Good evening all.As alluded to an earlier post of mine,I will give you an update on the effects of a ketogenic diet and Intermittent fasting with some before and after photos,I thought I'd wait until after my 51st birthday to help with my argument that it is never to late to change for the better healthwise.I have had many ups and a few downs on this journey.I hope that my experience will motivate a few to start fixing their health.
That's me in the middle Greece,1993 age 26 weight about 125kg
2007 age 40,weight 170+kg Geez I was a fat kent! These photos are hard to look at!
Today ,I'm wearing the same size shorts as above photo from 2007@ 125kg
Today with the last belt I had just before the start of the diet.
Here is a timeline of my journey,,June 29 ,2016 initial diagnosis of type 2 diabetes,and I step on the scales for my first weigh-in 178kg FAAAARK!.I cut out all sugar and reduced my intake of all junk.Lost weight immediately but I was still drinking Coke Zero and using Natvia.I watched many youtube videos on the effects of sugar and how can you beat diabetes and it's many health implications.
April 25 ,My first appointment with Dr Paul Mason at Orthosports Clinic.I get an introductory lecture to the Ketogenic diet and get booked in for a whole series of blood tests.The results were terrible ,but it is good to have a reference point to measure your progress against.I am on Coversyl Blood pressure medication and Metformin (a type 2 diabetes medication that helps with insulin resistance)
Nov 2016 ,I join Odd Socks weightlifting gym weight 151 kg. Up to now my exercise routine consisted of hitting golf balls at the driving range and I was training on my home gym.
Jan 2017 weight down to 140 kg.
March 2017 another series of blood tests.Results show I'm still well and truly diabetic but they are improving.I suffer from dizzy spells if I stand too quickly.My GP (Dr Sexy) decides that I am progressing so well that I stop all medication.I still get dizzy spells to this day,but Dr Mason assures me that they are because of not enough salt intake. Can you believe that?My Dr keeps telling me,"Eat more fat and more salt".My body weight has dropped to 130 kg but over the next few months it plateaus out.I am training 3 times a week at the weightlifting gym and twice a week at the driving range.I have put on a lot of muscle which helps keep the bodyweight constant despite losing fat.
Don't rely only on scales,they can't tell when your fat to muscle ratio changes.Use a tape measure around your waist,arms and tighs.You will find that your clothes get looser all the time.
Dec 8 2017,my last visit to Dr Mason and more blood test results.In the Glucose Tolerance Test you get a glucose drink then blood is taken every hour to see how your body reacts to the glucoseI can report that the cut off point for Diabetes is 7.9 and over,I was 7.1.
YES!!!! I'm no longer diabetic.
The doc assures me that in six months at the next appointment ,the results will be better still.In all respects,from liver and kidney function,to cholesterol and Triglycerides .I have a clean bill of health.I'm healthier now at 51 than when I was in my 20s. I was getting concerned by the plateauing weight loss.My strategy was simple, extreme fasting In one week I did a 40 hour fast,a 30 hour fast and a 54 hour fast.My weight went from 128.4kg to 121.8 kg. That is my record loss but I was weak as a kitten at the gym so this type of fasting is not sustainable for an athlete in the long run.Since Sep 2017 I have been training 5 times a week.
The holidays have been a holiday from the diet also.I keep get compliments from the girls at the gym.They think I lost weight over the Christmas/New Year break even though my weight shot back up to 130kg.As of yesterday I'm back down to 126kg. Work starts for me on Tuesday,so I will be back into my routine.
Sorry for the long story but to summarise the Keto diet,there are some important questions to ask yourself.
1) What is your health worth?
2) Are you "man enough" to do what it takes to fix yourself?
There are no gimmick powders or fancy foods to buy.Look up on youtube "intermittent fasting" and "Ketogenic Diet", and the many videos on the negative effects of sugar and fructose. Your body runs on glucose,once you exhaust the supply of glucose in your cells(glucogen) once in ketosis,your body switches over to it's fat stores.
If you have tried many diets, I highly recommend that you see your doctor and get checked out.
My GP now takes notes from me on weight loss and recommends the Keto diet to other patients.If you are in Sydney ,make an appointment to see Dr Mason and his colleagues.It isn't cheap at $250 a visit,but it is the best money you will ever spend :
Dr Paul Mason
Orthosports clinic
47-49 Burwood Rd,Concord ,02 9744 266 and there is also a clinic at
160 Belmore Rd,Randwick ,02 9399 5333.
Here is a breakdown of what you need to do
1) Cut out ALL sugar,artificial sweeteners,soft drinks,fruit juices and pre -packaged foods.Eat only food you prepare from raw ingredients.
2) Cut out all complex carbohydrates and starches.No bread (white,rye,wholemeal or black) they are all bad for you.
No rice,no soy products,no potatoes, and no vegetable oils.
The only oils that you use are Coconut Oil for cooking and Olive oils for salads.You can also cook in lard ,tallow and my favourite for roasting,Duck Fat.
MOST IMPORTANT: You must limit your meals to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
ABSOLUTELY NO SNACKING BETWEEN MEALS.
After a few weeks on keto you will find that once the sugar is gone ,so will your hunger pangs decrease and soon drop breakfast altogether.You are now intermittently Fasting.On a fast you can still drink coffee or tea,have a cup of bone broth or miso soup.On the 24 hr fasts you can also have a handful of almonds and bone broth in the evening to keep you going.
Is this diet easy? Yes ,compared to many diets,but you still need will power to keep going.Don't worry though,once you get looks of amazement and compliments from those around you it really helps with motivation.You cannot lose weight with high levels of insulin in you.Fasting is a sure fire way to lower your insulin and tap into your fat reserves.Another hormone you must rein in is Cortisol,the Fight or Flight hormone.Stress and lack of sleep triggers it.It shuts down your metabolism so you must try and limit your stress and get at least 6-8 hours of sleep a day.Finally,buy a blood testing kit.You prick your finger and then wipe the blood drop on test strips.There two types of strips.The Blue ones measure your blood glucose,anything under 5.0 is good,I go from an extreme low of 3.1 to a high of 4.9.The β-ketone strips are purple and anything over 0.2 means you are in ketosis.In the first months of the diet I would range from 0.7 on a two meal a day,day to a highest reading of 2.1 ,usually around 1.2 to 1.8.These days as my bodyfat has reduced,by body is much more efficient and I usually get readings of 0.3 on 2 meal days to 0.4 to 0.6 on one meal days.The highest latterday reading was 1.6 but that was after a 54 hour fast.
Here are photos of the apparatus that I use.
This is the Device ,costs around $70
These are the blood glucose test strips.They come in boxes of 100 and around $70
These are the ketone strips.They come in boxes of 10 and cost between $8 to $10.I get mine from ebay where you can get a good deal by buying 10 boxes at a time.Are these test strips necessary? Not really, but there is nothing like concrete evidence to know whether the keto diet is working or not.Get into a routine.Measure at the same time every day.I measure my blood pressure,and take blood readings at 5:30pm.That is before training and the evening meat and 5 hours after lunch.
One thing I forgot to mention is the vitamin supplements Dr Mason put me on.4000mg Fish Oil caps.(2x 2000 mg Odourless Nature's Best),1 x Vitamin D. 1x 500mg High strength B12,and 3x Chromium Picolinate tabs(these help with insulin resistance).I take these first thing in the morning followed by a cup of black coffee (lately I have been adding two large dollops of double cream. A cappucino at 9am for morning tea, a cappucino and a bowl of bone broth at 12pm for lunch. Take bloods at 5:30pm.Training 6-8pm, evening meal (protein,chicken,fish,steak or pork) with mushrooms ,plus a large green salad with fetta and olives.Dessert is a cappucino and almonds.
That has been my daily routine over the last 15 months.I usually nod off around 10:30pm and wake around 5:30 am.
Exercise is needed,but diet is more important. For all you older people,forget what you used to be able to do,Start any exercise program at a gym with a trainer that can spot your mistakes.I now after a year,can start lifting weights that are nowhere near what I used to do in m y 20s.I pulled a groin muscle last January that slowed me down.You will hear a little voice in your head that will urge you to do bigger and bigger weights.That voice belongs to a moron,ignore it and progress in small steps. On the technical lifts the Snatch and Clean and Jerk I am out-lifted by girls half my size. On pure strength lifts like squats and deadlifts I can still perform.There is nothing like watching 20+ kids' jaws drop in amazement as a a 50 year guy matches them in squats and deadlifts.Age is no barrier in getting fitter and stronger.We have ladies in their 60s doing the sport as well as many in their late 40s and 50s.
I apologise for the epic ,Tostoyan length of this blog but feel free to ask any questions.
Replies
Great effort Tom. I am the same age as you so a lot of what you say definitely resonates. I too am trying to lose weight albeit off a lower base- I am 102kg and 183 cm. My only exercise is a regular walk on the beach with the dogs- one hour each day. I have a treadmill and weights gathering dust so I need to try to lift the motivation. My big problem is I always have a big appetite and munch too much between meals, occasional take away meal (once a fortnight or so) I eat a lot of salads and vegetables but probably too much meat, chicken,fish etc. I used to eat a lot of sweets but now I make a fruit salad each night for desert although the Mrs tells me my serves are too large: water melon,orange,passion fruit and mango with Greek yoghurt. What’s the docs view on fruit is that a no because of the fructose? I know a few people who have lost a lot of weight using a similar fasting strategy. They fast two days a week and can pretty much eat what they want on other days, within reason of course.
Anyway keep up the great work, you should be proud of yourself. One other thing i forgot to mention with regards to health, I had (have) lymphoma, a blood cancer and had to have chemo etc. That was five years ago but it made me realise just how important a healthy lifestyle in preventing disease and illness. I live in FNQ but travel to Sydney three times a year to go to Parra games so I might check that doc out.
All the best mate and go the Eels in 18
Unfortunately fruit is too high in sugar.The only fruit I eat is strawberries,rasberries and blueberries.I mix them in greek yoghurt with pumpkin seeds,sunflower seeds and a little psyllium husk for fibre.Even that I limit to weekends only.The fasting method you speak of is not really ideal.It has been shown that people don't lose weight any more effectively.I have a mate who fasts twice a week just so he can have ice cream and Ice Magic.At best,you won't put on weight.With weights you need to do exercises that get all your muscles involved as opposed to the things you can do with home gyms.That's why I joined a gym.We do a lot of weird croissfit type work.One great exercise is loading a wheelbarrow with weights,I had to put on 210kg and try and run 100 metres with it.
In terms of food distribution,the keto eating works out like this, Fat 60%, protein 30% carbs 10% or less.I now physically can't eat as much as I did.My stomach has shrunk.The doc never bothered with percentages.He just told me to eat until I felt full,just to keep the fat intake up.The fat is what enables you avoid the hunger pangs between meals.I just saw a video about how your body deals with fructose and it seems that fructose is dealt with by the liver in the same way as other toxins such as alcohol.Kids are developing fatty livers from the high sugar intake.Hope this helps.
Well done Tom
Were they higher when you were not doing the diet you are undertaking?
My levels were a bit high at first but now are excellent.The good cholesterol is perfect.The "bad" cholesterol is also good."Bad" cholesterol actually has 5 components,if the first 2 are high,it doesn't really matter.But cholesterol tests don't really measure the individual components.Cholesterol levels these days are pretty meaningless.Studies have shown that they are no indicator of increased heart attacks. Some groups of people naturally have higher levels of cholesterol,most likely to being a small population and higher levels of inbreeding,eg the Maltese,no offence intended
Great work Tom!
I'd recommend anyone wanting to give Keto a go to join the group on facebook called Ketogains. There is a lot of different versions to keto, and personally i believe Ketogains recommendations are the most sensible, based on research and results rather than just "Eat more fat". You can obtain specific macros in grams for your height/sex/activity/goal level etc rather than just eat % protein/fat/carbs.
Also wouldn't waste any money on the methods of testing for ketones, as the more fat adapted you become the most efficient you are at burning the ketones for energy meaning you will read as less ketones. Generally anyone under 25grams of carbs will be in ketosis.
Outstanding work Tom, your dedications something to be proud of mate.
I'm doing the keto diet with my gf currently. I'm only looking to drop 5kg in total and my gf only about 3kg but shes a fitness fanatic and wanted to give it a go even though shes thin already. We are only doing it for 3 months. I'm in week 2. Have been doing the blood testing too. I'm on no/very low sugar/carbs and high fat diet. So can't have toast but can have bacon and eggs. It's a strange diet to get used to. No sugar coke is a savior! Already dropped a kilo. Missing orange juice more than anything else.
Close to 5 years ago I dropped 20kg. Went from 92kg to 72kg over an 8 month period. At 72kg though I was pretty skinny and even though I'd been weightlifting I hadn't put on much muscle as my calorie levels were so low to lose the weight.
So I modified my diet to increase calories and put on around 8kg and at one point I was up to 83kg which is around my natural body weight.
In 2016 I worked with a personal trainer and dropped to 77kg with 9.5% body fat. Muscle definition was up, fitness was incredible, 4 pack poked through. Although once I stopped playing football I moved back to 83kg which is around where I sit at the moment and at around 12-15% body fat my abs are nowhere to be seen.
To do all that I've modified my diet a long way from where it was when I was a fat teenager. I rarely eat chips, snacks, lollies etc. (Occasionally at Christmas), I don't eat any fast food (Haven't touched Maccas in about 3 years), and I keep my diet relatively clean. I stick to mainly complex carbs in sweet potato, brown rice and oats, healthy fats in greek yoghurt, fish, almonds and lean protein in chicken and steak. Also plenty of vegetables in there.
Ultimately my diet is geared towards my training, I weight lift 5 times per week and have 2 HIIT conditioning sessions as well. I need carbs to both power my workouts and help me recover
Much of the research around weight loss states that it has to be sustainable. Me at 9.5% body fat was not sustainable given the level of gym and fitness work I had to do and how careful I had to be with my diet. At my current weight, I might not look as good but can definitely maintain it and little alterations to my diet can see more fat come off. It's almost like I can weight cut like a fighter when I want to and then go back to normal.
The biggest thing I learnt over the past 5 years or so is that it will take time regardless of your goal. You didn't get overweight overnight so don't expect to work out for a week and be sculpted like some kind of god.
Spot on Super.I had unrealistic expectations after the very rapid initial weightloss.You have to resign yourself that this is now a life -style.My goal is to halve my starting bodyweight ,say to around 88kg.All my training pals think that is too much,but we shall see.Olympic Weightlifting builds huge muscle mass all over,especially in your back and legs,so it is hard to judge how much fat I've lost and how much muscle I've gained,and how much more I still have to go.I think it will take at least 3 years to be fully lean.I'm planning to get plastic surgery to cut away the overhanging skin of my gut,the "apron",but the surgeons won't even consider starting until all the fat is gone and the skin has contracted as much as it can by itself.
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