Do you want to get slim but don't want to be constantly hungry?Then notice the keto diet!With this diet, you can lose weight quickly without counting calories or portions.
In the 80-90s, the whole western world (especially America) was conquered by the fear of greasy and fatty foods.At the time, it was popular to abandon normal naturally fatty foods in favor of low-fat foods.Products with a very low percentage of fat have filled all supermarket shelves.The reasoning behind this was that fat contains more calories than carbohydrates.But what people didn't know was that if they ate less fat, they would start eating more carbs to keep themselves full.Because in these times, words about obesity and diabetes began to be heard in a big way.Now you understand why you should not give up natural products with sufficient amounts of natural fat in favor of a low-fat diet.
What is a keto (ketone) diet?
A keto diet is a diet with limited carbohydrate intake and increased fat and protein in the diet.The basic principle of this diet is more fat, less carbohydrates.This diet is stricter than, for example, the Atkins diet, where you can eat absolutely any fat.It got its name because of the so-called ketones - bodies that are formed during the metabolism of fats, after which they are then used as energy, and the process itself is called ketosis.Carbohydrates are usually used for such purposes, but if there is a lack of them, the body finds a solution and resorts to fat, which becomes the main source of energy.
Who is the keto diet suitable for?
The keto diet is suitable for people who want to lose weight quickly, as well as those who have gained the necessary muscle mass and want to gain weight.But those who work out in the gym and want to build muscle mass using this diet, unfortunately, this diet will not be suitable for you.The ketogenic diet is a very sensitive and complicated process where you need to be able to listen carefully to your body, which is why even some experienced athletes lose some of their muscle mass on it.
Basics
In this diet, you not only need to reduce the percentage of all carbohydrates you consume, but also limit the consumption of sugar and starch.When you limit starchy and sugary foods as much as possible, your body's blood sugar levels begin to stabilize and insulin levels drop.Because of this, fat burning increases and you will often not feel full.When you restrict your carb intake, your body begins to switch from glycolysis (the percentage of carbohydrate breakdown) to lipolysis (the percentage of fat breakdown).This happens if glycogen reserves in the liver and muscles are completely depleted;usually these processes start after 2 days of dieting.
What can you eat?
- Meat products: almost any poultry, beef and even pork.You can also eat chicken skin, but it is advisable that it is domestic chicken that has not been fed.
- Seafood: Squid, shrimp, as well as herring, salmon or other fatty fish without bread.
- Eggs: Eggs can be used in any prepared form.
- Healthy fats: Use olive or vegetable oil in cooking.Also include omega 3-6 fats in your diet.
- Vegetables: You can eat all types of green vegetables and herbs (cabbage, lettuce, asparagus).
- Milk: sour cream, butter, cream 40% and fatty cheeses.
- Nuts: This can often be found in diets and the keto diet is no exception.
- Berries: Berries are very useful for the whole body, so they can be consumed in moderation.
Try to choose foods that do not contain more than 6% carbohydrates.
Also try to drink more water and green tea.
What can't be eaten?
- Starch: starchy foods (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes) should be avoided as much as possible.
- Sugar: in any form must be excluded (solid and liquid), this is our most important enemy.All types of sweet carbonated drinks, candy, ice cream and similar popular products on store shelves - all this should be excluded from the diet.
- Buttery: This product is unnecessary in any diet or just a healthy diet, so forget it.
- Beer: This drink contains a lot of carbohydrates that are absorbed quickly.
- Fruits: Avoid fruits that are rich in sugar (grapes, mangoes, tangerines).
How much should you eat?
Fat - 65%;Protein - 30%;Green vegetables - 5
There is one very important rule in the keto diet - the weight of protein should be equal to the weight of fat.There is almost no difference in weight, but if we look at the calorie content, we have a double advantage in favor of fat (fat-9 kcal, protein-4 kcal), in fact, this is the principle of this diet.Let's say you need to eat 2000 kcal per day, we get:
1300 kcal/145 grams - fat;600 kcal/150 grams - protein;(carbohydrates - 20/30 grams)
We ended up with about 150 grams of protein and carbohydrates, which needs to be eaten in a whole day at a rate of 2000 kcal.By the way, the B/F ratio doesn't affect the doses in any way, it's just summed for the whole day.The ratio of protein to fat can vary slightly, but usually fat is better.For example, a diet may consist of 20% protein and 75% fat.
To calculate the required number of calories for yourself, use the calculator.Remember that to lose weight you need to create a calorie deficit, so spend 300-500 kcal.more than you eat.
How to follow a keto diet correctly?
The diet itself can last from 1 week to 1-2 months (depending on your goals).But at first it is recommended to use it for 1-2 weeks.The first week should be spent with an increased dose of protein (up to 45%) so that the body does not experience a lot of stress, because it has to gradually adapt to fat consumption.In the second week, you can reduce the percentage of protein to 30% and continue to stick to this plan.Stopping the keto diet should be gradual, that is, increasing the percentage of carbohydrates to no more than 30 grams per day.In a few weeks, you can actually lose up to 10 kilos, without tormenting yourself with hunger and counting portions.
What is the difference between low carb and keto?
Low-carb diets can contain carbohydrates, usually more than 60 (grams), which are unacceptable for a keto diet.With such an amount of carbohydrates, the body cannot switch to constant work on fat, since the very processes associated with ketosis do not take place.And with a keto diet, the body receives an insignificant amount of carbohydrates (or none in the diet) and it is simply forced to work on fat.
How does this work?
When you consume a lot of carbohydrates, only a certain part of them is absorbed in the intestines and then broken down into simple sugars.Once a simple sugar is absorbed, it raises blood sugar levels, which triggers insulin secretion.This hormone is able to increase the synthesis not only of proteins, but also of fats, so it is directly related to the accumulation of fats.
Insulin is secreted by the pancreas.When insulin is elevated, it can inhibit fat burning and also store excess nutrients in fat cells.After a while, this can cause a lack of glucose in the body, leading to hunger.As a result of these processes, the brain sends a signal and the person tries to saturate his body with food as quickly as possible.This is a continuous cycle that involves a fat accumulation process.
When small amounts of carbohydrates are consumed, blood sugar levels rise gradually and often level off, which does not cause large spikes in insulin.This approach allows you to increase fat release from fat stores, which increases fat burning.
Diabetics
If you have diabetes, you will need to check your blood sugar more often when you start this diet.By using this diet and limiting carbohydrates as much as possible, you will reduce the need for hypoglycemic drugs.If you use the same dose of insulin as before the diet, you can lead to hypoglycemia, so you also need to reduce the dose of medication.To be as safe as possible, you should consult a personal physician.If you are absolutely healthy, there is almost no risk of hypoglycemia.
Side effects of the keto diet
When you first start following this diet and stop eating sugar and starches, you may experience some side effects as your body reacts to the change in diet.On average, the duration of such reactions disappears after just a few days.
Popular side effects:
- Insomnia.
- Headache.
- Heavy.
- Erethism.
- Increased heart rate.
After the body has adapted, the side effects disappear.To minimize them, you need to drink more water and also add some salt to some vegetables, but only a little.
Keto diet menu
Breakfast
For breakfast, you must not eat more than 15 grams of carbohydrates, which can be taken from starchy vegetables and cheese.You can also prepare an omelette with 2-4 eggs and fried tomatoes.
Lunch
At lunch, you should avoid grains, starchy vegetables, sugar, fruit, as well as milk and yogurt.It is also not recommended to abuse carbohydrates and it is best to limit their consumption to 15 grams.It is best to eat salad, meat or vegetable soup with meatballs for lunch without potatoes, noodles and rice.
Dinner
For dinner, you need to combine green vegetables and meat.You can also add healthy fats in the form of nuts or season the salad with vegetable or olive oil.
Snacks
Snacks should not contain more than 5 grams of carbohydrates and should consist of protein and fat.These can be hard-boiled eggs, fish, chicken wings, cucumber, celery and cheese.