As the world has slowed down over quarantine, we’ve all learned plenty of lessons. Whether those have to do with appreciation, relationships, time management, or health, it’s likely you’ve discovered things about your day-to-day life that you didn’t know before. In this episode, Robin shares a few of the top lessons she’s learned during quarantine.
She shares ways she’s learned to manage her daily consumption of information, the importance of prioritizing your immune health, and how she’s gained a new appreciation for the little things. Join Robin in this episode to learn more about the lessons she’s learned and how they can help you.
Show highlights: what you can look forward to in this episode!
How the pandemic has highlighted the gift of digital connection
How The Sisterhood has allowed for support and connection
How Robin prioritizes the little things in day-to-day life
Why who we listen to and what we consume on a daily basis matters
The importance of good health and strong immune systems
If you’re curious about where fruits and other foods such as potatoes fall on the “healthy eating” spectrum, you should check out the Nerd Fitness Diet guide and cheat sheet. It’s a level up system designed for you to adopt new healthy habits that will stick, by slowly progressing you from a newbie to an expert.
You can check it out for free when you join the Rebellion!
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
Is Fruit Good for you?
As we lay out in our “Healthy Eating” guide, fruit is absolutely healthy and can help you reach your goals – in the right quantities.[1]
There is A LOT of evidence that the excessive intake of added sugar is indeed harmful to human health. Study[5] after study[6] after study[7] shows the adverse effects of added sugar into the diet. Fruit contains fructose, which is a sugar.
Sugar is a carbohydrate. If you’re following the Keto Diet, the Paleo Diet, or any other low-carb plan, you need to limit the number of carbs you eat – which includes sugar.
If you’re not doing Keto, you don’t need to worry about that second point, because you aren’t eliminating carbs.
But how about the first one? Is the sugar in fruit harmful for us?
In one word: no.
Fruits are loaded with fiber and water, so it’s not strictly composed of fructose.
It also takes a decent amount of effort to chew an actual piece of fruit.
All of this slows down the absorption of fructose from the fruit.
According to Dr. Ludwig of Harvard Medical School, if you eat a whole fruit, it’s difficult to consume enough fructose to be harmful.[8]
Notice that caveat “whole fruit.” This is critical and deserves its own section.
But first…
Is Eating Fruit Good for Weight Loss?
We’ve established that fruit is good for you.
That news shocks exactly no one.
But is fruit good for weight loss?
To answer that question, let’s consider two points:
#1) Fruit can be generally low in calories.
Here is 200 calories worth of an apple (thanks to WiseGEEK):
Compare that to 200 calories worth of a bagel:
#2) Fruit can be satiating.
Fruit can help kill hunger or scratch that “I WANT SUGAR” itch. When you eat 200 calories worth of an apple, it can help make you feel fairly full.
When you eat 200 calories worth of bread, you haven’t even finished a single bagel yet.
Studies done on the satiating power of different foods have shown fruit to be some of the most satisfying food studied. People feel more full from eating an apple or an orange than from eating beef or eggs.[9]
In summary: Fruit can be high in nutrients, low in calories, and can help us feel full.
As we discuss in our Guide to Healthy Eating, this is a great recipe for successful weight loss.
So yes, fruit can indeed be part of a meal plan to lose weight.
We need to stop and make a point here: fruit, like every other food, obeys the laws of thermodynamics. Meaning the calories in fruit will still contribute to your total daily calorie goal.
Why does this matter?
Weight loss comes down to eating fewer calories than you burn.
Yes, there’s nuance, hormones messing with our hunger signals, and so on. But successful weight loss depends on consuming fewer calories than you expend consistently.
If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to establish calorie goals. Fruit can factor into those goals and the calories should be accounted for.
This means that even with all the nutrients and fiber, eating all of your meals along with 30 bananas a day will result in you wondering “Why can’t I lose weight?”
Save that for Donkey Kong:
Where fruit can really get you into trouble is if you start to move in the direction of “fruit-like.” We’ll jump to that with our next section.
First, if you are trying to lose weight and wondering where fruit fits into the equation, I want you to know you’re on the right track.
Lots of our coaching clients come to us with all sorts of different fitness questions, like what to eat and how to exercise, proving we all start from unique situations. The important thing is that you’re beginning to ask questions and looking for answers.
If you want help on your journey, we’re here for you. Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program partners busy people just like you with a coach who will get to know you better than you know yourself.
Is Fruit Juice Healthy?
While fruit can 100% be part of a healthy diet, “fruit like things” don’t get our stamp of approval.
Without the fiber, water, and intact cell walls of the fruit, your body will absorb the fructose very quickly.[10]
Not good.
Let’s chat specifically about “drinkable” fruit first:
#1) Fruit juices (cranberry juice, orange juice, grape juice): these are high calorie, sugar-filled beverages.
For example, here are the calories in one 8 oz serving of:
Apple Juice: 103 calories, 22 g of sugar
Orange Juice: 103 calories, 18 g of sugar
Grape Juice: 136 calories, 32 g of sugar
For reference, an 8 ounce glass of Coca-Cola would have about 26 grams of sugar.
2) Fruit Smoothies: Just because it’s a fruit smoothie doesn’t mean it won’t make you fat! Have you seen the calorie count and sugar content of smoothies and ‘green drinks’? Yikes.
Green Machine Naked Juice (15.2 oz or 450 ml bottle): 270 calories, 53 g of sugar.
Smoothie King Banana Boat (20 oz or 591 ml smoothie): 450 calories, 70 g of sugar.
Another “fruit like thing” we need to talk about is dried fruit.
Dried fruits are notoriously easy to overeat because they are so small. Since the water has been taken out, all that’s left is the sugar and fiber.
Here’s 1 serving of raisins, which is 108 calories and 21 g of sugar:
If you are saying “oh man, I eat 5x that many raisins when I eat them…” then multiply those calorie and sugar numbers by 5!
Per weight, all dried fruit will be higher in calories and sugar than its “whole fruit” counterpart.
The other thing to consider is that sugar is often ADDED to dried fruit to make it even sweeter.
Consider these banana chips:
Second ingredient after dried banana? “Organic sugar.”
An ounce of these banana chips is going to run you about 147 calories and 10 grams of sugar (17g for total carbs).
For comparison, an ounce of a regular banana is about 25 calories.
You really have to be careful with dried fruit because it’s so easy to overeat.
However, this isn’t the only place where sugar is added to fruit.
Is Canned Fruit Healthy?
The big concern with canned fruit is the syrup that is often included with it.
What’s in the syrup? Sugar. Of course it’s sugar.
Let’s take a look at Del Monte’s canned peaches:
The syrup here is composed of “high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, and sugar.”
Let’s compare the canned fruit to a normal peach you’d pick from a tree:
Del Monte’s Canned Peaches (in heavy syrup):
Serving size: 256g
Calories: 200
Total Sugar: 42g
Total Carbohydrates: 50g
Extra Large Peach
Serving size: 224g
Calories: 88
Total Sugar: 19g
Total Carbohydrates: 21g
When you package peaches this way you DOUBLE the calories and the sugar content.
This is why you should always read the nutrition label when purchasing canned fruit (although it’s a good habit in general).
To summarize the last few sections: fruit is healthy, provided you stick to fresh or frozen and not fruit-like food, dried fruit, or canned fruit packed in syrup.
If you enjoy a small glass of orange juice occasionally, or you pack a serving of raisins in your lunch and it makes life worth living, by all means!
Just don’t chug OJ by the gallon, drink a 64 oz “real fruit smoothie,” and eat raisins by the handful and then wonder why you’re not losing weight.
AVERAGE CALORIE AND SUGAR CONTENT of popular FRUIT
The best way to paint a picture of sugar and calorie content of fruit is with some actual serving sizes.
If you’re targeting 2,500 calories a day, and your meals are bringing you up to about 2,300 calories, you know you can fit in a couple of bananas for a snack.
If you’re following a low-carb diet, and you have about 10 net carbs left in your daily allowance, you know you can eat a handful of raspberries and still meet your goals.
Building a Healthy Plate (Next Steps)
Like anything else, Nerd Fitness recommends fresh fruit in moderation.
Except for awesomeness.
You can have as much of that as you want.
Back to fruit! We recommend eating a healthy combination of vegetables, protein, and healthy fats.
Your “healthy carb” could 100% be a serving of fruit.
Of any type of fruit!
The different colors of fruit will correspond to different nutrients, so go wild![11] Try different fruits and experiment with new kinds. Keep rotating to ensure you give lots of different vitamins and minerals.
If you’re trying to lose weight, just remember to watch your overall calorie intake (fruit included).
You got this!
Still here? Want some more help starting your fitness journey?
Alright, I’ll give you my favorite next steps. But only caused you asked nicely.
#1) Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:
Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, a supportive online community group challenges, and much more!
#3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so.
I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
Okay enough about me, let’s talk about you:
Do you LOVE fruit?
How do you compose a healthy plate?
Any great snack or recipe ideas?
For the Rebellion!
-Steve
PS: Make sure you read our Full Guide on Healthy Eating if you are just starting to level up your nutrition game.
Read “Health-Promoting Components of Fruits and Vegetables in the Diet.” Source, PubMed.
Read “Whole Fruits and Fruit Fiber Emerging Health Effects.” Source, PubMed.
Read “Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables.” Source, PubMed.
Read, “Adverse metabolic effects of dietary fructose: results from the recent epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic studies.” Source, PubMed.
Read, “Consuming fructose-sweetened, not glucose-sweetened, beverages increases visceral adiposity and lipids and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese humans.” Source, PubMed.
Read, “Potential role of sugar (fructose) in the epidemic of hypertension, obesity and the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease.” Source, PubMed.
Read, “Examining the Health Effects of Fructose.” Source, JAMA.
Read, “A satiety index of common foods.” Source, PubMed.
Read, “Examining the Health Effects of Fructose.” Source, JAMA.
This article has a great explanation of different colors and the nutrients they contain.
from Blog – Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/2m41AEB
via IFTTT
This prone song workout will move to the beat of the music, using easy-to-follow choreography. The song we’ll be moving to today is Gooey by Glass Animals. Maybe not your typical “workout song” but one of my favorites.
I’ve done videos like this using light hand weights for arms in the past:
They’re fun and quick, and after getting requests for more, I decided to put some new ones together. This prone song workout is up on YouTube for all, but if you want more, become a Patreon member. On Patreon, I have another arm song with light weights, another prone song but with a glutes focus, and two core songs (one plank-based, one crunch-based).
Prone Song Workout
Song workouts are quick and fun, meant to be tacked on to the end of a longer workout or perhaps cardio (a run, a bike ride, etc.). For that reason, there is no guided warm up or cool down with these (here’s a separate warm up you can do if you’re going into this cold). We’ll move to the beat of the music using easy-to-follow choreography.
In this prone song, we’ll be focused on the posterior chain, in particular the mid back area (so important for good posture!) and arms.
Song Breakdown
In above video, song starts at 2:47
Arms lift
Arms lift with spinal extension
Hold spinal extension and arms lift
Hold spinal extension and arms sweep
x2
Hold spinal extension and legs hover, triceps bend-stretch
Depending on how you want to feel about rice, you can point to either of the following studies:
People that live in Okinawa (home to Mr. Miyagi!), with the highest life expectancy on the planet, eat a lot of rice.[1] Rice HAS to be good for you then. Team Rice!
People of the Marshall Islands, home to one of the highest rates of Type 2 diabetes on the planet, eat a lot of rice.[2] Rice is the devil! Team No Rice!
Feel free to pick one of the above studies to show that you’re right and superior compared to the other team. It’s like opposing political parties (rice vs no rice) that staunchly follow party lines.
Now, if you haven’t made up your mind on rice (you’re an independent!), or you’ve been avoiding it because you’ve gone Paleo, keep reading. Or maybe you’re up for, gasp, changing parties!
Let’s dig into this election! Feel free to listen to “Hail to the Chief (but just the part you know)” while reading the rest of this.
What exactly is rice?
Rice is technically a seed of the grass species. It comes in many varieties, it’s a grain that doesn’t contain gluten (unlike some other grains), and its macronutrient breakdown is generally something like (in 1 cup of cooked rice):
200ish calories
0-1 gram of fat
45ish g of carbohydrates
4-5 grams of protein
Now, depending on how you currently view your diet, you might have a few key thoughts looking at that list above. “45 grams of carbs! That’s bad! Carbs are bad because I read it somewhere! Rice? Ah!”
The reality is this: carbs are neither inherently good nor bad. Kind of like The Force in Star Wars; the Force can be used for good or evil purposes, but it’s inherently neutral:
Meaning quantity and quality matter.
Rice can be part of a bad (unhealthy) or good (healthy) diet completely dependent upon your goals and lifestyle:
Are you in the process of building muscle and getting bigger? Rice is a cheap source of high calorie, high-carbohydrate food, easily digestible, and helpful in running a caloric surplus.
Trying to lose weight? You might be trying to lose weight and find that eating a lot of rice is putting you over your calorie and carb goals for the day, so you may choose to eat less or avoid the food entirely.
Let’s chat about that last point a little bit more.
Is Rice Fattening?
At the end of the day, consuming more calories than you burn will add weight to your frame in the long term, and vice versa.
This is Food Science 101, and it will be on your midterm exam.
Here’s the thing: there’s nothing special about rice that will make you fat. It will contribute to your total daily calories just like any other food.
However, we should address this: rice is easy to overeat if you don’t understand portion sizes.
Carbohydrates like potatoes, bread, and rice are often overconsumed, which can lead to extra calories without realizing it.
It’s a point we strike hard in our Guide to Healthy Eating. That’s why understanding portion size is everything when it comes to carbohydrates like rice.
Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):
Again, that cup of rice would be about 200 calories.
Another good indicator of portion size would be your hands, as demonstrated by our friendly neighborhood web-slinger:
The morale of this section: whether or not eating rice is fattening depends on how much you eat.
In fact, this is true with just about any food you consume, unless you’re hanging out in Neverland:
If you’ve been having trouble losing weight, analyze your servings of carbs. With our coaching clients, it’s often the case that those who are having trouble losing weight are eating more than they realize.
What’s the Difference Between Brown Rice and White Rice?
“Does getting white rice at Chipotle instead of brown rice make me a bad person? Everybody tells me brown rice is better!”
There’s a prevailing thought in society that eating the brown option of a certain food is better than the white option:
Wheat bread instead of white bread
Whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta
Brown rice instead of white rice
Like many things, this sentiment has been oversimplified to the point of being unhelpful. What you really want to know is this:
If this was a rice presidential election – a Rice-idential election, if you will, who should I vote for?
Let’s start here: what makes white rice white and brown rice brown, other than color? It all depends on the milling process. You can see here highlighted by Riceland, which is less fun than Disneyland but probably safer than Zombieland:
In milling, brown rice loses only a bit of the top layer above; the non-edible hull goes, but the bran, and germ remain. White rice removes it all; the hull, awn, bran and berm are all gone, leaving behind the endosperm.
So let’s take a look at our two candidates for the Rice-idency: On one side of the ballot, we have 1 cup of Enriched White Rice:
On the other side, we have 1 cup of Brown Rice.
They both are running on the platform of “Make carbs great again!” but they have some distinguishing characteristics that make their campaigns slightly different.
Here’s how cooked white rice and brown rice compare:
Brown rice has 43 more calories per cup than white rice.
Brown rice has 7g more carbohydrates per cup than white rice.
Brown rice has more micronutrients: magnesium (79mg vs 19mg), more phosphorus (208mg vs 68gm), and more potassium (174mg vs 55). It also has a lot of manganese, selenium, and copper.
Brown rice has a lower glycemic index than white rice, meaning it is broken down by your body slower – and causes a lower insulin response.
Now, you’re looking at those things above and probably thinking:
“Okay so brown rice has more calories and carbs, that’s bad and I don’t want to vote for that candidate!
Wait, it has more micronutrients and a lower glycemic index. I think that’s good and I should vote for that candidate.”
And then your head explodes.
Like any election, there are positives and negatives to either candidate, and as you’ll see soon enough – neither one is an angel. In this election, the differences in nutritional terms are negligible from the highest macro-level (aka the big policy points). So from a purely caloric and macro-nutrition standpoint, we recommend simply letting your tastebuds decide if you choose to vote:
If you like the taste of brown rice more than white rice, eat that.
If you like the taste of white rice more than brown rice, eat that.
That’s the simplified way of looking at it. If one digs into the nitty-gritty of both campaigns, we’ll discover that there’s more than meets the eye.
Like Transformers.
Speaking of rice and all of this good stuff, we’ve built a 10-level Nutritional System that you can follow along with for free – it’ll help you level up your nutrition slowly over time so you can lose weight permanently without driving yourself crazy! You can get our free guide along with a bunch of others when you sign up in the box below!
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
White vs Brown Rice: Our Recommendation
For those wanting to nerd out, welcome to the full coverage of the upcoming Rice-idential elections!
Our candidate Brown Rice is running on a platform of more micronutrients for every citizen, something White Rice can’t claim.
However, like any campaign, the whole truth isn’t being represented.
In fact, my research led me to believe that there are two key problems with Brown Rice that keep me from casting my vote for Brown.
You see, brown rice contains something called Phytate, an anti-nutrient that minimizes our body’s ability to absorb the beneficial nutrients.[3]Phytate (phytic acid) is found in most seeds, legumes, nuts, and grains…including rice.
Phytic acid is contained in the part that’s removed from white rice. So brown rice has it, and white rice doesn’t.
This is when White Rice comes in to say “I don’t have any of this stuff, vote for me!”
On top of that, because White Rice is enriched, it closes a lot of the gap between micronutrients, and because there are no phytates around, these nutrients can be fully absorbed by the body. [4]In the end, White Rice has a pretty good argument that it’s stronger on the “micronutrient issue.”
As this study over in PubMed explains, results show that “despite higher nutrients contents of brown rice compared to white rice, experimental data does not provide evidence that the brown rice diet is better than the diet based on white rice.” [5]
“White rice actually has an equal or better nutritional yield & also has a better nitrogen-retentive effect than brown rice. This is because the fiber & phytate content of brown rice act as antinutrients, reducing the bioavailability of the micronutrients it contains.”
So, does this mean we should proudly cast our ballot for White Rice?
In our hours and hours of research, chats, hangouts, and debates that went into creating this article, we stumbled across some troubling news for both candidates’ campaigns for the Rice-idency: a history of arsenic and a possible diabetes scandal!
(Feel free to audibly gasp at this point; we encourage it.)
Should I Worry About Arsenic in Rice? Does Eating Rice Cause Diabetes?
We head out to the debate in which the candidates are fielding questions from regular folks (with totally not staged questions).
Mike, a retired teacher and single parent from Vermont asks, “I heard about rice and arsenic – should I be concerned?”
Arsenic is a metalloid, and extremely small qualities of “organic arsenic” is essential as a dietary element. However, inorganic arsenic (from rocks and soil) is a different thing – and this is the stuff that causes poisoning in large enough quantities. Typically we’re only concerned with this if the exposure is a lot over a short term, or a little over a long term. [6] So with rice, it starts to become more and more relevant if you are eating rice “every day for years and years.”
The catch is, for millions around the globe, this situation is a reality.
In the long term, taking in too much (inorganic) arsenic has been linked to all sorts of problems: cancer, [7] vascular disease,[8]high blood pressure,[9]heart disease,[10] and diabetes.[11] In short, over time (if we’re consuming moderate amounts regularly), arsenic can act like a slow poison to our bodies.
AND here comes White Rice to respond with a vicious attack:
“Consumer Reports found that Brown Rice has 80% more arsenic on average than white rice of the same type!”[12]
Our moderators are telling us this is a crucial turning point towards a White Rice victory.
Suzy, a happily-married steel-worker from Ohio asks, “What about diabetes, I heard that is an issue with rice!”
It’s here that Brown Rice steps up and starts slinging some mud as well. The candidate proudly proclaims, “ignore that negative nonsense about my arsenic count, White Rice gives you diabetes! ISN’T THAT RIGHT WHITE RICE!?”
A meta-analysis found that “higher white rice intake is associated with a significantly elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, especially among Asian populations… In addition, the dose-response relations indicate that even for Western populations with typically low intake levels, relatively high white rice consumption may still modestly increase risk of diabetes.”[13]
Now if you’re watching this debate at home, you’re probably asking,” I’m in the ‘at risk for type-2 diabetes’ group, would swapping out white rice for brown rice improve my future?”
Researchers found in an observational study that people who consumed five or more servings of white rice per week had a 17% increased risk of diabetes, compared to people who ate less than one serving per month.[14]But eating two or more servings of brown rice per week was associated with an 11% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to eating less than one serving of brown rice per month. Fitness Skeptics, be sure to look closely at this one.
Either way, in true election fashion, we now have two imperfect candidates.
So, who the heck do you vote for!?
When to Eat Rice (Next Steps)
This is Steve Kamb, reporting live from Nerd Fitness News, and we feel confident enough to make our endorsement in the Race for the Rice-idency.
This campaign has been ugly as hell; both candidates are running on a very similar “Rice is great” platform, which we have no problem with (in moderation).
Let’s break it down for voters out there:
Again, our official recommendation is to vote for whatever candidate you think tastes better (okay, our metaphor might be breaking down at this point). But for those of you at home who want to make the most informed decision as possible or are concerned about a specific health issue, here’s our detailed recap:
Here’s our official recommendation:
Rice can be a healthy part of a diet, but it’s the rest of it that will determine if you’re healthy or not. Plus, rice is great if you’re really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something. Boom. Hat-trick! (Thanks Steven!)
Not eating rice is fine too, provided you’re eating some sort of healthy starch/carb source (we love veggies!).
We feel that for most people, you should pick what you like best and eat it. Done! If we had to pick one generalization in our nerdy, non-doctor opinion, we would guestimate that white rice is (only slightly) a better option for most people, due to the phytate and arsenic levels in brown rice.
If you are eating lots of rice or other arsenic-containing foods regularly over a long period of time, consider white rice, looking at specific brands, and preparation methods to mitigate these risks.
If you are struggling with weight and or a sedentary lifestyle and thus concerned with diabetes, consider brown rice in moderation over other unhealthy foods. Don’t delude yourself into thinking you’re being healthy by eating buckets of brown rice though. Clyde Wilson, Ph.D, a nutrition professor in the Stanford University and University of California, San Francisco schools of medicine, puts it succinctly: “The reality is that eating too much of any carbohydrate, including brown rice, can lead to diabetes.” [15]
No matter what candidate you vote for, we urge you not to get WHITE RICE or BROWN RICE tattooed on your forehead, giving yourself a green light to eat 1,000s of calories of it (rice, fruit, anything!). Moderation, as always, is a boring lesson that we urge voters to be mindful of.
TL;DR #50 – Eat rice in moderation if you choose to eat it. If you are bulking up intentionally, rice can be a great part of your diet. Trying to lose weight? Consider minimizing rice consumption. If you’re gonna eat rice regularly, white rice is probably healthy for you in the long run. If you are a type-2 diabetic (or at risk), minimize consumption of grains and carbs, but IF you do eat rice, go for brown rice.
Tune in after this commercial break where we’ll answer the question: is the monster under your bed trying to kill you?
The answer may shock you!
Still tuned in?
Amazing!
If you’re looking to take it further, I have three great options for you!
#1) Check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:
Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, a supportive online community (with many like-minded people embarking on new diets), group challenges, and much more!
#3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so.
I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
Now, I want to hear from you!
Do you regularly eat rice?
Did you vote for White Rice or Brown Rice?
Any awesome tips or recipes you can share?
Let me know in the comments!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to Chipotle!
-Steve
PS: If you want to get the lowdown on other types of food (potatoes, fruit, dairy), then make sure you check out The Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating.
Read, “Elevated risk of hypertension induced by arsenic exposure in Taiwanese rural residents: possible effects of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) genes.” Source, PubMed.
Read, “Arsenic exposure and cardiovascular disorders: an overview.” Source, PubMed.
Read, “Arsenic and diabetes and hypertension in human populations: a review.” Source, PubMed.
The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life that involves eating real food: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), some fish, and a whole lotta “healthy” fat.
Plus a little red wine.
It gets its name from a few key countries on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and studying the dietary patterns of the people who live long lives in that area.
When experts discuss the Mediterranean Diet, the words “heart-healthy” will almost certainly be attached.[1]It’s the reason the Mediterranean Diet shines like a crazy diamond, because who DOESN’T want a healthy heart?
So why does this diet make your heart healthy, and why do people tend to lose weight on it?
Simple: Every item listed above falls into the REAL food category. When I say real food, I mean stuff that came from the ground, grew on a tree, grazed on a field, flew through the air, or swam in the water.
Here’s another way to put it: If your great-grandma from the old country wouldn’t recognize it as food, it probably doesn’t fit into the Mediterranean Diet.
Sorry Pop-Tarts, Big Macs, and Coca-Cola.
Logically, the reason this diet gets good grades makes sense. Of COURSE a diet composed of REAL food like the Mediterranean Diet would have REAL health benefits.
And those benefits are awesome!
The diet has been linked to a plethora of benefits, including a reduced risk of heart attack,[2] and even the retention of cognitive abilities to help stave off dementia.[3]
At this point you might be wondering:
“Steve, I like the cut of your jib, and this diet sounds pretty good. So, just eat real food, got it. But what about all these benefits I hear about olive oil? And I thought pasta was unhealthy. That’s a crucial part of the Mediterranean Diet too, right? Tell me more.”
I got you, boo.
Where did the Mediterranean Diet Come From? (The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid)
Believe it or not, this diet wasn’t created by a goat herder in the Greek countryside.
It was actually theorized by an American scientist back in the 50s, and started gaining popularity in the 90s.
Have you heard the name, Ancel Keys?
He’s a doctor from back in the day (think 1950s) often credited with popularizing the idea that saturated fat leads to deadly heart attacks, a la high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. We went in-depth on this very controversial subject in “A Beginner’s Guide to Cholesterol,” so I won’t rehash it here.
The reason I bring Keys up is that he was one of the early founders of the Mediterranean Diet.
Keys formulated this diet after poring over data and research and identified that people in Greece and Italy statistically lived longer than other populations he studied. Farmers working until the age of 100 wasn’t uncommon on the Greek island of Crete.
So what was the big secret?
Are the people of Crete actual descendants of Atlantis with special DNA and olive oil running through their veins?
Not really.
Keys noted these Mediterraneans had a low saturated fat intake, getting their fat from olives and fresh fish. He also noted low instances of heart disease, and thus declared something like, “low saturated fat consumption causes fewer instances of heart disease and leads to a longer life.”
Now, if you’re a nerd like me, you are hopefully aware that “correlation does not prove causation,” that even though two variables are correlated, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other.
But it was a great story, backed up by logically sounding data from an accomplished researcher, and the hypothesis became “fact.” Thus, the hypothesis of the “Mediterranean Diet equals long life” continued to gain steam, and Keys work went on to define a huge portion of America’s nutritional guidance over the past 60 years.
Fast forward to the 1990s, and the Mediterranean Diet story reached the mainstream media with the help of a group of researchers, who decided it was time to popularize and proselytize its benefits.
In a controversial and complicated part of the story that’s much lesser-known, these researchers focused on Greece and Italy, ignoring data from any other Mediterranean population that didn’t fit their narrative.
Together, under Walter C. Willett from Harvard School of Public Health, they came up with the ‘Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.”
I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this DOES look just like the food pyramid you were taught in grade school! But with more real food. And wine. And dancing.
I told you Keys’s work was very influential in the guidelines we all grew up with! So that concludes today’s history portion of the article.
Back to getting weird:
What Do You Eat on the Mediterranean Diet? (Food List)
As I already pointed out, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on REAL food that’s found in the Mediterranean (duh).
It’s one of the things I love about it!
Below are our recommended types of food, examples of each, and substitutes in case you don’t happen to live on Sicily or Santorini:
Vegetables. Common Mediterranean Diet staples are artichokes, arugula, Brussels sprouts, celery, and peas, but seriously any vegetable you enjoy is good enough! So go wild. Hate veggies? I got you.
Fruit. Figs, mandarins, tomatoes (yeah it’s a fruit), and pomegranate are common to the area, but fruit like apples and oranges works too. We’re fans of fruit, just don’t eat 5,000 calories of fruit and wonder why you’re not losing weight!
Whole Grains. Barley, buckwheat, oats, rice, and wheat, in the form of fresh-made wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and pitas. Whole grains are encouraged in just about every article on the Mediterranean Diet. When we say “whole” we mean minimally processed, and are consumed in significantly smaller portions than you’re probably used to.
Legumes. Think beans and lentils: a great sources of protein and fiber that also happen to be delicious. Hummus, a dish from the Mediterranean, is made out of chickpeas (a legume).
Dairy. Remember that pyramid from a moment ago? You’ll see that dairy is higher up, meaning to consume in smaller quantities. Why? because researchers were concerned about saturated fat. With the Mediterranean Diet, dairy tends to comes from cheese like brie, feta, and parmesan, and Greek yogurt (though I assume there they just call it “yogurt,”).
Fish. Fish are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids (good!), which tends to be deficient in most American/Western diets and has been linked to health ailments.[4] Fish like cod are found in the Mediterranean, though you could go with options like tuna or salmon too.
Poultry. Factoid: Did you know there are roughly three chickens on Earth to every person? Roughly 20 billion fowl share the planet with us. I’ve been sitting on that statistic for a while and was antsy to share. Anyways! Go ahead and eat your preferred poultry, which could also include turkey and duck.
Healthy Oils. Olive oil. If there is one specific food linked to the Mediterranean Diet, it’s olive oil. Olive oil is touted for its monounsaturated fat, unlike the saturated fat of say butter. Personally, I think both are fine. But I encourage people to eat plenty of healthy fat, as demonstrated by our “Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet.” So go ahead and use olive oil.
How much of each category should you eat? That’s a good question, and depending on your quantity of each category, you may or may not lose weight (I’ll cover all of this in a section below).
In addition to that, everybody does the Mediterranean Diet differently:
Some argue that dairy shouldn’t be in the Mediterranean Diet at all, because it contains saturated fat.
Others would say red meat should be listed above, because Mediterranean dishes often include lamb.
Depending on which country in the Mediterranean you pick, your “diet” will be very different.
You’re never going to get a straight answer on this, and that’s okay!
This diet is loosely based on a region, in a moment in time, as interpreted by researchers with an agenda.
The reason I’m telling you this: I don’t care where the diet came from, or the story told around it. The same is true for Paleo (I don’t care about cavepeople!) – we don’t care about the story; we only care if the story helps people make healthier food choices.
Don’t get bogged down in the details or the dogma or the history. Instead, look at the list of food above. Shift your eating and go for big wins, by eating protein and real food as listed above, and you’ll be much better off than you are currently.
Which brings me to my next point…
What Foods Are Not Allowed on the Mediterranean Diet?
Yup, there are definitely “you’re doing it wrong” foods when it comes to the Mediterranean Diet. If you’re gonna go Mediterranean, please cut wayyyy back on the following:
Added sugar. This. If all you did to improve your diet was cut out added sugar, you’d be well on your way to improved health. Ditch the candy, soda, and ice cream and you’ll make me very happy. I’m generally pretty happy, but this will really put things over the top.
Refined grain. Oh Mediterranean Diet, you do get me. The second thing I would tell people to do to improve their diet would be to cut out refined and processed grains. Your body’s blood sugar can react to it almost the same way it does to sugar.
Refined oils. Dump out all rapeseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil. When they’re heated, like they do when undergoing refinement, they create free radicals. Which aren’t as fun as they tend to sound, because of the whole “not good for your health” thing.[5] Science, you should really think of a less awesome name here.
Processed meat. High-quality meat will have better nutrients and fatty acid profiles than their processed counterparts. So cut back on uber processed deli meats and hot dogs. As for bacon, that’s your judgment call, partner.
Now, the above shouldn’t be too much of a shocker. Are you starting to see why the Mediterranean Diet is popular and reputable? It keeps things simple!
Eat real food.
Avoid unhealthy food.
Use olive oil.
Of course, this is ALL easier said than done, and whether or not you’ll lose weight on the diet is juuuuust a bit more complex than the above.
Will I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?
Short answer: It’s certainly possible.
Longer answer: If you currently eat a standard American diet full of processed food and sugar, the Mediterranean Diet will probably help you shed body fat if you can stick with it consistently and follow it intelligently.
I’ve talked about this extensively in our “Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating,” but the trick of any self respectable diet rests on eating REAL food and eliminating the bad food.
It focuses on real food that people in Mediterranean Europe have been eating for generations. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish are nothing new to the people of Greece! If you went back into the days of antiquity, after slaying a minotaur, you’d bask in a feast of fish, olives, and berries.
Of course, ALLLLL diets come with a big fat caveat:
Knowing you should eat fresh veggies, fruit, and fish is VERY different than actually sticking with it when life gets in the way, your kid gets sick, and you have to pick up a second job.
We all know we should eat better. But HOW to eat better, consistently, permanently: that’s where lasting weight loss and decades of healthy living happen.
This is the big reason why we put such an emphasis on nutritional planning for each person in our 1-on-1 coaching program: you have to make the diet work for YOUR specific life situation!
So, the reason the Mediterranean Diet works is the same reason other diets work: eating real food makes you more likely to consume fewer calories on a consistent basis, and you can’t defeat thermodynamics. Eating 5,000 calories of pasta and fish, though technically allowed on the Mediterranean Diet, will still result in weight gain.
So yes, if your current eating habits aren’t great, moving towards a Mediterranean Diet would be a solid move, especially if it helps you change your relationship with food and teaches you about portion sizes!
I’ll admit there’s controversy on how the Mediterranean Diet was formulated, but it ALSO encourages people to eat more real food, in smaller quantities, and has a good chance of weight loss if your changes are permanent.
Just remember: temporary changes create temporary results. If you follow a Mediterranean Diet to lose a few pounds and then go back to how you eat now, you’ll end up right back where you started!
We want small wins, permanent changes, and momentum!
Our entire coaching program is based on helping busy people make these small lifestyle changes. Nothing too scary, but impactful enough that their lives can be quite different in six months to a year.
Should I eat whole grains, dairy, and legumes on the Mediterranean Diet?
Should you eat grains, pasta, rice, etc, as allowed on the Mediterranean Diet?
If you can keep your portions under control, sure.
As we cover in our Guide to Healthy Eating, carbs and fats (cheeses) are often calorically-dense, meaning you’ll have to be careful not to over-consume if you’re managing a daily calorie goal.
My recommendation: treat yourself like a scientist and treat this as an experiment:
If you are following a Mediterranean Diet and consuming dairy, grains, and legumes and you’re getting results and a clean bill of health from your doctor, GREAT! Keep doing what you’re doing.
If you are following a Mediterranean Diet with dairy, grains, and legumes and NOT losing weight, try minimizing your consumption of some/all of these things to see if that changes things.
I know how tough it can be to eat just HALF of something on your plate, or eat a smaller portion of a food you really enjoy, so I’m gonna share with you a diet that is picking up some steam and might be a good experiment for you to consider.
Should I Consider a Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet?
What happens when you cut out the grains and dairy from a Mediterranean Diet?
You end up with a low-carb Mediterranean Diet.
This diet has actually been tested and named, in what is referred to as the Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet or Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet (SKMD).
The fat mostly comes from olive oil, there’s still red wine (I swear I’m getting to this), with plenty of green vegetables and salads for carbohydrates. Plus fish for protein.
Lot’s of fish.
In Spain, fish is a main component of their diet, hence the Spanish in the SKMD.
And who would have thunk it, it works!
The SKMD has been shown to help improve fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome.[6] Not to mention the SKMD is effective for weight loss and waist circumference shrinkage.[7]
I’ve already covered the Ketogenic Diet extensively, so I won’t get into it (seriously, go read that post – it also has cute animal gifs) here. If you are going to pick a modified version of the Mediterranean Diet, the SKMD would be the optimal choice in my opinion.
Overwhelmed with Mediterranean, saturated fats, keto, or SKMD?
I hear ya.
Navigating all of these diets can be really tough. And maybe you’ve even tried the Mediterranean Diet before and couldn’t get the results to stick. That’s because diets are challenging, and life gets in the way.
If this is you, and you don’t have time to figure out how to make food work for your busy lifestyle, Nerd Fitness has a pretty sweet 1-on-1 Coaching Program to create custom solutions for each client that fits their life!
You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more by clicking on the image below!
Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes
Need some help figuring out what all this will actually look like on a plate?
After all, just having a list of foods is like having the ingredients of a cake. It’s definitely not the same as having a cake.
Sorry for making you think about cake. I’ll go do 10 push-ups as punishment.
And I’m back.
Because I like you as a person, I did some research and found some super simple recipes for the “standard” Mediterranean Diet:
If you have other favorite recipes or resources, leave a comment below so I can add them here to this list!
Why Is the Mediterranean Diet so Healthy? (Other Lifestyle Considerations)
So far in this article, we’ve only focused on what to eat. Which is logical, because the Mediterranean Diet is first and foremost an eating regiment.
Whether you live in midwestern Ohio or Timbuktu, you can mimic the nutritional strategies of a centenarian Mediterranean thanks to global markets.
However, I’d be an idiot if I didn’t also mention all the other lifestyle benefits certain Mediterranean people have that ALSO factor into their longevity:
Mealtime as a social event. In a traditional Mediterranean household, friends and family come together over food as an experience. This allows a conversation to integrate into the meal, which extends the amount of time spent consuming food. The faster you scarf down food, the more of an insulin response you’ll create, and the more likely you’ll be to overeat when more food is available.[8] It takes your body time to realize it’s full, which happens too late when you are scarfing down food mindlessly in front of a screen.
Smaller servings. When comparing Western meals to those of Europe, one thing becomes plainly obvious in most situations: we tend to eat more food than our friends across the pond. Our plates are bigger and our servings are larger. And all other things being equal, the bigger the portion placed in front of you, the more you’ll probably eat.[9]. Want to eat less to help drop some body fat? Eat smaller servings by using smaller plates! You can trick your brain into eating less food. Here’s the study where they demonstrated just that.[10] Boom, science.
Move naturally. Think of life in the Greek islands back in 1950s – how many of these people spent an hour in a car commuting to a desk job where they worked 60 hours a week? Probably not many! Instead, it was a LOT more walking and local living. You can replicate this by spending more time walking and less time sitting! Every step starts to add up to a lot of physical activity. Plus, wine can add to spontaneous dancing like Zorba the Greek (seriously, the next section is about wine, you’re almost there).
Take a nap. It’s not uncommon for people in the Mediterranean to take a nap after lunch. This could help with their waistline. I know this is common knowledge, but getting plenty of sleep is important in your weight loss journey. Lack of shuteye has been shown to interfere with insulin responses after meals.[11] That’s right, you could be eating well, but still wreak havoc on your blood sugar by sleeping poorly.
Okay. You made it.
I’m proud of you.
You waited patiently, through this whole article and now we are at….
Can I drink wine and alcohol on the Mediterranean Diet?
Yes, you can enjoy a little wine on the Mediterranean Diet.
Hip hip hooray!
But seriously, let’s chat about this because I too enjoy adult beverages.
Drinking wine is customary throughout the Mediterranean: it’s served during dinner, to be paired with food and to encourage good conversation. Is it the wine itself that leads to better health? Or does wine add to the experience of dinner, creating an event to be remembered?
(It’s totally the latter.)
Real talk on alcohol: so many people consume alcohol that any diet that says “you cannot drink any alcohol ever” is doomed and nobody would stick with it. So in this made-up diet that claims to mimic old ways of eating, it recommends consuming wine in moderation.
I see this in every diet:
Paleo dieters drink tequila.
Keto dieters drink whiskey.
And Mediterranean dieters drink red wine.
We’ve talked about alcohol extensively here at Nerd Fitness, and one of our preferred drink recommendations is red wine. As long as you are keeping your calorie consumption under control, occasionally enjoying adult beverages can be part of your strategy.
We cool? Cool.
Exercise and the Mediterranean Diet (Workout Recommendations)
There’s nothing complicated about training under the Mediterranean Diet.
Depending on your goals, your “Mediterranean Diet” will vary:
If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ll need to watch your total calorie intake. This might be easier with the Mediterranean Diet Food List, as the focus on whole foods will generally be a diet higher in nutrients and lower in calories.
If you’re trying to gain muscle, you’ll need to consume an adequate amount of protein. You’ll likely eat a lot of fish, chicken, and eggs.
If you’re going to start a running practice, you might need some extra carbs to burn off. You may find yourself eating some whole grain pasta here and there.
The definition of the Mediterranean Diet is so broad, that you’ll be able to tailor it to any workout goal you may have.
You’ll just need to be able to define your strategy (by picking your workout goals), so you can create a version of the Mediterranean Diet that fits you!
“Steve, what are some resources to help me start working out? Can you help me begin an exercise practice?”
You betcha!
Here are some resources to help you start training on a Mediterranean Diet:
Beginner Bodyweight Workout: designed for a newbie in mind, many a Rebel have used the workout to springboard their strength training. If you don’t know where to start, start there.
6 Beginner Gym Workouts: are you like a lost sheep when you step foot in your fitness facility? Wander aimlessly no more! We’ll show you the most effective gym workouts in our comprehensive guide.
The other thing to consider would be our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. A Nerd Fitness Coach can create a custom-made workout plan to fit your life and situation!
7 Common Questions on Starting the Mediterranean Diet
1) “Steve, I had a grandfather who grew up on the Mediterranean and he ate differently than this. Henceforth, this diet is null and void. GOOD DAY, SIR.”
Okay, that’s not really a question. And kind of rude. But I’ll address it. I want to stress again that the Mediterranean Diet may or may not be exactly what people in the Mediterranean back in the 1950s actually ate.
And I also want to stress again that it DOESN’T matter!
We only care about results, and that comes from permanent changes to somebody’s relationship and decision making with food.
So if the idea of “Eating like a Mediterranean person” makes sense to you, great!
And if your grandfather ate differently, great! Eat like him and let me know how it goes!
2) “Steve, Italy is on the Mediterranean. Pasta and pizza come from Italy. So I can stuff my face with pasta and I’m gonna lose weight and be really good looking, right?”
Solid question. Sure. Consume whole-grain pasta while on the Mediterranean Diet, but do so in a MUCH smaller quantity than you’re used to consuming if you are trying to lose weight.
Pasta is generally a side dish in the Mediterranean. It won’t be served to you in a huge giant bowl like it is in the United States. If you do decide to eat things like pasta, do what they do in the Mediterranean, and use it to complement a dish, not BE the dish.
3) “What’s up with goat milk?”
Goats are badasses in the Mediterranean, with their ability to travel over rocky terrain. Sorry cows, step up your game.
This explains why goat dairy is quite common in the Mediterranean.
If you are deciding to consume dairy, a goat might be your new friend.[12] The milk generally contains more fat than from a cow, which fits into our SKMD strategy. Also less lactose, ie sugar. Structurally, some people have an easier time processing goat’s milk than traditional dairy.
Granted, some people find the flavor of goat’s milk off and don’t like it. But Steve can only solve so many problems. I try.
4) “Will olive oil make me live forever? The future is gonna be rad.”
Yes. It will also give you superpowers. Okay, not really. But extra virgin olive oil is great. It’s my go-to for salads. Add in some vinegar and you’re crushing it in the “flavorful, healthy salad” department.
However, I don’t think it’s the secret ingredient of the Mediterranean Diet. Most praise of olive oil comes from the fact that it contains no saturated fat. Which is one of the main reasons the Mediterranean Diet became so popular. But it’s still very high in calories, so pouring tons of healthy olive oil on everything could be the reason why you’re not losing any weight!
I personally enjoy and use olive oil, grass-fed butter, and/or coconut oil depending on the meal. So, if you love olive oil and put it on everything, great. Just know that it won’t do your laundry, wash your dishes, or tuck you in at night. Or make you live forever. It’s oil from olives.
5) “Steve, can I use canola oil instead of olive oil?”
Despite what other sites suggest with the Mediterranean Diet, I would advise minimizing canola oil consumption and seek out other solutions where possible. Canola oil is a vegetable oil mostly derived from rapeseed, it’s often heavily processed, and actually creates a small amount of trans fat.[13]Bad news bears. If you need a substitute for olive oil, go with avocado or coconut oil.
6) “Do I HAVE to eat seafood? I don’t enjoy the taste of fish, and I believe that “fish are friends, not food.”
I get it. Fish isn’t for everyone. I actually don’t like fish myself, despite growing up in a fishing town on Cape Cod.
I know, sacrilegious.
No, you do not need to eat fish to follow the Mediterranean Diet. The reason seafood is recommended on the Mediterranean Diet is because it’s generally low in saturated fat and plentiful in that region. But again, I’m not a big supporter of reducing saturated fat intake at all costs. So if consuming fish makes you gag, don’t torture yourself. Stick with chicken or turkey. Or…
7) “Should I really limit red meat on the Mediterranean Diet?”
I may be summoning the wrath of the Mediterranean gods with this one (forgive me Zeus), but limiting red meat may be a goal without merit. I know. I can see the clouds and lighting bolts forming now.
And that includes the conventional wisdom of limiting red meat. Yes, I remember that Harvard study that says red meat causes cancer, and I disagree with the fear-mongering that resulted. [14]
If you do decide to partake, go with good quality sources for your red meat (grass-fed wherever possible).
Also, as we’ve mentioned earlier, diet differs quite a bit throughout the Mediterranean, and meat can actually be pretty prominent in the form of lamb, goat, and beef. Even pork. Again, the Mediterranean Diet as opposed to what people in the Mediterranean actually eat.
So be true to yourself and do what feels right for you.
My advice: everything in moderation. Including moderation.
However, I apologize in advance if you get struck by lighting after eating lamb chops.
Resources to help you start the Mediterranean Diet
You’re convinced you want to start the Mediterranean Diet today – congratulations!
Need more help?
William Willett, who helped create the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid I showed above, has a book where he lays out all his thoughts on why the diet works. Check out Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy for his argument.
The organization Oldways is more or less responsible for the modern way we understand the Mediterranean Diet, and you’ll never run out of their recipes. I’m still not entirely convinced the organization doesn’t solely exist to sell more olive oil, but that could be paranoid Steve being paranoid. Let me adjust my tinfoil hat…
Also, I’d be remiss not to mention Nerd Fitness Prime. It contains 6+ months of at-home workout routines, a nutrition course, and a snazzy app to help align your mindset to make sense of everything. If you’ve never stepped foot in a kitchen outside of grabbing milk from the fridge to drink out of the jug, we’ll help!
And if you’re just looking for basic nutritional guidance, we have a free 10-level nutritional blueprint that you can download, print, stick on your fridge, and start leveling up right now.
You can get it when joining our Rebellion mailing list below:
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
Next Steps on Beginning the Mediterranean Diet (Plus a Challenge)
Just in case you skipped to the end of this article, or you’re looking for a quick recap, I hear you.
Pros of the Mediterranean Diet.
A focus on REAL food. All of the recommended food choices of the Mediterranean Diet are minimally processed. This is most of the battle on the war on diet. If you minimized the processed food on your plate, you’d be doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to healthy eating.
Plenty of veggies, fruit. Eating vegetables is the least controversial recommendation on a diet that has ever existed. No one questions the advice. This is less true on fruit, but come on. If all the sugar in your diet came from fruit, you’d be in rockstar mode.
Lots of healthy fats. The Mediterranean Diet is not a low-fat diet. This is great. You need fat in your diet. Olive oil and fish are a great way to get there.
Cons of the Mediterranean Diet:
Saturated fat may be limited unnecessarily. Without saturated fat, there’s really only a handful of sources left to get fat intake. Granted, as addressed a few sentences ago, fish and olive oil are solid choices. But still, meals will need to be quickly rotated without saturated fat as an option.
Grains, even whole, might not be the greatest idea for some. They are high in calories and can derail even the best-laid plans, so only eat if it fits your goals and lifestyle.
Dairy isn’t exactly a homerun if you over-consume. Like I mentioned earlier, not everyone handles dairy well, it can contain plenty of lactose (sugar), and calories.
Doesn’t address portion size or calorie amounts. People can DEFINITELY gain weight on the Mediterranean Diet if they eat 5000 calories worth of pasta each day. You have to be smart about portion sizes and not just eat all day every day (which is true of every diet).
It doesn’t address overall lifestyle changes or human psychology. We all know we need to eat healthier – the problem is actually sticking with it! So having a list of food to eat is great. But learning how to make it fit into your lifestyle is even more important.
If you have been nodding your head at the Mediterranean Diet and are planning on going all-in with it – you have my permission!
If you are already eating a keto or paleo-ish diet and were wondering if you should switch to this diet, I’d only suggest it if you were struggling with compliance, not losing weight, and not getting results.
YOUR MISSION THIS WEEK: cook a Mediterranean meal for a friend or loved one this week, and make the dinner an event!
Send them this article and explain that Steve gave you direct marching orders to make a meal for a friend or loved one. Together, you can complete this mission. You can even have a little wine if it suits you. And make a toast. OPA!
I suggest making the Avocado Hummus referenced earlier. It’s seriously just cutting up three ingredients, adding lemon juice and olive oil and mixing them in a bowl. Serve them with whole-grain pita chips or sliced veggies.
If all of this is overwhelming, or you need help with making better food choices, you are not alone!
Like I said earlier, we have a community of people who are busy and looking to live better, and a whole team dedicated to helping those people!
If you want help moving on from here, I have three options for next steps. Actions you can take today to jumpstart your fitness journey. I’ll share them with you, but only because you laughed at my cheesy minotaur joke earlier:
#1) Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:
Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, a supportive online community (with many like-minded people embarking on new diets), group challenges, and much more!
#3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so.
I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
Alright, enough babbling from me…
Let’s hear from you: After you’ve completed your mission, leave a comment below and I’ll buy you a plane ticket to Santorini. Okay not really. But I will give you a high five if we ever meet on a fishing boat off of Crete. Deal?!
If you started the habit of cooking for company, you’d make Steve a happy camper.
Let me know if you have any more questions, and I hope you can get started on your Mediterranean lifestyle today.
Now pass me the corkscrew!
-Steve
PS: I want to give a shoutout to Nina Teicholz and her book The Big Fat Surprise, whose chapter “Selling the Mediterranean Diet” served as a reference for this post.
If you have questions about the Keto Diet, well my friend, you’ve come to the right place!
We help our coaching clients completely overhaul their nutrition, including going low-carb, and today we’ll give you everything you need to start a Ketogenic Diet.
We’ve learned a lot by helping people begin the Keto Diet: there’s plenty of good, there’s plenty of bad, and there’s plenty of ugly.
Today, we share with you what we’ve discovered.
Here’s what we’ll cover in our GINORMOUS Guide to the Keto Diet (click to skip to that section):
Whew. It’s a lot to cover. Even just typing out the Table of Contents was exhausting.
But hang in there!
You’ll learn how to do Keto right, plus I’ll share cute animal gifs to make sure you’re still paying attention, like this one:
If you don’t have a lot of time, but do want an exact plan to follow, I got you. Since this is a MASSIVE article (the longest published on Nerd Fitness!), if you’d rather read it in a snazzy digital guide form, you can download our Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Dietfree when you sign up in the box below:
Download Our Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet
55-page Keto Diet guide: how to start today!
Learn the benefits and pitfalls of going Keto.
Keto recipes, snacks, resources, and more!
And yes, that is an egg wearing a cape of bacon.
Okay, let’s get into KETOOOOOOOO…
What is the keto diet or KetoGenic Diet?
The Ketogenic diet, or Keto diet, is a food strategy in which you drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake and replace it with fat in order to get your metabolism to a state called ketosis.
In ketosis, your body converts fat to fuel to burn for energy like Tony Stark burns Captain America for being uptight.
Don’t worry, the jokes will only get worse from here.
When you’re in ketosis, your body is burning fat for fuel, and this can help create a series of big wins for you in the “get healthy, lose weight, look good naked” department.
In order for ketosis to happen, the body needs to be absent its preferred fuel source: glucose (sugar!).
This can happen in one of TWO ways:
Fasting: by not eating at all, your body will burn through your glucose stores and be forced to start converting fat to ketones for fuel.
Eating in a “Keto” way: essentially, only fueling your body with fat and avoiding consumption of foods that can be readily converted to sugar.
Where does that sugar usually come from? Generally speaking, carbs.[2]
And boy do we love carbs.
A typical American diet is more than 50% carbs. And more than 60% of our country is overweight. Is one causing the other? Or are they just correlated?
I’d argue both.
And I’m the nerd writing this.
So, there.
Eat carbs, burn carbs, store sugars, lather, rinse, repeat. Very little fat-burning is taking place – and you’re adding to your body’s sugar storehouse, and that’s what eventually winds up packing the fat onto your body!
This is an overly simplified video explaining the process:
So what happens if you get rid of those carbs and replace them with another fuel source? That’s when you start burning fat.
Compare a typical carb-heavy American diet to somebody who is “Keto” – they eat a diet very high in fat, with moderate amounts of protein and minimal amounts of carbohydrates.
Still with me?
Great.
So if you do an extended fasted period, or only eat foods that line up with the Keto Diet, your body is going to be forced to burn fat for fuel.
Another thing to note: when you eat carbs, your body produces insulin to deal with the increase in sugar/glucose in your bloodstream. When you minimize carbohydrate consumption, this can result in less insulin production, and your body can become more insulin sensitive, which has a host of health benefits.
Depending on how strict you are choosing to be with Keto, you’ll probably pick one of the following strategies:
Less than 50g of carbs
Less than 20g of net carbs
5% of your total calorie intake
Which one is for you? We’ll get to that. Just know that everybody is a unique snowflake, and everybody will be different when it comes to entering ketosis and staying in ketosis.
There’s no hard and fast rule to which “Keto Diet” strategy you need to follow, but it helps to start with one to get the ball rolling.
In short, you’ll need to pick the one that puts you into ketosis, which requires you to pay attention, track your results, and act like a scientist.
When you’re in ketosis, this can lead to ramped-up weight loss for some, and increased physical potential, lower insulin levels, increased brain function, and other awesomeness for others.
Allow me to answer your next question.
What are ketones?
If you don’t care what ketones are and are just here for the weight-loss stuff, skip to the next section. If you do care about ketones, strap in and let’s get weird.
When your body doesn’t have carbs/glucose to burn for energy, you’ll need to dig into your body’s fat storehouse to get fuel.
Enter the hero of this story: your liver.
Yes, the same liver you abuse during dollar draft night at O’Houlihans.
In the absence of glucose, your liver takes your stored fat and breaks it down into usable compounds called ketone bodies, or ketones.
These ketones can be used by your body and your brain for fuel! In addition, “increased blood ketone levels may directly suppress appetite.”[3]
The reason many feel differently on a Keto Diet is that their brains are being fueled by a completely different source than at any point in the past.
There are three types of ketones, which is important to know if you want to sound pretentious at parties:
Acetoacetate
Beta-hydroxybutyrate
Acetone
It’s also important to note that ketones are different from a keytar, which is what Michelangelo used to defeat Shredder in the cinematic masterpiece, Ninja Turtles:
If you are wondering, “Steve did you write this entire section just so you could make a keytar joke?” you wouldn’t be wrong.
But let’s get back on track: There are two ways for your body to fuel itself off of ketones:
It can make the ketones itself during periods of fasting or due to the consumption of fat and the absence of glucose. Woot for home-cookin’.
Consume actual ketones – these are called “exogenous ketones,” which I’ll cover later in the article.
This concludes our boring sciencey section about ketones and allows us to get back to the real reason you’re here.
Will I lose Weight on the Keto Diet? What are the Other Benefits of Keto?
Great question.
The answer: Probably.
One of the tenets of the Nerd Fitness Rebellion is “You can’t outrun your fork,” which means we believe nutrition is 80-90% of the “lose weight” battle.
So let’s dig into how the Keto Diet factors in here.
When your body is consistently in the process of breaking down fat into ketones, you enter ketosis.
Imagine you have a pile of coal (stored fat) for the winter – when you shovel some of the pile into the furnace for heat (energy), your pile of coal gets smaller. In ketosis, YOU are getting smaller.
You can find study[4] after study [5] after study [6]in which people on a Keto Diet lost weight and improved tons of health markers.
There’s also another reason most people lose weight on the Keto Diet.
Thermodynamics.
I discuss this in great detail in my “The Perfect Diet” article, but I’ll give you the summary here:
When somebody eats a Keto Diet, they are nearly eliminating an entire macronutrient: carbohydrates.
And what foods are primarily made up of carbohydrates? Bread. Pasta. Candy. Soda. Chips. Bagels. Fruit smoothies. These are calorically dense, nutritionally deficient foods that people tend to overeat.
When you eliminate all of these bad foods in a restrictive diet like Keto, you’re going to consume fewer calories overall.
And when you burn more calories than you consume, day in day out, for weeks or months at a time, you’re likely to lose weight.
This is why most calorie-restricted diets result in weight loss regardless of the composition of the food consumed.
Note this ignores the concept of quality of food, muscle synthesis, body composition, etc. and JUST focuses on a smaller number on the scale.
Anecdotally, once some people become keto-adapted, they feel satiated on fewer calories – which results in easier weight loss.
And yes, the opposite is true: one can ALSO overeat on Keto in order to GAIN weight. So don’t expect to eat 6000 calories of butter, avocados, and bacon and lose weight.
In addition to helping with weight loss, the Keto Diet has been used to treat epilepsy[7], help with Type II diabetes[8], polycystic ovary syndrome [9], acne [10], potential improvement in neurological diseases (Parkinson’s[11] and multiple sclerosis[12]), certain types of cancer[13], and reduces the risk factors in both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases[14]. Emerging studies are digging into its effects on Alzheimer’s [15]and other conditions as well.
Here’s a video specifically related to Keto and cancer:
NOTE: I’m not a doctor. I don’t play one on TV. I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
I am not advocating Keto as a panacea for all of your ailments.
I simply point out the above studies as STARTING points for you to conduct your own research and discuss with your doctor if switching to a Keto Diet is an experiment you should attempt.
What’s the Difference Between Keto, Atkins, and Paleo?
I’ll cover this quickly!
Keto, Paleo, and Atkins are all considered “low carb” diets, though “low carb” means different things to different people, different groups, and different studies.
They each have different things that are important as well:
Keto targets low carb (less than 5% of your total), and focuses on a very high-fat content – 70% of your diet. It eliminates grains, tubers, and most fruits due to the carb content. You need to be diligent in your tracking and can measure if you’re in ketosis.
Paleo targets low carb through focusing on protein and fats, eliminates dairy, but doesn’t limit fruit or sweet potato intake. In this diet, you don’t track but rather eat until you’re full.
Atkins has different tiers of adherence, focuses on low carb, high protein, high fat. You eventually add more nuts, low carb vegetables, and low carb fruits back into your diet.
I’ve written a monster guide on the Paleo Diet, which I recommend you read in addition to this article if you’re trying to decide which option works best for you. You can also check out our post specifically comparing Keto and Paleo.
Like every diet, you can absolutely do any of these diets and still gain weight and get unhealthier – so they each come with caveats, and require you to understand the food you’re putting in your body.
Deal? Deal. Here’s an otter with a baby otter, you’ve earned it:
How Do I Do the Keto Diet?
“Steve, I want all the potential benefits and potential good-looking side effects of going Keto. I also want a million dollars. But for now, I’ll settle for the benefits of Keto. How do I do it?“
In my opinion, there are two reasons why somebody wants to go Keto, and that should dictate your level of dedication to the Keto cause:
If you are just trying to lose weight, it doesn’t really matter whether or not you’re actually in ketosis – provided you are consuming fewer calories on average compared to how you were eating before. This can be aided by minimizing carbs and upping your fat intake.
If you are treating this as an experiment and are tracking your ketosis compliance, then you need to be more diligent in your tracking and actually make sure you’re in ketosis.
I imagine most people fall into Group A, but we’ll cover both Group A and Group B moving forward – and tracking your results is the best way to make progress.
So let’s say you’re “going Keto.” This can be a few different things depending on your situation:
Tracking net carbs: 20 net grams per day or less
Tracking regular carbs: 50 grams per day or less
As a percentage: 5% of daily calories
Although people adjust their ratio of protein and fats, the hard and fast rule tends to be around the severely restricted consumption of carbohydrates.
Ruled.Me has a fantastic Ketogenic Macro Calculator that simplifies the heck out of this process, but I’ll also show you the math if you want to nerd out:
#1: Determine your total calorie intake goal. Calculate your “basal metabolic rate” (how many calories you burn per day). I am 6’0″, 185 lbs, and my BMR is roughly 1814 calories. I am active, so I’m multiplying this number by 1.375 to get to my active daily calorie burn: 2814 – let’s make this an even 2800.
#2: Take 5% of that number for your total amount of carbs. Divide by 4 (there are 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate). Some people stick to a rule of “Less than 50 grams total” or “20 net carbs total.”
I have 140 calories for carbs, divided by 4, equals 35 grams of carbs. That’s a nice round number so we’ll stick to that.
#3: Next, calculate your protein requirements. If you are active, Target 0.8-1.2 g of protein per pound of weight. This is a simplified version of a complex calculation you can do, which is dependent on your lean body mass, how active you are, etc. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you’ll want to adjust this number down to more like 0.5-.6g per pound (consult the above calculator) You can multiply this by 4 to see how many calories total that would be.
I’ll again keep it simple and make it 180g for me. 180 x 4 = 720 cal. Which means so far I have used up roughly 860 calories of my 2800 calories, so I have 1940 calories remaining.
#4: What’s leftover? Fat! There are 9 calories per gram of fat. So divide your remaining calorie count by 9 to see how many grams of fat you should eat per day.
In my example, I have 1940 calories remaining, divided by 9, which means I need to consume 215g of fats per day. Yup. This is a lot of fat.
#5: Put it all together, write it down, start tracking your food, sucka! I’m sorry for calling you a sucka, I didn’t mean it. In my example, I’m looking at 215g of fat, 180g of protein, and 35g of carbs.
This should be a good STARTING point. You’ll need to adjust along the way based on how your body responds, but it can get you going.
Next, you’ll create a meal strategy of sorts – examples later in the article – that pick the foods in the previous section and combine them in a way that fits your particular strategy to enter ketosis.
And that means you gotta know your food!
For everything you eat, you want to know the following:
Number of calories
Grams of fat
Grams of protein
Grams of carbs
Grams of fiber
With carb intake requirements being very low, many ‘healthy’ foods would still be enough to knock you out of ketosis depending on how many of them you eat. Which means you need to be hyper-aware of your carb count.
Let’s quickly talk about the concept of “net carbs,” and why this is so important:
A vegetable that is 5 grams of carbs and has 3 grams of fiber will have a “net carb” total (subtract the fiber number from the carb number) would be 2.
Here are a few examples showing the ‘net carb’ effect:
Asparagus: 7g carbs, 4g fiber = 3g net carbs
Kale: 7.3g carbs, 2.6g fiber = 4.7g net carbs
Broccoli: 11g carbs, 5g fiber = 6g net carbs
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: Fiber is really good for your body, and oftentimes when somebody goes from eating hundreds of grams of carbs per day to less than 50g, they are eliminating a lot of high fiber foods they used to eat (bread, whole grains, etc.).
By consuming leafy greens like kale or veggies like broccoli, one can still get enough fiber and remain in ketosis.
Of course, no good healthy eating strategy goes unmarketed, why you’ll see plenty of “Keto-friendly” snacks that advertise “zero-net carbs” even though they have many grams of carbs in their nutritional breakdown – it’s countered by the fiber.
In addition, a lot of “high fiber” protein bars or “low carb snacks” often contain sugar or artificial sweeteners that could knock you out of ketosis.
Which means two things:
Consuming a pile of “Keto-friendly” processed snacks all day long could absolutely knock your body out of ketosis. Check the ingredients, and try to focus on eating REAL food.
If the occasional Keto snack keeps you from getting hangry (hungry plus angry) between meals, and keeps you from overeating during your regular meals – knocking you out of ketosis – then snacks are fine.
What Can I eat on the keto diet?
“Steve, I appreciate you talking to me like I’m 5 years old and walking me through this process step by step. I don’t care what everybody on the internet says about you, you’re an okay guy.
I now have my macros. What the heck do I get to eat on a Keto Diet?”
As I explained above, in order to be in Ketosis you need to eat a diet that has minimal carbs, high fat, and adequate amounts of protein.
Following this type of nutritional strategy can result in ketone body production and increased fat-burning. We talked about this in our Beginner’s Guide to the Paleo Diet. Although fat gets a bad rap, fat is an essential nutrient and it’s not actually the fat that’s making us fat.
Here’s a look at the things you should primarily be eating on Keto:
Meat. This includes red meat (like steak) as well as pork products (sausage and bacon and ham) and white meat (like chicken and turkey). Fatty meats can be helpful in a Keto Diet.
Fish. Look for high-fat fish, like tuna and salmon.
Eggs and dairy. If you think there’s nothing better than butter and cheese, you’re in luck! Eggs, butter, and cheese are all a big part of eating Keto. You’ll want to make sure your items are as unprocessed as possible, so stick to cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella, and blue, and look for butter and egg products that are organic or come from free-range animals.
Healthy fats. Nuts, seeds, and avocados are your keys here. Almonds, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, and nut butters.
Dressings and oils. Greek dressing, caesar dressing (though check the ingredients), ranch, aioli. When you need an oil, stick to extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil.
Veggies. Cruciferous greens like spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, that sort of thing.[16]
Meatless proteins. Tempeh, tofu, and seitan can take the place of meats in a vegetarian or vegan Keto Diet. Not as optimal in this nerd’s opinion, but you do you, boo.
This is an overly simplified breakdown of what you can eat, but it will serve as the foundation for the rest of the article. And yes, I’ll get into specific meals soon.
Still here? I’m proud of you.
What foods Can’t I Eat on the Keto Diet?
We covered what you CAN eat.
Now let’s cover all of the foods you should avoid while eating Keto:
Sugars. This can include desserts like cake and ice cream and cookies. And don’t forget to watch out for hidden sugars in things like ketchup! Your body LOVES to burn sugars, and if it has those, it’s not going to create ketones out of fat to burn.
Liquid calories. Soda, juices, smoothies, and any beverages that contain carbs and sugar.
Starches. This means pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, bread, cereals, and anything made with wheat or cornflour. They’re big sources of carbs, and once again, they’ll stop your body from entering ketosis. It also means corn, which is a grain, not a vegetable.
Diet foods. We told you to avoid sugars, but “diet” foods are big red flags on Keto as well (and on most healthy eating plans!) They’re heavily processed and high in sugar and tend to wreak havoc on your body.
Fruits. What, no fruit? Fruits tend to be high in fructose (a sugar). High sugar = no ketosis. (I feel like maybe I’ve said that already). A few berries can be OK, but only if you’ve planned for their net-carb intake into your daily total.
Beans.Wait, what? Steve, I thought beans and legumes were healthy! You even eat them as part of your Paleo-ish diet! They can be, but they’re also higher in carbs and can potentially cause inflammation that works against weight loss.
Unhealthy fats. Healthy fats, like those in olive oil and nuts, are great. But that big glob of mayonnaise in your tuna, or the canola oil you’re frying in? Stay away from them on Keto.
Does this sound like a lot to eliminate all at once? It’s because it is. This is where most people fall off the wagon.
They see that list and say “I could never give up (insert your favorite non-Keto food here).”
If you’re already overwhelmed and worried you can’t stick with this diet, I got ya. I made a free 10-level Diet Blueprint (think like leveling up in a video game) that walks you through eliminating many of these foods through a series of small changes you can make that won’t freak you out, and isn’t nearly as restrictive as the Keto Diet.
For a lot of members of the Rebellion, these incremental changes are a great place to start while you get your feet wet and start to learn about the food you’re cramming down your piehole. I’ll send it to you free when you sign up in the box below:
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
How do I KNOW I’m in Ketosis?
If you’re going to follow a Keto Diet, you probably want to learn how to determine if you’re actually in ketosis, right?
I believe there is something more important here to consider:
Are you getting results?
Does it matter?
If you are aiming for a “look pretty good, feel pretty good” strategy – as laid out here – an 80% solution that results in a decent physique when combined with strength training and exercise.
So if you “go Keto” and you are losing weight and feeling better, does it REALLY matter if you’re in ketosis or not? I don’t want your success derailed because you panic about the exact amount of ketones in your bloodstream!
“Steve, I hear you. But I’m doing this Keto thing as an experiment, or I want to see if I get other benefits too. Tell me how I can measure my ketone levels!”
Okay okay okay, fine! We’ll do all the things that YOU wanna do.
There are three ways to determine whether or not you’re in Ketosis:
Test your breath
Test your urine
Test your blood
In my research, I found that testing one’s breath is the least popular of the options – I only found poorly reviewed expensive testers. So if you happen to LOVE this method and have an inexpensive testing option you want me to link here – put it in the comments!
Blood testing options are accurate but do require a blood sample (duh) and thus are less convenient than the next option…
I bought these Ketone Testing Strips and they seem to be getting the job done for testing the level of ketones my body is producing. I simply pee on the strip and then match the color at the end to the side of the bottle to determine the level of ketones in my urine.
For the first week or two of becoming keto-adapted, testing your ketone levels daily (or once in the morning and at night) is reasonable. Don’t test your levels multiple times throughout the day, especially after just eating, and then freak out if the number isn’t what you wanted it to be.
NOTE: Once your body becomes fat-adapted, it might use ketones more effectively which means fewer ketones are excreted through your urine/breath. For this reason, your tests could show lower ranges of ketone levels than the actual amount your body is producing. This is normal, expected, and not a problem.
“WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT RANGES FOR KETONES!?”
Ketones are measured in terms of millimoles per liter in your blood:
0-0.4 mmol/L = regular American diet (50%+ carbs)
0.5-7 mmol/L = prolonged fasting / ketogenic diet
15-25 mmol/L = Diabetic ketoacidosis = danger, Will Robinson!
When you’re in ketosis, you’ll hang out in the second range. Depending on what you’re eating, if you’re supplementing with exogenous ketones, if you fasted, and how long you’ve been in ketosis, where in that range might vary for you – but that’s okay!
My research also showed that there’s no particular benefit to having a higher ketone amount as long as you are in ketosis.[17]
Let’s quickly talk about ketoacidosis – it’s a condition in which the body produces too many ketones that can’t be used, rendering the bloodstream too acidic – it’s a concern, but for a small percentage of people.
Diabetics in particular are at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, and they should work with their doctor before adjusting their medication or adopting a Keto Diet strategy.
If you are STILL panicked, speak with your doctor. And relax. Look at these sleeping puppies, calm yourself down, and then we can get back to work:
The Killer Combo: Fasting + Keto Diet
As previously stated (like, 5 minutes ago), there are two ways to ensure you get into ketosis:
Fasting
Eating in a way that induces ketosis (low carb).
As many will tell you in the Reddit’s /r/Keto – and even members of our own Team Nerd Fitness:
Eating Keto + Intermittent Fasting = a great combo for simple weight loss.
We actually have an amazing success story here on Nerd Fitness, Larry, who followed our strategies, decided to go Keto and start intermittent fasting. He ended up losing weight, getting stronger, AND overcame the challenges of rheumatoid arthritis (click on the image for his story)!
Only eat during a certain window of the day. The most popular version (and the one I follow) is ‘skip breakfast’, and only consume calories between Noon and 8PM.
Occasionally do a 24 hour fast: eat dinner one night, and then don’t consume more calories until the following dinner. Some people actually do this every day, they call it OMAD (one meal per day).
Men and women are affected differently by intermittent fasting, and your results may vary.
As your body enters a fast period when there are no sources of glucose energy readily available, the liver begins the process of breaking down fat into ketones. Fasting itself can trigger ketosis.
Fasting for a period of time before kicking off a Keto-friendly eating plan COULD speed your transition into the metabolic state of ketosis, and fasting intermittently while in ketosis could help you maintain that state.
I personally love fasting for the simplicity: I skip breakfast every day and train in a fasted state. It’s one less decision I have to make, it’s one less opportunity to make a bad food choice, and it helps me reach my goals.
WHY KETO + IF WORKS = eating Keto can be really challenging. And every time you eat, it’s an opportunity to do it wrong and accidentally eat foods that knock you out of ketosis. You’re also tempted to overeat. So, by skipping a meal, you’re eliminating one meal, one decision, one chance to screw up.
Note: if you’re thinking “Steve, am I losing weight because I’m skipping 1/3rd of my meals for the day, AND eliminating an entire macronutrient?” – Yes. Now, both Keto and IF have secondary effects that could also be factoring in.
Your value may vary!
You need to decide what works for you: If going 24 hours without eating would make it hard for you to be successful on Keto, similar results have been seen when starting the diet without a fast, so don’t worry if that’s not doable right now!
Some people find success in eating ONE big meal a day, others do 16/8 fasting, and other people eat throughout the day.
It comes down to total calories consumed, total carbs consumed, and your level of misery while adjusting!
Keto needs to work for you, not the other way around. And if you want to try Intermittent Fasting, you can download our free IF Worksheet to track exactly when to eat and not to eat!
Download a free intermittent fasting guide and worksheet!
Complete outline of the Intermittent Fasting Protocol
Worksheets for tracking when you eat and how long you fasted
How to Avoid the “Keto Flu” and other negative side effects
So here’s the bad news: While ketosis is a great state for your body eventually, it can feel crappy at first.
Keto-induction, or the period where your body is entering ketosis, is a pretty big shock to the system, especially if you’ve been eating a lot of carbs. It can come with side effects that feel like the flu (fatigue, upset stomach, aching, insomnia and more), but it’s not caused by the ketosis itself.
Keto flu actually comes from carbohydrate withdrawal. That’s right; your body can basically be addicted to carbs, and have trouble dealing with a reduction in them!
It takes time for your body to become “Keto-adapted.”
Think of it this way: your body is a spoiled toddler who has been happily fueled by candy and soda for the past 3 years.
You suddenly tell the toddler: “no more soda, no more candy. You’re going to eat broccoli and grilled chicken like a big boy.”
How do you think this kid is going to respond?
Poorly.
Temper tantrums, mood swings, crying, and rage at the lack of delightful sugar. Eventually, this kid will be better off in the long term as a result…but it’s gonna take some time.
This ‘carb withdrawal’ can be so dramatic for some people that it ruins them for days or weeks, and they give up.
In these instances, the love affair with Keto ends prematurely, and the person goes crawling back to the comforting, delicious, but ultimately unfulfilling carb-heavy comfort foods.
Remember that list of ‘worst’ diets with Keto at the top? It’s for reasons like this: people give up on the diet quickly, and it’s tough to stick with long term.
“STEVE, HOW CAN I AVOID THE KETO FLU?”
For MOST people, the Keto flu and getting headaches comes down to the body adjusting to becoming fat-adapted, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances. When you eliminate carbohydrates from your diet, you might also be removing the consumption of certain electrolytes:
Sodium
Magnesium
Potassium
When you specifically try to add these electrolytes back into your diet, you’ll be able to offset some of the chemical changes in your body and compensate for the lack of those electrolytes that you used to consume as part of your old diet.
How does one do that? For sodium, you can simply add salt to your food (heyyyy sodium!), and for potassium and magnesium, you can eat kale, other leafy greens, avocado, nuts.
And in BOTH instances, you can add electrolyte supplements to a bottle of water!
I have many friends who struggled through the first few weeks of Keto and found that electrolyte supplementation made the process significantly more bearable.
Which brings us to another important topic:
This momma dog and her puppies:
And THIS important topic…
Can I strength Train and Do Keto? Cardio and Keto? Crossfit and Keto?
“Steve, I’m down to try Keto. But I don’t just want to lose weight, I want to build a physique I’m proud of. Meaning I wanna look good nekked.”
We’re going to approach this section with three caveats:
I don’t care what the “optimal” way to eat or train is. Unless you are an elite-level athlete or trying to build a specific physique, being “good enough” will suffice. This is true for your nutrition, for your training. The OPTIMAL way for you to train and eat is whatever method you will actually stick with long enough to build the habit!
We’ll look at what happens to your body on both cardio and strength training. You’ll be covered no matter what kind of exercise you follow.
You might suck at everything for the first few weeks of Keto. As pointed out in The Ketogenic Bible: “Significant declines in physical performance after one week of following a Ketogenic Diet; however, performance levels are restored after about six weeks, although it sometimes takes longer.”
The jury is still out on all of this –studies have suggested that reducing carb consumption dramatically could impact performance negatively depending on the activity, and below I’ll show you studies that present the exact opposite conclusion.
#1) “Steve, I like Strength Training. What does Keto look like for me?”
Great. I do too. In fact, I train in a fasted state four days per week. When you strength train or train intensely, your body starts to use up the glycogen stored in your muscles.
And you’re probably wondering “Steve if I don’t consume carbs, which becomes sugar, which my muscles store as glycogen…am I gonna run out of glycogen and my strength training might suffer?” Good question. Maybe.
“Does eating in a Keto way alter your body’s reliance on glycogen stores in the muscles? Does it change how much glycogen your muscles use or how quickly these stores are replenished?” Maybe. We’re still learning.
I did find multiple studies in which strength training was either not impacted or positively impacted by a Keto Diet:
A 2012 study put 8 male gymnasts on a 30 day Keto Diet – they lost more fat mass and increased lean body mass while. Suggesting Keto can help with body composition, which is probably why you are strength training to begin with.
A 2016 study looking at CrossFit programming showed no significant difference in muscle mass or performance between a Keto group and a control group.
A 2017 study worked with 25 strength training men – both groups gained muscle mass, while the Keto group lost more fat.
Now, this isn’t law, more studies are being done as we speak, and your results may vary. What this simply means is that there have been studies done that show one can do resistance training or CrossFit while eating Keto and not lose gains or muscle mass. Other studies show the opposite. Which means…
Your results MAY vary. Make sure you give it enough time to push through the Keto flu, performance-suckage phase to get a true answer for your situation.
Also: unless you’re a competitive athlete or compete in powerlifting competitions, this might not matter as much! Athletic performance is often negatively impacted once somebody gets to a low enough body fat percentage, but it doesn’t stop people chasing that “ripped” six-pack abs look!
#2) “Steve, I’m a runner/biker/etc. and I always carb-load. Sounds like Keto isn’t for me, right?”
Maybe not. Your body can only store 1600-2000 calories worth of glucose at any time – but might have 40,000+ calories worth of fat stored in the body. So instead of having to consistently eat gels and goos and snacks to keep the glucose levels high, what happens if you switch to “Keto-adapted” and fuel yourself with fat?
Let’s go to the science:
Earlier studies had suggested that a moderate-carb diet provides better endurance by increasing the concentration of glycogen in your muscles, but newer research seems to be swinging more in the direction of Keto.
As it turns out, the Keto Diet has been tested in ultramarathoners, Iron Man trainees, and endurance athletes in multiple studies, and in all cases, ketosis resulted in enhanced body composition and some of the highest rates of fat-burning ever recorded!
A 2016 study looked at 20 ultra-marathoners and Ironman distance triathletes – half of which were instructed to be on a fat-adapted diet for at least 6 months and the other 10 were on a traditional carb-focused nutritional strategy. The results:
Both groups had the same perceived level of exertion during a 3-hour trial run.
The Keto group had a fat oxidation rate of 2.3 times higher than the carb group, at an average of 1.5 grams per minute.
There were no significant differences in pre- or post-exercise glycogen concentrations.
Just like with strength training, this MIGHT work for you – or you might better off as a carb-adapted runner and athlete. You have to do what works for you.
My above caveat still stands: unless you are an elite athlete, this should be less of a concern for you – follow the diet that makes you look and feel good, and then base your training progress off your previous day’s results!
#3) “Steve, I’m not a competition-level ANYTHING, but I like exercising and want to look good.”
While dietary changes make up at least 80% of your weight-loss efforts, exercise will help you stay healthy and build a body you’re proud to look at in the mirror.
So track your workouts, track your nutrition, and work on getting better with it – running one second faster, doing one more rep, lifting 5 more pounds, etc. Compare yourself to your past self.
#4) “Steve I read this study that says Keto + Athlete = good/bad/ugly.”
Fair. Do what works best for you! In my research, and in learning from people that I trust and admire in this space:
Studies are often focused on short term ketosis (a few days or weeks), which could result in adverse performance in athletes who have not become fully Keto-adapted yet.
We are all unique snowflakes and your mileage may vary depending on your physiology. So who cares if you lift 5 pounds less! If Keto works for you and makes you look better, keep doing that.
If you are going to try Keto + Strenuous Exercise, consider the following advice: Keto might work for you! It might not!
Eat enough protein to ensure your muscles are getting the tools they need to rebuild themselves.
See how your body responds – course-correct as necessary.
Elite performance chaser? Consider “targeted ketogenic dieting” – which we discuss in our guide on the Keto Diet and Exercise.
Supplements and Keto – Exogenous Ketones!
You’ve read this far, learning about how our body has to work hard to create Ketones for energy.
And you’re probably thinking what I’m thinking: “What’s the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?” “Can’t I just ingest ketones directly?”
They refer to these as “exogenous ketones,” if you were wondering.
You weren’t, but that’s okay.
Caveat: I have not consumed exogenous ketones, though I have heard they can taste like jet fuel. And they can be pricey – though coming down in price thanks to Keto’s popularity.
So, if you LOVE to drink expensive jet fuel for some potentially better results or higher athletic performance, best of luck to ya.
This 2017 study showed “exogenous ketone drinks are a practical, efficacious way to achieve ketosis.”
In addition, A 2018 study showed that consuming Ketones lowered ghrelin [18] and thus our appetite.
I would put exogenous ketones in the “only if are aiming for strict ketosis” category, if you’re an elite athlete, or seeking a specific outcome of a medical condition under professional supervision.
If you really want to nerd out about exogenous ketones, consider this article from somebody I respect and trust, Dr. Peter Attia, on his experiences with them.
I won’t delve too much deeper into the topic until I can experiment with them myself and report back!
“What about other supplements Steve? I can’t get enough fat in my diet!”
In the previous section we discussed electrolyte supplementation, and for somebody that’s an athlete or unable to get enough protein in their system, a high-quality protein powder can help – just note the carb content!
Many people struggle to get enough fat in their nutrition, and have found success fat supplementation with MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oils and powders.
MCT oil can cause digestive challenges and make you immediately run to the bathroom, while the powder version might not cause as much of an issue. This was my experience.
Your mileage (to the bathroom) might vary! Start with small amounts of MCT before increasing the quantity.
Outside of these suggested supplements, the best “supplement” is a healthy eating plan. I know I know, a cop-out answer. If you need more sodium, first try adding a little salt to your meals. If you need more potassium, eat some spinach before you head to the supplement aisle at the grocery store.
Not only will these methods help you feel better, but you’ll be setting yourself up for better long-term eating habits.
Our overall stance on supplementation here at Nerd Fitness: supplements cannot replace the effects of a healthy diet and regular exercise. But for some people, these might be the right fit.
Homestretch! Now we just have delicious food and fun stuff to discuss. Yayyyyy!
Keto Meal Plans and Keto Recipes For the Wins!
“Steve I know I can eat things like meat, cheese, and vegetables, but I’m gonna go ahead and need you to do the heavy lifting for me. Give me a sample day on Keto and links to recipes.”
I considered saying “Let me google that for you” when it comes to “Keto recipes”, but I’m too nice of a guy.
CONDIMENTS: Ruled.Me has some great resources on what Keto condiments you can use to spice up your dishes without losing ketosis.
Here’s a quick list:
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Heavy whipping creme
Full fat cream cheese
Full-fat sour cream
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Full fat Ranch, Caesar, Bleu, Cheese, Italian
Depending on your macros, you might be adding butter, ghee, fatty dressings or oils, or supplementing with MCT/Coconut oil to hit your macros for the day.
This should at least get you started in thinking that you can still eat AMAZING food while eating Keto.
Everybody loves snacks. Unfortunately, most of the snacks you’ll encounter anywhere are definitely not Keto-friendly.
I’m firmly on Team No Snack, as I do practice intermittent fasting and try to eat BIG meals instead of lots of small ones – as I point out in the Intermittent Fasting article, the number of times you eat throughout the day won’t impact your waistline as much as the total quantity of calories.
That’s right, your metabolism isn’t “stoked” by eating small meals or grazing throughout the day. You can get in trouble if you eat big meals and then eat snacks between those big meals.
What matters is overall compliance – if snacking in between meals allows you to NOT overeat during your big meals, and ALSO you stay under your caloric intake goal for the day, then snacking is more than okay.
As far as dessert goes, the same holds true: if you save room in your macros and calories for a low calorie, Keto-compliant dessert, go crazy. Just don’t delude yourself into thinking that eating 5,000 calories of “Keto cookies” and “Keto ice cream” is going to make you healthier.
Got it? These snacks and desserts need to fit into your macros/calorie goals in order for this whole “I went Keto” thing to actually work for you.
EASY KETO SNACK IDEAS. If you want a bunch of Keto Snack ideas, check out our MASSIVE 60-snack guide on the subject. However, go ahead and think about these for now:
You’re gonna need to be super diligent with your carb counting when it comes to your adult beverage choices.
A Sam Adams has almost 20g of carbs, enough to knock somebody out of ketosis after just one. As a Bostonian, this makes me sad.
This is even worse for mixed drinks! No more rum and Cokes. No more margaritas. No more old fashioneds with simple syrup. No more daiquiris or mai tais or piña coladas.
Instead, you need to do your research into the carb content and calorie count of your favorite alcoholic drinks:
If you’re drinking spirits, mix with club soda (NOT tonic, which is loaded with sugar) or learn to drink neat.
If you’re drinking beers, opt for the low-carb variety! Just Google the beer brand you’re considering and go from there.
Just like with desserts and snacks, you need to make alcohol work for your macros and your calorie counts for the day.
Other things to note about alcohol: you might get drunk much faster as a result of being in Ketosis, you might have a worse hangover, and you might wake up in a chicken costume covered in sriracha on the other side of town if you drink too many “Keto-friendly” whiskeys.
Not that I would know. Shut up.
Where can I Learn More About the Keto Diet?
Phew. This article was focused on telling you everything you need to know so that you can confidently get started with Keto.
I want to give a HUGE shout out to the book, The Ketogenic Bible, by Dr. Jacob Wilson and Ryan Lowery, which was my first stop in my Keto research.
If you’re a super nerd and want to learn about all of the science behind this stuff, or if you’re intrigued by the research into Keto + certain health conditions or improvements, it’s absolutely worth a read.
If you’re interested in going further with your Keto adventure, consider all of the following below!
OUR COACHING AND COURSES:
Pardon my shameless self-promotion, but we have helped a few hundred thousand people through Nerd Fitness over the past decade, and we have some key resources that can help people adapt or adopt a more Keto-friendly lifestyle:
1-on-1 Coaching with Nerd Fitness: partner with one of our trained coaches who will build you a custom workout program, and help you make better nutritional choices. We’ll have you take photos of each meal you consume, guide your decisions, and help you hit longer-term goals. Our average client stays 9-10 months!
The Nerd Fitness Prime: Learn the right mindset, be surrounded by a supportive online community, follow the workout programs, complete boss battles and quests, and level up your character as you level up your life. Although our courses, like the NF Academy, aren’t Keto-focused, we have a TON of NF Prime members doing Keto who would love to support you.
KETO RECIPE AND OTHER RESOURCES – In addition to simply googling “Keto recipes” which I know you can do because you’re a big boy or big girl, here are three of my favorite resources:
PODCASTS ABOUT KETO: If you love to listen instead of reading, I’m doubly proud of you for making it all this way. Here are three of my favorite podcast episodes on the subject, in order of complexity. The science versus is the most approachable:
Your First Week on the Keto Diet – Start With This
Okay, you’re here because you’ve committed to going Keto, and now there’s just one final step: actually doing it.
So how do you get started? What’s next for you between reading this article and 30 days of Keto success? A plan!
Fear not, for I have built a step-by-step plan for you right here:
#1) Take before photos and measurements.
Take front and profile photos of yourself. You don’t need to look at them or share them anywhere, but I PROMISE you’re going to want those.
Record your weight and take any measurements you want.
Write this stuff down and keep it secret, keep it safe.
#2) Calculate your calories and macros. You can do the math as I explained above, or simply use the calculator over on Ruled.Me. Know your number of goal:
Calories
Carbs
Fat
Protein
#3) Go shopping for your Keto foods, and order your Keto snacks on Amazon. Look at the recipes above and pick the ones that don’t scare you to make. Keep snacks readily available in case of “holy crap I am so hungry and I just want to eat a damn pizza and spaghetti and snort Pixy Stix.”
#4) Consider picking up an electrolyte supplement to help you through the first few days/weeks of grogginess/lethargy as you move through the Keto flu stage. You can also look into the urine test strips or blood testers – I find that knowing I’m in ketosis, it helps keep me accountable and motivated that all these changes are actually working!
#6) Tell somebody. The biggest problem with Keto is simply sticking with it. If you have roommates or a significant other or friends you can speak to and get them on your team to support you. In fact, send them this article and recruit them to try it with you! That way they’re not enabling you to slip up, they’re keeping you accountable!
Don’t have anybody to tell? NF Prime has the most supportive community on the internet.
7) Consider kickstarting your week with a fast. This is going to be a mental and physiological challenge. Consider skipping breakfast tomorrow – it’s one less meal you have to prepare, one less chance to knock yourself out of ketosis, and can help kickstart the Keto-adapted phase!
8) Throughout the week: Focus on big wins, allow yourself to be miserable – Keto flu is REAL, giving up carbs is hard, and your body is going to hate you:
Lean on your support group. Talk to others who have been where you are, ask questions, share your struggles!
Eat snacks when you are miserable. I’d rather you eat some snacks and slightly overeat on your calories than be so miserable that you give up.
Track your adherence. Use MyFitnessPal (though not their recommended macronutrient breakdown!) to track every meal you eat – this is very important in the first week as you’re educating yourself dramatically.
Do your best – you might slip up with one meal or realize you accidentally ate carbs. This is not the end of the world. Forgive yourself, learn the lesson, and get right back at it with the next meal.
9) Keep going, or adjust. Depending on your body, your environment, the way you used to eat, and your physiology, this first week will either be “hey, not too bad” or “Never again.”
Either way, you’ll learn something. I do hope you push through this for a full 30 days and see how your body responds once it’s out of the Keto Flu stage!
10) At the end of the month, take more photos and measurements and compare them to your starting “before” stats. Do you feel better? Do you look better? Did you enjoy the process? great! Keep going. Hated it? Great! You found a method that doesn’t work for you. Adjust and create your own strategy.
Other Frequently Asked Questions about The Keto Diet.
1) Who should NOT attempt the Keto Diet?
Very important question. We all know this article is NOT medical advice, and regardless of your health you should discuss your nutritional strategies with your doctor or dietitian.
As pointed out in The Ketogenic Bible, going into Ketosis is not recommended for:
Carnitine deficiency
CPT I/II deficiency
Beta oxidation defects
Impaired gastrointestinal motility
Pregnancy
Kidney failure
Type 1 Diabetes
Pancreatitis
Gallbladder disease
Impaired liver function
Impaired fat digestion
Gastric bypass surgery
Abdominal tumors
If you’re concerned about your health with regards to Keto, speak with your doctor and consider a Keto Diet under supervision.
2) Do I have to count calories on Keto?
Not necessarily, but it certainly helps when starting out. That is true whether you’re doing Keto or just trying to eat healthier. In fact, I would almost make it a requirement until you learn the basics about everything you eat.
The most important thing you’ll need to track is your carb and fiber intake. You’re trying to eat less than 20-50 grams of net carbs each day, and making your diet 70% fat. Not all calories are created equal when it comes to healthy eating and weight loss, so they’re not a focus on Keto.
3) Eating all of this fat and cholesterol is going to make me fat and block my arteries, right?
Wrong! Dietary cholesterol has been shown to not increase blood cholesterol – check this article here. And fat is healthy when consumed as part of a nutritious meal. As pointed out in this study, a Low Carbohydrate Diet resulted in decreased bodyweight, abdominal circumference, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, insulin, and an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the good stuff).
It’s when fat is combined with carbohydrates in diabolical combinations that we start to get into trouble.
4) I’ve heard my breath and my urine might smell funny on Keto. Is that true? What do I do about it?
Look, we don’t want you to be self-conscious about how your pee smells. But it’s true; as part of the byproducts produced through the creation of ketone bodies, you may notice a fruity smell in your urine and on your breath.
This is totally normal, and it comes from the acetone that’s produced through ketosis. Acetone isn’t used for energy, so it’s excreted in urine and breath.
Not only is this not bad, but it’s a sign that you are fully in a ketogenic state.
But you probably don’t want your breath to smell like a slightly weird fruit salad, right? The easiest answer is to brush your teeth often, and to wait it out. This effect usually goes away once you’re on the diet for a while as your body learns to use more ketones.
5) Can I eat Keto if I’m a vegetarian/vegan?
Yes. We mentioned above in our list of foods to eat that you can substitute meatless proteins for meat in a vegetarian Keto Diet.
If you also want to remove the dairy and eggs to make a vegan Keto plan, in addition to the vegan meat options, consider adding mushrooms and “vegan dairy,” such as full-fat vegan cheeses, as well as a larger quantity of healthy fats like coconut oil.
You can follow the low-carb principles of keto along with your vegetarian or vegan eating plan. Also, if you’re interested in following a Plant-Based Diet in general, make sure you check out our massive guide on the subject.
6) Does this mean no carbs forever and ever? How long am I supposed to go Keto for?
You will get results from Keto for as long as you stay Keto. If you go Keto and lose a bunch of weight, but then go back to how you were eating before…you’ll end up right back where you started.
So, our advice would be to give this a true attempt: stick with Keto for 30 days as an experiment. You might find that you LOVE how it makes you feel and want to stick with it.
Also, as your body learns to become keto-adapted, you can start to mix in sliiiightly higher carb days here and there with minimal adverse effects.
If you go Keto and decide that this is not the best strategy for you, that’s cool too. Pick the parts of it that work for you, take what you’ve learned, and start to experiment and build your own diet.
Should You Do the Keto Diet?
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You get the Medal of Heroes, and you definitely know enough to get started on the Keto Diet.
You’ve unlocked this gif of a turtle eating a raspberry:
The Keto Diet COULD work for you…if you can stick with it. And even if you stick with it, it might not be the right diet for you. It isn’t for me.
I do think learning about the Keto Diet, learning your macros, and getting a better understanding of how you fuel your body is a good thing in the long term.
So here’s what I would recommend: Be less concerned about “staying in ketosis” and instead concern yourself with how to find a nutritional strategy that fits YOUR life.
If you’re adamant about going Keto, try it out for 30 days. If you have health concerns, discuss this with your doctor first. Take measurements and before and after photos, and then determine after 30 days if it works for you. And if it does or doesn’t, adjust and course correct.
The worst thing to do would be to go Keto for 30 days to try to lose weight quickly, just to go back to how you were eating before.
Instead, we want you to make permanent progress. So find a path that allows you to be pretty damn good, nearly all of the time.
Whether or not Keto is for you, keep looking around here at Nerd Fitness. Maybe Paleo or Intermittent Fasting is a better fit for you, or you’d prefer to work with a coach to help combine all of the above into a system that fits your exact lifestyle.
Whatever it is, I’m glad you’re here. And I’m glad you’re trying.
WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE?
What other questions do you have about Keto?
Have you had a great experience with Keto?
Have you had a BAD experience with Keto?
Favorite snacks or resources?
Leave your experiences in the comments below!
-Steve
PS: If you liked this guide to Keto but need more guidance, check out our 1-on-1 coaching program and schedule a free consultation to see if we’re a good fit for each other!
PPS: I guarantee I probably pissed off half the internet for some reason with this article.
Whether it was a typo, the fact that I referenced a particular study that didn’t line up with your already deeply-held view on Keto, or because you don’t like my jokes. I hope we’re still cool.
If you want to rage and call me an idiot for whatever reason, email me at thatsnotnice@jkdontemailme.biz
PPPS: Feel free to download this article in good-lookin Digital Guide form. It’s free when you sign up in the box below, Cheers!
Download Our Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet
55-page Keto Diet guide: how to start today!
Learn the benefits and pitfalls of going Keto.
Keto recipes, snacks, resources, and more!
###
ALL Photos Sources can be found in this footnote here[19]. Special shout outs to Clement127 and Black Zack who have two amazing streams you should check out!
Footnotes ( returns to text)
He’s also my hero, so BACK OFF
Yes, eating too much protein can knock you out of ketosis too, but I’ll address this later.
A Ketone Ester Drink Lowers Human Ghrelin and Appetite – a Study.
Long-term effects of a ketogenic diet in obese patients study
Metabolic impact of a ketogenic diet compared to a hypocaloric diet in obese children and adolescents: study
A low-carbohydrate as compared with a low-fat diet in severe obesity: study.
Ketogenic diet and other dietary treatments for epilepsy: study
Low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to treat type 2 diabetes: study
The effects of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet on the polycystic ovary syndrome:study
Prior to the Pilates Strong challenge, I had an evening photo shoot on the beach. This is something I do regularly for upcoming workouts, challenges, and blog posts.
And occasionally when I have a shoot coming up…the old thoughts start to creep in.
Thoughts about how my body will look on camera, how much I have/have not been working out, where I’m at on my postpartum journey, what I should/shouldn’t eat the day of the shoot, etc.
Years ago, when I lived in a place of constant dissatisfaction with my body (prior to starting The Balanced Life), these thoughts had power. They dictated my behavior, the way I felt about myself, and what I thought to be true. These days, they still try to creep back in on occasion – but the difference is, they no longer hold power over me.
These days…
I notice them,
I acknowledge them,
and I remind myself of my worth, my purpose, and what REALLY matters.
And then I choose a different way of thinking.
And then I choose a different way of thinking. I choose to appreciate and celebrate the body I have been given and show up, just as I am, to teach Pilates and encourage others to show up just as they are too.
I share this to remind you that the journey towards freedom in body image doesn’t mean you won’t be tempted to go back to your old ways.
When you believe negative thoughts or lies for years or decades, they are deeply ingrained and the process of rewiring our brain and changing our thoughts takes time.
But it CAN be done and it is SO worth it.
So as we head into a new season…let’s continue to notice those lies (the shape/size of our body does NOT define our health, worth, talent, etc.), stop them, and replace them with the truth: that our bodies are incredible gifts to care for, celebrate, and appreciate.
On Patreon this month, I released a bunch of HIIT workout classes that use the 30 seconds on – 30 seconds off structure. One is bodyweight only, and two others incorporate dumbbells. Up for all on YouTube is this version, a kettlebell hiit class that will take you 37 minutes, including warm up and cool down. Become a Patreon member to get access to the rest!
30 On / 30 Off Kettlebell HIIT Workout Class
Link to equipment is affiliate.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR CLASS:
Kettlebell (I’m using a 20-lb kb but wish I had a heavier one for swings)
In this class, we thoroughly prepare our body for HIIT training with mobility work and light cardio. We then move onto our 30 on / 30 off HIIT work. You’ll get five exercises and complete four sets of them, using an interval structure of 30 seconds of work / 30 seconds of rest.
If the 30 seconds is not enough recovery time, pause the video and take more time as needed. Always listen to your body, modifying or stopping as needed.
We finish class with a guided cool down and stretch.
Workout Breakdown
See times specified to jump to that section in the above video.
(01:14) Warm Up & Mobility
(10:23) Preview of Exercises
(12:17) HIIT Workout
High Pull – Squat Jump
Split Lunge Row – Lunge Hop
Standing Side Bend – Back Lunge
KB Swings
Bear Plank Up-and-Over Hops
(32:11) Cool Down & Stretch
If you like this kettlebell hiit class, check out these similar workouts:
We have ALSO have a fun Intermittent Fasting Plan you can use to plan out your next few weeks of eating!
Join the Rebellion – our online community – and I’ll send you our fasting guide free:
Download a free intermittent fasting guide and worksheet!
Complete outline of the Intermittent Fasting Protocol
Worksheets for tracking when you eat and how long you fasted
What is Intermittent Fasting?
“Conventional wisdom” isn’t that smart.
We’re going to take two widely accepted healthy eating “rules” and turn them on their head:
RULE #1: You HAVE to eat first thing in the morning: Make sure you start off with a healthy breakfast, so you can get that metabolism firing first thing in the morning!
“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.”
There are even studies that show those that eat earlier in the day lose more weight than those who ate later in the day or skipped a meal.[1]
RULE #2: Eat lots of small meals for weight loss. Make sure you eat six small meals throughout the day so your metabolism stays operating at maximum capacity all day long.”
In other words, “eat breakfast and lots of small meals to lose weight and obtain optimal health.”
But what if there’s science and research that shows SKIPPING BREAKFAST (the horror! blasphemy!) can help with optimum human performance, mental and physical health improvement, maximum muscle retention, and body fat loss?
That’s where an Intermittent Fasting Plan comes in.
Intermittent fasting is not a diet, but rather a dieting pattern.
In simpler terms: it’s making a conscious decision to skip certain meals on purpose.
By fasting and then feasting deliberately, intermittent fasting generally means that you consume your calories during a specific window of the day, and choose not to eat food for a larger window of time.
There are a few different ways to take advantage of intermittent fasting, which I learned about from Martin over at LeanGains, a resource specifically built around fasted strength training:
INTERMITTENT FASTING 16/8 PLAN
What it is: Fasting for 16 hours and then only eating within a specific 8-hour window. For example, only eating from noon-8 PM, essentially skipping breakfast.
Some people only eat in a 6-hour window, or even a 4-hour window. This is “feasting” and “fasting” parts of your days and the most common form of Intermittent Fasting. It’s also my preferred method (4 years running).
Two examples: The top means you are skipping breakfast, the bottom means you are skipping dinner each day:
You can adjust this window to make it work for your life:
If you start eating at: 7AM, stop eating and start fasting at 3pm.
If you start eating at: 11AM, stop eating and start fasting at 7pm.
If you start eating at: 2PM, stop eating and start fasting at 10pm.
If you start eating at: 6PM, stop eating and start fasting at 2AM.
INTERMITTENT FASTING 24 HOUR PLAN
Skip two meals one day, where you take 24 hours off from eating. For example, eat on a normal schedule (finishing dinner at 8PM) and then you don’t eat again until 8PM the following day.
With this plan, you eat your normal 3 meals per day, and then occasionally pick a day to skip breakfast and lunch the next day.
If you can only do an 18 hour fast, or a 20 hour fast, or a 22 hour fast – that’s okay! Adjust with different time frames and see how your body responds.
Two examples: skipping breakfast and lunch one day of the week, and then another where you skip lunch and dinner one day, two days in a week.
Note: You can do this once a week, twice a week, or whatever works best for your life and situation.
By the way, both those weekly charts above come from our free Intermittent Fasting Plan (with printable worksheets).
Most people struggle with knowing exactly when to eat and when to stop eating, and actually sticking with it. We address all of that in the Nerd Fitness Intermittent Fasting Guide you get free when you sign up for our email list in the box below:
Download a free intermittent fasting guide and worksheet!
Complete outline of the Intermittent Fasting Protocol
Worksheets for tracking when you eat and how long you fasted
Those are the two most popular intermittent fasting plans, and the two we’ll be focusing on, though there are many variations of both that you can modify for yourself:
Some people eat in a 4 hour window, others do 6 or 8.
You’ll need to experiment, adjust to work for your lifestyle and goals, and see how your body responds.
Let’s first get into the science here behind Intermittent Fasting and why you should consider it!
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
Now, you might be thinking: “okay, so by skipping a meal, I will eat less than I normally eat on average (2 meals instead of 3), and thus I will lose weight, right?”
Yes.
By cutting out an entire meal each day, you are consuming fewer calories per week – even if your two meals per day are slightly bigger than before. Overall, you’re still consuming fewer calories per day.
In this example, you’re eating LARGER lunches and dinners than you normally do, but by skipping breakfast you’ll consume 500 less calories per day.
And thus, weight loss!
This is highlighted in a recent JAMA study[2] in which both calorie restricted dieters and intermittent fasters lost similar amounts of weight over a year period.
That doesn’t tell the FULL story, as the timing of meals can also influence how your body reacts.
Intermittent Fasting can help because your body operates differently when “feasting” compared to when “fasting”:
When you eat a meal, your body spends a few hours processing that food, burning what it can from what you just consumed.
Because it has all of this readily-available, easy to burn energy (thanks to the food you ate), your body will choose to use that as energy rather than the fat you have stored.
During the “fasted state” (the hours in which your body is not consuming or digesting any food) your body doesn’t have a recently consumed meal to use as energy.
Thus, it is more likely to pull from the fat stored in your body as it’s the only energy source readily available.
Burning fat = win.
The same goes for working out in a “fasted” state.
Without a ready supply of glucose and glycogen to pull from (which has been depleted over the course of your fasted state, and hasn’t yet been replenished with a pre-workout meal), your body is forced to adapt and pull from a source of energy that it does have available: the fat stored in your cells.
Why does this work? Our bodies react to energy consumption (eating food) with insulin production.
The more sensitive your body is to insulin, the more likely you’ll be to use the food you consume efficiently, and your body is most sensitive to insulin following a period of fasting[3].
These changes to insulin production and sensitivity can help lead to weight loss [4] and muscle creation [5].
Next: Your glycogen (a starch stored in your muscles and liver that your body can burn as fuel when necessary) is depleted during sleep (aka during fasting), and will be depleted even further during training, which can lead to increased insulin sensitivity.
This means that a meal following your workout will be used more efficiently: converted to glycogen and stored up in your muscles or burned as energy immediately to help with the recovery process, with minimal amounts stored as fat.
Compare this to a regular day (no intermittent fasting): With insulin sensitivity at normal levels, the carbs and foods consumed will see full glycogen stores and enough glucose in the bloodstream, and thus be more likely to get stored as fat.
Back to fasting: growth hormone is increased during fasted states (both during sleep[6]and after a period of fasting). Combine this increased growth hormone secretion:[7], the decrease in insulin production (and thus increase in insulin sensitivity [8]), and you’re essentially priming your body for muscle growth and fat loss with intermittent fasting.
The less science-y version: Intermittent fasting can help teach your body to use the food it consumes more efficiently, and your body can learn to burn fat as fuel when you deprive it of new calories to constantly pull from (if you eat all day long).
TL/DR: For many different physiological reasons, fasting can help promote weight loss and muscle building when done properly.
I know Intermittent Fasting can be overwhelming for many, which is why we work with our 1-on-1 coaching clients to help them understand what’s going on, and how to make it work for THEIR life.
If that sounds like you, click the button below to learn more about how our program works:
Should I Eat 6 Small Meals a Day?
There are a few main reasons why diet books recommend six small meals:
1) When you eat a meal, your body does have to burn extra calories [9] just to process that meal. So, the theory is that if you eat all day long with small meals, your body is constantly burning extra calories and your metabolism is firing at optimal capacity, right? Well, that’s not true.
Whether you eat 2000 calories spread out throughout the day, or 2000 calories in a small window, your body will burn the same number of calories processing the food [10].
So, the whole “keep your metabolism firing at optimum capacity by always eating” sounds good in principle, but reality tells a different story.
2) When you eat smaller meals, you might be less likely to overeat during your regular meals. I can definitely see some truth here, especially for people who struggle with portion control or don’t know how much food they should be eating.
However, once you educate yourself and take control of your eating, some might find that eating six times a day is very prohibitive and requires a lot of effort. I know I do.
Also, because you’re eating six small meals, I’d argue that you probably never feel “full,” and you might be MORE likely to eat extra calories during each snack.
Although grounded in seemingly logical principles, the “six meals a day” doesn’t work for the reason you think it would (#1), and generally only works for people who struggle with portion control (#2).
If we think back to caveman days, we’d have been in serious trouble as a species if we had to eat every three hours. Do you think Joe Caveman pulled out his pocket sundial six times a day to consume his equally portioned meals?
Hell no! He ate when he could, endured and dealt with long periods of NOT eating (no refrigeration or food storage) and his body adapted to still function optimally enough to still go out and catch new food.
A recent study (written about in the NYT, highlighted by LeanGains) has done a great job of challenging the “six-meals-a-day” technique for weight loss [11]:
There were [no statistical] differences between the low- and high- [meal frequency] groups for adiposity indices, appetite measurements or gut peptides (peptide YY and ghrelin) either before or after the intervention. We conclude that increasing meal frequency does not promote greater body weight loss under the conditions described in the present study.
Factor in the potential physiological benefits listed in the previous section, and you got yourself some damn good science-backed evidence to consider trying Intermittent Fasting if you want to decrease body fat and build muscle.
Should I Try intermittent fasting? (6 Things to Consider)
Now that we’re through a lot of the science stuff, let’s get into the reality of the situation: why should you consider Intermittent Fasting?
When you fast, you are also making it easier to restrict your total caloric intake over the course of the week, which can lead to consistent weight loss and maintenance.
#2) Because it simplifies your day. Rather than having to prepare, pack, eat, and time your meals every 2-3 hours, you simply skip a meal or two and only worry about eating food in your eating window.
It’s one less decision you have to make every day.
It could allow you to enjoy bigger portioned meals (thus making your tastebuds and stomach satiated) and STILL eat fewer calories on average.
#3) It requires less time (and potentially less money). Rather than having to prepare or purchase three to six meals a day, you only need to prepare two meals.
Instead of stopping what you’re doing six times a day to eat, you simply only have to stop to eat twice. Rather than having to do the dishes six times, you only have to do them twice.
Rather than having to purchase six meals a day, you only need to purchase two.
#4) It promotes stronger insulin sensitivity and increased growth hormone secretion, two keys for weight loss and muscle gain. Intermittent fasting helps you create a double whammy for weight loss and building a solid physique.
#5) It can level up your brain, including positively counteracting conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and dementia.
As explained here in this TEDx talk by Mark Mattson, Professor at Johns Hopkins University and Chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging, fasting is grounded in serious research and more studies are coming out showing the benefits:
#6) Plus, Wolverine does it:
#7) Boy George is a fasting fan (and apparently reads Nerd Fitness!):
— Boy George (the truth is in your breath) (@BoyGeorge) May 8, 2017
So if both musicians and adamantium-clawed superheroes do Intermittent Fasting, it can probably work for you too, if you can make it work for your particular lifestyle and situation!
If you’ve tried implementing something like this in the past and not had success, or you’re just looking for guidance from a coach to help you implement it into your lifestyle, I hear ya!
That was the specific problem we set out to solve with our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program: helping busy people make lifestyle changes (like Intermittent Fasting) and also build the habit of exercise. You can schedule a call with our team to learn more by clicking on the image below!
What Are the Negative Effects of intermittent fasting?
In my own experimentation with Intermittent Fasting since 2014, I have found very few negative side effects with Intermittent Fasting.
The biggest concern most people have is that Intermittent Fasting will lead to lower energy, focus, and the “holy crap I am hungry” feeling during the fasting period and ruin them.
People are concerned that they will spend all morning being miserable because they haven’t consumed any food, and thus will be miserable at work and ineffective at whatever task it is they are working on.
The following are my thoughts and experiences, and your results may vary:
Yes, the initial transition from EATING ALL THE TIME, to intermittent fasting MIGHT be a bit of a jolt to your system; it was for me.
However, once I got through the transition after a few days, my body quickly adapted and learned to function just as well only eating a few times a day.
Although I fast for 16 hours per day with no issues, the following might help assuage your fears that skipping breakfast will cause your body to eat itself and your brain to implode:
After 48-hours of fasting in a recent study[12], “cognitive performance, activity, sleep, and mood are not adversely affected in healthy humans by two days of calorie-deprivation.” You’ll be fasting for far less time than that.
“So why do I feel grouchy and lethargic when I skip breakfast?”
In this nerd’s humble opinion, a good portion of the grumpiness is a result of past eating habits. If you eat every three hours normally, and normally eat as soon as you wake up, your body will start to get hungry every three hours as it is now used to consuming food every three hours.
If you eat breakfast every morning, your body expects to wake up and eat food.
Once you retrain your body to NOT expect food all day every day (or first thing in the morning), these side-effects become less of an issue. In addition, ghrelin (a hormone that makes you hungry [13]), is actually lowest in the mornings and decreases after a few hours of not eating too. The hunger pains will naturally pass!
Personally, I found this grumpiness subsided after a few days and now my mornings actually energize me.
It’s important to understand that Intermittent Fasting is NOT a cure-all panacea. Don’t delude yourself into thinking that if you skip breakfast and then eat 4,000 calories of candy bars for lunch and dinner that you will lose weight.
If you have an addictive relationship with food and you struggle with portion control, figure out your calorie goals and track your calorie intake in your meals to make sure you’re not overeating.
If you skip breakfast, you might be so hungry from this that you OVEREAT for lunch and this can lead to weight gain. Again, the important thing here is that with an intermittent fasting plan, you’re eating fewer calories than normal because you’re skipping a meal every day.
Think about it in caveman terms again. We certainly found ways to survive during periods of feast and famine, and that remains true today. Imagine if you needed to eat in order to be active and alert: what would hungry cavemen do?
They would go find food, and that probably required a ton of effort. It actually takes our bodies about 84 hours of fasting [14] before our glucose levels are adversely affected. As we’re talking about small fasts (16-24 hour periods), this doesn’t concern us.
AN IMPORTANT CAVEAT:Intermittent Fasting can be more complex for people who have issues with blood sugar regulation, suffer from hypoglycemia, have diabetes, etc. If you fit into this category, check with your doctor or dietitian before adjusting your eating schedule. It also affects women differently (there’s a whole section dedicated to that here).
Can I Build Muscle and Gain Weight While Intermittent Fasting?
I still eat roughly the same number of calories I was consuming before, but instead of eating all damn day long, I condense all of my calorie consumption into an eight hour window.
11 AM Work out with heavy strength training in a fasted state.
7 PM Consume the second portion of my calories for the day in a big dinner.
8 PM – 12 PM the next day: Fast for 16 hours.
In a different method, my friend Nate Green packed on a crazy amount of muscle while fasting for a full 24 hours on Sundays – so it is possible. [15]
I’m not kidding when I say this has revolutionized how I look at muscle building and fat loss.
Ultimately, this method flies in the face of the typical “bulk and cut” techniques of overeating to build muscle (along with adding a lot of fat) before cutting calories to lose fat (along with some muscle) and settling down at a higher weight.
I prefer this method to the bulk-and-cut technique for a few reasons:
There’s far less of a crazy swing to your weight. If you are putting on 30 pounds and then cutting 25 to gain 5 lbs of muscle, your body is going through drastic swings of body mass. Your clothes will fit differently, you’ll have different levels of definition, and your body will wonder what the hell is going on.
You’re consuming less food and thus spending less money. Rather than overeating to put on 1 pound of muscle and 4 pounds of fat in a week or two, you’re aiming to eat exactly enough to put on 1 pound of muscle without adding much fat on top of it. Yeah, it’s a delicate balance, but there’s far less swing involved. You are just slowly, steadily, and consistently building muscle and strength over many months.
There’s never a need to get “vacation-ready”: we all want to look good naked, right? When you are just adding muscle, you don’t need to worry about getting your body ready before by drastically altering your diet (avoiding a miserable crash diet like the Military Diet). [16]
You can make small adjustments and stay on target. Keep your body fat percentage low, build strength and muscle, and if you happen to notice your body fat creeping up, cut back on the carbs. Within two weeks you should be back at your preferred body fat percentage and can continue the muscle building process.
A note on BCAA consumption. Martin from LeanGains [17] recommends consuming Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) as a supplement with regards to fasted training to aid your muscles through your workout.
Personally, I used BCAAs for about 6-8 months during my initial start with fasted training (consuming them before training), though haven’t used them in the past 2+ years. I didn’t notice any adverse effects to not taking them with regards to my performance. Your value may vary!
Now, it should go without saying that if you want to build muscle while fasting, you need to work out. Specifically, by lifting heavy.
If you want help building a workout routine designed to create muscle, I have 3 options:
#1) “Build Your Own Workout Routine” and get your hands dirty. Our guide will walk you through building a full body exercise program in 10 simple steps.
#3) Have a Nerd Fitness Coach do all the heavy lifting for you (not really, you still have to lift stuff), by having them build you a tailor-made workout routine:
Should You Do Intermittent Fasting and the Keto Diet?
By only eating fat and protein, your body must adapt to run on fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. In the absence of carbs/glucose, your body converts fats to ketones and uses them for fuel.
This process is called “ketosis,” and there are two ways for a body to enter ketosis:
Eating in a way that induces ketosis (very low carb, high fat).
Fasting…Hey, that’s what you’re reading about right now!
We actually have an amazing success story here on Nerd Fitness, Larry, who followed our strategies, went Keto and start intermittent fasting. He ended up losing weight, getting stronger, AND overcame the challenges of rheumatoid arthritis (click on the image for his story)!
Here’s how the fasting portion of it works:
As your body enters a fast period when there are no sources of glucose energy readily available, the liver begins the process of breaking down fat into ketones.
Fasting itself can trigger ketosis.
Fasting for a period of time before kicking off a Keto-friendly eating plan COULD speed your transition into the metabolic state of ketosis, and fasting intermittently while in ketosis could help you maintain that state.
I personally love fasting for the simplicity: I skip breakfast every day and train in a fasted state. It’s one less decision I have to make, it’s one less opportunity to make a bad food choice, and it helps me reach my goals.
WHY KETO + IF WORKS = eating Keto can be really challenging. And every time you eat, it’s an opportunity to do it wrong and accidentally eat foods that knock you out of ketosis.
You’re also tempted to overeat.
So, by skipping a meal, you’re eliminating one meal, one decision, one chance to screw up.
Note: if you’re thinking “Steve, am I losing weight because I’m skipping 1/3rd of my meals for the day, AND eliminating an entire macronutrient?”, then you’d be right.
Both Keto and IF have secondary effects that could also be factoring in – physiological benefits which I explain in both articles.
Your value may vary!
You need to decide what works for you.
You probably won’t become “keto-adapted” (your body running on ketones) just skipping breakfast every day – your body will still have enough glucose stored from your carb-focused meals for lunch and dinner the day before.
In order to use fasting to enter ketosis, the fast needs to be long enough to deplete your carb/glucose stores, or you need to severely restrict carbohydrates from your meals in addition to IF in order to enter ketosis.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Experiment and try different strategies that will work for you.
By skipping a meal or minimizing carbohydrate intake, you’re more likely than not to lose weight:
You can do intermittent fasting without eating a Keto Diet and lose weight.
You can do a Keto Diet without intermittent Fasting and lose weight.
Any of those options could work for you, but you need to make it work for your lifestyle! If you want to more about the Keto Diet, definitely read my big-ass post about Keto.
If you’re in a hurry and want to download it so you can read it at your leisure, you can grab our Quick Start Guide to the Keto Diet for free right here:
Download Our Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet
55-page Keto Diet guide: how to start today!
Learn the benefits and pitfalls of going Keto.
Keto recipes, snacks, resources, and more!
Does Intermittent Fasting Have Different Effects on Men and Women?
The quick answer is: “yes, Intermittent Fasting can affect men and women differently.”
Anecdotally, we have many women in our online coaching program that swear by Intermittent Fasting, while others have had adverse effects.
Let’s dig into the science and studies.
A recent PubMed summary concluded that “fasting can be prescribed as a safe medical intervention as well as a lifestyle regimen which can improve women’s health in many folds [18].
Now, in that extract, many of the studies cited are focused on specifically calorie restriction (and not just fasting), and they also say that “future studies should address this gap by designing medically supervised fasting techniques to extract better evidence.”
Digging into the PubMed Archives brought me to the following conclusions [19]:
One small study (with 8 men and 8 women, all non-obese) resulted in the following: “Glucose response to a meal was slightly impaired in women after 3 weeks of treatment, but insulin response was unchanged. Men had no change in glucose response and a significant reduction in insulin response.”[20]
Another small study (8 women) studied the effects on their menstrual cycles after a 72 hour fast – which is significantly longer than any fast recommended in this article: “in spite of profound metabolic changes, a 72-hour fast during the follicular phase does not affect the menstrual cycle of normal cycling women.” [21].
Yet another study tracked 11 women with 72 hour fasts (again, longer than we’d recommend) and it found that “Fasting in women elicited expected metabolic responses – included increased cortisol (a stress hormone) – and apparently advanced the central circadian clock (which can throw off sleeping patterns). [22]
Those studies above, in working with small sample sizes, and different types of fasting than recommended here, would lead me to believe that fasting affects men and women differently, and that many of the weight loss benefits associated with intermittent fasting (that affect insulin and glucose responses) work positively for men and negatively for women.
There are also a series of articles[23] out there that dig into the potential reproductive health issues, stress challenges, induction of early-menopause [24] associated with fasting (and calorie restriction) for women.
Precision Nutrition – a great resource – recommends not attempting Intermittent Fasting as a woman if:
The challenge associated with all of this is that there aren’t enough long-term studies, with large enough sample sizes, specifically targeting female humans, with relation to the different types of Intermittent Fasting.
ALL OF THIS TO SAY: It does appear that men and women will have different experiences with intermittent fasting; we’re all unique snowflakes (yep, especially you), and your body will be affected by intermittent fasting differently than the person next to you.
There is enough evidence as cited in the articles and studies above that would give me pause to recommend Intermittent Fasting for women, especially if you are considering getting pregnant in the near term.
If you are looking to attempt fasting for weight loss reasons, my research has shown me that Intermittent Fasting could be less effective for women than men with regards to weight loss, and thus you would be wise to keep your efforts elsewhere:
Now, if you’ve read the above warnings, you are still curious about Intermittent Fasting, and you want to give it a try as a female, that is your choice!
You know your body best.
So, get blood work done, speak with your doctor and get a check-up.
Give intermittent fasting a shot, track your results, and see how your body/blood work changes as a result of Intermittent Fasting and decide if it’s right for you.
Your milage may vary, so speak with a doctor or find a doctor versed in intermittent fasting plans and treat it like an experiment on yourself!
If you’re not sure if an Intermittent Fasting Plan is right for you and you want to work with a coach to help you navigate your first month of fasting, we’re here to help!
Top 6 Questions about Intermittent Fasting
1) “Won’t I get really hungry if I start skipping meals?”
As explained above, this can be a result of the habits you have built for your body. If you are constantly eating or always eat the same time of day, your body can actually learn to prepare itself for food by beginning the process of insulin production and preparation for food.
After a brief adjustment period, your body can adapt to the fact that it’s only eating a few times a day. The more overweight you are, and the more often you eat, the more of an initial struggle this might be.
Remember, your body’s physical and cognitive abilities most likley won’t be diminished as a result of short term fasting.[25]
2) “Where will I get my energy for my workouts? Won’t I be exhausted and not be able to complete my workouts if fasting?”
This was a major concern of mine as well, but the research says otherwise: “Training with limited carbohydrate availability can stimulate adaptations in muscle cells to facilitate energy production via fat oxidation.”[26]
In other words, when you train in a fasted state, your body can get better at burning fat for energy when there are no carbs to pull from!
I’ll share some of my experiences, now doing heavy strength training for 3 years in a fasted state:
For my first “fasted” workout or two after starting an IF protocol, it was very weird to not eat before training. However, after a few sessions, I learned that my body could certainly function (and even thrive) during my training sessions despite not eating a pre-workout meal.
Here I am pulling 420 lbs. at 172 BW after a 16 hour fast:
3) “I like the idea of fasted training, but I work a regular 9-5 or a night shift and can’t train at 11AM like you do. What am I supposed to do?”
Depending on your training schedule, lifestyle, and goals, go back to the portion above where I talk about the 16/8 protocol and simply adjust your hours of fasting and feasting.
Don’t overthink this. If you can’t train until 5pm, that’s okay. Consume a small meal for lunch, or shift your Intermittent Fasting window to eat all of your meals in the 8 hours post workout. Better to do that than abandon it as a lost cause and have 0% compliance.
If you are an elite athlete, speak with a coach or nutritionist about your specific concerns and expectations. Otherwise, make intermittent fasting work for you Consider trying the 24-hour protocol below instead of the 16/8 protocol.
If you train later in the day (say, 7pm) but break your fast before training (aka Lunch), make it a smaller meal focused around fats and protein – which should be a solid goal even if you aren’t Intermittent Fasting! Try to time your carb and big meal consumption to happen AFTER your workout.
If you exercise BEFORE work, but then don’t eat until lunchtime: consider a protein supplement immediately after your workout, or simply wait until lunch to start eating. See how your body responds and adjust accordingly.
Do what you can, and don’t psyche yourself out! Get started and adjust along the way.
4) “Won’t fasting cause muscle loss?”
We’ve been told by the supplement industry that we need to consume 30 g of protein every few hours, as that’s the most amount of protein our body can process at a time.
Along with that, we’ve been told that if we don’t eat protein every few hours, our body’s muscle will start to break down to be burned as energy.
Again, NOT TRUE! Our bodies are quite adept at preserving muscle even when fasting [27], and it turns out that protein absorption by our body can take place over many many many hours.
Protein consumed in a shorter period of time has no difference on the body compared to protein spread throughout the day.
5) “What about my body going into starvation mode from not eating?”
Now, the thought process here is that when we don’t feed ourselves, our bodies assume calories aren’t available and thus choose to store more calories as opposed to burning them, therefore eliminating the benefits of weight loss with fasting.
Fortunately, this is NOT true.
Starvation mode is significantly overblown and sensationalized these days. It takes a dramatic amount of starvation, for a long, long, long time, before your body kicks into “starvation mode”. We’re talking about 24 hour or 16 hour fasts here, and starvation mode takes significantly longer than that.[28]
In other words: starvation mode should not be factoring into your decision here.
5) How much should I eat while intermittent fasting?
If your goal is weight loss, you still need to consume fewer calories than you burn every day to lose weight. If your goal is bulking up, you’ll need to consume more calories than you burn every day. Intermittent Fasting isn’t a cure-all, it’s a PART of the puzzle.
To start, begin intermittent fasting and eat your normal sized meals and track your weight and performance. If you are losing weight and happy with the progress, keep doing what you’re doing! If you are NOT losing weight, you could be eating too much. It’s a message I really strike home in our guide “Why Can’t I Weight?”
#1) Don’t freak out! Stop wondering: “can I fast 15 hours instead of 16?” or “what if I eat an apple during my fasted period, will that ruin everything?” Relax. Your body is a complex piece of machinery and learns to adapt. Everything is not as cut and dry as you think.
If you want to eat breakfast one day but not another, that’s okay. If you are going for optimal aesthetic or athletic performance, I can see the need to be more rigid in your discipline, but otherwise…freaking chill out and don’t stress over minutiae!
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good when it comes to your intermittent fasting plan.
#2) Consider fasted walks in the morning. I found these to be very helpful in reducing body fat, and also gave my day a great start to clear my mind and prepare for the day.
Simply wake up and go for a mile walk. Maybe you could even start walking to Mordor?
#3) Listen to your body during your strength training workouts. If you get light headed, make sure you are consuming enough water.
If you notice a significant drop in performance, make sure you are eating enough calories (especially fats and protein) during your feasting window.
And if you feel severely “off,” pause your workout. Give yourself permission to EASE into intermittent fasting and fasted workouts. This is especially true if you are an endurance athlete.
#4) Expect funny looks if you spend a lot of mornings with breakfast eaters.
A few weeks back I had a number of friends staying with me, and they were all completely dumbfounded when I told them I didn’t eat breakfast anymore.
I tried to explain it to them but received a bunch of blank stares. Breakfast has become so enGRAINed (zing!) in our culture that NOT eating it sounds crazy.
You will get weird looks from those around you…embrace it. I still go to brunch or sit with friends, I just drink black coffee and enjoy a conversation.
#5) Stay busy. If you are just sitting around thinking about how hungry you are, you’ll be more likely to struggle with this. For that reason, I time my fasting periods for maximum efficiency and minimal discomfort:
My first few hours of fasting come after consuming a MONSTER dinner, where the last thing I want to think about is eating.
When I’m sleeping: 8 of my 16 hours are occupied by sleeping. Tough to feel hungry when I’m dreaming about becoming a Jedi.
When I’m busy: After waking up, 12 hours of my fasting is already done. I spend three hours doing my best work (while drinking a cup of black coffee), and then comes my final hour of fasting: training.
#6) Zero-calorie beverages are okay. I drink green tea in the morning for my caffeine kick while writing. If you want to drink water, black coffee, or tea during your fasted period, that’s okay. Remember, don’t overthink it – keep things simple! Dr. Rhonda Patrick over at FoundMyFitness believes that a fast should stop at the first consumption of anything other than water, so experiment yourself and see how your body responds.
If you want to put milk in your coffee, or drink diet soda occasionally while fasting, I’m not going to stop you. Remember, we’re going for consistency and habit-building here – if milk or cream in your coffee makes life worth living, don’t deprive yourself.
There are MUCH bigger fish to fry with regards to getting healthy than a few calories here and there during a fast.
80% adherence that you stick with for a year is better than 100% adherence that you abandon after a month because it was too restrictive.
If you’re trying to get to a minimum bodyfat percentage, you’ll need to be more strict – until then, however, do what allows you to stay compliant!
Track your calories, and see how your body changes when eating the same amount of food, but condensed into a certain window.
Sign up for the NF Email listand join the Rebellion and get your free Intermittent Fasting Starter Guide and Worksheets to track your progress.
Download a free intermittent fasting guide and worksheet!
Complete outline of the Intermittent Fasting Protocol
Worksheets for tracking when you eat and how long you fasted
Everybody will react to an Intermittent Fasting Plan differently; I can’t tell you how your body will react. It’s up to you to listen to your body and see how making these adjustments change your body.
#8) Don’t expect miracles. Yes, Intermittent Fasting can potentially help you lose weight, increase insulin sensitivity and growth hormone secretion (all good things), but it is only ONE factor in hundreds that will determine your body composition and overall health. Don’t expect to drop to 8% body fat and get ripped just by skipping breakfast.
This is just one tool that can contribute to your success.
Getting Started with Intermittent Fasting: Next Steps
Intermittent fasting can potentially have some very positive benefits for somebody trying to lose weight or gain lean body mass.
Men and women will tend to have different results, just like each individual person will have different results. The ONLY way to find out is through a conversation with your doctor and self-experimentation.
There are multiple ways to “do” an Intermittent Fasting Plan:
Fast and feast regularly: Fast for a certain number of hours, then consume all calories within a certain number of hours.
Eat normally, then fast 1-2x a week: Consume your normal meals every day, then pick one or two days a week where you fast for 24 hours. Eat your last meal Sunday night, and then don’t eat again until dinner the following day.
Fast occasionally: probably the easiest method for the person who wants to do the least amount of work. Simply skip a meal whenever it’s convenient. On the road? Skip breakfast. Busy day at work? Skip lunch. Eat poorly all day Saturday? Make your first meal of the day dinner on Sunday.
After that, get started! Take photos, step on the scale, and track your progress for the next month.
See how your body responds.
See how your physique changes. See how your workouts change.
And then decide if it’s something you want to keep doing!
4 years later, I have no plans on going back to eating breakfast. Sorry General Mills and Dr. Kellogg!
If you’re worried about all of this stuff, or aren’t sure when to eat and stop eating, it might be worth working with a professional that can help you make sense of all of these questions and help you incorporate Intermittent Fasting into your life.
We have a few options to help people out:
#1) Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. I’ve found a lot of people struggle with knowing exactly when to eat and not eat, keeping track of their fast and feast windows, which is where we can help.
Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, a supportive online community, group challenges, and much more!
If you want to ask Nerd Fitness Coaches (and even me!) your questions about intermittent fasting, NF Prime would be the perfect place to do it.
#3) Join the Rebellion! Our free bi-weekly newsletter full of tips and tricks to help you lose weight, get stronger, and level up your life.
Join hundreds of thousands of members, and I’ll send you our free Intermittent Fasting guide too:
Download a free intermittent fasting guide and worksheet!
Complete outline of the Intermittent Fasting Protocol
Worksheets for tracking when you eat and how long you fasted
But enough about me, let’s talk about you.
I’d love to hear what questions you have!
What are your questions with intermittent fasting?
What are your concerns?
Have you tried intermittent fasting?
Have you had success with it, either with muscle gain or weight loss?
Thanks for leaving your comment, I’m excited to get the conversation started.
-Steve
PS: I made an Intermittent Fasting Plan to help you condense this article into an actionable worksheet you can follow. You can get yours free when you sign up in the box below:
Download a free intermittent fasting guide and worksheet!
Complete outline of the Intermittent Fasting Protocol
Worksheets for tracking when you eat and how long you fasted
CAVEAT: I’m a dude and can only speak from anecdotal evidence in speaking with women who have done IF, parsing studies, and trying to draw some conclusions that will help you make a decision
Glucose tolerance when doing alternate day fasting: study
Short-term fasting in normal women: absence of effects on gonadotrophin secretion and the menstrual cycle: PubMed Extract
Endocrine and chronobiological effects of fasting in women: Abstract
If you don’t care what ketones are and are just here for the weight-loss stuff, 
