Here are the specific numbers I obtained on the various days after the 2 day induction I described in Part 3 of this series.
I will be starting the numbering series with #1 which was the first day AFTER the induction. In other words this is the first day of the 8 day routine I described in the last blog, 200 to 400 calories and 10ish grams of carbs as my usual daily intake.
Please note you will see references in my notes to dropping body weight. While this was a pleasant side effect of this diet and I suspected it would have to happen it was by no means the main goal. The main goal was to experience CRKD and see how I tolerated it.
Abbreviations. FBS= fasting blood sugar. Ketones = Ketones in millimoles Wt= how much I weighed at a specific time. BW=Body water as measured on a Tanita Iron man Scale for hydration status. BF= Body Fat on the same scale* MR is the metabolic rate at the time via the same scale (although once for correlation I used a Body Gem device).
I used an Abbott Precision Xtra to measure my sugars and blood ketones. I did not look at urinary ketones primarily because if you are truly using ketones for fuel you should not see a lot of them in your urine. Your body should be gobbling them up for food and not peeing them out. Then again at $5 a strip for blood ketones, I can see why people opt for urine testing!
You will notice that occasionally I added some numbers after “eating” exercising etc. in addition to the fasting dry weight numbers first thing in the morning.
You will also notice I left the original “notes” from my diary in some cases so you can see what I was feeling and thinking at the time.
Baseline prior to starting the full blown calorie restriction/ketosis 8 day portion:
Body weight 200.8 FBS 96 (normal is considered 80 to 100)
Day 1 197.8 FBS 74 neg ketones
Day 2 195 .5 FBS 68 Ketones 0.3 I did an evening Interval session on the Airdyne cycle consisting of 8 rounds of 3 minutes at 85 to 92% of max heart rate with 2 minute rest intervals in between. I did not feel fatigued during this session.
Day 3 water only until 330 PM Fasting AM Dry wt 193.4 FBS 77 ketones positive at 1.1 mmol
At 3 PM calf fasciculations and minor cramps with exertion plan is to intake protein before night time work out. Noticing some tiredness but could easily be from poor sleep (unrelated!) NO serious hunger pangs at this point interested to see how exercise goes. I think I can hang in with this for a few more days with no problem. I am encouraged by the wt loss though it has to be water!
7:30 PM Glucose 45 min post soup is 66
End of the day tally total soups 3 total carbs 9 grams +almond milk total calories 270 plus almond milk.
Day 4 Plan water and coffee only Dry wt 192 not sure why I have a feeling this is the body wt plateau and that further losses will be less I would like to get to 188 and see how I look! Today BWater is 55.9 BFat 13% on athlete’s measure Post water lemon and coffee sugar is 71 ketones 0.8. Going to try gym next and possibly running!
Got back from gym a bit shaky and mild light headedness Ketones down to 0.6 glucose is 87 This is shocking to me unless this is the result of exercise I find it hard to believe that anything I have put in my body today could be used as non ketotic fuel! Not hungry though plan to run next will do a 90 cal soup,
From 7 PM to 11 PM Wound up having a total of 3 soups over 4 hours! Wt 192 Once I ate one it seemed like my appetite came back although I did run 5 K and go to the gym and lifted weights.
Calorie wise I am golden and should be lighter tomorrow morning. I will be excited to be 190 and am guessing it will take until Tuesday to get in that range solidly although I have dropped 1.5 pounds or more each day I am not sure why I believe the weight to be mainly water and expect it to plateau. More tired than usual earlier than usual but caffeine intake is lowered as well.
Day 5 Wt this am is 189.9 and it shows . My body has sucked down and in spite of having the strength in the gym yesterday the muscle mass is clearly less in my upper body.
FBS 47 Ketones 2.2 both the most extreme I have had so far but I feel fine not hungry Cut down on fish oil and coffee doses because they are so effective now. I think this is kinda fun but I am a bit concerned about muscle mass and energy so far I can’t complain, I keep waiting for the s to hit the fan and it doesn’t …appetite is only a problem when I eat!!! Tonight’s outing will be interesting. I think I have finally hit ketosis and this is where the real weight and fat loss is going to happen.
Body Water was clearly the lowest in a while 54.8% fat 14+ % again highest ever in recent thanks to Body Water being low. Fasciculations and near cramp in rt Calve. Need to stay hydrated coffee is diuretic.
Note: after spending the entire night with my calves doing St Vitus’ Dance I discovered that plain old salt in the form of Bragg’s aminos solves the problem of cramps, fasciculations and dehydration (duh! Water follows salt). Laughing because all of my medical training has been to vilify salt consumption and focus on magnesium and potassium replacement with absolutely NO RELIEF!!! All I needed all these years of was salt and water. Blood Pressure is 110/62 Heart rate a bit elevated at 62 resting.
Day 6 ran out of glucose strips but ketones are a new high of 3.3 so I think my glucose must be on the lower side. Had to do some snow blowing fairly hard work and now I am hungry going for soup and cider amino water. Fingers are getting a bit sore on left hand from repeated finger sticks!
Day 7 Wts were up to 192.2 well hydrated at 9.6% body fat and 59.9% body water no cramps or fasciculations again thanks to the cumulative increase in salt intake,
Ketones are at starvation level 4.1 the highest ever. I am not hungry I think I will go to low carb diet slowly introducing with juice for 2 days when I am actually done here. Clearly I would have to be super dehydrated to hit 185 lbs and the lack of being able to stay up etc is beginning to create a pressure situation with my work. I will be happy if I can get back to 189. Last night I had a total of 3 soups again and this must be what is causing the water retention along with a significant amount of salt I had with the soups and Braggs aminos. So I will have to back off those a bit, I want to work out today as well as time permits! Interesting experiment.
Day 7 nighttime post gym and 4 mile treadmill run about 2 hours post glucose 67 ( water lemon and small amount of aminos) handful of nuts and a few marys gone crackers wt 191 bw 60% bf 9.6% BP 114/66 hr 69 post bath.
Day 8 wt 189.4 BW 58.8% BF 10% RMR 2060 via body gem FBS 62 ketones 6.1 which would now be considered starvation range. BP 110/61 Pulse 72 resting.
Started to get woozy tired and hungry late in the day. But I Held it together until 2 AM call, I think I would have been fine had I slept through the night but such is the life of a doctor. After the call I was starving and ate several bowls of cereal and “lo carb” bread. I justified this by saying to myself I had gone a full day longer than I set out to when I started this. Still it was a total carb pig out and I paid the price in GI distress. You do not want to reintroduce food this way!!!
Final official entry Day 9 wt 192.4 Body Fat 9% BW 60% did not run numbers will go back on less restricted higher but not high carb diet with more calories. You would think that as long as I stay below RMR levels I should slowly continue to lose weight the right way. There are however the endless water shifts to contend with!
OK now the comment about Fish Oil. I can honestly say that I skipped doses to about every other day and reduced the dose to between 1 and 3 capsules on days I took it. This is the first time in 14 years I have missed this much and taken this little.
Why? Well if you have read any of my stuff about the Omega6/3 ratios or better yet attended my teleseminar you know the answer or can give it an educated guess.
I will cover this and much more in the next and final blog!
Doc
hum self experimentation, good to see a doctor actually try to learn about diets and how they affect you some do not because they are not overweight but deal with overweight unhealthy people all the time, but yet are quick to tell them (me included everytime I see him except this last time)lose weight you need to do something about your weight, or your weight is up from last time, that sorta thing, sorry doctors but overweight and obese already are aware of they are obese and do not need to be constantly browbeaten about it,, it is not like they have not tried to, give us some really good advice that actually addresses the underlying cause please, something that actually works long term. for me low carb diets don’t work the only thing finally finally addressing my problem is vitad3, b, and c, some minerals supplementation, lots and lots of fresh fruit the most whole grain I can get and frankly stop trying to dictate to my body what to eat. listening to my body has reduced the symptoms I have suffered for like forever. to long to list but they are reversing, not fast mind you, but I notice it. we are the most malnourished society in America (cant speak for other countries) and many do not even know it including people who seem healthy and are thin. rda for vita are way to low for most people, except for the healthiest, if your operating at a deficiet you need to megadose to make up for it,
I had to literally megadose on my vita c, b, d3 minerals to see symptomic reversal I had to eat 10 servings or more of fresh fruit 5 or more servings of whole grain, make sure I have plenty of nuts to put into my cereal, and fruit in my oatmeal, and use a lower carb sweetner like truvia, for when I need a little sweetness in my cereal. by the way 60’s blood sugar seems a little low, sure your not hypoglycemic? now I have reduced my vitamin because I have shown vast improvements, which means I am on the right track. I bet when you started you had to run to the bathroom a lot more as you blew through your glycogen stores. at least when you recommend a diet to some one you understand what they are up against and can have compassion. even a willingness to look past the ‘lack of willpower’ for them when they cant stick to it or get to hungry or gain weight back and can then troubleshoot rather than shake the finger at them accusing them of moral weakness without actually saying it.