# FITNESS and NUTRITION FORUM > DIET AND NUTRITION >  The famous Dave Palumbo Diet

## bossman_1986

I've been researching alot on different bodybuilding fat loss diets and alot of people are having great success with this diet which is basically protein and fats with no directs carbs and have one cheat meal a week where you load up on them.

im going to be dieting soon, not for a contest just yet, just to lose bodyfat. i want to get down to 6% bf

who here uses this diet and had the best success with it?? or was it not successful for you?

would you recommend it pre-contest?

any info and/or experience you have with this diet, post here. thanks guys

----------


## bossman_1986

The premise of the diet is high protein (about 1- 1 1/2 gram per pound), moderate fat (about 1/2 g per lb) and low low carbs (no direct sources of carbs). During this diet, the brain goes into ketosis (it uses ketone bodies for energy-- fats) and thus the energy requirements by the body can almost all be supplied by fats (which you'll be taking in plenty of). The only activity that uses carbs will be the weight workout which may use 40grams per workout. You will get these 40g indirectly through the foods you'll be eating. As a backup, the cheat meal you'll be having once per week will provide a storehouse of glycogen (glucose) in case of emergency. So, you see, very little gluconeogenesis in the liver will be occurring. If we keep cortisol low (by 
restricting STIMULANTS) we'll ensure that muscle is spared!

HAVE YOUR CHEAT MEAL ON THE SAME DAY EVERY WEEK, last meal of the 
day so you dont cheat again.

Fiber helps burn fat! Everyone should take fiber 2x per day. Fiber actually helps increase the absorption of calcium.
When following my diet plan (which includes getting your brain into ketosis), there can be NO starchy carbs eaten!



For a 200lb man:

MEAL #1
5 whole eggs (make sure to buy *****-3 EGGS from the supermarket. They contain virtually NO saturated fat and tons of good *****-3 fats); add another 4 egg whites to this (they don?t need to be the *****-3 ones; you can use liquid egg whites)

MEAL #2
SHAKE: 50g Whey Protein with 1 ? tablespoon of All Natural Peanut butter (no sugar)

MEAL #3
"Lean Protein Meal": 8oz chicken with 1/2-cup cashew nuts (almonds, or walnuts)

MEAL #4
SHAKE: 50g Whey Protein with 1 ? tablespoons of All Natural Peanut butter (no sugar added)

MEAL #5
"Fatty Protein Meal": 8oz Salmon, Swordfish, or RED MEAT with a green salad (no tomatoes, carrots, or red peppers) with 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil or Macadamia nut oil and vinegar

MEAL #6
SHAKE: 50g Whey with 1 ? tablespoon all natural peanut butter or 4 whole (*****-3) eggs and 4 extra whites

For a 250lb+ man:
Meal 1 6 whole *****-3 eggs
Meal 2 8oz chicken with 1/2 cup raw almonds
Meal 3 50g whey with 2 tablespoons all natural peanutbutter
Meal 4 8oz salmon with 1 cup asparagus with 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil
Meal 5 50 g whey with 2 tablespoon PB
Meal 6 6 whole eggs

Remember, it takes 3-4 days to get into a strong ketosis where your brain is using ketone bodies (fats), instead of carbs, for energy. Be patient.

Many times I'll switch to an alternatiing diet where one day it will be protein/fat......then another protein/vegetables (very little fat). The great thing about the body and fat is that ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS can be stored in the muscle for several days, up to 2 weeks......therefore, once an adequate storehouse of Essential Fats are built up, the body can be "tortured" a little and it still won't give up muscle (that's assuming you're still taking in adequate protein. Protein can't be stored).

1oz almonds equals 6g carbs (2 of those grams are fiber) and 2oz equals 12g of carbs.

With the beef meal (any fatty protein meal), you should have the green salad with 1 tablespoon of Olive or Mac oil INSTEAD of the nuts. Only eat the nuts with the LEAN PROTEIN MEAL (chicken, turkey, lean fish)

The best fat sources come from the essential fatty acids-- *****-6 and *****-3's. Most of us get plenty of *****-6s from cooking oils, ect..........however the *****-3's are harder to get. I recommend WHOLE *****-3 EGGS, FaTTY FISHS like SALMON and SWORDFISH and TUNA and MACKEREL, ALMONDS and WALNUTS have some *****-3's (as well as *****-6s). ANother great fat source is MONOUNSATURATES such as EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL and MACADAMIA NUT OIL.....they aren't essential but they are great for the metabolism (great source of energy) and they are extremely good for your heart.

You're not getting any indirect sources of carbs (just from the 1 spoonful of PB.... you may want to have at least one 1/3cup nuts meal. Remember, Olive or Macadamia nut oil is predominantly a MONOUNSATURATED FAT (good for the heart, but not essential)........ the nuts, and fish oil have the essential fats in them. Also, with regard to FLAX SEED OIL, the *****-3 Fatty Acids found in them (alpha-linolenic acid) has a very poor conversion to DHA and EPA (Essential *****-3 intermediates) in the HUMAN........therefore, you're much better off taking in FISH OILS (that already contain DHA/EPA) than FLAX SEED OIL.

Once fat loss slows, I always increase cardio first, then I increase the amount of fat burners (Clenbuterol , Cytomel , lipolyze).........After those other methods are exhausted, only then, do I play with the diet.

Always eat BEFORE lifting........never BETWEEN lifting and cardio.
Artificial Sweetners:
The artificial sweetener itself (eg. aspartame, sucralose) wont cause a problem. It's what some companies complex it with. For example, EQUAL and SPLENDA combine their aspartame and sucrolose with 1g of maltodextrin........whereas, in diet drinks, they don't do that. So, diet drinks are okay, SPLENDA and EQUAL must be used in moderation (STEVIA BALANCE is fine though since they use inulin fiber instead of maltodextrin

Forget using:
-MCT's are a waste when you're dieting. If you're gonna use FATS for an energy source, they might as well serve a function in the body. MCTs are useless. They can only serve as a source of energy!
-Arginine is not going to do anything. It will DO something; just not dramatic.

Cardio:
CARDIO should be performed at a low intensity (under 120bpm heartrate). This will ensure that you use FAT as a fuelsource since as your heartrate increase, carbohydrates begin to become the preferred fuel of choice for the body. When on a low carb diet, you're body will break down muscle and turn that into carbs. Remember, Fat CANNOT be changed into carbs. Therefore, for bodybuilding, the rule of cardio should be LONG DURATION, LOW INTENSITY

never do less than 20 min per session

The BOTTOM LINE is that low intensity cardio (while you might need more of it) ensures that fat is utilized and muscle is spared (especially while on my high protein/moderate fat/low carb diety).

Do you feel the treadmill is better for cardio, or is the bike(stationary or rebent) just as good? As long as the intensity is LOW, it doesn't matter which piece of equipment you use

Q&A:
Q: Is gluconeogenesis inevitable in your diet? 
Dave Palumbo: NO

Q: If so do I need to consume more than 1.5 grams of protein per lb of LBM so as not to lose muscle? 
Dave Palumbo: The fat spares the protein....when the brain is in ketosis, the carbohydrate requirements are very very low.

Q: How much (percentage) of my protein intake would be turned into glucose (gluconeogenesis)? 
Dave Palumbo: Very little (maybe 10%)

Q: What do you think of submersion in cold water as a means of burning bodyfat (thermogenesis)? 
Dave Palumbo: HOCUS POKUS!

Q: How about drinking lots of cold water (I think this was even suggested by Elligton Darden) to help lose bodyfat? 
Dave Palumbo: RIDICULOUS

Q: Do you think drinking lots of Green Tea is beneficial to fat loss? 
Dave Palumbo: Somewhat helpful.

Q: How much is the ideal dosage of ***** 3 for a 220 lb. individual ? 
Dave Palumbo: Try to take in about 9g per day

Q: How many Tbs of peanut butter could I have instead of 1/2 cup of cashewnuts? 
Dave Palumbo: 2 tablespoons, two tablespoons of Peanut Butter contains 190 calories and 16 grams of fat (so 1.5 tablespoon equals about 12 grams fat) ...whereas......... 2oz (1/3 cup) almonds (about 40 almonds) = 12g fat

Q: I want to add that if I cant find the ***** eggs here locally. Can I use international egg whites and just take an ***** supplement?
Dave Palumbo: You can get away with 5 whole eggs (regular ones) once a day........not a big deal. You'll be burning up all that fat anyway.

Q: Whats the max cups # of coffee ( no sugar ) can consume on Dave's diet ? 
Dave Palumbo: Try to limit to 2 cups per day.......I realize that towards the end of the diet you may need more to help you get through the day.

Q: If you cook tilapia in macadamon nut oil?do you coun't the oil as your fat for that meal! Depends how much you use. 
Dave Palumbo: If you just grease the pan with it, no!

Q: what is the protein,carb and fat ratio for offseason
Dave Palumbo: 50% Protein, 25% fat, 25% carbs

Q: and the ratio for contest prep. 
Dave Palumbo:60% protein, 30% fat, 10% carbs

----------


## Bossman

I remember reading Atkins book. High protein and fat, no carbs, ketosis. Sure sounds very similar to me.

----------


## sizerp

His version of a Cyclic Ketosis. Your body utilizes lipid as its main energy source instead of carbohydrate. Heard mixed reviews about Ketosis. Only way to know is to give it a shot I suppose, however, I'd never try it, seeing a I am bulking year round. Also, check in the diet forum bro, pretty sure there's a thread with all this information already there.

----------


## bossman_1986

> His version of a Cyclic Ketosis. Your body utilizes lipid as its main energy source instead of carbohydrate. Heard mixed reviews about Ketosis. Only way to know is to give it a shot I suppose, however, I'd never try it, seeing a I am bulking year round. Also, check in the diet forum bro, pretty sure there's a thread with all this information already there.


would you use a diet like this WHEN you do diet?  :Big Grin:

----------


## FallenWyvern

I did this for 5 days last week w/o cheating and I couldn't stand it. I was always hungry and had a headache all day long.

----------


## Voice of Reason

....

----------


## Bossman

Guys that I know that prep on Palumbos diet say it takes a week or so to adjust and get into ketosis. And I don't believe they do any "cheat" meal/day as it will throw you out of ketosis. Once in ketosis, you want to stay there.

----------


## bossman_1986

any of you guys gained strength and lean mass on a diet like this?

----------


## StoneGRMI

> any of you guys gained strength and lean mass on a diet like this?


I haven't done it but I don't see how there's anyway to gain strength or mass

----------


## fit4ever180

I tested it out for a week and loved it! I would never cut the calories out that he says though... My BMR is about 3550 calories and I was taking in 3400-3600 calories per day while I tried this... 1.5 hr of cardio one of the days (split into two intervals), 40 min and 1.5hr of weight training, 4 days, and two days of just rest, no cardio or anything... I droppped 9.8 lbs. over the week... A lot of that was water, but my BF went down about .7% for reference... I will be doing it again starting in 2 or 3 days to prime myself for a cycle and drop my BF to 
7-8%....

----------


## jimmyinkedup

veradimilo is a member here that has extensive knowledge on dave palumbos keto diet. I have pretty good knowledge on keto diets and daves is a "clean" keto diet in that almost all fat (or as much as possible) is monounsaturated and fiber intake part of the diet (thru supplementation) as opposed to traditional keto diets - anabolic diet , body opus , ckd , atkins where fat source is a non issue. Also in most keto diets (excluding atkins) there is a carb up or load period anywhere from 12-48 hrs(for purpose of glycogen replenishment). Dave uses one cheat meal to accomplish this and many people go 1st 2 weeks with no cheat meal to assure entry into deep state of ketosis. As far as my personal experience with keto diets they work very well at burning fat and retaining muscle mass. I dont buy into the mauro dipascuale theory of being able to gain all kinds of muscle while burning fat on this diet (maybe for a first timer as far as working out and dieting much like when u first start working out you can effectively burn fat and build muscle at the same time) but it is def very muscle sparing. Fat as a macronutrient is very anabolic so therefore having majority of calories in the form of fat is supposed to help induce an anabolic or at very least anti catabolic state...plus ketosis itself forces your body to burn bodyfat as primary source of fuel. Everyone responds diff but as a rule you will lose bodyfat retain muscle and def drop h20 weight (for every gram of carb you body retains like .5 grams of h20 or something like that -memory fuzzy on exact #'s) You may feel flat but after carb up meal you feel full and pumped. I reccommend a high glycemic start to carb meal followed by quality complex carbs and clean protein low fat. Thats a strict version but you will feel the "pump" or rush from your carbs if u are deep in ketosis. Id say if u never tried a keto diet give it a go...daves is very strict but prob one of most effective and def healthiest version of keto diet. Thats my $.02

----------


## VeraDeMilo

Bossman, good luck with the diet. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about it. You seem to have already gathered a lot of good information. Use the meal breakdown you listed as a guide, but also remember that all the meals in this diet are interchangeable since you are not worried about timing your insulin spikes. Not that I recommend it, but theoretically you can run this diet with a shake for every meal, or the same whole foods in every meal. its up to you. As long as your protein and fat requirements are met, the diet is somewhat flexible. (assuming that you are also meeting your necessary required intake of 0mega3s and 0mega6's through supplementation if you neglect them in your meals.)

And to answer one of your earlier questions. I myself, and other serious lifters I know have actually gained strength in certain lifts while running this diet and dropping bodyfat. (without the use of anabolics)

----------


## bossman_1986

thanks guys

im gonna be doing this diet while im on cyp/eq/deca /anavar , so i think there's a good chance i'll gain strength and some lean mass

----------


## jimmyinkedup

^^^ yeah id say thats a pretty safe bet...good luck.

----------


## swol_je

I ran it for about two weeks and dropped about 10lbs. most of it was water but there was some fat. I stayed pretty lean after incorporating carbs back in so I would say it works, just hard work to stay on a vert very low carb diet like daves.

----------


## suprman09

what do you guys think of eating stuff like this on the palumbo diet:

http://www4.netrition.com/low_carb_products_page.html

----------


## jimmyinkedup

^^^ i think then it wouldnt be the palumbo diet. he is very specific and this stuff is def not included in his diet. Plus a word of caution many of these products will have more of an effect on blood sugars than the label might indicate...certain ingredients (maltitol) can put many people out of ketosis.

----------


## suprman09

yea that makes sense...maybe some of those foods would be ok on just a low carb diet

----------


## jimmyinkedup

low carb -maybe ...no carb IMO - no.

----------


## Bryaaaaan

I think this would be an awesome cutting diet, I'm sure i'd get alot of headaches.. kind of off the topic.. How much more effective would building muscle be if you time your insulin spikes?(VeraDeMilo).. Sometime i eat yogurt in the morning and it has a fair amount of sugar..What kind of yogurts or brands do you recommend?

----------


## FallenWyvern

Looking back though my abs got quite a bit tighter on this.

----------


## VeraDeMilo

> I think this would be an awesome cutting diet, I'm sure i'd get alot of headaches.. kind of off the topic.. How much more effective would building muscle be if you time your insulin spikes?(VeraDeMilo).. Sometime i eat yogurt in the morning and it has a fair amount of sugar..What kind of yogurts or brands do you recommend?


Bryaaaaan, building muscle can be more effective while timing insulin spikes, for obvious reasons. However, that would be a completely different diet. There is absolutely no spiking of the insulin on Dave Palumbo's Keto diet. Not even post workout. By spiking your insulin, you are taking your body out of ketosis and confusing your brain on which source of energy to run on. (carbs or fats). This will also possibly contribute to those headaches you were talking about because your body will have to continually have to fight or adjust to get back into ketosis again. Dave's keto diet is for burning fat while retaining as much muscle as possible. If you are looking to build muscle, than you will have to have an abundance of calories, over maintenance, which is a different type diet all together.

As for the yogurt question, I am not 100% sure. Maybe Jimmy can help with this. I'm not a yogurt guy. I do know there is a brand called cascade mountain that is supposedly sugar free and also I believe Dannon makes a version that is sweetened with stevia, but yogurts are dairy. And dairy has sugar. Even if they say sugar free, that can just mean it has no added sugars. On Daves Diet he suggests to stay away from dairy. If I were you I would drop the yogurt. You can have it for desert on your cheat meal day if you really love it.

----------


## Bryaaaaan

Oh Alright i completly understand the ketosis phase and how it works.. It takes time to get your body into ketosis and once your there you dont want to get out of it.. I only eat yogurt because I heard it was good for you but maybe i'll drop it and try cottage cheese or peanut butter.. 
thanks for input.

----------


## kwozza

You'll just have to try it and see what works for you.

A friend and I decided to try a ketogenic diet which worked absolute wonders for him. He is still on it now and is in the best shape of his life. He is gaining weight whilst dropping body fat. It didn't work that well for me though, I was smoothing over without gaining any weight so after about 6 months I stopped and went back to a carb diet. 

Just like anything else, you'll have to see what works for you.

----------

