Meet Gregory, a writer and the brains behind Face Dragons. He's the go-to guy for getting things done. Gregory's been living the digital nomad life in Asia for as long as anyone can remember, helping clients smash their goals. He writes on topics like software, personal knowledge management (PKM), and personal development. When he's not writing, you'll catch him at the local MMA gym, nose buried in a book, or just chilling with the family.
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