2brich

Keto Cont'd:


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 who 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 and 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
thriver 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. Makes sense doesn't it? 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 taboo. (We'll talk about my current diet in an upcoming
issue.) I had reduced my bodyfat to 12% from 24% but I wanted to see
7%. 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. Jeff,
along with coauthor Lyle McDonald are still writing a book which will
undoubtedly be the best ketogenic diet book every written, if it ever
gets done. It should have been done in March, was going to be done in
September and we are now hoping for an early 1998 press time.

By simply reducing calories and eating more low fat foods I did
reduce my bodyfat from 24% to 12%. I then used the ketogenic diet to
reduce my bodyfat from 12% to the 7% you see in the photos of me I've
included for this article. 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.

I still used creatine monohydrate every day at 10 grams per day.

I used vanadyl sulfate at 45 milligrams starting Friday at supper and
then took 90 milligrams spreadout Saturday in three divided doses.

During the week I used Optimum's egg protein or a whey 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 diet. Protein intake is naturally, very
high.

I used a product like The Stack by ISP Nutrition for a preworkout
energy boost

I supplemented each of my protein shakes with 2 tablespoons of
Barleans Omega Twin Flax and Borage 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. 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 i.e., very light purple. It's not a
matter of the darker the better!) Read the directions with the
package.