Two months into the ketogenic diet, I’m making good progress. In this post, I want to show my progress pictures and record what I’ve been eating and working out while on the keto diet.
My Goals
When I restarted keto 60 days ago, I had a few goals in mind.
- Lose Fat – I’d put on a little weight trying to bulk with carbs and wanted to get rid of it.
- Reclaim my mental clarity – After going back to carbs, I noticed a significant decrease in focus and concentration, and waking up early was more difficult.
- Gain muscle and strength – this is my long-term goal. Once the belly fat is gone, I’ll increase the calories and make some lean gains.
Where Am I Two Months Later?
After two months of doing keto, I weigh 69kg. I started at 74kg, so I’ve lost a total of 5kg (11lbs.)
My Diet Changed this Month
My diet has had to change a little due to the covid situation here. I’m currently locked down in China and haven’t been able to get deliveries. Luckily I filled my freezer before we got locked down.
But I haven’t had any bacon, salmon, or chicken wings recently. Instead, I’ve been mainly eating steak, eggs, and tuna mayonnaise. I’ve had to limit how much I eat every day because I don’t want to run out of food before the lockdown gets lifted.
I’ve also been eating a lot of cream mixed with protein powder to fill in the calorie gaps in my diet.
Of course, I’ve still had a keto coffee every morning!
What About My Workouts?
Despite losing some strength in the first month of keto, I’ve gained back the strength I lost now, and my workouts are progressing again.
I’ve changed my workouts because I’m not eating as much and wanted a change. As a result, I’m doing slightly less volume than I usually do. I’m now doing only five exercises per workout and one hard set per exercise.
After six weeks, I will assess if the lack of volume is a problem. I’m working out six days a week, so it may not be an issue.
Problems I’ve noticed over the last 69 Days on Keto
The one problem I have detected is a lack of focus and some afternoon tiredness. After lunch, I noticed I find it harder to work than in the mornings. Here are the reasons that might be causing it:
- I’m tired! We have been woken up by 6 am megaphones here every day for over four weeks for mandatory covid testing.
- Not enough calories. As I said, I’ve reduced the amount I eat to get through the lockdown.
- Not enough fat – My macros may be a little off without any bacon, salmon, or chicken wings.
- Electrolyte imbalance – I’ve mainly been salting my food with pink Himalayan salt, which contains plenty of sodium. Still, I am likely missing magnesium and potassium without fresh leafy vegetables, avocados, etc.
Plan for the Next Month
- Get out of Lockdown – should be free by the end of the week.
- Restock my freezer with high-fat items – I’m thinking bacon, ribs, chicken wings, and salmon.
- Eat more green veg and avocados for magnesium and potassium.
- Switch to a low sodium salt (it contains potassium.)
- Increase my calories – I’m not counting calories. I’m just going to eat more.
- Add some cardio to my workouts – Rowing machine after my lifting weights
- Eat less cream – cream does contain carbs, and I’ve likely been eating 200g of it every day, which is about 7g of carbs.
Learn From My Mistakes this Month: What You Can Do to Lose Weight on Keto
- Keep Your Macros
- Balance your Electrolytes
- Include Foods You Like
- Weight train and do some cardio
- Stay hydrated