Reversing Keto

[Endomorph84]

Hello, I’m new to Keto.

I’m looking to run Keto for approx 3-4 weeks to help reset my metabolism and insulin sensitivity. However, if I like it I may keep at it for longer.

I am struggling to find a specific protocol for transitioning out of Keto.

I’m very active...
lift weights 4 mornings a week.
Touch rugby 1 evening a week.
kettlebell training 2 evenings a week.

I’ve read that adding carbs to my pre workout and post workout meals is a good option to begin with and seems plausible to me.

But what I don’t know is how much carbs to add.

If it helps.....

I’m 36, 5 10, 100kg.
I have an office based job

My maintenance calories are approx 3,300.

I’ll be looking to diet throughout the initial 3-4 weeks; so my cals will be approx 2,600 cals (I like a larger deficit when dieting).

Thanks in advance.

 

[bulkbiker]

Do you have diabetes of any kind?

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hello, I’m new to Keto.

I’m looking to run Keto for approx 3-4 weeks to help reset my metabolism and insulin sensitivity. However, if I like it I may keep at it for longer.

I am struggling to find a specific protocol for transitioning out of Keto.

I’m very active...
lift weights 4 mornings a week.
Touch rugby 1 evening a week.
kettlebell training 2 evenings a week.

I’ve read that adding carbs to my pre workout and post workout meals is a good option to begin with and seems plausible to me.

But what I don’t know is how much carbs to add.

If it helps.....

I’m 36, 5 10, 100kg.
I have an office based job

My maintenance calories are approx 3,300.

I’ll be looking to diet throughout the initial 3-4 weeks; so my cals will be approx 2,600 cals (I like a larger deficit when dieting).

Thanks in advance.

You can't do keto and carb-load. The point of keto is entering nutritional ketosis, and after a few weeks or months, you'll become entirely fat-adapted. Some can have 30 or 40 grams of carbs a day and hit ketosis, but it is fairly certain at 20 grams of carbs a day. Every time you carb-load though, ketosis goes out the window. If resetting your metabolism and insulin sensitivity is the goal, I have slightly bad news for you: It takes more than a few weeks. Think months, if not years, depending on how you're doing. And if the point is resetting your metabolism, well... The moment you return to a regular diet, the insulin resistance/insensitivity will come back. Diabetes doesn't stay in remission if you add carbs back in the way you've had them before. So you're asking the wrong question. It's not how many carbs can you add... It's how many can you ditch?

You don't mention whether you are a diabetic and if so, which type. Nor what kind of meds you're on, if any. But here's a few basics: Keto-eaters don't usually count calories. They count carbs. You can ditch the carbs and up the fats and protein, have no-carb electrolyte drinks around your trainings and whatnot... But the carb loading is a bad idea if you are diabetic and trying to tackle it through diet. A keto diet works fine with metformin, poses some risk to people on gliclazide and the like. (Hypo's are a possibility).

Also, keep in mind that there is such a thing as keto-flu. You could feel weak, with sore joints and headaches and whatnot, for a few weeks should you go for proper nutritional ketosis. Replenish electrolytes, drink lots, and it should abate somewhere between 4 days and 2 weeks. Don't let it scare you off, it's your body going through detox and dehydration.

Good luck,
Jo
PS: It'd help if you filled out your profile to include what type you are and what meds you're on. We're just shooting in the dark now.

 

[Endomorph84]

Do you have diabetes of any kind?

Hi mate. I dont

 

[Endomorph84]

You can't do keto and carb-load. The point of keto is entering nutritional ketosis, and after a few weeks or months, you'll become entirely fat-adapted. Some can have 30 or 40 grams of carbs a day and hit ketosis, but it is fairly certain at 20 grams of carbs a day. Every time you carb-load though, ketosis goes out the window. If resetting your metabolism and insulin sensitivity is the goal, I have slightly bad news for you: It takes more than a few weeks. Think months, if not years, depending on how you're doing. And if the point is resetting your metabolism, well... The moment you return to a regular diet, the insulin resistance/insensitivity will come back. Diabetes doesn't stay in remission if you add carbs back in the way you've had them before. So you're asking the wrong question. It's not how many carbs can you add... It's how many can you ditch?

You don't mention whether you are a diabetic and if so, which type. Nor what kind of meds you're on, if any. But here's a few basics: Keto-eaters don't usually count calories. They count carbs. You can ditch the carbs and up the fats and protein, have no-carb electrolyte drinks around your trainings and whatnot... But the carb loading is a bad idea if you are diabetic and trying to tackle it through diet. A keto diet works fine with metformin, poses some risk to people on gliclazide and the like. (Hypo's are a possibility).

Also, keep in mind that there is such a thing as keto-flu. You could feel weak, with sore joints and headaches and whatnot, for a few weeks should you go for proper nutritional ketosis. Replenish electrolytes, drink lots, and it should abate somewhere between 4 days and 2 weeks. Don't let it scare you off, it's your body going through detox and dehydration.

Good luck,
Jo
PS: It'd help if you filled out your profile to include what type you are and what meds you're on. We're just shooting in the dark now.

ok, thanks for the reply.

I’ve updated my profile. I don’t have diabetes and aren’t on meds

 

[JoKalsbeek]

ok, thanks for the reply.

I’ve updated my profile. I don’t have diabetes and aren’t on meds

Then I think you might be better off on forums which are keto-specific, with emphasis on exercise. (Although forums/bloggers/FB groups can get kind of fanatical... I find I'm often better off just reading along rather than participating. But then, I'm a non-confrontational whimp. ) There's a lot of different ways people can tackle diabetes through diet; keto, LCHF, carnivore, paleo, vegetarian, Newcastle, Mediterranean, etc.... And we're all pretty much aiming for blood sugars in the normal range. Your goals differ a bit from the average forum member, and that makes giving you any kind of advice a bit tricky. You're more than welcome to stick around, but I honestly have no idea how useful we'll be. Some advice'll be good for just about any human, most of it will be T2-specific. (Or T1, or...) https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html is what I usually share with the newly diagnosed, it might apply to you to some extent.

You stay non-diabetic! Life's generally nicer/uncomplicated without it.
Jo

 

[Member496333]

I don't think you can 'reset' your metabolism. You can make it better or you can make it worse depending on what you eat, but it will always swing back one away or the other if you change habits.

 

[bulkbiker]

I am struggling to find a specific protocol for transitioning out of Keto.

Most people adopt keto as a way of recovering putting T2 into remission and once successful try to keep it up for life.

As a short term strategy I seriously doubt you'll get a lot of benefit from 3-4 weeks as you'll have all the pain of fat adaptation/keto flu and then stop just as it becomes effective. It can take months before previous athletic performance levels can be regained.

 

[Mbaker]

You could try carb cycling to reverse out, as this would have some graduation to it, or you could try something like Stan Efferding's Vertical Diet, which has rice.

In your sport recovery is a key component. Lower carb fuelled athletes tend to exhibit better recovery or less muscle damage than being fuelled by carbs. Here's a pro rugby player eating mostly meat interview:

If you do stick with Keto, you may already know of these other high performers who are smashing it on Keto:

Sean Baker
Mark Bell
Nsima Inyang
Luis Villasenor

The guy who did Fit to Fat to Fit

This line up is insane:

Hopefully you can see it is possible to perform at a high level via Keto.