Want to get slimmer but don't want to be hungry all the time?Then pay attention to the keto diet!With this diet, you can lose weight quickly without counting calories or portions.
In the 80s and 90s, the entire Western world (especially America) was conquered by the fear of fat and fatty foods.At the time, it was popular to abandon the usual naturally fatty foods in favor of low-fat foods.Products with a very low percentage of fat filled all the supermarket shelves.The reason for 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 carbohydrates to stay full.Therefore, in those periods, words about obesity and diabetes began to be heard en masse.Now you understand why you should not give up natural products with a sufficient amount of natural fats in favor of dietary low-fat ones.
What is the keto (ketone) diet?
Keto diet is a diet with a limited intake of carbohydrates and an increased intake of 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 type of fat.It got its name from the so-called ketones - bodies that are formed during fat metabolism, after which they are used as energy, and the process itself is called ketosis.Carbohydrates are usually used for these purposes, but if they are lacking, the body finds a solution and resorts to fats, which become 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 for those who have gained the necessary muscle mass and want to become lean.But those people who train in the gym and want to build muscle mass using this diet, unfortunately, this diet will not work for you.The ketogenic diet is a very delicate and complex process in which you have to listen to your body carefully, which is why even some experienced athletes lose part of their muscle mass on it.
The basics
In this diet, you not only need to reduce the proportion of all carbohydrates you consume, but also limit the intake 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 your insulin levels drop.Because of this, fat burning increases and you will often not stay full.When you limit your carbohydrate intake, the 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 exhausted;usually these processes start after 2 days of diet.
What can you eat?
- Meat products: almost any poultry, beef and even pork.You can also eat chicken skin, but it is preferable that it is a domestic chicken that has not been fed food.
- Seafood: squid, shrimp, as well as herring, salmon or any other fatty fish without breading.
- Eggs: Eggs can be used in any prepared form.
- Healthy fats: Use olive or vegetable oil for cooking.Also include omega 3-6 fats in your diet.
- Vegetables: You can eat all kinds of green vegetables and herbs (cabbage, lettuce, asparagus).
- Milk: sour cream, butter, cream 40% and fatty cheeses.
- Nuts: They 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 moderate quantities.
Try to choose foods that have a carbohydrate content of no more than 6%.
Also try drinking more water and green tea.
What can't you eat?
- Starch: those foods that contain starch (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes) should be excluded as much as possible.
- Sugar: in any form it must be excluded (solid and liquid), this is our most important enemy.All kinds of sweet carbonated drinks, sweets, ice cream and similar popular products on store shelves - all this should be excluded from the diet.
- Margarine: This product is unnecessary in any diet or just a healthy diet, so forget about it.
- Beer: This drink contains a lot of carbohydrates that are quickly absorbed.
- Fruit: Avoid fruits that are rich in sugar (grapes, mangoes, tangerines).
How much should you eat?
Fats – 65%;Proteins – 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 practically no difference in weight, but if we look at the caloric content, we have a double superiority 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 - proteins;(carbohydrates - 20/30 grams)
In the end, we got about 150 grams of protein and carbohydrates, which should be eaten throughout the day in the amount of 2000 kcal.Otherwise, the B/W ratio does not affect the portions in any way, it is only summed up for the whole day.The percentage of protein and fat can vary slightly, but most often it favors fat.For example, a diet may consist of 20% protein food and 75% fat.
To calculate the required number of calories yourself, use the calculator.Remember that to lose weight you have to create a caloric deficit, so spend 300-500 kcal.more than you eat.
How to properly follow the keto diet?
The diet itself can last from 1 week to 1-2 months (depending on your goals).But initially it is recommended to use it for 1-2 weeks.The first week should be spent with increased portions of protein (up to 45%) so that the body does not experience great stress, as it must gradually adapt to the use of fat.In the second week, you can reduce the amount of protein to 30% and continue to follow this plan.Exiting the ketogenic diet should be gradual, i.e. increase the proportion of carbohydrates to no more than 30 grams per day.In a few weeks, you can actually lose up to 10 kilograms of weight without struggling with hunger and counting portions.
What is the difference between a low carb diet and a keto diet?
A low-carb diet can contain carbohydrates, usually more than 60 (grams), which is unacceptable for a keto diet.With such a quantity of carbohydrates, the body cannot switch to constant fat burning, because the processes associated with ketosis do not occur.And with a keto diet, the body receives a negligible amount of carbohydrates (or none at all), and is simply forced to work on fat.
How does this work?
When you eat a lot of carbohydrates, only a certain part of them is absorbed in the intestines, and then it is broken down into simple sugars.Once absorbed, simple sugars raise blood glucose levels, which triggers insulin secretion.This hormone is able to increase the synthesis of not only protein, but also fat, so it is directly related to fat accumulation.
Insulin is produced in the intrasecretory 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, which will lead to hunger.As a result of these processes, the brain sends signals and the person tries to saturate his body with food as quickly as possible.This is a constant cycle that involves fat accumulation processes.
When small amounts of carbohydrates are consumed, blood glucose levels rise gradually and often stabilize, which does not cause large spikes in insulin.This approach allows you to increase the release of fat from fat depots, which promotes 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 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 have to reduce the dose of medication.To be on the safe side, consult your personal physician.If you are absolutely healthy, then there is practically no risk of developing hypoglycemia.
Keto diet side effects
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 dietary changes.On average, the duration of such a reaction disappears after only a few days.
Popular side effects:
- Lethargy.
- Headaches.
- Weight.
- Eretism.
- Increased heart rate.
After the body adapts, the side effects disappear.In order to minimize them, you need to drink more water, and add a little salt to the vegetables, but only a little.
Keto diet menu
Breakfast
For breakfast, you can eat no more than 15 grams of carbohydrates, which can be taken from vegetables and non-starchy cheese.You can also prepare an omelet with 2-4 eggs and fried tomatoes.
Lunch
For lunch, you should avoid cereals, starchy vegetables, sugar, fruit, as well as milk and yogurt.Abuse of carbohydrates is also not recommended, and it is best to limit their intake to 15 grams.For lunch, it is best to eat salads, meat or vegetable soup with meatballs without potatoes, noodles and rice.
Dinner
For dinner, you must 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
Your snacks should contain no more than 5 grams of carbohydrates and should consist of protein and fat.These can include hard-boiled eggs, fish, chicken wings, cucumber, celery and cheese.