A Few basic points on Dave Palumbo Keto Dieting:
- Stick to the diet as written – of course changes the meats and rotate the spinach/broccoli/asparagus etc but do not start adding in variants/extra meals/fats/carbs etc and expect it to work as well! e.g. sausage/bacon/eggs etc aren’t part of your breakfast and are packed with fats and carbs!
- Do not have pre/intra/post shakes – they are not part of the diet and are not needed and will slow fat loss. If you must have a post workout shake, plan your meal for that time of the day to be a shake.
- Isolate shakes are the best to have on this diet – several bulk suppliers do them very cheaply – 2.5kg at £35 will last your 50 meals – very cheap! Normal wheys are ok, as long as you stick to whey that is below around 10g per shake. Bare in min your intake of carbs needs to stay UNDER 30g a day. Allow for this in you intake of carbs and plan around it.
- Use Omega 3 eggs if you can. If you cannot/cannot afford then supplement with 3 x 1000mg caps of Omega 3. I also use 3 x 1000mg Primrose Oil to keep my EFA’s high and help support the membrane of muscle. Bear in mind the body doesn’t have EFA’s or Enzymes that can make them so they HAVE to be taken in from your diet.
- Diet drinks are usually ok unless you are especially sensitive. It is prolly best to leave them out as your body gets used to very little carbs for the first few weeks and stick to water but for most they will not kick you out of keto. If you find week after week you don’t lose much weight and drink diet drinks it may be worth considering dropping them.
- Black coffee is fine, again leave for the first few weeks and try to restrict the number you have due to cortisol being released if you have too much.
- DO NOT alter the diet and ask us to check!
If there is anything else I think of i’ll let you know and add to the list!
Some video guides from them man himself (parts 1-3):
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Remember, it takes 3-4 days to get into a strong ketosis where your brain is using ketone bodies (fats), instead of carbs, for energy. Be patient.
Many times I’ll switch to an alternatiing diet where one day it will be protein/fat……then another protein/vegetables (very little fat). The great thing about the body and fat is that ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS can be stored in the muscle for several days, up to 2 weeks……therefore, once an adequate storehouse of Essential Fats are built up, the body can be “tortured” a little and it still won’t give up muscle (that’s assuming you’re still taking in adequate protein. Protein can’t be stored).
1oz almonds equals 6g carbs (2 of those grams are fiber) and 2oz equals 12g of carbs.
With the beef meal (any fatty protein meal), you should have the green salad with 1 tablespoon of Olive or Mac oil INSTEAD of the nuts. Only eat the nuts with the LEAN PROTEIN MEAL (chicken, turkey, lean fish)
The best fat sources come from the essential fatty acids– Omega-6 and Omega-3’s. Most of us get plenty of Omega-6s from cooking oils, ect……….however the Omega-3’s are harder to get. I recommend WHOLE OMEGA-3 EGGS, FaTTY FISHS like SALMON and SWORDFISH and TUNA and MACKEREL, ALMONDS and WALNUTS have some OMEGA-3’s (as well as OMEGA-6s). ANother great fat source is MONOUNSATURATES such as EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL and MACADAMIA NUT OIL…..they aren’t essential but they are great for the metabolism (great source of energy) and they are extremely good for your heart.
You’re not getting any indirect sources of carbs (just from the 1 spoonful of PB…. you may want to have at least one 1/3cup nuts meal. Remember, Olive or Macadamia nut oil is predominantly a MONOUNSATURATED FAT (good for the heart, but not essential)…….. the nuts, and fish oil have the essential fats in them. Also, with regard to FLAX SEED OIL, the OMEGA-3 Fatty Acids found in them (alpha-linolenic acid) has a very poor conversion to DHA and EPA (Essential Omega-3 intermediates) in the HUMAN……..therefore, you’re much better off taking in FISH OILS (that already contain DHA/EPA) than FLAX SEED OIL.
Once fat loss slows, I always increase cardio first, then I increase the amount of fat burners (clen, cytomel, lipolyze)………After those other methods are exhausted, only then, do I play with the diet.
Always eat BEFORE lifting……..never BETWEEN lifting and cardio.
Artificial Sweetners:
The artificial sweetener itself (eg. aspartame, sucralose) wont cause a problem. It’s what some companies complex it with. For example, EQUAL and SPLENDA combine their aspartame and sucrolose with 1g of maltodextrin……..whereas, in diet drinks, they don’t do that. So, diet drinks are okay, SPLENDA and EQUAL must be used in moderation (STEVIA BALANCE is fine though since they use inulin fiber instead of maltodextrinForget using:
-MCT’s are a waste when you’re dieting. If you’re gonna use FATS for an energy source, they might as well serve a function in the body. MCTs are useless. They can only serve as a source of energy!
-Arginine is not going to do anything. It will DO something; just not dramatic.Cardio:
CARDIO should be performed at a low intensity (under 120bpm heartrate). This will ensure that you use FAT as a fuelsource since as your heartrate increase, carbohydrates begin to become the preferred fuel of choice for the body. When on a low carb diet, you’re body will break down muscle and turn that into carbs. Remember, Fat CANNOT be changed into carbs. Therefore, for bodybuilding, the rule of cardio should be LONG DURATION, LOW INTENSITYnever do less than 20 min per session
The BOTTOM LINE is that low intensity cardio (while you might need more of it) ensures that fat is utilized and muscle is spared (especially while on my high protein/moderate fat/low carb diety).
Do you feel the treadmill is better for cardio, or is the bike(stationary or recumbent) just as good? As long as the intensity is LOW, it doesn’t matter which piece of equipment you use
Q&A:
Q: Is gluconeogenesis inevitable in your diet?
Dave Palumbo: NOQ: If so do I need to consume more than 1.5 grams of protein per lb of LBM so as not to lose muscle?
Dave Palumbo: The fat spares the protein….when the brain is in ketosis, the carbohydrate requirements are very very low.Q: How much (percentage) of my protein intake would be turned into glucose (gluconeogenesis)?
Dave Palumbo: Very little (maybe 10%)Q: What do you think of submersion in cold water as a means of burning bodyfat (thermogenesis)?
Dave Palumbo: HOCUS POKUS!Q: How about drinking lots of cold water (I think this was even suggested by Elligton Darden) to help lose bodyfat?
Dave Palumbo: RIDICULOUSQ: Do you think drinking lots of Green Tea is beneficial to fat loss?
Dave Palumbo: Somewhat helpful.Q: How much is the ideal dosage of Omega 3 for a 220 lb. individual ?
Dave Palumbo: Try to take in about 9g per dayQ: How many Tbs of peanut butter could I have instead of 1/2 cup of cashewnuts?
Dave Palumbo: 2 tablespoons, two tablespoons of Peanut Butter contains 190 calories and 16 grams of fat (so 1.5 tablespoon equals about 12 grams fat) …whereas……… 2oz (1/3 cup) almonds (about 40 almonds) = 12g fatQ: I want to add that if I cant find the omega eggs here locally. Can I use international egg whites and just take an omega supplement?
Dave Palumbo: You can get away with 5 whole eggs (regular ones) once a day……..not a big deal. You’ll be burning up all that fat anyway.Q: Whats the max cups # of coffee ( no sugar ) can consume on Dave’s diet ?
Dave Palumbo: Try to limit to 2 cups per day…….I realize that towards the end of the diet you may need more to help you get through the day.Q: If you cook tilapia in macadamon nut oil?do you coun’t the oil as your fat for that meal! Depends how much you use.
Dave Palumbo: If you just grease the pan with it, no!Q: what is the protein,carb and fat ratio for offseason
Dave Palumbo: 50% Protein, 25% fat, 25% carbsQ: and the ratio for contest prep.
Dave Palumbo:60% protein, 30% fat, 10% carbs
Variations of the Palumbo diet for certain individuals :
200lb male
Meal #1: 5 whole eggs (Omega-3), 4 egg-whites (can be liquid egg-whites).
Meal #2: Shake: 50g Whey Protein with 1 ½ tablespoon of All Natural Peanut Butter (no sugar).
Meal #3: Lean protein meal: 8oz Chicken with ½ cup cashew nuts (or almonds, walnuts).
Meal #4: Shake: same as meal #2.
Meal #5: Fatty protein meal: 8oz Salmon, Swordfish, or Red Meat with a green salad (no tomatoes, carrots, or red peppers) with 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil or Macadamia Nut Oil and Vinegar.
Meal #6: Same as meal #2 and #4, or 4 whole (Omega-3) eggs and 4 extra egg-whites.250lb+ male
Meal #1: 6 whole (Omega-3) eggs.
Meal #2: 8oz chicken with ½ cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 50g whey protein with 2 tablespoons all natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 8oz salmon with 1 cup asparagus with 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil.
Meal #5: same as meal #3.
Meal #6: 6 whole (Omega-3) eggs.120lb female
Meal #1: 2 whole (omega-3) eggs and 6 egg-whites.
Meal #2: 4oz chicken with 1/4 cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 35g whey protein with 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 4oz salmon with 1 cup asparagus with 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil.
Meal #5: same as meal #1 or meal #3.100lb (lean body mass) female figure competitor
Meal #1: 2 whole omega-3 eggs and 4 egg whites.
Meal #2: 30g whey protein and 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter.
Meal #3: 6oz chicken and 1oz (1/8 cup) raw almonds.
Meal #4: same as meal #2.
Meal #5: 4oz salmon, 2 cups of spinach leaves, 1 teaspoon virgin olive oil and vinegar.170lb male (153lbs LBM)
Meal #1: 3 whole omega-3 eggs, 3 egg-whites, 3 slices fat-free turkey.
Meal #2: 40g whey protein and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Meal #3: 150g skinless chicken breast and 1 tablespoon soy and 1 tablespoon mustard and 30g almonds.
Meal #4: same as meal #2.
Meal #5: 200g top sirloin steak and 85g raw spinach and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Meal #6: 2 whole omega-3 eggs, 1 can tuna.160 lb male
Meal #1: 4 whole eggs, ¾ cup egg-whites, fish oil, primrose oil.
Meal #2: 7oz chicken, ¼ cup almonds.
Meal #3: 7oz salmon, 1 cup spinach.
Meal #4: same as meal #2.
Meal #5: 7oz lean ground beef, 1 cup spinach, 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Meal #6: 3 whole eggs, 1 cup egg-whites, fish oil, primrose oil.185lb natty bb at 12%bf
Meal #1: 5 whole omega-3 eggs.
Meal #2: 7oz chicken with 1/3 cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 40g whey protein with 1.5 tablespoons all natural peanut butter (post-workout meal).
Meal #4: 6oz salmon with 1 cup asparagus with 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil.
Meal #5: 40g whey protein with 2 tablespoons all natural peanut butter.
Meal #6: 4 whole omega-3 eggs with 4 extra egg-whites.176lb natty bb at 11-12%bf
Meal #1: 4 whole omega-3 eggs with 4 extra egg-whites.
Meal #2: 200g chicken with 1/3 cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 40g whey protein with 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 200g red meat or salmon with 1 cup asparagus.
Meal #5: 40g whey protein with 1.5 tablespoons all natural peanut butter.
Meal #6: same as meal #1.155lb male at 15%bf
Meal #1: 3 whole omega-3 eggs.
Meal #2: 5oz chicken with ¼ cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 30g whey isolate with 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 7oz (93%) lean ground beef with 1 cup romaine lettuce (dressing: 3 teaspoons ev olive oil and 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar) and 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil.
Meal #5: same as meal #3.
Meal #6: same as meal #1.195lb male
Meal #1: 5 whole eggs.
Meal #2: 8oz chicken breast and 1/3 cup almonds.
Meal #3: 50g whey protein isolate with 1.5 tablespoon natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 8oz fish with 1/3 cup almonds.
Meal #5: 55g whey protein isolate with 1.5 tablespoon natural peanut butter (post workout).
Meal #6: same as meal #1.172lbs at 11%bf with protein and veggies days incorporated
3X P-F, 2X P-VPro-Fat
Meal #1: 4 whole eggs with 4 egg-whites.
Meal #2: 6oz chicken (cooked) and 1/3 cup raw almonds.
Meal #3: 40g whey protein and 1.5 tablespoon all natural peanut butter.
Meal #4: 6oz red meat (cooked) with 1 cup asparagus.
Meal #5: same as meal #3.
Meal #6: same as meal #1.Pro-veggie
Meal #1: 12 egg-whites.
Meal #2: 6oz chicken (cooked) and 1 cup asparagus.
Meal #3: 40g whey protein with water.
Meal #4: 6oz tuna and 1 cup asparagus.
Meal #5: same as meal #3.
Meal #6: same as meal #1.
Coming off the diet…
When coming off the diet I’d advise starting at 100g carbs per day of quality complex carbs and gradually phase in an extra 30g carbs to your overall days meals once a week.
e.g.
Week 1
100g carbs
Week 2
130g carbs
Week 3
160g carbs
and so on until you find you are putting on fat and then drop it down 30g. You’ve found your sweet spot. When gains stop again, drop in a further 30g per day and follow the above protocol.
