Take Fiber supplementation 2 times a day…once in the morning, and once before bed





WHAT INTERRUPTS KETOSIS?


The only supplements that seem to reliably interrupt ketosis (that I've discovered at least) are vanadyl (seems to affect liver glycogen status) and citrimax (Hydroxycitric acid). Citric acid (found in diet sodas) kicks some people out of ketosis, but does not affect everybody. Aspartame also seems to affect some people but isn't consistent. The anti-oxidant n-acetyl-cysteine can give a false positive for ketosis, but that is all I can think of at the moment.


Basically, the only way to really negatively affect ketosis is by raising blood glucose, or affecting liver metabolism.


Oh yeah, and eating a bunch of carbs while in Ketosis will 100% kick you

[senimoni]

Can someone tell me what a drop set is?


******************************
-(DAY 1-6) For each bodypart do 1-2 exercises with 12-10-18-6 -dropset-12 reps---


ex: bench-press 12/10/8/6 drop set 12 reps

**************************************

[Natrushka]

A drop set is where you basically are doing one long set.

You start with a weight you can only lift for a few reps - 10 or 12. Once you've gone until you can't lift another rep you change the weight, or pick up another set of dumbells and you lift again until you can't lift anymore - this is usually quite a few reps lower than you just did. You continue this as many times as the set requires (a 3 drop set requires you dropping the weight 3 times, etc).

HTH
-Nat

[korry1977]

OK

I understand that you can do CKD in about 12 week periods... what do you after those 12 weeks are over? and when can you start a new cycle after the 12 weeks?

thanks'

[Trainerdan]

After 12 weeks, I usually ramp up carbs for 4 - 8 weeks and use those as an anabolic phase (heavy lifting, etc), and then go back to the CKD.

[Janette360]

Dan, question, I do low carb all week and have rigerous workouts for 4 days. I never go into ketosis! I check the strips and they never have a trace! I know that i don't need to lose a lot but i would like to know why i never go into it. Is it because i chew sugar free gum? let me know it's driving me crazy.

[Trainerdan]

Ketostix measure excess ketones. You could be burning yours.

I know sugar free gum sometimes bumps people out, so you may want to tinker with that to check it.

When I used to always check sticks, I was never more than mild purple.

If the tape measure around your waist is going down, you are on the right track.

:)

[Janette360]

thanks for the reply...that explans things!!! The only thing that sucks is that i have to cut out gum for a while. Don't I get to have an fun any more? lol

[dazzlin182]

30 min cardio AM/ full body workout = circuit training3-5 times (very light 20-25reps) hi all this thread has been very helpful, thanks.

got one basic question, is that okay if i dont do fbwo=circuit training=supersets but do 4-split instead? e.g. ubwo (mon, thurs), lbwo (tues, fri) e.g. at 3 x 12 or 4 x 10 challenging weights?

does fbwo supersets have special purpose (deplete glycogen so far that i know of) and hence must be included?? or can i just simply substitute fbwo with other weigh training workout on fri (i suppose that would deplete glycogen too? or not?).

thanks a lot.

[Gigantor]

Which of the CKD gurus says to circuit train your entire body 3 days a week?

Dan Duchaine, who wrote Body Opus, says train your body by heavy lifting on Monday and Tuesday, optional cardio Wed/Thur, then deplete Friday.

So does Lyle McDonald:

http://www.thinkmuscle.com/articles/mcdonald/training-on-ketogenic-diet.htm

I think if you blast your whole body on Monday or Monday/Tuesday then train those muscles again on Wednesday, you're not giving them enough time to rest/grow. This is counterproductive.

Wouldn't you agree?

[Gigantor]

If you don't want to weed through all the technical gobbledygook re HGH, insulin, etc. in the above link I posted about Lyle McDonald, here is his suggested CKD routine:

The CKD Workout Routine
With the above estimations for sets and reps having been made, we can develop a sample workout routine. The format for the CKD week is:

Day Workout type Diet

Sunday: 30'+ of low intensity cardio in Ketogenic
morning to establish ketosis
Monday: Tension weight training workout Ketogenic
Tuesday: Tension weight training workout Ketogenic
Wed/Thu: cardio optional for fat loss Ketogenic
Fri: Full body workout Ketogenic prior to workout
Begin carb-load after workout
Saturday: No workout Carb load

:agree:

[Trainerdan]

In the early posts in the CKD 101 thread, it was a response as to what workout scheme a member at that time used to get her results (Fern2340) ... She used a program I created, and got phenomenal results ... So, I posted the scheme. :) Your results may vary.

However, further in the thread .. there are several posts that show different workout schemes.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showpost.php?p=525242&postcount=37

or, from Mr. X's CKD post ...

Day:


1- 30 min cardio morning(empty stomach)/workout: Chest, Upper-Back, shoulders, arms, traps, abs


2- 30 min cardio morning/ workout: Legs, (includes, calfs, hams,quads), lower-back


3- 45 min cardio morning OR 1 hour cardio during the day


4- SAME AS DAY 3


5- 30-45 min cardio AM no workout


6- 30 min cardio AM/ full body workout = circuit training 3-5 times (very light 20-25reps)


7- before carb-up…early in AM do a full body circuit workout 3-5 times (very light 20-25reps), then IMMEDIATELY begin CARB-UP.

The CKD101 thread is just a "sticky post" for people to read all of the basics and useful info when they are interested in trying a CKD.

[Gigantor]

Thanks for the clarification, Dan. It's an extremely useful thread overall. :agree:

BTW, your best pic is Waikiki. Your chest looks nice and full there. Maybe that's a post carb-up pic? ;)

Keep up the good work. Great forum!

[eskimissy]

OMG, this diet is amazing. I'm still kinda confused but I've thoroughly read the first page. I'm going to finish reading it when I get a chance and then I'm sure I'll be filled with questions.

What a great thread!

[lizzylaw]

my first year of low-carbing was weekdays on, weekends off.
Although I lost 14 lbs, going back into ketosis every weds/ thurs was draining, so now I stay on low-carb all the time, except for about 2x a year

[Chipperoo]

Do you think just because you did this that you were doing a CKD? There is much more involved in CKD than merely "doing Atkins" during the week and cheating on weekends.

[champ_55ca]

I am soooooo lucky I stumbled on this. I had almost figured this out on my own but now i have all the science to back my theory. i am immediately trying this. I GET TO EAT HAMBURGER HELPER AGAIN!!! HELLO RED LOBSTER!!! WOOHOO!

Trainer dan please email me! I have some very good questions on this stuff and optimization theories as well, you are a GOD!

talk to me!

[Trainerdan]

Need an email address for you Champ. :lol:

Or you can e-mail me. Trainerdan71 at hotmail.com.

[champ_55ca]

Trainer Dan I have written a ton of info and questions under the stalls area in tips. There is a forum there titled "the ultmiate efficient frontier" which is what i at the time was theorizing glycogen maintenance would effectively be. I have learned much since posting my first posts theree as youll see in my following posts in the forum. There are several questions later on unanswered tho.

I did a carb load on thursday. 550 grams carbs..god that was hard to do..i dont know how really big people can eat that much every day, god man I almost passed out so tired from all the eating. When I went ot the gym, tons more energy and 10-20% instant strength gain. Had to add plates to every excersize nearly. Was way more mentally into the workout and focused, more energy.muscles felt firmer, bigger..better pump, wow!

Today I did the low glycemic carbos 220 grams. My workout was still good, not wuite as noticeable in strength but again, more plates on nearly all excersizes (different body parts of course) I superset my whole workout, no rest between different and opposite body parts so I get a good cardio type routine going. (superset circuit basically, my favorite kind of workout, just go go go)

Since the day before the carb load I have gained 2.8 pounds 2.2 muscle, 0.6 fat. Was up another pound yesterday also and felt fat as heck after my gym trip but better today now.

I am looking way better in the mirror and its strange to see how much better but not see that reflected in my bodyfat %age on the scale, hasnt moved in almost 2 weeks but I look way different then 2 weeks ago. Strange. Also, since loading, my body water scale is all over the place, different reading every time i step on it, like it cant read me. Im just using averages now..
Q1. any explanation for the water reading being wierd now?

Q2. why 550 grams of carbs? why not 200 why not 1000? why 3 grams per pound? whats it based on?

Q3. why do I have to look for low sugar carbs? what makes sugary foods not as good for this?

Q4. How long do glycogen stores last for? Ive heard some of your buddies say 7-10 days till another replenishment is needed and ive read in several places you can use them all up in one single workout. If the latter is true, we will never be able to lose fat it seems as we will need to GR (glycogen replenishment) every couple days killing induction.

Q5. Will I still be able to gain muscle doing induction and CKD? or is this designed just for maintenance? It seems like it would be hard to gain muscle when your glycogen short a lot.

Q6. How much bodyfat should I be able to use if I dont cheat, have a high intensity program including cardio 5 days a week, eat right, supplement, etc over 12 weeks (3mos)

Q7. I need to lose 20 pounds of fat, but i need to be able to retain and ideally gain a lot of muscle at the same time, is there an optimal way to achieve this?

Q8. What do you know about apple pectin for weight loss accel and chromium picolinate as well?

Q9. What do you know about cortislim? cortislice?

Q10. What do you think about prohormone androstenedione?

Q11. When Im on induction, I have a calorie deficit thats huge. In fact I eat below my basal metabolic rate. BMR = 1780 I eat 1600. 180 grams protein, 25 carbs, rest fat. I burn average 400 cals a day at the gym. 4000 shortfall a week approx. Will eating below my basal rate put my body on starvation mode? Is this a bad thing to do? Am I eating too little? I dont understand how people do this then cause im eating max/day carbs and more protein then most eat, and tons of fats.

Q12. What makes your body eat muscle and not fat? How can we stop this from happeneing? This seems to happen to me every time I diet.

Well thats it for now, have more but i dont want to kill you with one session :)

Thanks Dan you rule buddy! :D

[innermusic]

This is probably a dumb question, so I apologize in advance, but I'm not sure whether you're supposed to start with the Friday depletion workout and the carb up or be in ketosis when you start (say Sun or Mon). I think the Mon. workout would kick my butt without the extra carbs...? Anyway, tomorrow is Friday and I'm all fired up to workout till I drop and then carb up, so please let me know if this is the wrong way to start.

Thanks,
Dani

You definitely want to start on the Monday with the low carb week. Moreover, I'd recommend skipping the first weekend carbup and go right thru to the following week, then do your first carbup on the second weekend. After that, it's CKD business as usual.

[Audrey2005]

:wave: :wave: Hi -thanks so much for your input!It's people like you who really help others!It was almost a book! :thup: I must add that you look fantastic!It's hard to believe you were once that kid with the sunglasses.Amazing.....Thanks for all the info!!

[pinkquinn]

Trainer Dan
I have a question for you I hope you are still responding to this thread.

My husband is losing weight rapidly via the PSMF for two weeks then on to maintanence (which is still considered low carb) for one week. Following that he is participating in a climbing competion. Should be carb load to maximize his performance or will the carbs back fire on him and make him tired? GrooveJock has said he should stick low carb; I tend to agree. What do YOU think?????

[deelyte81]

Hi Trainerdan,

I am trying to find out how to do the CKD correctly... what is your website? I would like to see the exact plan that you and Fern followed. Also how long can you stay on this diet?

[deelyte81]

Sorry one more question...is this diet ok for mainly weight loss and toning? I don't want to bulk up. Would I still have to do all the weight training?