Carbs & Maintaining Ketosis page

[Dr. Bork Bork]

So I finally achieved ketosis, and I don't want to lose it. That said, I was wondering if I ate a little higher carb on a workout day would kick me out of keto. I normally eat 20-25g carbs/day, but today I was trying to eat a little higher cal after the gym, and my meal plan for today has me at 40 carbs.
I'm probably overthinking things (as usual), just wanted some imput.

my carbs are coming from eggs, coconut milk, and a BAS tonight.

[Mike Gager]

why do you think you need more carbs on workout day?

[Solldara]

According to the Primal Blueprint ideal fat loss is 50-100g of carbs and maintenance is 100-150g with greater numbers allowed if you're doing a lot of exercise.

Every time I see this very low carb daily goals I just think of Atkins - the base of the Primal Pyramid is Veg and Fruits not Meat.

So may I ask why you are wanting to limit yourself to 20-25g of carbs a day for a long period of time ?

[Mike Gager]

0-50 carbs a day is for people with a lot of weight to lose

per the PB

• 0-50 grams per day: Ketosis and I.F. (Intermittent Fasting) zone. Excellent catalyst for rapid fat loss through I.F. Not recommended for prolonged periods (except in medically supervised programs for obese or Type 2 diabetics) due to unnecessary deprivation of plant foods.

• 50-100 grams per day: Sweet Spot for Weight Loss. Steadily drop excess body fat by minimizing insulin production. Enables 1-2 pounds per week of fat loss with satisfying, minimally restrictive meals.

FWIW i am losing an average of 4lbs a week keeping my carbbs under 50

[Dragonfly]

I'd pay attention to your blood sugar readings & go from there.

[Dr. Bork Bork]

why do you think you need more carbs on workout day?

I thought you were supposed to eat a little higher carb (carb refeed) on workout days?

So may I ask why you are wanting to limit yourself to 20-25g of carbs a day for a long period of time ?

I'm diabetic, and extremely insulin resistant.

I'd pay attention to your blood sugar readings & go from there.

Ok

[gordo]

I thought you were supposed to eat a little higher carb (carb refeed) on workout days?

I'm diabetic, and extremely insulin resistant.

Ok

Based on these answers, I wouldn't expect that you will want to add any carbs. Extra carbs are great if you're an athlete. Otherwise, they're pretty much not needed. Especially if you're diabetic.

Gordo

[Dr. Bork Bork]

Very helpful. Thanks, Gordo

My doc wants me to eat a little more (calorie-wise) on workout days, so I honestly wasn't sure if that included carbs, but I thought it might, so I'm glad I asked.

[Wally_B_Sr]

I have a lot of weight to lose and have been in Ketosis most of the time since April. While I was not a fill blown diabetic I was pretty close which is what prompted my lifestyle change into a primal lifestyle. Both of my parents are diabetic and I did not want that for me.

If you do not have any already get some keto stix and use them often. I use them just about everytime I pee. I keep a thing of them a work, and one at home. The only time I don't use them is if I am out and about. You will be surprised how your ketone levels will change during the day and night.

What I have found works best for me is to aim to be in the light to moderate zone with the stix. After a few days to a week of testing as often as you can you will get a feel for how your body reacts to different foods and different amounts of exercise.

I strive to be in ketosis for about 10-14 days then I break my ketosis very gently by just having a bit of extra fruit and maybe some honey for a day. It does not take very much and I do not want to get a huge insulin or sugar spike just have enough extra carbs to break the ketosis cycle.

Then its right back to low carbs and ketosis for another 10-14 days. It may take a day or two after going back to low carb to get back into ketosis but that is ok. I find it works best to eat the fruit the day before a workout day as that will bounce you back into ketosis faster as it uses up all the extra carbs you ate that are being stored in your muscles.

By doing this I am able to maintain my desired weight loss levels. Without doing this after about 10-14 days I find I stop losing weight. Right now I am down around 75 pounds since April which puts me at around 300. I have another 50 pounds to go on my 6'5" frame.

By testing everyday, every time I pee I have found that on workout days I can up my carb levels by around 5-10 grams per meal and not kick myself out of Ketosis, I also find that if I am in ketosis when I work out, the morning after the workout I have the highest levels of ketones of all.

[js290]

why do you think you need more carbs on workout day?

Yeah, really. The heart operates more efficiently on ketone bodies.

β-HYDROXYBUTYRATE: THE MOST EFFICIENT FUEL Veech and colleagues discovered that administering β-hydroxybutyrate to the perfused rat heart in place of glucose increased work output but decreased oxygen consumption (35).