I have been reading the information (mostly from TrainerDan and Zeus as well as others) on this forum and they are fantastically detailed.

Unlike TrainerDan I am a classic Endomorph (read fat, big boned, etc.) and am currently hovering around 20% BF. I have used BFL and the workouts have worked out well for me. I am getting similar results to which I did when I was in College doing Cybernetics (out of business I think) in less time. The diet however doesn't work real well for me (got me down to 20% but no lower).

The Atkins diet worked well for me in the past (lost 30 total lbs at one point, some of it is back on )

Anyway...to the point of my post...would I be a good candidate for CKD? I started reading BodyOpus by Duchaine and he seems to state that I should be doing something else until I hit 10% BF.

Any input would be helpful!!

I think you should try a 'TKD'/'CKD'. The reason Dan Duchaine suggested people at a higher BF% should try a different route is because he assumed that it would be too difficult for an individual with a high BF% to comply with a 'CKD'. If you're really serious about it and feel that you can 'stick with it'. I don't see any reason why you couldn't (or wouldn't want to) take advantage of the diet.

I would start expiramenting with a ckd if I were you. If you adhere to it for agood period of time you will learn things about your body you never knew. You will begin to understand different nutrients and their affect on your body. Dont get me wrong, BFL is good, but its not great. Sometimes a cookie cutter diet just doesn't cut it. You need prescision...
Forget I said "cookie". Sorry for those of you who just got a bad craving...

ROFL on the cookie. Doesn't sound attractive to me at all. :P Like I said in a diff post, carb-up is actually kinda sucking because I just don't want those foods anymore.

However - for azad:

Look at my stats. Low bodyfat I ain't (yet). But this program works wonders. I've lost about 25 lbs of fat and gained almost 15 of muscle in about 10 - 11 weeks. The numbers are a little fuzzy, since bf was hard to calculate, esp at the beginning, but the pant-o-meter is definitely on my side.

BTW, we have lots of BFL ppl here who do low-carb as well even though it's not "by-the-book." They also get great results.

Cheers,

Friday

Thanks for the replies. I'm going forward.

Two additional Questions:

1- In reading both BodyOpus and Lyle McDonald's writings, it mentions the use of Chromium and Vanadyl Sulfate. The amounts of Chromium are discussed, but not Vanadyl. Also neither were mentioned whether they should be taken with meals or workouts. Any ideas?

2- Are any of the "natural" ECA stacks better than the others? I have tried Xenadrine and BetaLean. I thought BetaLean costed less, but you end up taking more of it. Back in college we just took ephedrine, an aspirin and washed it down with black coffee.

-Typically, individuals who supplement with 'Chromium' use 200-800 micrograms per day (it can be taken during the low-carb week and 'carb-up'. During the 'carb-up' is when you'll want to take more micrograms-up to 800). You should take chromium with meals. Personally, I say skip the 'Vanadyl sulfate'- Lyle McDonald said in his book "The use of vanadyl sulfate is not recommended on a ketogenic diet [for various reasons]". Instead use 'Alpha Lipoic Acid'. Use up to 1-2 grams of 'ALA' in divided doses (during the carb-up) 5-10 minutes before eating a high-carb meal.




-The most effective fat burner you could use on a ketogenic diet is the 'NYC stack'. However, this is particularly hard to find. I don't think there are many discrepancies between 'ECA' stacks. I use 'Ripped Fuel Extreme' and it seems to be doing the trick.