Just started back on my final year and I’ve put on 20lbs uh-ohhh.

I spent the summer travelling Vietnam (the food was fucking DELICIOUS) and Indonesia (a cold Bintang on the beach = HEAVEN). I also didn’t touch a weight for 3 months…. not great but I’m raring to get back into it all!

Started back on the SL5x5 programme again, with the addition of a few extra accessory exercises (A LA Ketogains 5×5) with a bit of cycling/skating/climbing thrown in for good measure. Now I’m back on campus the gym, lectures, library, EVERYTHING is 5 mins skate maximum. Makes for super convenient training, I can hit the gym at 8am Saturday morning and have it mostly to myself.

BUT, back to the biggest problem, my diet. Beers, rice and noodles all day everyday did me no favours at all so I’ve gone back to a strict keto diet. I’ve also re-calculated my macros (for my new 197lbs!) and, best of all, invented this:

The Ketoloaf

Very much like the traditional ‘meatloaf’, however it contains very minimal carbs and meets my macro-nutrient and calorie requirements EXACTLY. Also it couldn’t be more simple to make, tasty and cheap:

500g turkey thigh mince

8 medium free range eggs

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 whole broccoli (approx 335g)

handful of grated (light) cheese (this is approx 1/3 of a 250g bag)

This provides precisely: 1800 calories, 186g protein, 113g fat and 7g carbs (9g fibre). Yes it’s maybe slightly higher than needed on the protein, however the carbs are so low I figure they cancel each other out.

Method:

Fry the turkey mince in 1 Tbsp olive oil, add flavourings etc (S&P, garlic powder, chili flakes… keep an eye on the calories, no sauces etc). Chop the broccoli up into little pieces and put into a mixing bowl along with the eggs and cheese. Add the mince when you’ve broken it into little pieces and it’s all cooked through and the water cooked off. Give the whole thing a mix and if you’re lucky enough like I am, pour the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil back into your large, heat resistant frying pan, spread it all around the bottom then add the mix to the pan, pressing it down and smoothing the top off.

Bake in a pre-heated medium oven for 25-35 minutes (until it’s a bit golden on top but not too much). Leave to cool or remove from the pan immediately, cut into slices/squares/whatever and enjoy! This is exactly the amount of food needed for a day.

Caveat: Yes, I’m basically eating the same thing day in/day out BUT there are ways to vary it. Change up the spices etc or even better, have this as a standby in the fridge (will last 2/3 days at least) as an easy, go-to meal that half of can be eaten cold or warmed in the microwave Then you can make an effort once a day or whatever to fill the rest of your calories with something else (chicken/beef/pork/veg) – as long as this also fits your macros.

Picture version:

(This one I did with chili, garlic and ginger which I fried first in olive oil before adding turkey etc..)