Serious Plateau

[< <Samson> >]

I knew I couldn't keep dropping fat like no other for ever. Now I am floating in dead water with 10 pounds left to lose.

I don't want to get extremely aggressive in cutting cals since the last thing I want is any LBM loss. Same with cardio, though of kicking my cardio from what it is now to double. Same thing though, LBM loss would really suck.


My typical daily diet:

8-9 A.M. 2-4 whole eggs with extremely strained bacon or ground beef(or chicken liver), one serving of psylium husk fibre

Total calls are right around 350-450(I would say closer to 450) Protein at around 40g's and carbs are damn near zero




About 1 P.M. Chicken Shake (8 oz's of chicken and 1/4 cup of walnuts)

Total cals are right around 400 Protein right around 50g's and carbs are straight zero




Around 4 P.M. PWO Shake (2.5 scoops of whey, or 2 scoops of whey and 1/2 scoop of Muscle Milk with 2/3rd's of a carton of egg whites and another tbsp of psylium husk fibre)

Total cals are right around 400 Protein is damn near a 100 and extremely minimal carbs(maybe 8 @ most)




Around 8 P.M. Another Chicken Shake or 3 Fillets of fish and maybe a egg or 2.

Total cals are right around 350-450 Protein right around 50g's and carbs are straight zero.



I also try to eat as much broccoli as possible throughout the day.

Totals for the day are right @ 1,600 to 1,800 cals 250g's of protein and ZERO carbs(mostly negative)



This is the diet that got me where I am now. 40+ pounds lost in a little over 2 months.


My cardio is either jogging for 20 minutes after lifting on lift days or walking for 45 minutes at a pretty damn fast pace fasted on all off days from lifting.



Now, I have not really budged in weight in about a week+. I am thinking of just keeping on with this and see if the plateau breaks itself. I do throw in carbs on some days.


Also still running the EC stack.



Any thoughts, comments are appreciated.

[BBJT200]

If you've been doing keto this long, I think you would benefit greatly from an intermittent fasting approach. It's incredibly effective and mentally easy once you get over the hunger.
Your body is already adapted to using fat for fuel, so this would be a win-win situation for you. Most of us have the painful few weeks of adapting.

www.leangains.com

[gbrice75]

I haven't looked at the diet, but did see your overall calories and they're relatively low - which is fine if that's been working for you. At this point however, I'd strongly consider increasing cardio (whether that be volume, intensity, or a combo of both) vs. further caloric restriction. I believe the former is superior to the latter with regards to maintaining LBM. What is your current BF%?

[digsy1983]

would running maintenace cals for 2-3 week then jumping back on your diet work? just to boost metabolism back up then cut again. obviously if youve no time constraints to worry about.

[< <Samson> >]

I have damn near zero time restrictions - so cardio as much as I want. Yes it sucks, but ehh.

I been running the zero to neg carbs randomly with a few carb up days. On the carb up days I am still only maybe pulling in 150g's of carbs. All of the carbs are from either fruit, berries or oats.


My Bf% is right under 18% now. I strongly doubt under 17%.

Thinking of which route to take. Fat loss is less important than LBM loss. I rather lose 2 pounds of pure fat per month compared to 5 with 1 being LBM.


Thinking of jumping on the sauce to hit a serious cal restriction while maintaining LBM. But, I don't really see it necessary since my natural test #'s are solid as fvck.

[Back In Black]

Have you been refeeding at all?

[< <Samson> >]

Have you been refeeding at all?

refeeding?

[Back In Black]

If you are doing a strict keto you should be having one day a week where you are throwing carbs down your neck. Are you not?

[< <Samson> >]

If you are doing a strict keto you should be having one day a week where you are throwing carbs down your neck. Are you not?

I mentioned it above. . . But, I do. I do one or two days per week with about 150g's of carbs.

[digsy1983]

i actually had a very similar problem to you! i was stuck at 205lbs and apx 22%bf for 2 1/2 months then i done as you have and asked for help on here! my diet was around the 1600-1800 cal mark, but unlike yours contained a fair amount of fruit.
i posted up and the advice from <<405>> really helped! obviously the first thing to go was all the fruit. but he also said to increase my cals to 2200 after working out my tdee.
ive now dropped a load more weight and acttually gained a good amount of lbm on my cut!

obviously the experienced guys will advise you better than i could, im just speaking from personal experience. maybe adding complex carbs and upping your cals to around 2200-2300 mark could be a good way to go, especially if you metabolism has slowed down.

p.s,
refeeding is when you have a time window (4-7 hours) and eat a load of high carb foods to boost your metabolism back and fill a bit of your glyocgen stores up. normally used on a long cut or severer calorie defecit diet. (sometimes referred to as cheat meals)

[digsy1983]

150g of carbs isnt really going to do much. im currently following the ud2.0 carb cycling and consuming 1200-1400g of carbs 1 day out of 7.

[< <Samson> >]

Been thinking about just that. Upping my cals and throwing in solid complex carbs. Don't know what amount though.

[gbrice75]

I personally wouldn't go too high (1200-1400), at least not to begin with. But I agree that 150g wouldn't constitute a refeed. You need a good, solid carb day. 300g, at least. Probably close to 600g. You have to be careful not to 'spill over' - i.e. once glycogen stores are full, you'll be storing fat and we don't want that or you defeat your own purpose. I always say start lower, work your way up as needed. But no matter what, bump that 150g man. That's a moderate carb intake at best!!!!

[Back In Black]

I mentioned it above. . . But, I do. I do one or two days per week with about 150g's of carbs.

Sorry mate, missed that. Pick one day and get 300g of carbs down. You can start with corn flakes, white bagels etc and as the day progresses make your choice more complex. Keep fats to a minimum on this day though.

Also, for a keto, your fats seem low.

[digsy1983]

are you doing keto diet or just something similar by luck? may want to follow a diet plan. or listen to stem and gbrice! either way win win.

[Back In Black]

I'd just like to say I typed as GB was typing and I didn't copy him. We still seem to agree on almost everything

[< <Samson> >]

This is something I formed from a few diets.

So eat a little of carb filled shit on a few days. . . . . Hmmm. I have not eaten any white carb in months.


Sounds good. . . . I just wanted to get some ideas back before I started modifying my food intake.

[gbrice75]

I'd just like to say I typed as GB was typing and I didn't copy him. We still seem to agree on almost everything

This is something I formed from a few diets.

So eat a little of carb filled shit on a few days. . . . . Hmmm. I have not eaten any white carb in months.


Sounds good. . . . I just wanted to get some ideas back before I started modifying my food intake.

Note you don't HAVE to start with white carbs, IMO. But the CKD 'recipe' calls for starting with less complex white carbs and working your way towards more complex throughout the refeed, as Stem mentioned. One point I want to reiterate that he brought up is keeping fat low on the refeed day - critical to a successful CKD.

[< <Samson> >]

Will do. . . . Thanks yall!