Coming off a keto diet. Suggestions?

[Junin]

First of all, I am brand new to these forums and this is my first post. I am not very knowledgable about nutrition/fitness but I've been told that this is THE place to come.

So here's the story.

I'm 20 years old, and 6ft tall.
Around the middle of June this year, I started the Atkins diet. I started at 270lbs, and as of this morning I am now at exactly 199lbs. I have been on the "Induction" phase of the diet the entire time, trying to keep my carb count as close to 0 as possible (no more than 5-10 per day). I work out 3 times a week, 1hr sessions consisting of primarily cardio.

I plan on losing about 20 more pounds, and then I want to get some definition to my body. Would this be a realistic goal?

Also, I really don't want to be on the Atkins diet the rest of my life, and it scares me to hear stories of people who drop the Atkins diet and immediately gain all their weight back.

So my question to you is: What would be the best way to ease into a balanced diet?

Thanks in advance.

[Severed Ties]

First off congrats on the fat you've burned and welcome to WBB.

First, you don't need to cut carbs that low to stay lean and anyone telling you otherwise has some new supplement to sell you.

You will only gain the weight back if you are overeating. The most important thing for you to do now is moniter your caloric intake and watch your food portions.

Cardio is good but you should be doing weight training first and foremost. If your not then start. Find the time to incorporate both into your training.

I'd start by adding 50 grams of carbs to your diet each day for a week then adding another 50 each week there after until you get up near the 150-200 mark. As your carbs go up drop off the high fat intake to something reaonable like 25-30% of your total caloric. Emphasize good fats like fish, olive, and flaxseed oil for fat and comsume the majority of your carbs pre- and post workout.


ST

[harryhoudini66]

I am doing the same thing but am on a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet. Once I reach my goal of 175, I am going to jump to a balanced diet with 1 to 2 cheat days per week. This will help insure I stick with it. I recommend using fitday.com to track your food intake and have your calories breakdown percentages come from 40/35/25 which is Proteins/Carbs/ Essential Fatty Acids. Also, make sure you are taking sufficient calories to maintain your weight.

Another thing is to keep drinking lots of water and take sufficient fiber. If you do not get enough EFA, use some fish oil caps or flax seed oil. Natural Peanut Butter is also a favorite among many of us. I cannot wait for a peanut butter and banana sandwich with some milk.

A great way to learn is to use the search option before you post anything. Almost 99% of the time people post questions that have been posted about 100 times. Once you have done your fare share of research, then post and take in the wealth of knowledge these peeps have to offer.

Oh and I forgot to welcome you. Welcome aboard and by the way, I am not the guy on my avatar. I just had to clear that up first.

[hngacurv]

Welcome to the forum. I would just gradually add the carbs back in. If you know about what your maintenance calories are that helps. I would add them in and up them each week around 50gms a day until I noticed a little fat gain and then lower them just a hair.