Are there any guys in here who have done a Keto diet while transitioning? I have lost over 60lbs on keto diet. I am currently doing keto to try and lose as much of my female body fat as I can. I am between 15-20lbs from where I want to be and these last lbs are really stubborn.
I started T the 18th so I am brand new. I am hoping it will help with these last few stubborn pounds. I think it has already boosted me past my current plateau as I have gotten down bellow a number I haven't been able to get past. Luckily the added hunger really hasn't bee a symptom for me yet. I am hoping that continuing on a keto diet will keep it from becoming a problem. Honestly I have a heard time actually hitting my macro goals.
The thing is that I want to build muscle. I have been reading that it is possible to build while on Keto, However it may be harder. I am pretty sure I am putting on some muscle, and have seen more definition in my arms over the last few days. But the nutrition world seems totally at odds about whether it is possible to gain muscle eating keto.
I have been doing keto since Feb to eliminate all my abdominal fat and am just a few pounds away from getting there. I have also been running a lot and recently added barbell squats and deadlifts to strengthen my legs and help finish off the fat loss in my belly.
In my experience and from everything I've read you can certainly get stronger and gain muscle on keto. You have to make sure you eat enough protein without eating too much. A rough guide would be around .7 to 1 gram per pound of lean body mass. More than that will not help and will work against your keto. Less than that may inhibit strength and muscle gain. You also need to be eating enough fat to maintain a pretty good energy level for the workouts. So, a deficit is ok for continued weight loss but just don't make the deficit too big.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
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But the nutrition world seems totally at odds about whether it is possible to gain muscle eating keto.
Yup. I think the muscle gain is more dependant on your anabolic hormone levels. Anyway, as Deborah said, it might be pretty hard to gain muscle in keto.
If I were you, I would mantain keto until I got rid from most of the unwanted fat, and had hit a reasonable body fat %, like 15% for example.
I would start as lean as possible (without going nuts, keep in mind that after bulking, cuttin up is easier given you'd have an increased metabolyc rate) and then go bulking. Supplements may help. Also fat pattern distribution may change over time with HRT.
If your goal is to build muscle, you need a high protein diet. Lots of lean meats is what you need. The ketogenic diet is, in my opinion, risky. In extreme cases you can go from ketogenic to ketoacidosis, which may have some cardiac problems.
I recommend a balanced diet, heavy in protein and low in fats. And exercise is not to be forgotten. It is time to start pumping iron.
Deborah: I suppose I am going to need to start tracking my Macros a lot better than I have been. I've been mainly doing lazy keto, because when I try to track I was constantly falling short of daily fat and protein. I also found it really difficult to track in My Fitness Pal. I was getting all crazy trying to keep track of carbs vs. fiber, because the app doesn't figure it that way.
Wednesday: Another Pratchett fan. WOOT! I always love meeting another. I find it hard to explain my experience to those that have never read his work. I just don't seem to be able to find any better way of saying it than the way he did.
Quote from: Pao on May 28, 2017, 03:57:41 PM
Wednesday: Another Pratchett fan. WOOT! I always love meeting another. I find it hard to explain my experience to those that have never read his work. I just don't seem to be able to find any better way of saying it than the way he did.
:D Yay!
Pratchett was the perfect mixture of wit, shamelessness, insight and humour! Feel free to PM whenever you want!
I've attempted keto in the past and don't see why it would not work on hormones. My problem was I don't like vegetables. You can set MFP to be keto friendly.
Quote from: Pao on May 28, 2017, 03:57:41 PM
Deborah: I suppose I am going to need to start tracking my Macros a lot better than I have been. I've been mainly doing lazy keto, because when I try to track I was constantly falling short of daily fat and protein. I also found it really difficult to track in My Fitness Pal. I was getting all crazy trying to keep track of carbs vs. fiber, because the app doesn't figure it that way.
I have the opposite problem and have to work to keep the protein in check. These are some of the things I eat each day to get protein. Most have a lot of fat too.
Breakfast:
Can of Sardines - 17 g P
Two or three eggs - 11 to 17 g P
40 to 80 g cheese - 8 to 16 g P
So usually at breakfast I get 40 to 50 g P
Supper:
Big salad with lots of stuff incl more cheese and often a couple more eggs - 15 to 25 g P
Meat - it varies but around 50 g P
Nuts - 10 g P
Greek Yogurt - 10 g P
Pork Rinds - 16 g P
My suppers are always over 80 g P and sometimes way over (throwing me out of balance)
The rest of the day I don't eat.
Since I like all that stuff a lot it's really easy to get too much protein while staying within a calorie goal and continuing to lose weight.
To get the fat cook the eggs in real butter, use sour cream, lots of olive oil dressing on the salad, avocados, black olives, coconut oil in coffee, whole fat yogurt, plus all the protein stuff above contains a lot of fat.
I use MyFitnessPal too. Just subtract the total fiber from the total carbs at the end of the day. Don't worry about it for each meal. It becomes second nature if you find some foods you like a lot and eat often.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
I have been on keto for about 18 months, no cheat days at all (under 20 net carbs). Before that Paleo for about 6-8 months.
Yes. Keto can be used with HRT for both directions. It is a very effective way to get rid of the fat in typically female (and male in my case) places.
Remember fat doesn't actually redistribute, rather you lose from one area and put it on in a different area. Usually very small fluctuations over a long period of time. Keto will expedite this while also minimizing excess skin in areas where fat is lost.
In regards to muscle: check out the sub->-bleeped-<- ketogains
https://www.->-bleeped-<-.com/r/ketogains
And leangains
https://www.->-bleeped-<-.com/r/leangains/
http://www.leangains.com/
The lean gains implements intermittent fasting in combination with keto/lchf
The reason IF is effective is because of the huge increase in HGH which tells the body to put down lean mass when you do eat. IF can also prevent and even increase your metabolic rate.
On hitting macros:
Think of it like this.
You want to hit your protein macro (not go above or below it). Keep net carbs under 20/day. When it comes to fat think of it as an upper ceiling. If you don't get all the grans your macros tell you it's not a big deal or even a problem. You're in fat burning mode all the time. Keto is also muscle sparing. So basically listen to your body on hunger. You don't have to force feed yourself extra fat. It won't cause you to lose muscle, and it won't cause your metabolism to slow down.
Jason Fung. On sufficient protein. https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/how-much-protein-is-excessive/
I generally take advice targeted at the gender I'm transitioning to, rather than from (assuming my hormone profile is within normal female ranges in my case). The male gender specific advice you might come across should be generally applicable to yourself. I only deviate from the gender specific advice ( back to male in my case) if I'm experiencing an issue that is either anatomically/natal gender specific and/or if the solutions provided for gender neutral or identified gender are not working.
If you have any questions let me know.
~Brooke~
Protein requirements on keto vary somewhat depending on one's activity level. Also, the recommendations vary widely from what appear to be reputable sources.
My thought is that each of us is unique to a degree in how our bodies function. This is due to a variety of factors including genetics, body composition, activity level, metabolic health, and maybe most importantly gut health. So, while the guidelines for keto are true for all, nailing down the exact macro levels and food combinations that will work best to meet one's individual goals needs to be found by trial and error. Look at it as a grand experiment.
Here, knowledge is power. Read the reputable internet sources. Read the latest books on keto and other related dietary knowledge; there are lots of them. Listen to the podcasts. Come to an intimate knowledge of how your body really works , monitor it daily, and the details of all this begin to fall in place quickly.
It sounds like a lot, and it is. But the more you learn the more wonder you gain about the finely tuned machine of the human body.
Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote
Well put Deborah!
~Brooke~