first try at bodyopus - 5 mg / dl

[BetrMan]

I bought a glucometer yesterday and took my first reading this morning when I woke up. It was 5 mg/dl. I this TOO low? Should I add a little carbs? I'm currently taking in 0 carbs.

I'm using 5 different proteins (whey, egg white, egg yolk, soy and milk) and they all have virtually no carbs and no fats. I use 6 scoops 6 times a day with water. All exept the whey - I take 6 scoops of whey only after workouts. I take 6 tablespoons of 3 different brands of good fats (lignan flax, 3-6-9, etc). That's it. That's all I'm eating.

I plan to carb up on Saturday at 6:00 until Sunday at 6:00. I workout intensely 5 days a week. I just want make sure this low blood sugar reading is OK.

Thanks.

 

[Riker29]

I am not an experrt on reading the meter, so I cannot comment directly on that, however:

Watch out for hidden carbs. They are in everything. Even like a cup of coffe has 1 G of carbs in it, diet soda has some. Sugar substitues do as well. They sneek in.

However given what you say your diet is, then looks like you are OK.

Also, I would not recommend a 5 day training regimen while on BodyOpus from seeing others go through it. You are best doing full workouts in the 2 days after the carb-up....... then if you do any workouts at all in the rest of the week, make them light.

Lyle M<acDinalds book as a bit more/better/updated info in it than does BodyOpus, its worth getting.

For all you gyust that knock CKDs, they do kickass for some guys.

And there is NOTHING like being SO carb depleted, ......flat muscles ...and ... doing that full workout which WIPES out your body at the end of the week ...... and then SLAMMING EXTREMLY HIGH GI CARBS INTO YOU RIGHT AFTER THE WORKOUT. That is SUCH a rush its amazing. Its like you can FEEL the sugar going into your muscles, and them filling up .......God, there is nothing like that. I used to literally almost shake.

 

[Mischief]

You're not eating any real food? For the love of God eat some food. Steak, eggs, bacon, sausage. You need some real food! As for workouts, DO NOT work out five days a week on a CKD. I've done a lot of talking with Lyle McDonald about this, and we both agree, that Body Opus really has the workouts backwards. It's more of a pain because no one like full body workouts, (that I know), but better. Try this: (Assuming a m-f keto)

Monday morning or night (Monday is the first day with no carbs): Do 1/2 your body, but don't do the heavy intense workout outlined in Body Opus. Instead for these body parts do a depletion workout (little rest bertwwen sets, 15 reps etc)

Tuesday morning or night: Depletion workout for the other half of the body.

Wed-Friday morning- no carbs, cardio as you feel the need to. I hate cardio in ketosis.

Then, (assuming a Friday 6 pm workout) 60-90 minutes before workout take about 60g of complex carbs with about 20 g of protein, to briefly get out of Ketosis. Fridays workout, do 4-6 sets per body part in the 3-5 rep range, with sufficient rest between sets (heavy workout!). (Sip on a diluted carb drink, 30 g or so, if it helps you get through this workout.) Following the workout, have a shake with about 2 g/ glucose per kg of lean body weight, with half that much protein. Repeat this drink two hours later. Then begin the carb up "meals" Saturday morning, quitting either Saturday night, or Sunday afternoon.

He's got some super techical explanations for why this set up is far better than the original Body Opus, and both he and I have used it with better success. Just looking at the recooperation periods and timing of the depletion workouts there are some obvious reasons. I've got all of the specifics / explanations emailed to me, but I've been sworn to secrecy because he's still working on somethings, and I imagine will publish it at some point. But just that info should be enough to give you something to try that should work better than the original Body Opus plan.
Good luck. If you function well in Ketosis, it is certainly an effective way to loose body fat and preserve muscle.

 

[BetrMan]

Thanks Riker and Mischief. This helps a lot.

I think I'll pick up Lyle's book. Mischief, let us know if you publish anythng.

Anyone else who does read this, and has experience with a glucometer, I was wondering if this reading sounds OK. I just finished my second reading this morning and it says 4.9mg/dl. I know less than 50 ketosos starts. But this is quite a bit less. will this speed up the weight loss? If not, I may consider adding a little more carbs for some energy.

I am also taking 3 grams of ALA a day, plus all the normal vitamins and supplements. Does Lyle mention ALA in the book? It's not in bodyopus.

Thanks.

 

[Riker29]

Thanks Riker and Mischief. This helps a lot.

I am also taking 3 grams of ALA a day, plus all the normal vitamins and supplements. Does Lyle mention ALA in the book? It's not in bodyopus.

Thanks.

No.

Sugestions about taking higher-doses of ALA are a relatively recent piece of news, however I would assume that it would help during the carb-up to slam even MORE glucose into your muscles and also durint the first 2 ays of carb delpetion where you are trying to exhaust all glycogen stores.

 

[NY Muscle]

\)



Then, (assuming a Friday 6 pm workout) 60-90 minutes before workout take about 60g of complex carbs with about 20 g of protein, to briefly get out of Ketosis. Fridays workout, do 4-6 sets per body part in the 3-5 rep range, with sufficient rest between sets (heavy workout!). (Sip on a diluted carb drink, 30 g or so, if it helps you get through this workout.) Following the workout, have a shake with about 2 g/ glucose per kg of lean body weight, with half that much protein. Repeat this drink two hours later. Then begin the carb up "meals" Saturday morning, quitting either Saturday night, or Sunday afternoon.

Ive been doing bodyopus since it came out in like 1996 or so and then modified it myself then also worked with lyle before he ever wrote his book, also helped add my experiences as well as others to add to his book, and from what i recall the DEPLETION workout should be a full body HIGH REP moderate to LOW weight..as too much muscle damage via heavy weight and low reps with hamper your carb up and glycogen supercompensation abilities..so im curious where u got the low rep workout and long rest periods from?