About 4 weeks in and calibrating my workout. I would say I am very disciplined. I might take one day off per week. My go-to are kettlebell complexes. Getting older and stay at 16s and 20s though 24s with Dan John method went well last year.

My problem is I don't feel like just lifting weights is getting in a workout. Doing 5 movements @ 30 seconds each without putting the bells down over 4 sets will kick your @ss.

That said I started with the beginner workout by Luis. Its a solid workout good for this phase. I'll finish the AB again this week. But I'm eyeing up a change, perhaps DFW with heavier bells. All kinds of cardio in between.

Are there any wrong ways or things to avoid? I could dial in something entirely new if someone has a suggestion. I just need to fold it in where it's routine and don't have to think too much.

Let's start with the positives of my keto success story. My body has always done really well with the low carb thing in any capacity. Like many others, I've fallen off the bandwagon several times. The last 2 years has been different (a lot had to do with some emotional trauma, but its helped on the weight side). 2 years ago I was 348lbs. I started again doing keto and IF. I think the biggest thing that helped me stick with it was making everything dummy proof. I only buy my meal prep stuff on Monday and exclusively eat at my office so there is no other foods here. 25 months later I now weigh 246lbs. Body fat is down almost 18% and I have dropped almost 12 BMI points. Finally my doctor took me off my BP meds which was a huge milestone. April of this year I started lifting 3 days a week and set up a workout station in my office.

My struggle now comes in a dilemma about adding carbs on lifting days. I did one experiment adding half a cup of Jasmine rice and 300g chicken before lifting to see if there was any difference. I was surprised how much more energy I had during my workout. I did notice the cravings come back that night and the next day. Keep in mind i'm not talking about adding bread and pasta. Honestly 100g of rice was too much and probably I would be doing 50g only for pre-workout meals. Has anyone else gotten to this stage and I would like some feedback on what I should do here. The cravings were not terribly intense, but definitely there. I am hesitant to deviate from what brought me success, but I would like to build muscle. I have done a very good job maintaining my muscle mass during this extended cut. Just a guy out here trying, any feedback would be appreciated!

*****Sidenote. I do not use reddit that often. If anyone else thinks this would be better suited for a different sub, please let me know

Hello,

I'm back in the gym and training regularly and wondering how much dextrose is optimal before lifting?

6'0"
158 lbs
11% ish BF
45 years old

Healing from a L5 cracked vertebrae and L4, L5 herniated discs so some modified workouts right now. Am seeking more strength in my bench, the second and third lifts of the week are losing momentum.

Current bench - legs up dumbbells are 85s top set 80s back off sets 5x5
Current Bulgarians - tilted forward, full extension, dumbbells touching floor ROM are 52s top set back off sets 45 5x8 per leg.
Current pull-ups - 10x9 reps, black band (can do 10x7 unassisted)

My current nutrition is around 1650 kcal 220g protein 60g fat 20g carbs. Has been working great for me for several months until recently where progress is stalling on bench. I am still improving on Bulgarians and pull-ups.

I have started at 10g dextrose powder (Nutricost) about 20 min before lifting and it's improving things a bit and still feeling light. I am still working on body recomp. I am naturally insulin resistant (South Asian) hence the macros.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,

Hey all! I’ve researched about Keto for the last few months and finally decided to make the switch. I’m currently 24 yo male 6’4” 250lbs at 23% BF. I’m almost halfway through my 96 hour fast (I’ve done this before in the past) and notice by day 2-3 I always feel pretty good. Which is why I’m actually planning on making the switch to always be in Ketosis… I used the calculator you guys provided (you guys are awesome by the way for all the free tools you give) and am planning to start my diet Thursday after the fast. I usually start back pretty slow and easy after fasting with soup or fruit, but that doesn’t really fit into what we’re all trying to do here! If anyone has any advice on easing back into eating, and what they do for meal prep etc I’m all ears! I’m not picky, however I only have access to a kitchen about 3 days per week so meal prepping is going to be essential for me. Is intermittent fasting recommended? Maybe a 18/6 fast to eating window? Or is breakfast lunch and dinner more optimal?
Sorry I know that was a lot and sort of all over the place. Thanks in advance!

Edit: I currently don’t move much at work, but started getting into some calisthenics, I played college athletics and know my way around the gym but will need to get back into it! The calculator said my base macros should be 2733 and training Cals should be 2923.
Edit2: I realized I may have used the calculator incorrectly, I changed my activity to sedentary, and goal to fat loss and the numbers are much different. 1986 and 2176 in training. Would this be optimal for fat loss while also being able to gain muscle?

Adding affirmation to what I’ve shared over the years, a new paper shows that probably you don’t need a 300–500 calorie surplus to build muscle.

A new 2026 preprint tried to estimate the actual energetic cost of constructing 1 kg of human skeletal muscle.

Their estimate?
About 3,481 kcal total.

Spread across 12 weeks, that’s roughly 41 kcal/day.
Basically… a rice cake.

Now, don’t misunderstand this.

That doesn’t mean adding 41 calories magically builds muscle. The calculation estimates the cost of constructing the tissue itself. It doesn’t fully account for training, recovery, remodeling, changes in activity, or individual differences.

But it does challenge one of bodybuilding’s longest-running assumptions:

You have to eat hundreds of calories above maintenance every day to maximize muscle growth.

The limited research we have on intentional bulking points in the same direction: larger surpluses reliably produce more weight gain, but much of that additional weight tends to be fat—not extra muscle.

Muscle growth is rate-limited.
You can’t force-feed hypertrophy.

For most people, I’d rather see:
🥩 Protein prioritized
🏋🏻 Progressive resistance training
⚖️ Calories around maintenance or a* smal*l surplus when appropriate
📏 Waist, strength, measurements and photos tracked alongside body weight
🔥 Dietary fat adjusted according to your goal

If you’re carrying significant body fat, you may not need to “bulk” at all. You already have stored energy available.

If you’re lean and advanced, muscle growth becomes increasingly slow—which makes aggressive bulking even harder to justify.
This is why I’ve always preferred body recomposition over simply chasing scale weight.

Protein is a goal.
Carbs are a limit.
Fat is a lever.

Stop trying to gain weight.
Start trying to build muscle.
Full breakdown and references in the article.

Hi Luis - I am considering the bootcamp that starts on September 7; however, I am 4 months post-rotator cuff surgery. I have the go ahead to start exercising but the shoulder lifts will need to be modified. Is that possible as part of bootcamp?

It has been years since I've been lifting (pre-covid) - but did ketogains from 2016 -2019 with great results (but never with an injury). I need a major reboot - bootcamp will be great for that.

Thanks in advance.

Been doing KB for several years now and plan to continue. I'd like to ramp up a keto diet but let's assume it's low carb. If I follow your AB with KBs and want to include the HIIT...can I use a different KB workout for that? Or a hybrid? I play bball 2 times per week but the cardio varies. This past week was the first week back from summer and we had 3v3 mini-court fullcourt (if that makes sense..the short courts across the longer) and it kicked my @ss. But we're normally 5v5 with subs etc. I emphasize KB because my access and ability to dial in quickly is fast. Gyms piss me off with groups of 2-3 dudes standing around.

hey guys, quick question on sweeteners for making homemade keto pre-workout gummies or sweet snacks to hit my macros.

my stats:
31m | 5’10” | 172 lbs | ~15% bf
lifting 4x a week (5/3/1 program) + 20 min LISS
keto for 1.5 years following ketogains protocol (macros set via the kg calculator)
goal: recomp / lean gains

i usually use erythritol, but it gives me mild GI distress if i take it close to a workout, and the cooling effect gets annoying. i've been reading about allulose vs erythritol and heard allulose doesn't spike blood sugar/insulin while being way easier on the stomach, but i want to make sure it won't mess with GI during heavy squats or interfere with ketosis/glycogen.

anyone here used both while training hard? does allulose hold up better for fitness/pre-workout use, or should i stick to standard erythritol/stevia? u/darthluiggi or anyone else with experience on this?

quick update after looking into options further. a buddy at the gym mentioned trying chococreatin from wonderfeel. it's a keto chocolate bar that uses allulose alongside peanut butter, cacao, and 4g of creatine monohydrate to hit pre-workout macros. which completely proved to me how much better allulose tastes compared to erythritol without that icy mouthfeel. 

Contexto: 🇦🇷22 años 76kg de peso 1.78 altura.
Hace 1 año que tome conciencia de lo mal que me alimentaba, pesaba como 90kg y muy poca masa muscular.
El cuerpo se me fue recomponiéndo, pero durante un tiempo tuve unos atracones brutales donde gané grasa y me estanque… porque era darme un gusto y devorar, la azúcar se me hacía adictiva.
Si bien fueron desapareciendo esos atracones, algunas veces en este tiempo aparecieron.
Con el tiempo fui bajando carbohidratos y los metía antes de entrenar. Pero lo mismo, a veces la bestia de adentro se me despertaba y terminaba comiendo por comer.

Bueno vamos al post, la semana pasada decidí empezar la Keto (antes había metido ayuno de 36 horas, me gusta ayunar así como atracarme🤣) y la verdad los primeros días me sentí genial, con claridad mental, sin antojos dulces aunque reconozco que en el aburrimiento del domingo me comí unos 200gr de queso Reggianito, pero sinceramente no me cayó mal como los dulces, no me hinche y no sentí esa culpa que tenía cuando salía de la dieta.

Por ahora en tema comida no estoy ni contando calorías, el miércoles me voy a pesar a ver qué tal.
Acá en 🇦🇷 la carne es riquísima y eso ayuda, además que amo la carne.
Hoy me sentí un poco fatigado la verdad, quería ir a correr hace un rato y sentía las piernas pesadas + el cuerpo cansado (hoy trabajé 9horas también igual).
No salí a correr pero caminé unos 8km pero estoy cansado, creo que es normal… igualmente la semana que viene tengo turno con un especialista en esta dieta.

PD: me compré potasio, magnesio siempre consumi, además tomo creatina, y tomo omega 3.
A veces meto las aguas con electrolitos, eso siento que me pega brutal.

Algún consejo? más que nada estaba buscando algún “PRE ENTRENO”… siempre fui a entrenar con horas de ayuno y un café negro sintiéndome bien, hoy la verdad estaba saciado pero necesitaba algo de comer/tomar que me de energía.

As per the above. I've been mainly carnivore/ keto for last 3-4 months and I feel great. But I know this has an impact on top end speed and eating that volume of meat for me now is an ethical issue.

So thinking so adding some carbs mainly fruit and honey and peanut/almond butter.

Im worried im gonna go back to feeling awful and energy all over the place.

Anyone offer any feedback.

Hello ketogainers! I've been following a low-carb diet for the past 10 years, and have been lifting for about 5 years. Earlier this year I started powerlifting training and I have my first small, local meet coming up at the end of October.

My coach and I have been discussing what I should eat during the actual meet. He is suggesting no protein ("you are not trying to build/recover") and focusing on carbs/salt. When he competes himself, he eats white rice with soy sauce. Obviously, he's not keto. :)

I'll be at the meet from 6am to probably 1pm. I do generally eat mostly protein on lifting days, and will have maybe 7 grams of dextrose and perhaps a ketone shot before a workout if I'm feeling like I'll need a boost. I don't usually eat much intra-workout.

I was thinking of maybe having my usual breakfast at the meet an hour or so before the first lift (eggs/veg/meat) and then maybe having a ketogains-style protein coffee and snacking on greek yogurt, nut butters, avocado with some gummy bears and a ketone shot on hand if I feel like I need that? And electrolyte drinks of course. I've tried eating a few of these things intra-workout just to see if they "sit well" and haven't really had any issues.

Frankly I don't know how much I would really need to keep eating through the day to power something like this if my body isn't used to using carbs for fuel. I'm not usually jamming food in right around when I'm lifting - I'm usually fasted for 1-2 hours prior to workouts.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. If it's helpful context, I'm a 54 yo female, 5'8" 122 lbs, typically eat around 2600-2700 cal/day and maybe 180-200 grams protein and 80-120 net carbs (I have been increasing carbs at dinner a little lately to try and gain weight).

Thank you for any help.

I came across this post (https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/1e8pa4c/to_my_longterm_keto_lifers_to_those_who_have_done/) and wanted to share my experience as a data point, but it was archived so I couldn't reply. I figured this is a good opportunity to make an AMA post for anyone curious about long-term keto and its impact on health and performance. I've been using this dietary regime to boost my mental and physical performance from the start. If anyone is interested, I'll write my response to the original post in the comments below. For anything beyond this, feel free to AMA. I'll continue checking/replying here over multiple days if needed (no rush). I'll basically keep checking here until the thread dies down.

In brief, I ate a purely carnivorous, "zero-carb", ketogenic diet from 2006 to 2013, and switched to a CKD in 2013. I gained most of my muscle and strength on carnivore, but once I reached an advanced stage of lifting I needed to explore every possible edge I could to continue making progress. Beyond a certain point, gaining muscle on keto was challenging (due to reduced mTOR signaling; appetite suppression; and hitting walls of fatigue with moderate-to-high intensity, high volume work). The appetite suppression can be circumvented by counting calories and protein and forcing oneself to eat enough to grow more, but the metabolic limitations obviously can't be circumvented unless one eats more carbs. Interestingly, I actually started incorporating some small glasses of milk with creatine in 2012, so you could say I did an informal TKD from 2012 to 2013, and I indeed saw some improvements with that. I don't know how much RCT evidence there is for the equivalence of a TKD and CKD when it comes to muscle growth and strength development, but I'm inclined to think it's feasible they are roughly equivalent (maybe depending on the person).

Also, feel free to share your own experience if you've been doing keto for the long haul. I'm looking forward to hearing how the keto journey is going for the other long-termers here!

More details:

• 36M (will be 37 in November)
• Carnivore from 2006-2013
• Cyclical keto from 2013 to present
• 5'11", ~205 lbs when glycogen depleted, ~210 lbs when carbed up
• The BIA scale says 16.5% bodyfat when I am glycogen depleted, and 17% when I am carbed up: clearly I do not actually gain 0.5% bodyfat over a 36-hour carb-up, so I take the 16.5% number as the more accurate measurement.

Recent athletic performance stats:

• 540 lbs conventional deadlift 1RM (belt and chalk with mixed grip)
• 468.5 lbs low-bar, below parallel squat 1RM (belt and knee sleeves)
• 303 lbs paused bench press 1RM (no equipment)
• Submaximal 7.5-minute mile
• 4:45 front plank

All-time PRs:

• 580 lbs conventional deadlift 1RM (belt and chalk with mixed grip)
• 495 lbs low-bar, below parallel squat 1RM (belt and knee sleeves)
• 330 lbs paused bench press 1RM (wrist wraps)
• 200 lbs standing overhead press 1RM (no equipment)
• 6:45 mile (maximal effort)
• 4:45 front plank (same one I did recently)
• 31-inch standing vertical jump (measured with an IMU, so take that for what it's worth)

I've also done horseback riding since I was 10 years old (three-day eventing from 12-24), taekwondo since I was 23, and acrobatics since I was 31. I don't always do these every single week (and I haven't competed in anything in a long time), but I do them regularly enough to keep the cobwebs dusted off.

Blood Lipids:

I unfortunately have not had recent blood work, but on November 21, 2022 this is how my lipids looked:

• Total cholesterol: 227 mg/dL
• Triglycerides: 102 mg/dL
• HDL: 66 mg/dL
• LDL, calculated: 141 mg/dL

I have never had my ApoB, ApoA1, or hsCRP measured, but I plan on doing so in the near-future.

Sleep:

On the sleep side, I have struggled with insomnia and a delayed sleep phase since early adolescence, well before carnivore/keto. I think a ketogenic metabolism, with its stable energy supply, modulated these by making it harder to check out for the night, but it has definitely not caused them. Keto seems to have made my sleep hyper-efficient, though. I use an Oura ring to track my sleep, and here are my average numbers from the past month:

• Total Sleep: 5h 55m
• REM Sleep: 1h 28m
• Deep Sleep: 1h 17m

My sleep efficiency (percentage of time in bed actually spent sleeping) is nearly always in the high-80s to mid-90s. I have recently been sleeping from 5:51 am-12:40 pm (on average), but I am currently reeling this back, with the medium-term goal being Oura's estimated ideal window for me of 2:02 am-10:02 am. As I shift my sleep back, I am also working on expanding my total sleep time towards 7.5 hours. At the moment, my insomnia is actually minimal and purely consists of early awakening due to my sleep being so out of sync with the environment (rising light and temperatures that cut my sleep short around the 5-6 hour mark).

Hey all,

I have started the keto journey to “test” it and at the same time, possible preventing future health issues.

At the same time I am committed to gain weight and build muscle, which has been a really hard fight to win. As on a high fat, low carb diet, my hunger just evaporates, so I feel that I will need to force myself to eat if I actually want to gain weight (muscle).

I am really interested in some tips or recommendations you could give me, or if anyone already gone through this and found a dense calorie food “hack” to have a calorie surplus easily. I already eat a lot of butter, fatty beef cuts, avocados, etc… Since fat provides 9 calories per gram I suppose it is the highest calorie dense option, the problem is really to eat it after feeling satiated. I am 22, workout calisthenics 4 times per week (medium intensity sessions), weight 61kg and it just does not go up xd. Don’t really know my body fat..
I’m on this for 3 months.

In fact I really understand why is it so effective for weight loss, as I know that I would loose weight if I didn’t “force” myself to eat more.

Thank you :)

I’m trying to get back in the gym to add some muscle while still maintaining my leanness. I haven’t been strict keto in about six months but I’m slowly getting my carbs down to less than 30 grams a day. Essentially I’m wondering what you guys typically eat before or after the gym to give you energy and support for building muscle. Any snacks and supplements as well..
For pre workout-I LIVE on energy drinks and coffee/mct oil but they only help so much.
And for post work out I know that getting some fats and protein within a few hours definitely is imprtant.

Thanks

Hey guys, so currently I’m on week 2. Things are going okay, and I’m figuring meals out, but I’m also learning the hard way that there is definitely a lower “disgust” threshold for fats when carbs aren’t part of the picture.

Any advice on managing this? I’m currently eating 2 larger meals a day — with essentially an easily prepped “snack” for my macros in the middle and potential for spacing out whole ingredients (making 2 eggs twice throughout the day instead of 4 at once). Are there any food or fat/carb pairings that might help? Can hunger signals adapt over time?

Anyways, thanks in advance!

Hey guys, so other than Robert Sikes and obviously Luis here, are there any other notable natty bodybuilders who have used Ketogenic diets even while on their building phases?

I ask because I have an interest in studying the training and nutrition habits of top performers, and I don’t see a lot of case studies — of athletes achieving their genetic limit while fat-adapted — that could give me an idea of the anabolic potential of a keto diet while natural.

This is not to discount the efficacy of the Keto diet, but I am curious on the differences — if any — long-term in hypertrophy at a high level between athletes on Keto and higher carb diets.

While I’m here, I suppose this opens up opportunity for a quick, partially tangential question: for those here on Keto long-term, do you up your relative carbs pre-workout at all?

Guys and Gals,
I’m super happy with my progress after 12 weeks of progressive overload with a strength & conditioning coach. (Because I’ve never considered myself an athlete nor a fan of the gym, I need the external accountability and someone knowledgeable on form and programs to safely build my base and progress injury-free.)

I am a complete newbie to training.

For starters, some general stats:
47 yo perimenopausal female on HRT
Currently about 166 lbs, 5’9” and down 60+ lbs from my heaviest
1500-1600 calories per day:
- 130-160g protein
- < 50 g total carb, ~ 30 g net carbs
- ~ 85 g fat

I eat mostly whole foods - chicken, leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables with olive oil-based vinaigrettes and avocado are probably 80-90% of my diet most days.

JUST PRIOR TO TRAINING START - April DEXA (lbs):
Lean Mass: 102.8
Fat: 69.5
Visceral Fat: 1.37

NOW - July 26 DEXA
Lean Mass: 104.6 ⬆️ 1.8 lbs (in limbs, torso unchanged)
Fat: 56.2 ⬇️ 13.3 lbs
Visceral Fat: 0.8 ⬇️ 0.57, a 41% decrease!

There’s even been a couple of weeks of travel in that timeframe too.

My only goal has ever been to maintain the lean mass I have as I continue to lose weight, so I’m thrilled to see some modest lean gains despite the calorie deficit! 👍👍

For the record I HATE waking up at 5 am to train, but I do it because I know someone is expecting me, and I always feel great for having done it by the end.

started at **112 kg (247 lbs)** and after **24 days** of strict keto and progressive overload training, I’m down to **104 kg (229 lbs)**.
The weight loss has been going well, but I’m starting to struggle with the diet. At this point, I’m honestly sick of eating meat and eggs. Even the smell of meat makes me lose my appetite, and just thinking about another meal is enough to make me not want to eat.
My question is: **What happens if I just don’t eat because I have no appetite?**
Since I’m lifting 4 days a week with progressive overload, will undereating cause me to lose a significant amount of muscle, or will my body primarily use stored body fat for energy because I’m still carrying a fair amount of body fat?
Has anyone else experienced this on keto? If so, how did you deal with food aversion while still getting enough protein?

Hi ketogains community,

I was in a calory deficit from end April to early July. I had good results from it (from 87.2 +- 18-20% body fat to 81.1 kg +- 13-15% bodyfat , see the plot).

Between 11 july and 24 july, I went on a trip on Tasmania. I couldn't train at all but I did a lot of Hiking (20k steps a day average).

During the trip I tried to stay on a keto diet most of the time eating mainly eggs, whey protein, macadamia nuts, greek yoghurt and avocado. The main goal was to maintain my weight during this period ( I did not want to loose more because I don't want to be in a calory deficit during a period I can't lift).

I was disappointed today while weighing: + 2kg on the scale despite the fact I did all my best to stay in ketosis and having a lot of activity. I dont think it is water retention due to the fact I did not really ate carbs during this trip. This is my weight from 8 weeks ago unfortunately.

So maybe I over ate and gained fat just by following my satiety ? Has anyone experienced this during a diet break while continuing keto ?

Here is my weight plot:

https://imgur.com/a/LWU8Qk2

I have been doing ketogains over the last 2 weeks for the first time in life, mostly for body recomposition / fat loss, and already seeing encouraging results. All thanks to help from Gemini and Claude! Wanted to share my experience, in case it helps others.

I had done months-long keto 4 times before successfully, but always plateaued / stopped at higher end of my healthy BMI (before eventual rebound) t- I knew I needed to transition to a different training and eating plan such as ketogains, but the sheer complexity (training and meal / macro planning) was way too much, especially given my pretty intensive office job. Since AI was already very useful at work massively, I decided in early July to give it a try with my training and meal plans - and it all went so smoothly!

Both Gemini and Claude immediately understood the principles of ketogains much better than me, and with my prior exercise history + personal preferences, drew up sustainable weekly training plan incorporating what I didn’t like (lifting), what I liked (high intensity cardio and Pilates) and mandatory rest. Gemini especially was able to suggest various gym and studio classes (even replacement class if I missed the original one), at convenient locations and times. The plan in the end is just so easily executable, minimizing thinking and will power needed from me.

As for meal plans, I was firstly frankly astounded by the amount of lean meat required by ketogains. It would haven taken much longer to get it right on my own. I was able to ask AI for meal plans combining different cuisine, recipe, protein options, main meal vs snack etc, for easily executable and yet flexible daily meal plans - and every time I feel like deviating from it, I either get discouraged immediately, or offered adjustments for the rest of day for macro compliance (especially for both protein). It is so easy to log and track macros all day long, and stay 100% compliant. Gemini finds more recipes, but Claude is the real whip, so I use them both to make, adjust and audit meal plans.

Lastly, the instant analysis and feedback (salt shots when dizzy, electrolyte drinks before workout, magnesium before bed; sleep data analysis) made the first week transition really easy, physically and mentally. Gemini’s constant celebrations for even the smallest achievement on daily basis helps too ;p

Hope this helps others. If ever in doubt / feeling not right, ask your AI assistants. But use common sense / try understand the basic ketogains principles, because AI does hallucinate! Use AI smartly, and ketogains journey can become so much easier :)

Using keto for endurance training namely cycling.

I'm used to a low carb diet but recently swapped to keto. I purchased a monitor and test my blood. I've been feeling great but can feel I'm operating on low blood sugar. I'm doing a clean version of keto where I get my fat from olive oil , a little MCT,, hemp oil and oily fish , eggs with some nuts and cheese. My carbs are around 20/30g my protein is around 170. I've been keeping the miles down and adjusting to the feel of cycling on low glucose. It feels good in as much as I alive , and recover well. However definitely notice that blood sugar is low. Like riding near bonking but not actually bonking. I've also gone to the gym daily to maintain muscle.

Problem is the weight is just falling off me. I did gain a bit of muscle but after a 2.5 hour ride yesterday my scales are showing that it all got stripped away from yesterdays ride. I don't want to lose anymore weight and yet I'm eating 3000 calories a day and have no hunger to stuff anything more down me.

Has anyone else gone through a similar experience? Are there any fully keto athletes who can advise on what to do ? I'm thinking of perhaps doing keto cycling where I eat dextrose around a ride to stop the body consuming itself but then it's not keto ? What are endurance athletes using to fuel their work outs ?

Thanks in advance for any advice

I am finally at my goal weight of 155lb (F25, 5'5) with keto and straight fasting. The longest fast I've done is 96 hours which help me stop stalling with keto. I've been on and off keto for at least three years if not more.

The main reason as to why I gained the weight back in 2022 was to negative comments from friends, some saying I "lost my ass" or I had "skinner legs". I don't want this to happen again and I remember I still had substantial fat in my mid-section (skinny fat) and back rolls although I was at a normal BMI (was 145 or 140lb). I was still pudgy and I don't look good in a bikini.

My question is what does a good day of tracking look like to you? What do you eat? And do you still incorporate high fats or is it better to have higher protein? I believe the most protein I should get per day is 150g or maybe more. I got this often doing keto but the fats were high, does this matter to see results? Do I have to stick to strict cycling of meals to see results? Can I indulge possibly once a week?

My main goal is to tone my waist to be flat or at least close to that, grow my thighs to be as big as they were when I was 190, and same with my ass. I still have bingo wings which I want to tone as well. My current exercise is 7000-10000 steps, dead bugs, and planks.

Searching for the best way forward with calorie goals to burn fat while building muscle, and still having enough calories/energy to work out. Info dump below, all suggestions welcome as I'm very out of my element.

45/F 5'9" 257#, down from 270# two months ago

Body fat 44.6% confirmed by DEXA scan 2 weeks ago

I've been primarily following a keto diet for the last 8+ years. Change to whole foods while working with a nutritionist but it failed miserably so now I'm back.

Daily meds: estrogen/progesterone for perimenopause, Thyroid supplement, Adderall as needed

Supplements: Creatine (Sports Research) 10mg twice daily

Broken foot recovery supplements: calcium 500 mg, vitamin c 500 mg, Sports Research D3 plus K2 as Rx'd by orthopedist

Daily macros: Calories 1450g (25% deficit) Protein 142g Net carbs 20g Fat 89g

I've been working out twice a week with a personal trainer for about two months. My sessions run hard and I'm soaked in sweat by the end. I consistently tell my trainer when movements feel too easy so we can up the weight, to the point of me barely being able to finish by the third set.

Within the first 6 weeks I've over doubled the amount of weight I'm able to move on every exercise, and my trainer has stopped being surprised how quickly I'm progressing and now automatically offers me higher weights. I have slowly but steadily been losing weight, and assumedly I'm gaining muscle based off my increased capacity at the gym. My first few weeks were pretty rough and when I got home after doing just eight deep squats I would walk around like a newborn deer for the rest of the day. Beginning the creatine supplement has helped.

I am sedentary the remaining 5 days of the week as I am recovering from a broken foot and healing slower than usual due to my age. My trainer has been able to modify my workouts to remove pressure from my foot injury. Previously I would take a casual lunch walk and get around 5k steps a day.

I don't currently attempt to eat back my workout calories, and the only pre-workout I take is creatine. MCT oil makes me feel ill.

My eating window throughout the day can vary between 2-3 meals or OMAD, depending on how hungry I am and how dug in like a tick I am with my work.

I consistently prioritize protein and usually exceed that macro, rarely exceeding my calorie or fat limit for the day.

Suggestions welcome of what, if anything, I should change. Previously I've been able to manage a 25% deficit with no problem, but I'm unsure if I should increase my protein and relax my deficit so I'm able to perform well in the gym and continue to gain muscle.