Dave Palumbo is an IFBB pro and a nutritionist who created the Keto diet with those who are carb sensitive in mind. The Keto diet is simple and is shown to be effective on those who want to save as much muscle as possible, and drop fat fast.
Now we are not saying it is the best diet, far from it. We are simply telling you how you can run a keto diet well, and successfully.
What is the premise in Keto?
The Keto diet is a high-protein and moderate fat diet, with no daily direct carbohydrate sources.
While on this diet the body will go into Ketosis as the brain will starts using fat for energy. While on Keto diet one will not require carbs to maintain an activity lifestyle.
One will not be consuming any direct carb sources, however a cheat meal at the end of the week is scheduled to re-fill the glycogen store.
- Protein should be at 1-1.5g/lb and Fat should be at .5g/lb. The only carbs will come from trace carbs. It is advisable to limit these though to under 30g per day. Using this formula, you can figure out how much of each you need at any weight.
Example: 180 pound man (81.647 kg) : Protein is between 180 and 270 grams. Fat is at 90 grams.
But enough with the talk, here is the a sample version of the diet for a 200 lb (90.7185 kg) man:
MEAL #1
5 whole eggs; 4 egg whites
~50g Protein, 20g Fat
MEAL #2
SHAKE: 50g Whey Protein with 1.5 tablespoon of All Natural Peanut butter (no sugar)
~55 Protein, 12g Fat
MEAL #3
“Lean Protein Meal”: 8oz (226.79 grams) chicken with 1/2-cup cashew nuts (almonds, or walnuts)
~50g Protein, 16 Fat
MEAL #4
SHAKE: 50g Whey Protein with 1.5 tablespoon of All Natural Peanut butter (no sugar added)
~55 Protein, 12g Fat
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
~45 Protein, 30Fat
MEAL #6
SHAKE: 50g Whey with 1.5 tablespoon all natural peanut butter or 4 whole (Omega-3) eggs and 4 extra whites
~55 Protein, 12Fat
Total: ~310 Protein, 102 Fat, trace carbs.
Try to strive for the ratio of 60% protein, 30% fat, 10% carbs. This diet comprises in around 50 grams of protein and 12-30grams fat per meal.
If like Matt, you are struggling to intake fats from peanut butter for example for a meal, you can substitute it with nuts, rapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil.
One important factor is to sure the Macro-Nutrients(Protein/Fat content) are the same after the meal. It is also highly recommended that you integrate broccoli or other green leafy vegetables with some of the meals to keep you full longer and help the digestion flow.
Green and leafy vegetables such as Broccoli, Spinach are a must as most of the carbs come from fiber, unlike the starchier vegetables(Corn, Peas, Carrots).
Questions regarding fats in this diet:
- The undoubted/uncontested winner and by far 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 our cooking oils and fattier dishes, however the Omega-3′s are harder to get. It is recommend to use whole Omega-3 eggs, fattier fishes (Salmon, Swordfish, Mackerel), and nuts such as Walnuts or Almonds to get the O-3’s that you need.
- Another great fat source is 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 heart functioning.
- The egg whites do not need to be OMEGA-3, they can be liquid egg whites or normal eggs.
- You are getting all the fats you need from this diet. But if you wish feel free to also take fish oil to make sure you are getting all of your fatty acids.
- All natural peanut butter is recommended and the ingredient list should contain peanuts and salt. This will save you some carbs from sugar that is usually added.
- With any fatty protein meal(Salmon, Beef), you should have the green salad with 1 tablespoon of Olive or Macadamia nut oil instead of the nuts. Only eat the nuts with the LEAN PROTEIN MEAL (chicken, turkey, lean fish)
- Try to use a cooking spray such as PAM, 1 Cal. If you must use an oil, just lightly grease the pan with natural coconut oil.
- If you are worried about the cholesterol/yolk consumption, don’t be. Check out this article regarding eggs to find out more on this subject.
Questions on Protein:
- You should try to find a whey isolate, or at least one with 3g of Carbohydrates or less. This will ensure you remain in Ketosis, despite the carbs you may get from indirect sources.
- Getting more than 1.5g/lb of protein is not necessary. You will not keep any more Lean Body Mass (LBM) by doing so since the fat spares the protein when your carbs are low. If you intake to much protein it may turn into glucose (Gluconeogenesis), resulting in you not staying in Ketosis.
Questions on workout/cardio:
- Once fat loss slows, cardio should be increased first. If you plateau again, add a fat burner. Only after doing both of these should you start playing with the diet.
- Your cardio should be preformed at a low intensity (Under 120 beats per minute) to insure that you are using fat as a fuel source. This is because when your heartbeat increases it will break down muscle and convert it to carbs to use as a fuel. Fat cannot be changed into carbs. So remember, Long Duration, Low Intensity.
- Remember: cardio is performed at a low intensity (under 120bpm heart rate). Try to always do at least 20 minutes (Treadmill, bike, elliptical) minimum.
- Making sure you do Low Intensity cardio will ensure you are burning fat, and not muscle.
- Continue to do your usual workout routine, just remember that you may not be able to put up as much weight due to lack of energy.
Drinks/Condiments
- Feel free to drink Green Tea or “0″ drinks (Coke Zero, Pepsi Max).
- Coffee -up to 2 cups a day. If you are going to use a sweetener, try for Stevia Balance. Others such as Splenda and Equal add Maltodextrin into their mixture, which is absorbed like a carb would.
- The best condiments for this diet are mustard, soy sauce, sugar free ketchup (in moderation) and spices.
THE CHEAT MEAL
Now for the part that everyone wants to know about, the cheat meal.
In order to completely make sure your body is in ketosis, it is recommended you follow this diet for 2 weeks straight before you cheat meal.
But this meal isn’t only for your mental wellbeing, it also has a purpose. After these 2 weeks your metabolism may start taking a hit causing it to slow down.
It will need a re-vamping and the best way to do this is to shock it. While doing this you are also filling all of your energy stores for the oncoming week.
The good news is after the initial 14 days, you can have one every 7. Make sure it is on the same day every week, and have it for dinner so it does not turn into a complete binge. It is recommended you take in around 3x your bodyweight in carbs the first time, and judging by how your body reacts, you can raise or lower this number.
If you do not lose weight by your next cheat, lower your carbs next time. You are going to want little to no fat on this day, and you may also lower your protein intake.
What can you eat?
Anything that you want, just keep your fats low. Ice cream, doughnuts, cereal, bagels. I repeat, just keep the fat low. The next day hop back on the diet and don’t be scared when the scale goes up a bit, it is just water. Some people can exceed 800 grams carbs! It is all trial and error, and figuring out your body!
Once this becomes a weekly occurrence, your body weight will rise up the next few days, and then dip below where it was before your cheat.
This is why it is important to have the cheat on the same day every week.
