Keto Elite Muscle Tech: Your Weight Loss Companion

The ketogenic diet is a popular low-carb, high-fat diet that has been used for weight loss for the past 200 years. It involves drastically lowering your carb intake and consuming fat instead. This helps your body transition into a metabolic state known as ketosis, where your body switches from carbs to fat and ketone bodies as fuel. While it is a popular and effective weight-loss method, many believe that building muscle on keto is difficult or even impossible. This is because your body prefers carbohydrates when you lift weights, and because carbs release insulin, an anabolic hormone. However, recent research shows that even high-level powerlifters make strength gains on a ketogenic diet.

So, how can you start taking keto elite muscle tech if you're overweight? Here are some key things to keep in mind:

- Determine your calorie intake: To build muscle, you need to consistently eat more calories than you burn. Calculate your maintenance calories and aim for a slight calorie surplus of around 350-450 calories above maintenance.

- Eat plenty of protein: Protein is essential for building muscle. Aim for 0.7-0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Don't worry about consuming too much protein kicking you out of ketosis, as studies have shown that people can safely consume up to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight and stay in ketosis.

- Track your carb intake: To stay in ketosis, most people need to eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. You can also try a targeted keto diet, where you consume carbs before or after your workouts to improve performance and recovery.

- Increase your fat intake: After accounting for protein and carbs, fat should make up the rest of your diet. Use healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts, and fatty fish.

- Lift weights regularly: Weight training is crucial for stimulating muscle growth. Aim for progressive overload by gradually increasing the weight or number of reps.

- Consider supplements: While not necessary, supplements like creatine, caffeine, and exogenous ketone supplements can help boost your energy and performance.

Calculate your calorie intake

To calculate your calorie intake, you need to determine your maintenance calories, which is the number of calories you need to consume per day to stay the same weight. This can be done by weighing yourself at least three times a week and recording your food intake over the week with a calorie-tracking app. If your weight stays the same, that is roughly your maintenance calories. Alternatively, you can use an online calorie calculator.

When trying to build muscle, it is recommended to increase your calorie intake by 15% above your maintenance calories. For example, if your maintenance calories are 2,000 per day, you should eat 2,300 calories per day to build muscle. As you build muscle, it is a good idea to adjust your calorie intake once a month to account for changes in your weight. It is recommended to gain no more than 0.25-0.5% of your body weight per week to prevent accumulating too much fat.

To build muscle on a keto diet, you should calculate your calorie, protein, carb, and fat needs based on your weight and lifestyle factors. The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. To transition into ketosis, people typically need to consume fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day, while getting the rest of their calories from a high-fat, moderate-protein diet.

Eat enough protein

Protein is one of the three macronutrients, along with carbohydrates and fat. It is essential for muscle growth and repair, and it also helps with weight loss. When following a ketogenic diet, it is important to ensure you are consuming enough protein to support muscle growth and maintenance.

The recommended amount of protein for individuals on a ketogenic diet is generally between 20 to 30 percent of their total calorie intake. However, a more precise way to calculate protein needs is by grams per kilogram of body weight (g/kg body weight). For example, if you are a male who engages in heavy weight lifting, you may want to aim for the higher end of the protein range, whereas a smaller female who doesn't lift weights may need less protein.

According to ketogenic diet experts, the ideal protein range is between 1.2-2.0 g/kg body weight. To calculate this, you can divide your target weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. Then, multiply that number by 1.2 to get the lower end of your target protein range, and by 2.0 to get the higher end.

For instance, if your target weight is 150 pounds, divide it by 2.2, which gives you approximately 68 kilograms. Then, multiply 68 by 1.2 to get 81.6 grams of protein as the lower end of your range, and by 2.0 to get 136 grams as the higher end.

Sources of Protein on a Ketogenic Diet

There are several keto-friendly foods that are rich in protein:

• Meats: beef, chicken, pork, fish/shellfish, etc.
• Eggs: chicken eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs, etc.
• Dairy: cheese, plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese
• Nuts and seeds: peanuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, etc.
• Protein supplements: protein powders, shakes

It is important to note that some protein sources, such as breaded or battered meats, meats in sugary sauces, milk, and sweetened yogurts, are high in carbohydrates and should be avoided on a ketogenic diet.

Tips for Getting Enough Protein on Keto

• A piece of meat the size of a deck of cards typically contains around 20 grams of protein. Most people need at least 60 grams of protein per day, so aim to include at least this amount of meat in each meal.
• Spread your protein intake evenly throughout the day. Protein is very filling, so it can be challenging to meet your goal if you try to consume all your protein in one meal.
• Nuts, seeds, and cheese can help boost your protein intake. However, if weight loss is your goal, be cautious as these foods are also high in calories.
• Meat and protein powder are the easiest ways to significantly increase your protein intake.

Protein may slightly increase blood sugar levels through a process called gluconeogenesis, where amino acids from protein are converted into sugar. However, this effect is generally not significant, and protein can even help reduce blood sugar spikes when consumed with carbohydrates.

In summary, consuming enough protein is crucial for muscle maintenance and growth, and it offers several advantages for weight loss. On a ketogenic diet, aim for a protein intake of 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of target body weight. By incorporating protein-rich foods into your meals and following the tips provided, you can ensure you are getting sufficient protein to support your muscle-building goals.

Track your carb intake

Tracking your carb intake is a crucial part of staying in ketosis and ensuring you're getting the right nutrients. Here are some steps to help you monitor your carb intake:

Identify Food Items

Begin by identifying all the individual food items in your meal. If you're cooking from a recipe, list out each ingredient used. For pre-packaged foods, you can skip this step and move on to the next one.

Calculate Serving Sizes

If your food comes with a nutrition label, you can easily determine the serving size and the number of servings per container. For foods without labels, such as fresh produce, you can use the USDA Food Search tool to look up their nutritional information.

Determine Carb Content

Once you know the serving size, you can find the carb content per serving. Multiply this by the number of servings you consumed to get the total carb content of the food item.

Convert to Calories

To get the total calories derived from carbohydrates, multiply the total carb content by 4.

Estimate Consumption

Estimate how much of the dish you consumed as a fraction. For example, if you ate half the dish, that would be 0.5. Multiply this fraction by the total grams and calories derived from carbs to get your consumption.

Track Over Time

Repeat this process for each meal and snack throughout the day. This will help you understand your eating habits and make any necessary adjustments.

Additionally, there are apps and tools available that can assist with carb tracking, such as Calorie Counter by Yazio, which has a searchable database of foods, or MyFitnessPal, which allows you to scan barcodes to input nutritional information.

Increase your fat intake

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves drastically lowering your carb intake and consuming fat instead. This helps your body transition into a metabolic state known as ketosis. When you're in ketosis, your body switches from carbs to fat and ketone bodies as fuel.

• Make any hot beverage a delicious, creamy drink. Try sugar-free hot chocolate with MCT oil or powder, grass-fed butter, coconut cream, and cacao butter.
• Use vegetables as a vehicle for fat. Drizzle extra virgin avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil over salads, raw vegetables, or cooked vegetables. You can also use high-fat dressings such as full-fat dairy or dairy-free yogurt and mayonnaise.
• Find your favorite fat bomb recipe. Fat bombs are the ultimate keto treat and can help increase your fat intake. They usually include a base, flavors and add-ins, and sweeteners (optional).
• Choose fatty cuts of red meat, fatty fish, and poultry with the skin on.
• When you are craving a snack, choose something fatty like canned sardines packed in olive oil or full-fat dairy or dairy-free yogurt (no added sugar).
• Garnish your dishes with high-fat foods like cheese, avocados, and cured meat.
• Eat whole, full-fat ingredients. Say goodbye to low-fat and fat-free products and embrace fatty cuts of meat, salmon, sardines, avocados, and eggs.
• Use different fats for different flavors. Fats can change the flavor of a dish, adding variety to your meals. For example, try cooking your vegetables in peanut oil and drizzling with sesame oil for an Asian-inspired variation.
• Top any dish with oil, dressing, sauces, or butter. Drizzle oil or pour on dressing, spoon on Hollandaise, ladle on flourless gravy, dollop on sour cream, spread on mayo, or melt butter on top of your dish.
• Ensure your snacks contain fat. Reach for a real-food snack with plenty of protein combined with fat, such as hard-boiled eggs, cheese, and nuts.
• Add a low-carb cheese course to your meals. Cheese can be a simple addition to any meal and can help you feel satisfied.
• Blend fat into your coffee or tea. Adding coconut oil, melting butter, or pouring in heavy whipping cream into your drinks is a quick and easy way to increase your fat intake.
• Consider a fat bomb for dessert. Look for dessert recipes that are low in sugar and artificial sweeteners, such as unsweetened heavy whipped cream on raspberries.

Remember, while increasing your fat intake is crucial on the keto diet, it's important not to overdo it. Fat has a lot of calories and not many nutrients, so add enough fat for enjoyment or extra calories if needed, but don't add more than you need.

Resistance train regularly

Resistance training is a key component of building muscle. It is recommended to engage in resistance training at least twice a week to promote muscle growth effectively. This type of training typically involves lifting weights or performing other strength-based exercises to build strength and gain muscle mass.

When starting a resistance training program, it is important to learn the proper techniques to maximise your efforts and reduce the risk of injury. Consider hiring a personal trainer or working with a professional to ensure you are using the correct form and technique. Additionally, when beginning a new exercise program, it is normal to experience some muscle soreness as your body adjusts to the new movements.

• Squats
• Bench presses
• Pullups
• Pushups
• Lunges
• Leg press
• Bicep curls
• Tricep extensions
• Shoulder press

It is important to note that the number of repetitions and sets may vary depending on your fitness level and training goals. Start with a weight that you can lift comfortably and gradually increase the weight as you build strength. Aim for 2-3 sessions per week, performing 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per exercise.

Remember to always warm up before resistance training and allow for adequate rest and recovery between sessions.

Frequently asked questions