Keto Cut (2022)
Intro
This summer, I finally realized that body-builders work seasonally. They're either bulking or cutting, separately, for months at a time.
I vaguely resolved to try it. After ~intentionally bulking for a few months, I was planning to cut eventually.
Then, on a trip to Korea, I realized how thin everybody was. It seemed so obvious that my definition of "normal" is actually "obese", and that it's bad for longevity.
So, I decided to cut aggressively & run an experiment. How much fat could I possibly cut from 9/19/2022 through October?
Original Goal
I set out to cut 1/2 pound of fat per day.
Results
I only cut 1/3 pound of fat per day, which is still pretty great. I excluded the first week from the results, because when switching to a Keto diet, the water-loss should be ignored (It's noisy data & will return when carbs are re-introduced).
- Start
- 9/19/2022
- 208 lbs
- Data Start
- 9/25/2022
- 197.6 lbs
- Data End
- 10/30/2022
- 186.0 lbs
View raw data here, and pics below. I'm in the best shape of my life & have more energy.
Method
- Nutrition
- At least 200g protein / day
- Strict keto
- ~2k calories
- Programming
- Weights (2 heavy days, 2 light days)
- Cardio (running daily)
- Rucking (45 lbs)
Challenges
Tendonitis
It happened in my right foot, so I couldn't ruck or run starting around the middle of October. It took a few days to figure out a new form of cardio (I joined the YMCA and took up swimming instead). It's not nearly as convenient, but it works!
Travel
We traveled waaaay too much. I'm talking being in back-to-back weddings in different states, with kids & all. I learned that you can take large amounts of protein powder & ground flax-seed in your carry-on through TSA.
Digestion
It's important to get fiber on Keto. At first, I had some weird sense of pride in doing keto "strict" where I didn't even take dietary fiber, and this was really stupid. I... had some issues.
The trick is to ingest ~3 servings of ground flax-seed every morning & every evening (totaling ~6 servings / day), and even a small amount of Greek yogurt (around a workout, because it has some real carbs).
Energy
I had a few days where I felt really down. If I had to describe it:
- Normally, I oscillate between 0% & 100% energy throughout the day.
- On keto, I was constantly at 60%.
But, with my job, sometimes 60% doesn't cut it. I would do push-ups or squats to get my blood-sugar up, drink caffeine, chug water, eat salt, eat almonds, eat super-dark chocolate (100% cacao)... and finally, I found the answer.
Try harder. No shortcuts here.
Communication
I originally told people I was "trying to lose weight this month", and they all responded with care & concern, telling me I didn't need to, and silently diagnosing me with body dysmorphia.
Instead, I started telling people I was "getting absolutely shredded this month," and they all encouraged & congratulated me.
Framing is important!