The Ketogenic Diet, by Lyle McDonald (Review)

The Ketogenic Diet, by Lyle McDonald: a Review

This review is actually coming about ten years after reading the book.

I first became interested in lowcarb dieting in the mid-90’s. I tried a low-fat approach to getting lean, and it just didn’t work well at all.

I began doing research on lowcarb diets. Somehow I ran across one of Lyle McDonald’s websites and learned he was writing a book. Dan Duchaine’s BodyOpus and Dr. Pasquale’s The Anabolic Diet were the most popular works in the bodybuilding community. But I wanted the latest research, so I bought The Ketogenic Diet.

A decade later, I’m still using The Ketogenic Diet as a reference. He took the research a step further than his predecessors and refined the dietary advice. The book describes three kinds of lowcarb diets:

*The Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD), which is the diet made famous by Atkins.

*The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD), made popular by Duchaine and Pasquale. This diet is more for bodybuilders, who need to integrate an occasional “carb up” to replenish muscle glycogen.

*The Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD), which incorporates a small amount of carbs before or after workouts. This diet is also geared more towards bodybuilders.

As far as I’m concerned, this is the only book you’ll ever need on lowcarb dieting.  McDonald even included information on exercise and supplementation.

Still not convinced? Well, just look for this book on ebay or half.com. Here’s what you’ll find:

Why is it more expensive to buy it used than new?  People don’t sell this book because (like me) they hang on to it as a reference. This one is worth buying new (50 dollars). Just click here if you are interested in buying The Ketogenic Diet.