I have never been a fan of keto.  I don't like being flat as hell, fighting for a pump and feeling like shit - because that is the way keto makes me feel.  I tried it during the Palumbo years and hadn't revisited it since.  Because I have been looking for something new to do due to being bored as hell with training and dieting recently, I figured it would be a good time to revisit it and see how I respond or if I still hate it as bad as I did 10 years ago.

I have only been doing it since last Thursday and I am doing the "Skip" version of it so it isn't keto that Palumbo did and it isn't the "new" keto of today (as keto diets have changed quite a bit).  I am still at the same amount of protein that I usually am and I am not doing zero carbs but allowing trace amounts in things like peanut butter and 1 small, unsweetened Fage' greek yogurt (about 6g of carbs).   Every 4th day (on leg day) I increase my fat intake as it is very low right now vs. standard keto dieting.  I and tripling my fat intake from 24g of fat to about 70g of fat on those days.  A typical daily diet looks like this:

Meal 1
Protein drink and 1.5 tbsp. peanut butter

Meal 2

Chicken breasts with cucumber slices or celery

Meal 3

Preworkout

1 small unsweetened Fage' yogurt

chicken breast

Meal 4

postworkout

Protein drink with 1.5 tbsp. peanut butter

Meal 5

Chicken breasts or 96% lean ground beef

cucumber or celery

Meal 6

shrimp and grits with sausage gravy and Ben and Jerry's
(just kidding)
Shrimp with small serving of greens 

Every 4th day I add baby swiss cheese to my meals to double the fat intake for that day.

I have no done any Skiploading, yet, but likely will this next weekend.  However, it won't be the super long hours of Skiploading that I typically do, instead opting for 1 meal high in carbs and relatively low in fat early in the day followed by a meal of moderate carbs and moderate fats and then back to my regular diet.

My goal right now is to get lean, obviously, after so many obstacles that have side-tracked my progress pretty much all the way back to having to pull out of my shows in June.  Since then, I have struggled with motivation and have still been dealing with a lot of stress whether it be the allergic reaction to Lisinopril or stress over possibly moving out of stage for my wife's job.  I also have our family cruise coming up over the week of Thanksgiving that I want to be in great shape for.

Training has also changed to a 3-on and 1-off schedule where I now train on the weekends depending on the rotation cycle that week.  Due to all of the obstacles this year, I have been eating way more than I need to be on the weekends and figured having to workout on the weekends would help to keep me structured on Saturdays and Sundays and so far it has been helping quite a bit.  This puts me in the gym more than I typically would like, but at the same time I have enjoyed the heightened focus and change of pace.  I haven't trained on weekends in years - at least consistently.  Mrs. Skip is not terribly excited about the extra training as it cuts into her alcohol consumption on the weekends but ... oh well.  She needs to be looking good for the cruise, as well.  🙂

I anticipate this new protocol will get me through the Holidays and allow me to continue to mull over my idea of my "new challenge" for next year that I have not yet let out of the bag.  I haven't let it out of the bag yet because I am still not 100% but edging closer.  Of course, a move out of state could be another obstacle but life is life and I will just have to make the best of it and have as little down time as possible if there is a pending move in the near future.  My future is not predicated by my training; my future is predicated by what is best for my family and myself.   Some can relate and some won't.  I guess it's a matter of priorities.