The triad: Keto + Strength + Intermittent Fasting

BARE KETO brings together keto nutrition, an overnight fasting rhythm and strength training — three habits that work better together. The aim is more energy, real strength and wellbeing, not just a lower number on the scale. Changes in appetite, weight and energy vary from person to person.

The weekly menus and the shopping list are in the app. Review the plan, arrange your food and record your weekly measurements on Mondays. WhatsApp is our meeting group, where we share our plates and our questions every day.

BARE KETO is built on psychoneuroimmunology: the science of how behaviour, thoughts and emotions interact with the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Mind and body are not separate departments — they speak to each other continuously through chemical messengers.

That is why this protocol works on the whole picture and not only on calories. What you eat, when you eat, how you train, how you sleep, how you breathe and what you believe about yourself are all signals to one integrated system. Keto food, an overnight fasting rhythm and strength training are the levers we can act on directly; rest, breath, mindset and community are what make those levers work in your favour.

This is the framework we use to design the program, not a medical claim: psychoneuroimmunology does not mean that keto, fasting or strength training diagnose, treat or prevent disease. If you live with a health condition or take medication that may be affected, work with a qualified professional alongside the program.

Count the fast from your last food or calorie-containing drink until your first calories the next day. Sleep counts. Fasting is part of the program: 12 hours is the minimum and helps the body move into ketosis. Choose 12, 14 or 16 hours depending on your experience, life stage and personal situation. We usually recommend fasting after dinner to make use of the sleep hours, so you don't need to eat anything.

Finish dinner at 19:00: the first meal is at 07:00, 09:00 or 11:00 for a 12, 14 or 16-hour fast. Water, plain tea and black coffee fit a calorie-free break. Milk, MCT oil, shakes, juice and food end a strict fast. MCT is optional and belongs with a meal, not in a calorie-free fasting window.

The best rhythm is the one you can keep. There is no universal hour when fat burning, ketosis or autophagy switches on: timing depends on prior meals, activity and individual physiology, and human evidence does not establish a precise 16 or 24-hour repair threshold. This program's planner does not recommend prolonged fasting. Stop and eat if you feel unwell — fasting should support your day, not run it.

Program edition: 11 January–28 February 2027. Week 0, 11–17 January: anti-inflammatory preparation with minimally processed food, gentle movement and sleep routines. This is not keto: there is no keto carb target or need to reach ketosis yet. Grains and legumes are not inherently inflammatory.

Week 1, 18–24 January: start keto and choose a suitable fasting rhythm. Week 2, 25–31 January: adaptation, training and optional ketone tracking. Week 3, 1–7 February: review wellbeing and measurements. Week 4, 8–14 February: review portions, recovery and demanding training days. Week 5, 15–21 February: consolidate habits and prepare reintroduction.

Week 6, 22–28 February: gradually reintroduce carbohydrate foods, record how you feel and review final measurements. This phase is not intended to maintain ketosis. Dates describe this program edition, not an automatic personal start date.

Build meals around protein, vegetables and olive oil; replace sugary drinks and ultra-processed snacks with simple food. In preparation, reduce portions of grains or legumes gently rather than eliminating them. Take a morning walk for daylight, spend time outdoors and drink guided by thirst. Never look directly at the sun.

BARE KETO encourages a regular bedtime and at least 7.5 hours of sleep. A sample day: daylight and hydration, planned meals, strength or a walk, then dinner and a calm evening. Finishing dinner 2–3 hours before bed may suit your routine; the schedule should remain flexible.

After training, prioritise recovery and a meal with protein. You can eat before a session if needed and add a third meal if two do not meet your needs. Do not ignore hunger, dizziness or weakness just to finish a fast.

During weeks 1–5 the program uses 40–50 g net carbs over the whole day, not per meal or grams of food. BARE KETO starts with a 45 g daily goal, editable in your profile. Portions, sauces, dairy, nuts and berries all contribute; a keto label does not make portions unlimited.

On Spanish/EU labels, carbohydrate already excludes fibre: do not subtract it again. On US labels, dietary fibre is included in Total Carbohydrate, so subtract fibre for a net-carb estimate. Count carbohydrate, not only sugars. Food composition varies by brand and preparation; check the actual label.

Use protein foods, low-carb vegetables and suitable fats such as olive oil, avocado, nuts or oily fish. Hand-sized portions can be a rough guide, not a measurement. Plate volume is not calorie percentage. The program's fat/protein/carb ranges can add up to more than 100%, so they are not reproduced as simultaneous targets; individual needs should be agreed with a qualified professional.

The program cites 1.4–2.0 g protein per kg per day as an exercise-oriented reference, not an individual prescription. Kidney disease or other medical needs require personalised advice. Add fats to suit your needs and satisfaction, not to force a percentage or assume that adding fat guarantees body-fat loss.

Aim for at least three strength sessions a week, adapted to your health and experience, and move every day. The program includes two group sessions with Melissa: choose two from Monday, Wednesday or Friday, 09:15–10:00, plus a third strength session on your own. This timetable belongs to this program edition; confirm arrangements with Melissa.

On other days, walk, cycle, swim or practise mobility at an appropriate intensity. Strength work, adequate protein, enough food and recovery help support muscle mass. Training before breakfast is optional; higher fat use during a fasted workout does not guarantee more long-term fat loss.

What it is. Carb cycling means planning days with more carbohydrates around demanding training and days with fewer carbohydrates on rest or lighter-activity days. It is not simply eating fruit before exercise or rice afterwards. There is no single validated schedule or universal carb amount; a lower-carb day is not necessarily ketogenic.

Why consider it? Carbohydrates help replenish glycogen, the carbohydrate reserves in muscles and liver. Adjusting intake to training demand may help fuel intense or prolonged exercise. However, high-quality research on carb cycling itself is limited: it has not been shown to produce greater fat loss than a comparable sustainable diet, reset metabolism or guarantee hormonal benefits.

How to plan it. First identify genuinely demanding sessions, then agree the total daily carbohydrate intake and its distribution with a qualified nutrition professional, taking account of training duration, intensity, recovery and health. Keep sufficient protein and vegetables, and adjust fats and overall food intake rather than automatically adding extra calories. Carbs can be spread across meals before and/or after training; neither timing is compulsory. Review performance, digestion, hunger and energy, and adjust the plan rather than following a fixed online template.

Fruit or rice? There is no universal rule of fruit before, rice after, or never both. Whole fruit, rice, potatoes, oats or legumes are possible carbohydrate sources in an individually planned higher-carb day. The serving depends on the day's total, not on a vague 'small portion'. Weigh the food and specify whether rice is weighed dry or cooked; check its label or food-composition data. A targeted carb serving around one workout is a different strategy from alternating higher- and lower-carb days.

In BARE KETO. Carb cycling is optional, not a requirement for normal strength sessions or walks. During weeks 1–5, the usual reference remains 40–50 g net carbs a day, with an initial 45 g goal. Do not automatically add fruit or rice on every training day. An individually agreed higher-carb day may exceed that goal and interrupt ketosis; returning to keto food does not guarantee immediate ketosis. Do not compensate with longer fasts. If you have diabetes, take glucose-lowering medication or have an eating-disorder history, seek clinical advice before cycling carbs.

Week 6 is different: reintroduce carbohydrate foods gradually rather than trying to keep the keto target. Choose one change at a time, review portions and notice digestion, hunger, energy and training. Scale changes can reflect water and glycogen as well as body fat; reintroduction cannot guarantee no rebound.

Participant menus provide two alternatives for each meal. They remain suggestions, not personalised portions or fixed recipes. Plan two or three meals if suitable; do not use a no-snacking rule to ignore hunger or medical needs. Weekly menus and the shopping list require program membership and sign-in.

During keto, sugary drinks, sweets and large starch portions can make the carb target difficult. Food labels matter more than words such as light, zero or keto; these labels do not automatically make a food suitable or unsuitable. Legumes, whole grains and fruit can be part of preparation or reintroduction and are not universally forbidden foods.

BARE KETO discusses creatine monohydrate, magnesium, electrolytes, optional MCT and whey protein. Supplements are optional and do not replace food, sleep or recovery. Creatine has evidence for supporting strength training and can increase muscle water, so a scale increase is not necessarily fat gain.

Preventing the «keto flu». In the first days the body loses more water and salts, which can bring tiredness, headache or irritability. Drinking water with electrolytes and supplementing with vitamin B and magnesium, alongside enough food and salted meals, is a simple way to prevent it.

Electrolytes, B vitamins and magnesium are a prevention habit, not a way to self-treat symptoms that persist. Kidney or heart disease, blood-pressure treatment and other medication can make supplementation unsafe. Discuss product, dose and interactions with a clinician or pharmacist; tiredness or headache should not simply be dismissed as normal keto flu.

One relaxed weekly check-in beats daily weighing. BARE KETO proposes Monday measurements under similar conditions: weight, body fat percentage, mood and energy on a 1–5 scale, plus optional ketones. Everything is private to your account and only you see it.

See your weight, body-fat percentage, energy and mood evolve week by week. Record your completed strength sessions and total exercise minutes, and log each completed fast with its date and 12, 14 or 16 hours. Badges celebrate complete program weeks and fasting consistency, not how many meals you save. You also have a weekly summary card to share if you feel like it.

Pharmacy body-fat readings are estimates affected by hydration; no single column tells the whole truth, so look at the trend rather than one week. Optional ketone tracking starts in week 2: blood and urine are different methods and should not be converted into each other. A ketone number does not diagnose your health or prove that a plan is working. If you have diabetes or feel unwell, seek medical advice rather than relying on the tracker.

Look back at what made eating, moving and resting easy to keep, and build your next step from there. Your invitation is BARE RESET: another six-week program to reintroduce healthy habits — Mediterranean nutrition, exercise, breathing, mindset and beliefs, and creating your own plan. It is announced for 11 January 2027, in Spanish, and is a separate program, not automatically included here. Confirm current availability and details with Melissa.