Tag Archives: Ketosis

21 Day Keto Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intro

We get asked all the time what’s the fastest way to lose weight. Although going keto is our initial answer, people want to know exactly what to do. Of course there are a lot of paths someone can go down but we wanted to outline one way that works for us to get the fastest results possible. This blog post will follow Jon’s 21 Day keto challenge that incorporates pure therapeutic ketones, fasting, intermittent fasting, and a complete keto meal plan. Tune into this blog post for daily updates on my 21 Day Keto journey.

 

To kick off this 21 days of keto success the first thing I like to do is a 60 hour Keto ReBoot. This Keto ReBoot is a metabolic reset in a box. It comes packed with everything necessary to go without food for 60 hours while preserving muscle, keeping energy levels up, and depleting glycogen stores, allowing you to get in a deep state of ketosis.

Following the 60 hours without any food and only utilizing the ReBoot kit, I’ll then go 19 days with a functional fat coffee for breakfast, pure therapeutic ketones for lunch, and a simple ketogenic meal for dinner. Stay tuned and I’ll share the full meal plan, the shopping list, and all the macros. In order to create the fastest fat loss possible, I’ve chosen to keep my daily caloric intake less than 1,000 calories as outlined below. At my age, height, and weight in order to maintain weight, it’s recommended I eat 2490 calories a day. By creating a 1500 calorie/day deficit before my workouts this allows me to sustain a higher level of fat loss as my body dips into my fat reserves for those extra 1500 calories. Once I add in exercise this will add another 300-500 calorie deficit. It’s important to note that you can do this effectively while preserving muscle only while supplementing with pure therapeutic ketones.

  • FATĀ  will be 70-80% of my calories (700-800) which is about 78-88 grams
  • PROTEIN will be 20-25% of my calories (200-250) which is 50-62.5 grams
  • CARBS will be 5-10% of my calories (50-100) which is 12.5-25 grams of carbs

Day 1 – 199 lbs

Starting off day one is very simple with the Reboot Kit. Simply follow the schedule below, drink lots of water, and don’t give in to the habit of eating.

Food & Supplements

    1. Upon waking KETO//OSĀ® Max
    2. Mid-morning SIGNAL//OSĀ® Capsules (2)
    3. Noon BETTER//BROTHā„¢
    4. 3pm KETO//OSĀ®
    5. Max 6pm BETTER//BROTHā„¢
    6. 8pm KETO//KALMā„¢ SIGNAL//OSĀ® Capsules (2)

Exercise

  • 15k Steps
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups

Day 2 – 197.2 lbs

Day two is always the toughest for me. My body was definitely in the cleansing mode. I spent a lot of time making trips to the restroom, but this is how I know I’m clearing out all the junk and getting my body reset for awesomeness.
Food & Supplements:

    1. Upon waking KETO//OSĀ® Max
    2. Mid-morning SIGNAL//OSĀ® Capsules (2)
    3. Noon BETTER//BROTHā„¢
    4. 3pm KETO//OSĀ®
    5. Max 6pm BETTER//BROTHā„¢
    6. 8pm KETO//KALMā„¢ SIGNAL//OSĀ® Capsules (2)

Exercise

  • 5k steps (was pretty tired this day)
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups

Day 3 – 192.6 lbs

Woke up feeling great. I went for a 1.6 mile run at 5:30 am and was high energy most of the day. I measured my blood ketones and it was at 5.3. I did start to get bogged down before dinner and you could tell the hangriness was kicking in as the day wore on. Eating my first meal in 72 years was a definite treat I’ve never had such a great tasting salad!

Food & Supplements

    1. Upon waking KETO//KREME and Black Coffee
    2. Multi Vitamin Multi Mineral (Vimerson Mens Vitamin)
    3. Lunch Time KETO//OSĀ® MAX
    4. Dinner – Salad with Chicken, Olives, Cheese, MCT Oil, Avocado and a high fat dressingChicken Salad

Exercise

  • 12,804 steps (with 1.6 miles of that being a run)
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups
  • 3,535 calories burned

Day 4 – 190 lbs

I thought by this point I would hungrier than what I was. Surprisingly enough I was able to sit through two lunch meetings at work where lunch was provided and had no issue passing up the food. My energy level towards the evening right before dinner was down a little but I’m attributing that to the fact I only got 5 hours of sleep the night before. I made sure to get in the bed earlier this night because good sleep does contribute to a healthy body and continued weight loss.

Food & Supplements

    1. Upon waking KETO//KREME and Black Coffee
    2. Multi Vitamin Multi Mineral (Vimerson Mens Vitamin)
    3. Lunch Time KETO//OSĀ® MAX
    4. Dinner – Salad with 8 oz of Salmon, 1/2 oz of Cheese, 1-Avocado and a high fat dressing (organic ranch)
    5. Salmon Salad 1

Exercise

  • 12,243 steps (didn’t run today but did purposefully walk more often)
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups
  • 3,444 calories burned

Day 5 – 187 lbs

Food & Supplements

    1. Upon waking KETO//KREME and Black Coffee
    2. Multi Vitamin Multi Mineral (Vimerson Mens Vitamin)
    3. Lunch Time KETO//OSĀ® MAX
    4. Dinner – Grilled chicken, brussel Sprouts with bacon cooked in MCT oil topped with Kerrygold butter with one avocado on the side.

Chicken Brussel and avocado

Exercise

  • 12,672 steps
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups
  • 3,405 calories burned

Day 6 – 186.6 lbs

Food & Supplements

    1. Upon waking KETO//KREME and Black Coffee
    2. Multi Vitamin Multi Mineral (Vimerson Mens Vitamin)
    3. Lunch Time KETO//OSĀ® MAX
    4. Dinner – Grilled Salmon, broccoli topped with hand shredded cheese,Ā  Salmon w broccoli and avocado

Exercise

  • 12,484 steps
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups
  • 3,189 calories burned

 

Day 7 – 185 lbs

Food & Supplements

    1. Upon waking KETO//KREME and Black Coffee
    2. Multi Vitamin Multi Mineral (Vimerson Mens Vitamin)
    3. Lunch Time KETO//OSĀ® MAX
    4. Dinner – 1/4 lb Bacon Cheeseburger on a bed of lettuce with a side of mashed cauliflower and an avocado.

Bacon cheese burger on lettus with mashed cauliflour

Exercise

  • 14,332 steps
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups
  • 4,027 calories burned

Day 8 – 185.4 lbs

Food & Supplements

  1. Upon waking KETO//KREME and Black Coffee
  2. Multi Vitamin Multi Mineral (Vimerson Mens Vitamin)
  3. Lunch Time KETO//OSĀ® MAX
  4. Dinner – Salmon topped with avocado salsa and a side of mashed cauliflower
  5. Salmon with avocado salsa

Exercise

  • 12,033 steps
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups
  • 3,357 calories burned

Day 9 – 184.2 lbs

Food & Supplements

  1. Upon waking KETO//KREME and Black Coffee
  2. Multi Vitamin Multi Mineral (Vimerson Mens Vitamin)
  3. Lunch Time KETO//OSĀ® MAX
  4. Dinner –Ā Bacon wrapped chicken stuffed with guacamole with a side of cauliflower riceChicken and Quac

Exercise

  • 13,539 steps
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups
  • 3,781 calories burned

Day 10 – 189 lbs

Food & Supplements

  1. Upon waking KETO//KREME and Black Coffee
  2. Multi Vitamin Multi Mineral (Vimerson Mens Vitamin)
  3. Lunch Time KETO//OSĀ® MAX
  4. Dinner – Bell Peppers stuffed with Grass Fed beef, green chilies, and topped with cheddar cheese
  5. peppers

Exercise

  • 12,414 steps
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups
  • 3,244 calories burned

Day 11 – 184 lbs

Food & Supplements

  1. Upon waking KETO//KREME and Black Coffee
  2. Multi Vitamin Multi Mineral (Vimerson Mens Vitamin)
  3. Lunch Time KETO//OSĀ® MAX
  4. Dinner – Grass fed Ribeye Steak with 2 tbsp of kerrygold butter and a side of mashed cauliflower
  5. Steak

Exercise

  • 12,671 steps
  • 20 Push ups
  • 20 sit ups
  • 3,612 calories burned

Day 12 – 184 lbs

Exercise

  • 14,231 steps
  • 30 Push ups
  • 30 sit ups
  • 3,576 calories burned

 

 

 

Day 13 – 184 lbs

Exercise

  • 20,463 steps
  • 30 Push ups
  • 30 sit ups
  • 4,243 calories burned

Day 14 – 184 lbs

Exercise

  • 10,950 steps
  • 30 Push ups
  • 30 sit ups
  • 3,386 calories burned

Day 15Ā  – 184 lbs

Exercise

  • 7,332 steps
  • 30 Push ups
  • 30 sit ups
  • 2,654 calories burned

Day 16 – 184 lbs

Exercise

  • 8,633 steps
  • 30 Push ups
  • 30 sit ups
  • 3,179 calories burned

Day 17 – 184 lbs

Exercise

  • 16,521 steps
  • 30 Push ups
  • 30 sit ups
  • 3,477 calories burned

Day 18 – 184 lbs

Exercise

  • 13,233 steps
  • 30 Push ups
  • 30 sit ups
  • 3,778 calories burned

Day 19 – 184 lbs

Exercise

  • 15,136 steps
  • 30 Push ups
  • 30 sit ups
  • 3,617 calories burned

Day 21 – 184 lbs

Exercise

  • 13,691 steps
  • 40 Push ups
  • 40 sit ups
  • 3,648 calories burned

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are Macros?šŸ„©šŸ„œšŸ„‘

What is a Macronutrient?

Keto-Macronutrients

If you have Googled the ketogenic diet you have most likely come across the term macronutrients. You are probably like many other people trying to find your way through all the details and wondering what the heck a macro is and why you need to track them. MacronutrientsĀ are the building blocks of nutrition. They are the compounds in food in which we get the bulk calorie intake from to create the bodyā€™s energy. Macronutrients include carbs, proteins, and fats. You see macros in all foods, measured in grams on the nutrition label.

Keto-Macros-Carbloaded
Carb Loaded
The typical American diet has an abundance of carbs and unhealthy fats. Many people are carb loaded, meaning they follow the modern day diet that is made up of mostly carbs that are converted into glucose. The energy from glucose is not sustainable and short lived. Think of when you have a breakfast consisting of toast or biscuits. Within an hour or two hunger creeps in again and energy levels crash making your body feel like it needs more food to boost energy levels back up. This is why it is so important to start your day off with brain fuelĀ (think healthy fats and protein) instead of sugary, starchy foods. You will want to track each macro to find a good balance for your body but for many people tracking carb count is the most important because getting too many carbs can quickly kick you out of ketosis. Also making sure your carb intake comes from vegetables, nuts and seeds, and a small amount of certain fruits(berries) is important.

A Cleaner Fuel Source
When following the Ketogenic Diet the body is running on a much cleaner fuel source that allows for sustained energy and satiety. After reaching a state of ketosis the body begins to burn fat for fuel and makes the switch from burning glucose to burning ketones.Ā  Ketones are the fuel our bodies were designed to burn. When a person is using ketones as a fuel source, adjusting macronutrient portions is crucial to staying in ketosis.

Ideally, tracking your carb count is most important. If losing weight is the goal, keeping your carb count low is essential. Typically one should maintain 5-10% of calories from net carbs. Keeping carb counts under 20-30 grams of net carbs (grams of carbs minus grams of fiber); 15-30% of calories from protein; and 60-75% of calories from wholesome, healthy fats is a good rule of thumb. In general, daily carb intake can vary for individuals from 20-100 grams to maintain ketosis. For the majority of people experiencing ketosis, daily allowance is limited to 20-50 grams of net carbs.

Individual Basis
With that being said, macronutrient intake is not exact and every person is different. There are some factors that can change your macro intake, including age, gender, and weight. This means that everyone is different and it is individually based. One person might be able to maintain ketosis with 30% protein, 60% fat, and 10% carbs while another person has to stick to 5% carbs, 25% protein, and 70% fat. You will have to determine which one you are with a little bit of monitoring. Give yourself a baseline to start and then adjust accordingly as you learn what works for you.

Tracking Food, Exercise, and Macros
There are apps available to help track macros to figure out the ideal route for each individual. You can also use tools like FitBitĀ and My Fitness PalĀ to track your food intake and macros along with exercise and other things. These are great resources that will allow you to stay on track with the ketogenic lifestyle. As you get more consistent with tracking your daily eating habits and exercise you will find this lifestyle can help you achieve your health goals.

 

brain on ketonesĀ  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā Photo Credit: Pruvit
Fourth Macronutrient
Could exogenous ketones be the fourth macronutrient? Previously ketones were only produced endogenously or inside the body. Enter exogenous ketones to the market. Now consumers are able to ingest ketones which provides another sustainable energy source to the body. Continuous research into this energy source points to exogenous ketones being a possible fourth macronutrient. “I see ketones as a fourth macronutrient. You have fats, proteins, and carbohydrates from foods. But ketones are an energy containing molecule.”- Dominic P. D’Agostino, PH.D.,Ā Associate Professor, University of South Florida.

 

Read the Nutrition Label
Once youā€™ve got a personal baseline, start taking a look at the nutrition labels of all the foods you are intaking each day. Keeping a written record via your phone or a notepad can be extremely helpful throughout your keto journey to make adjustments when necessary and keep you on track toward your goals.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals and do recommend checking with your physician if you are making dietary changes or have a health condition.

9 Tips to Get Into Ketosis

What is Ketosis

You’ve heard people talking about getting into ketosis, but what exactly is ketosis and is it truly safe for us? These are all questions I had before I started on this journey, like most people, I had actually never heard of the term ketosis. So what exactly is it?

Ketosis is a natural state that the body goes into when it runs out of carbohydrates (glucose) for fuel. Normally, glucose is used by our cells as a quick source of energy that continually needs to be replenished for us to have energy. When our body runs out of glucose it begins to switch over to its ā€œreserve tanksā€ for a cleaner, longer lasting, higher energy fuel source it gets by breaking down fat cells and converting them into ketones. As your body continues to break down fat cells converting them into ketones your blood ketone level will start to rise. Being in a state of ketosis is defined when your blood ketone levels reach 0.5-3 nM. We will delve into measuring blood ketone levels in a later blog post.

Achieving aĀ state of ketosisĀ can take some work and planning ahead. It’s not just as simple as cutting carbs. Below are 9 helpful tips to get into ketosis.
Ketosis-Tips-low-carb
1. Keep Carb Intake at a Minimum
Sticking to a low-carb diet is one of the most important factors to achieve ketosis and maintain it. The amount of carbs alloted is indivually based, although the average recommended amount is 20 grams of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) a day. How your body adapts is important to note and while some people need to maintain 20 grams others can intake 50 grams and still be in ketosis.

Ketosis-Tips-Healthy-Fats
2. Increase Healthy Fat Intake
Don’t fall for what we call “the Big Fat Lie”. It is a common misconception that eating fat makes you fat. It is a lie that the food industry created to make a big profit with low fat/reduced fat marketing to appeal to the masses. Fat makes up a very large percentage of the keto diet but not just any fats. It is important to eat the right kind of healthy fats to ensure success.Ā If the goal is ketosis, you must increase your intake of healthy fats.

Ketosis-Tips-Exogenous-Ketones
3. Take Exogenous Ketones
Your body naturally produces ketonesĀ endogenously (or inside the body) but did you know you can drink exogenous ketones (outside the body). Exogenous ketones induce a state of ketosis within an hour of drinking them. This is a brand new technology that was only developed in 2012. It was discovered by Scientists out of the University of South Florida who were doing research for the DOD and NASA. Where as previously the only way to raise blood ketone levels was to fast for several days or go on a very strict ketogenic diet. Although most people were never able to cross fully into ketosis, now with the aid of a drinkable version of ketones anyone can experience what it feels like to be in ketosis without having to be perfect or fast.

Could exogenous ketones be the fourth macronutrient? Now consumers are able to ingest ketones which provides another sustainable energy source to the body. Continuous research into this energy source points to exogenous ketones possibly being a fourth macronutrient. Ketones are ā€œenergy containing moleculesā€- Dr. Dominic D. Agostino, PH.D.
Ketosis-tips-fasting
4. Try an Extended Fast or FastĀ Intermittently
Fasting will offer great benefits to you. Choosing not to eat for an extended period of time gives the body a reset, allowing you to experience major health benefits. Your body will flush out toxins and as a result, increase metabolism. In doing so, it will help your body jumpstart into the ketogenic state and allow you to maintain it for a longer period of time. Intermittent Fasting is a powerful healing and weight loss tool that will elevate blood ketone levels and keep you in ketosis.

Ketosis-test-ketones
5. Test Ketone Levels and Adjust Macros Accordingly
Macronutrients are Protein, Fats, and Carbs. Each Macronutrient should account for a percentage of your daily caloric intake. Each individual is different and macro consumption may vary. A sure fire way to get and stay in ketosis is to check your ketone levels and adjust your macros according to your levels. There are a few options in order to do so. You can check ketones by urine test strips, ketone blood meters, or through a ketone breath meter. The most accurate way to test is through the ketone blood meter, however, the other options will do the trick. Check out more info on methods to test blood ketone levels.

close up of different food items on table
6. Eat a Moderate Amount of Protein
The ketogenic diet is based on high fat, moderate protein, and low carb intake. We have discussed healthy fats but let’s talk about moderate protein. Eating too much protein can kick you out of ketosis while having too little protein intake could cause muscle loss and the feeling of still being hungry. If you eat enough protein you will feel satisfied and eat less. However, finding a balance is key if the goal is ketosis. If you are physically active, protein is important for building muscle and preserving it. How much protein you should be consuming is based on activity level and body weight. Excessive protein consumption converts to glycogen, making it difficult to get into ketosis. Here is a great keto calculator to determine your keto diet needs.

Ketosis-tips2
7. Increase Your MCT Oil Intake
Medium chain triglycerides are a type of fatty acid that are found in coconut and palm oils. Mct’s have the ability to regulate blood sugar and aide the body in ketone production. They are great for weight management and increasing cognitive function. They are also more easily digested than long chain triglycerides. When introducing them into your new lifestyle, start with a small amount and build up to avoid stomach upset.Ā  MCT’s are an essential source of healthy fat on the keto diet. They are not metabolized through digestion like most other foods, instead they are sent to the liver to be processed and can improve the bodies metabolism. The body utilizes these oils and burns them for a cleaner energy source instead of storing them as fat.

Ketosis-Tips
8. Introduce Exercise
Movement is so important. Many folks find they hit a stall in their weight loss, exercise can help you to get over the hump. Being more physically active can help you get into ketosis. Exercising depletes your body of stored glycogen. Normally glycogen stores are replenishedĀ when you eat carbs, which are broken down into glucose and then converted to glycogen. However, if you are consuming very little carbs, glycogen stores continue to remain low. In return, your liver starts to increase production of more ketones, which can be used as an alternate fuel source.

Ketosis-tips1
9. Listen to Your Body
Many of us eat out of habit. Recognize when your body is actually hungry and only eat when you are hungry. Oftentimes, people mistake thirst for hunger. Sometimes just increasing your water intake instead of eating will satisfy your body. Eat out of necessity and not every time you feel like going to the pantry. This will allow you to stay on track and maintain ketosis.

 

 

 

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