Keto

I personally don’t like any “fad diet” or even longer lasting diets such as Keto, I believe some have their place short term but adverse effects long term, instead of a diet opt to just eat healthy and a variety of foods whether you are a meat eater, vegetarian or vegan.

I’ve been on every diet under the sun and have had a really challenging relationship with food growing up. I’ve tried every intermittent fasting protocol, tried keto, tried low carb, tried hi fat, tried 1500 calories a day and I’ve found that eating regular meals and flexibly dieting works best for me.

Three years ago, I tried the ketogenic diet as an experiment. I’d read that it might help with “mental alertness” and I wanted to keep my energy more even throughout the day, without too many highs and lows. It helped a lot that way.

For pre-competition fat loss techniques, well, Keto works well for me, with a high carb day thrown in weekly. I increase training intensity, less rest between sets and more cardio. HIIT cardio also added in closer to comp has given me very good results.

My wife and I did the Keto diet for about 2 years but it didn’t work for me as I LOVE fruits way to much to cut it out, so we stopped it. Now we just eat everything in moderation and stay away from processed food and sugars eating as organic as possible.

So I set my goals and followed the keto diet guided by a personal trainer which happens to be my brother from my other mother.

Currently, my diet is low carb, high fat and moderate protein. It is not a strict keto but it is that direction. I also try and fast 16 hours a day but that doesn’t always work out.

Following my Monday through Saturday workouts, I prepare a shake consisting of Almond Cashew Milk, Collagen Powder and Keto Protein Powder.

Being natural very lean I have found a high carb diet is best for me. I’ve tried every type of diet over the years, Keto, fasting, plant based, you name it I’ve tried it.

I have tried paleo, keto, intermittent fasting. I think they are the best for health goals, and to feel good with yourself, but they don’t work when your goal is to get bigger and more shredded. That’s why now I eat five times a day, trying to reach my macros and giving time and small food portions for my gut to digest.

I drink a ton of water daily and always have. I drink greens and take a ton of vitamins from various brands. I go up and down in my weight and I have no problem with that. I love sweets and I will eat them. I love to go to keto for an extra fast loss but, typically only a month or so, when desired. It just works really well for me.

Since I am such a carb fanatic, cutting back on carbs versus eliminating them completely from my diet (such as with the Ketogenic diet) has been the most sustainable approach for me, which is why I do carb cycling and keep my caloric intake to 1600-1800 calories per day to maintain my weight loss and body composition.

Within a year Vigor It Out was receiving over 170,000 monthly visitors seeking nutritious recipes, postpartum recovery workout routines, breastfeeding diet tips, Ketogenic recipes, and more!

I enjoy Quest Bars because they really help satisfy my sweet tooth while getting some protein in. As mentioned before, I have a low carb strategy when I’m on-season and if I need quicker results I’ll do Keto.

I have been following the cyclical ketogenic diet since 2012. I used this for all my contest prep and it has yield really good results for me. Not every diet is for everyone.

I’ll push harder when I want to get lean for a beach holiday – I’ll typically do a 12-week fat loss program or my 28 Day Keto Challenge – reducing calories, increasing intensity, and upping daily activity.

Currently I am doing a Keto Diet which I really enjoy. I find my body works very well on high fat and I really love the food. I consume a lot of salmon, eggs, bacon and all the good stuff!

Pick a gym as close to you as possible, preferably in your building. I prefer a less equipped free gym than a $200/month Equinox membership. This serves two purposes: Convenience and approachability. In terms of approachability, by two training sessions, an apartment gym feels like home in a way membership gyms usually don’t, which tends to keep you going. In terms of convenience, you can usually change at home and go, which saves you time and mental overhead of remembering what to pack. Pick a 24/7 gym if possible. I find myself making excuses when I’m pushing the closing time or the opening time of my gym. This eliminates that possibility. Stick to one basic routine and don’t vary it up too much. There’s endless debates about how to micro-optimize your training, and they’re probably right. Maybe I should work out every body part every day to maximize mass. But the more you change your routine, the less likely you are to adhere to it. I like doing more or less the same thing and getting comfortable with it. Diet. I do a combination of intermittent fasting and when I’m serious about cutting weight, keto. Intermittent fasting works because eating two meals between 2pm and 10pm everyday is way easier than picking and choosing what to eat. The general idea behind what I eat is to try to eat high fiber, low carb, protein rich whole foods during the week, and then let loose a little on weekends. If I know I’m in for a big dinner meal out with friends/family, I fast the rest of the day. Supplements. I used to use more while I was losing the weight, but now I don’t even take Whey protein anymore. It’s just too expensive and too much cognitive effort that I’d rather spend elsewhere. Just one supplement involves remembering to buy it and consuming the appropriate quantity. You need to research which supplement brands are safe too. I don’t see significant enough impact on my fitness performance to warrant using them. If you’re on a goal to lose weight (or gain it), weigh yourself every morning without fail. It serves as a mental compass that tells you how astray you’re going.I don’t do bulking season, I don’t do supplements, I don’t do pre-workouts. I typically train alone but could always use a gym buddy. And I try to listen to podcasts to get through my workout while learning something else during it.

So I adapted a ketogenic way of living and began to learn how to properly train my body. Little by little, day by day, it got better. I slowly weaned off my medications and took back control of my life. I truly believe God had to put me through these circumstances so that I could find my purpose, which is helping women around the world to transform their lives.

I have a modified keto/carb cycle way of eating.

With patients diagnosed with a terminal situation, I find a combination of ketogenic/intermittent fasting/living foods adds many months/years of functional living.

I eat clean year-round with occasional re-feeds (a combination of complex and simple carbs. Otherwise, my carbs are as low as 50 grams a day). What I do is more like a modified keto induced by different forms of intermittent fasting. I do take a massage every once in a while.

Changing my diet every 3-4 months is not about following a specific diet (keto, paleo, etc.), but to change the foods and spices in my meals so that my taste buds doesn’t get bore.