Keto Month 1: Complete! Lost 18 lbs - Mostly Fat. Thanks Inside.

[Varius]

I'd like to thank Dyna Mo & The Demon, as well as a few others, for their suggestion awhile back that I get on Keto.

I have just completed the first 30 days and love the results. 18 lbs lost, much of it being fat (face much thinner, belly gone way down, clothes MUCH looser).

Now it's time to shift it into high gear for month 2, adding weight training 4x a week (doing Targeted Keto).

So, my statement to everyone is this: if *I* (notorious party animal) can do this and stick with it fairly easily long-term, SO CAN YOU!

If you have any questions, ask away I feel over the past month I've read and implemented enough to have a pretty solid base of knowledge.

[Babaganoosh]

I have a question...

just what the fuck are you talking about?

[Varius]

I have a question...

just what the fuck are you talking about?

Ketogenic Diet.

Basically, forcing your body to adapt to the way of our ancestors, to be in an almost-constant state of ketosis, where it burns body fat for fuel instead of glucose.

[dyna mo]

wow, that's super! mega congrats on everything!!!

after keto comes Take Charge!!!!

[Varius]

wow, that's super! mega congrats on everything!!!

after keto comes Take Charge!!!!

If I manage to get it past the border here

[urbanpimp]

Ketogenic Diet.

Basically, forcing your body to adapt to the way of our ancestors, to be in an almost-constant state of ketosis, where it burns body fat for fuel instead of glucose.

Same thing as ATKINS. It works. I am down 24 pounds in just over 7 weeks.
I feel great, it's actually easier to climb stairs and I look much better.

[fuzebox]

So we going drinking tomorrow night or what?

[dyna mo]

If I manage to get it past the border here

i'm confident that will get squared away, it's wholesome, good, solid food. heck, a couple of the ingredients are farmed there in south america.

[Varius]

Same thing as ATKINS. It works. I am down 24 pounds in just over 7 weeks.
I feel great, it's actually easier to climb stairs and I look much better.

Yes, same idea basically, but ketogenic is a more extreme (and effective) form of Atkins.

On Atkins, people generally consume up to 50g of carbs per day and not as much fat as 65% (from what I've seen).

On Keto, my daily carb limit was 12g and following a 65/30/5 macro.

[Tom_PM]

Thats awesome, congrats on the progress.

[Varius]

So we going drinking tomorrow night or what?

I was out drinking Monday actually - straight whiskey on the rocks, doesn't interrupt the ketosis (or only does temporarily).

Shouldn't you be leaving your house right now for hockey? We play at 10, in case you forgot while on EuroTrip hehe

[dyna mo]

what's your total fat loss goal?

[urbanpimp]

Yes, same idea basically, but ketogenic is a more extreme (and effective) form of Atkins.

On Atkins, people generally consume up to 50g of carbs per day and not as much fat as 65% (from what I've seen).

On Keto, my daily carb limit was 12g and following a 65/30/5 macro.

Actually the induction phase of Atkins is 20 grams of carbs a day.
What do you mean by

following a 65/30/5 macro

?

[Varius]

what's your total fat loss goal?

I'd like to get down to 20% body fat as my first goal/milestone.

Started at about 32%, after one month I'm around 28-29% now. Don't really care about weight, since muscle weighs more than fat, so as long as I keep dropping inches + fat that's all I really care about

[Bryan G]

What did you eat? Show an example of your daily diet

[Varius]

Actually the induction phase of Atkins is 20 grams of carbs a day.
What do you mean by ?

Indeed, during first phase they have a lower amount, but people I know on Atkins seem to stay in the 30-50g range afterwards, which I don't find ideal to remain in ketosis.

Macros = the breakdown of fat/protein/carbs from my total calories.

so 65% fat, 30% protein, 5% carbs

[greg80]

congrats, keep it up! I know it's not easy

also interested in your diet

[The Demon]

I'd like to thank Dyna Mo & The Demon, as well as a few others, for their suggestion awhile back that I get on Keto.

I have just completed the first 30 days and love the results. 18 lbs lost, much of it being fat (face much thinner, belly gone way down, clothes MUCH looser).

Now it's time to shift it into high gear for month 2, adding weight training 4x a week (doing Targeted Keto).

So, my statement to everyone is this: if *I* (notorious party animal) can do this and stick with it fairly easily long-term, SO CAN YOU!

If you have any questions, ask away I feel over the past month I've read and implemented enough to have a pretty solid base of knowledge.

Awesome results dude! But I have to ask. If you're going to be lifting 4x a week now, wouldn't it be better for you to do CKD? You'll notice a hell of a lot more results. When you're lifting 4x a week, your glycogen levels will be depleted, hence the 24-36 hour carb up. If you're doing targeted, I'm assuming you'll have extra carbs in your PWO shake, but that's not going to refill your muscles with glycogen and your workout will suffer as a result.

[The Demon]

Same thing as ATKINS. It works. I am down 24 pounds in just over 7 weeks.
I feel great, it's actually easier to climb stairs and I look much better.

Not exactly, you don't get to carb up with Atkins and Atkins is more tailored for people who don't really work out. Furthermore, I don't believe Atkins preaches a "caloric deficit", instead focusing on low/no carbs.

[dyna mo]

I'd like to get down to 20% body fat as my first goal/milestone.

Started at about 32%, after one month I'm around 28-29% now. Don't really care about weight, since muscle weighs more than fat, so as long as I keep dropping inches + fat that's all I really care about

how are you measuring your bf %?

[Varius]

What did you eat? Show an example of your daily diet

Here's an example non-workout day:

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 2 strips bacon, 1 tbsp philly cream cheese, 56g pepperjack cheese

Snack: 4 stalks celery, 1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter, 4 tbsp ground flax seed in water

Lunch: 11oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, 7oz white mushrooms, 28g cheddar cheese

Snack: 28g pepperjack cheese, 3 slices pepperoni, 4 tbsp ground flax seed in water

Dinner: 1 can tuna in oil, 28g cheddar cheese

~2100 calories.

I still eat out fairly often though, so lunch/dinner are always changing but paying attention to the macros.

I also am starting to experiment with some recipes, like yesterday for lunch, I made breaded chicken tenders + cheesy hot sauce. Breaded the tenders by dipping them in beaten egg, then rolling them in flax seed and frying it.

Next up is pizza crust made from dried cauliflower.

[xxweekxx]

heres the best diet, instead of just doing keto(could make u feel foggy, weak,etc)

just eat a lot of fats/protein, and CARBS each day.. just try to restrict your carbs to 50g...

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nut...-you-need.html

thats a great link.. nowadays i just eat a lot of raw fat/meat/eggs and some carbs, i look great, well never had a weight problem, but i do look great :D

[D-Money]

That's awesome, great start for sure!

I was on a keto diet once, tried Lindora with my ex. Mainly because she was doing it, so I did it with her. I also knew I had at least 20 or pounds to lose at that time.

I did shake off at least 20 to 25 pounds pretty quick, but I hated the diet. Once I got off the diet, it was hard to figure out how to eat right again. So I gained it all back and then some.

Recently I changed my diet up, low fat, no red meat, lot's of water. I lost the same amount of weight in the same amount of time and have kept it off. I'm also working out too, which definitely helps, but the diet alone lost the weight before I worked out.

Anyway, good job with the diet. Do you have to piss on the stick to see if you're in ketosis? I remember doing that, the stick turns blue or something if you're in ketosis. Pretty weird to piss on a stick every day.

[Varius]

Awesome results dude! But I have to ask. If you're going to be lifting 4x a week now, wouldn't it be better for you to do CKD? You'll notice a hell of a lot more results. When you're lifting 4x a week, your glycogen levels will be depleted, hence the 24-36 hour carb up. If you're doing targeted, I'm assuming you'll have extra carbs in your PWO shake, but that's not going to refill your muscles with glycogen and your workout will suffer as a result.

There are a lot of differing opinions on TKD vs CKD, but after reading through tons of info/posts, I decided to try TKD.

I plan to have 30g carb + 30g protein shake before and then after the lifting. Seems to be enough fuel for the lifting.

We'll see though, like everything, it's trial and error and each person's body reacts differently so if TKD doesn't appear to work, I'll give CKD a shot then.

[xxweekxx]

Here's an example non-workout day:

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 2 strips bacon, 1 tbsp philly cream cheese, 56g pepperjack cheese

Snack: 4 stalks celery, 1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter, 4 tbsp ground flax seed in water

Lunch: 11oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, 7oz white mushrooms, 28g cheddar cheese

Snack: 28g pepperjack cheese, 3 slices pepperoni, 4 tbsp ground flax seed in water

Dinner: 1 can tuna in oil, 28g cheddar cheese

~2100 calories.

I still eat out fairly often though, so lunch/dinner are always changing but paying attention to the macros.

I also am starting to experiment with some recipes, like yesterday for lunch, I made breaded chicken tenders + cheesy hot sauce. Breaded the tenders by dipping them in beaten egg, then rolling them in flax seed and frying it.

Next up is pizza crust made from dried cauliflower.

why skinless? get the damn skin in there for the chicken.. its a great source of fat.. why would u eat bacon, then not wanna eat chicken with skin??

p/s read that link i gave u.. the best way is to eat some carbs every day so that your body doesnt have to convert protein into carbs.. your brain does need some carbs and your body can make it, but its easier to provide it to prevent muscle catabolism unless you are eating a shit load of protein already

and since i eat around 50-70g of carbs everyday.. i dont refeed, my muscles are always full, i have enough carbs to work out, and the carb count is low enough that my body still burns fat for energy...

remember your body burns what you feed it.. so if you are NOT in ketosis but you feed your body 1000g of fat, guess what? it'll burn that fat for energy.. you dont have to be in "ketosis" to burn fat.. you just have to reduce carbs and get most of your calories from fat and protein

[The Demon]

Here's an example non-workout day:

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 2 strips bacon, 1 tbsp philly cream cheese, 56g pepperjack cheese

Snack: 4 stalks celery, 1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter, 4 tbsp ground flax seed in water

Lunch: 11oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, 7oz white mushrooms, 28g cheddar cheese

Snack: 28g pepperjack cheese, 3 slices pepperoni, 4 tbsp ground flax seed in water

Dinner: 1 can tuna in oil, 28g cheddar cheese

~2100 calories.

I still eat out fairly often though, so lunch/dinner are always changing but paying attention to the macros.

I also am starting to experiment with some recipes, like yesterday for lunch, I made breaded chicken tenders + cheesy hot sauce. Breaded the tenders by dipping them in beaten egg, then rolling them in flax seed and frying it.

Next up is pizza crust made from dried cauliflower.

You gotta check out some of the keto recipes on the bodybuilding forum. They're phenomenal.

[Varius]

how are you measuring your bf %?

Right now approx. based on ironman scale I have (which isn't very accurate, but by measuring at same time + same hydration level, it should be consistent in its approximations) and once a month to a metabolism/nutritionist my GF sees so he can accurately measure it as well as BMR.

[The Demon]

There are a lot of differing opinions on TKD vs CKD, but after reading through tons of info/posts, I decided to try TKD.

I plan to have 30g carb + 30g protein shake before and then after the lifting. Seems to be enough fuel for the lifting.

We'll see though, like everything, it's trial and error and each person's body reacts differently so if TKD doesn't appear to work, I'll give CKD a shot then.

Yea I suppose that'll work. Just watch carefully if your 2nd week of lifting isn't as "fulfilling" as the 1st. If it isn't, you'll know why. If it is, more power to you. I wish I didn't need a carb up day.

[O MARINA]

What did you eat? Show an example of your daily diet

what he said

[The Demon]

p/s read that link i gave u.. the best way is to eat some carbs every day so that your body doesnt have to convert protein into carbs.. your brain does need some carbs and your body can make it, but its easier to provide it to prevent muscle catabolism unless you are eating a shit load of protein already

I'm almost positive this is broscience. Your body isn't going to convert your protein into carbs if you don't eat carbs. When you don't eat carbs or are in a state of ketosis, your body looks for fat as the next best form of energy.

[dyna mo]

Right now approx. based on ironman scale I have (which isn't very accurate, but by measuring at same time + same hydration level, it should be consistent in its approximations) and once a month to a metabolism/nutritionist my GF sees so he can accurately measure it as well as BMR.

right on. you've got it all squared away, if i were you i would not mess with my diet in the slightest, it's working.

[Varius]

Gotta run to hockey my ride is here, I'll reply to the rest of you in a few hours when I get back

[Bryan G]

what he said

Found this
http://www.keto.org/

[The Demon]

Dyna, what's your body fat % approximately? It looks to be 10% or lower.

[dyna mo]

Dyna, what's your body fat % approximately? It looks to be 10% or lower.

i'm carrying some flab right now as i'm trying to bulk up, it's ~9%

[The Demon]

i'm carrying some flab right now as i'm trying to bulk up, it's ~9%

Damn dude very nice. Flab at ~9% though? Now you're just being picky.

[xxweekxx]

I'm almost positive this is broscience. Your body isn't going to convert your protein into carbs if you don't eat carbs. When you don't eat carbs or are in a state of ketosis, your body looks for fat as the next best form of energy.

no its not bro science.. YOUR BRAIN NEEDS GLUCOSE EVERYDAY.. if your body has 0 glucose it converts PROTEIN to glucose, its science, go and search for it on google

your brain does need glucose daily.... if you have no glucose where do u think your body gets it from?

the brain CAN burn fat for energy, but it still needs a little amount of glucose regardless..

You also use glucose in the muscles if you do any kind of work out/ etc..

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art15617.asp

and i used that link because it SUPPORTS Low carb so u dont bitch.. im also a low carber..

"One of the myths spread about the low carb diet is that your brain needs carbohydrates to function well. Actually your brain needs just a small amount of GLUCOSE - which is provided by protein quite easily."

no need to argue with u.. but spend 5mins and u'll see your body converts protein to glucose.. didnt you learn this in grade school?

and this is the reason why body builders on low carb worry about muscle catabolism and end up eating carbs pre/post workout.. otherwise your body will just burn protein and convert it to glucose to feed the burned out muscles..

[JFK]

keep up the good work

[dyna mo]

Damn dude very nice. Flab at ~9% though? Now you're just being picky.

i'm obsessed. hahahah. after this 5x5 cycle i'll do another round of p90x, to get to 6-7% and see some veins in my abdominals again.

[dyna mo]

no its not bro science.. YOUR BRAIN NEEDS GLUCOSE EVERYDAY.. if your body has 0 glucose it converts PROTEIN to glucose, its science, go and search for it on google

your brain does need glucose daily.... if you have no glucose where do u think your body gets it from?

the brain CAN burn fat for energy, but it still needs a little amount of glucose regardless..

You also use glucose in the muscles if you do any kind of work out/ etc..

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art15617.asp

and i used that link because it SUPPORTS Low carb so u dont bitch.. im also a low carber..

"One of the myths spread about the low carb diet is that your brain needs carbohydrates to function well. Actually your brain needs just a small amount of GLUCOSE - which is provided by protein quite easily."

no need to argue with u.. but spend 5mins and u'll see your body converts protein to glucose.. didnt you learn this in grade school?

and this is the reason why body builders on low carb worry about muscle catabolism and end up eating carbs pre/post workout.. otherwise your body will just burn protein and convert it to glucose to feed the burned out muscles..

fat is converted to glucose as well and is a richer source of energy than protein.

[The Demon]

no its not bro science.. YOUR BRAIN NEEDS GLUCOSE EVERYDAY.. if your body has 0 glucose it converts PROTEIN to glucose, its science, go and search for it on google

your brain does need glucose daily.... if you have no glucose where do u think your body gets it from?

the brain CAN burn fat for energy, but it still needs a little amount of glucose regardless..

You also use glucose in the muscles if you do any kind of work out/ etc..

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art15617.asp

and i used that link because it SUPPORTS Low carb so u dont bitch.. im also a low carber..

"One of the myths spread about the low carb diet is that your brain needs carbohydrates to function well. Actually your brain needs just a small amount of GLUCOSE - which is provided by protein quite easily."

no need to argue with u.. but spend 5mins and u'll see your body converts protein to glucose.. didnt you learn this in grade school?

and this is the reason why body builders on low carb worry about muscle catabolism and end up eating carbs pre/post workout.. otherwise your body will just burn protein and convert it to glucose to feed the burned out muscles..

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nut...-you-need.html

Actually, the real reason bodybuilders on low carbs worry is because their lifts don't keep going up or even staying the same, which is why they go on low carb diets for a short period just to get that "ripped" look.

[xxweekxx]

fat is converted to glucose as well and is a richer source of energy than protein.

no sir.. fat cannot be converted to glucose

[xxweekxx]

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nut...-you-need.html

Actually, the real reason bodybuilders on low carbs worry is because their lifts don't keep going up or even staying the same, which is why they go on low carb diets for a short period just to get that "ripped" look.

listen we are all arguing about the same thing.. all im saying is your brain needs a small amount of glucose, so do your muscles... EVERYDAY! if you do not provide that glucose one way or another, your body will convert dietary protein, then muscle protein, into the glucose it needs.

im all with you guys, im also a low carber, im 60% fat, 30-35% protein, and 5% carbs..


i eat about 200 calories of carbs a day, about 2000 calories from fat, then 1000 calories from protein.. something like that

i found out when i added the 200-300 calories of carbs a day, it was little so my body still burned fat for energy, but it made a huge difference.. i stopped being foggy brained, weak, my muscles looked fuller, i had more energy, and i was still lean as fuck..

people keep forgetting the body is a machine.. if you get "thrown out of ketosis", but subsequently end up feeding your body only fat/protein the next day, what do u think it'll burn?? the fat! the body burns whatever you feed it.. you dont have to struggle and pee on keto sticks to keep your body burning fat... just feed it a little carb and MAX out the fat, and it'll burn it..

ive researched done keto/low carb for over a year now.. so im not just pulling shit out of my ass..

i was on keto for 3 months, i felt weak, my brain felt foggy, then i started eating some baked sweet potatoes everyday.. around 200-300 calories worth.. i felt 10000 times better.. i had more energy.. i didnt have to refeed or any of that.. and i looked great..

do you think our ancestors had to do carb up days after chasing a wild rabbit in the forest?? nah man.. i try to eat like our ancestors ate.. they valued the marrow/fat/organs of animals..

so i eat a lot of fat, some protein, and some carbs... problem is our ancestors had wild fruits/berries, not the modified bananas/apples full of sugar we have now.. the wild fruits had a LOT less sugar...

[dyna mo]

no sir.. fat cannot be converted to glucose

i'm not here to argue.

How Fat Is Burned: turning fat into energy, carbon-dioxide and water!The primary reason we need to eat food is to provide fuel for the body. This fuel comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. To explain it simply, food is broken down to produce energy, and it takes many chemical processes for that to occur. Molecules are removed, heat is produced, but basically all that is left in the end is water, carbon-dioxide, and energy.

But it?s far more complicated than that. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, each get converted to energy but each take a different path.

Before I start on how fat is burned (or broken down), let me first explain a few key terms in the process of converting food to energy:

* ATP: Adenosine Tri-phosphate is energy. It?s what the body uses as fuel at the cellular level. It can be produced using oxygen (aerobic), or without the presence of oxygen (anaerobic).

* Glycolysis: An anaerobic process where glucose is converted to pyruvic acid.

* Pyruvic Acid: If oxygen is available it is converted into acetyl CoA. If no oxygen is available it is converted into lactic acid.

* Acetyl CoA: All this potential energy can only be achieved if it enters the Krebs Cycle, and to do this it must first be converted in to acetyl CoA.

* Krebs Cycle: This is an eight step cycle that amongst other things, removes hydrogen and carbon-dioxide. It also produces a small amount of ATP.

* The Electron Transport Chain: The final process in the breakdown of foods. This is where most of the ATP is formed.




How Fat Is Broken Down

There are a number of fats in the body but it?s the triglycerides, or ?neutral fats?, that are usually converted to energy. The triglycerides come from both stored fat (from within fat cells and skeletal muscle fibers) and diet (the foods we eat). This single triglyceride will eventually produce 441 ATP molecules. When compared to the 38 ATP that are produced by glucose, you can easily see why fat is considered a much richer source of energy.

Step 1: The break-down of triglycerides
To be used for energy a triglyceride needs to be broken down into its basic units: one molecule of glycerol and 3 molecules of fatty acids. This process is called Lipolysis.

Step 2: Conversion to acetyl CoA
Although they both have the same outcome, the glycerol and fatty acids each follow a different path. Their goal is to enter the Krebs Cycle, but first they must get converted to acetyl CoA.

Step 2a: Glycerol to acetyl CoA
Glycerol, which is a basic sugar, follows the glycolytic pathway (glycolysis). During this process it is converted into pyruvic acid. For entry into the Krebs Cycle, the pyruvic acid must be converted to acetyl CoA.

This is done in 3 steps:

i) One carbon is removed from the pyruvic acid and released as carbon dioxide, which is released from the cell and exits via the lungs.

ii) Hydrogen atoms are removed and will later exit be used to produce more energy.

iii) What?s left is called acetic acid, and it is combined with coenzyme A to form Acetyl CoA


Step 2b: Fatty acids to acetyl CoA
Fatty acids are converted into Acetyl CoA via a process called beta-oxidation. During this process the fatty acid chains are broken apart, forming two acetic acid molecules. Each of these are then fused to coenzyme A, forming acetyl CoA.

Step 3: The Krebs Cycle
At this point both the glycerol and the fatty acids have been converted to Acetyl CoA and are now ready for the Krebs Cycle. As the Acetyl CoA is broken down, carbon-dioxide and hydrogen are removed. Once again the carbon-dioxide exits the body via the lungs. However, the hydrogen moves on to the final stage.

Step 4: The Electron Transport Chain
The Electron Transport Chain is the final process in the break down of food. Each of the hydrogen molecules that were removed during the previous processes have been transported here. They now combine with oxygen to form water (H20), with the resulting energy from this reaction causing the formation of ATP.

[xxweekxx]

nowhere in that article does it say that fats are directly converted to glucose....and i saw that article too. your dumbass didnt even bother to read the article.. it just sounded cool so u posted it...

like i said, fat is not converted to glucose in the body.. it is burned/stored....

If it were that easy, then you wouldnt have to carb up or eat carbs pre-workout.. you'd just let your body convert the fat to glucose...

This is primary school 101.. GLucose > Glycogen... Fat>Adipose tissue....

[xxweekxx]

i dont even know why im arguing this with you.. anyone who went to grade school knows fat cannot be converted to glucose/glycogen

[tiger]

Actually the induction phase of Atkins is 20 grams of carbs a day.
What do you mean by ?

Actually its 11 grams.

[dyna mo]

wow, name calling over the topic. aren't you a delight, too bad you can't discuss it in a reasonable, mature fashion.


I figured you already understood glycolysis enough to see the point of that article.

fact is, atkins diet and keto diets are built on the fact the body converts stored fat to glucose.

[xxweekxx]

NO they are built on the fact your body converts stored fat to ENERGY

you seem to be confusing energy and glucose buddy.. thats what i think the problem is....

ENERGY = ATP..

[xxweekxx]

Here:

Why can't fatty acids be converted directly to glucose??


When fatty acids are oxidized, the acetyl-CoA can enter the Krebs cycle, and one would think that the oxaloacetate generated by the Krebs cycle could be converted to acetyl-CoA, which could then be converted to pyruvate for gluconeogenesis. This can't happen, though, because even though oxaloacetate is made, there is no net increase in oxaloacetate (two carbons are lost in the Krebs cycle for every two in the acetyl-CoA coming in). Oxaloacetate can't be taken out of the cycle, then, because then the cycle would be depleted and the only way to replenish it is through one of the anapleoritic reactions, which involve products of glycolysis (PEP and pyruvate). If there is enough PEP or pyruvate around to replenish the oxaloacetate you're taking out to make glucose, chances are you don't need to make glucose in the first place. Pyruvate from glucose or amino acids can be used to make sugars before it is converted to acetyl-CoA, but the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex reaction is irreversible, so once pyruvate is made into acetyl-CoA it cannot be used to make glucose; it is committed to either fatty acid synthesis or the Krebs cycle.


Plants can make glucose from fatty acids, but this is only because they are able to use the glyoxlyate cycle instead of the Krebs cycle. The glyoxylate cycle bypasses the step in the Krebs cycle (the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase step) in which the two carbons are lost as CO2, so when plant acetyl-CoA enters the glyoxylate cycle there IS a net increase in oxaloacetate which can be used to make pyruvate.