What is the keto diet and how to follow it correctly?

With prolonged abstinence from confectionery and other sweets, weight begins to fall.Therefore, by removing these foods from the diet, we can safely say that a lighter version of the keto diet is being used.Today, this nutrition program is becoming more and more popular.

Working principle

This is explained by the fact that in the fat burning process, calorie intake is not lost, maintaining muscle mass and a good metabolic rate.

The principle of this dietary nutrition is as follows: so-called ketone bodies appear in the body during the process of lipolysis (excess fat entering the blood).In the future, the body will use these fats for energy.

Ketone bodies appear in the liver with limited glucose intake.This phenomenon is the reason for reducing carbohydrate consumption (no more than 100 grams per day is allowed).

If you do not take into account the fact that proteins and fats do not play an important role in the formation of ketone bodies, they can generally increase the calorie content of the menu.It is important to remember that any diet implies a lack of calories, therefore, with a keto diet, it is necessary to maintain the level of carbohydrates and other nutritional components.

By creating conditions for a lack of calories (mainly due to carbohydrates), the process of burning fat occurs.

The principles of the keto diet are simple:

1. A few days in advance, you need to calculate the energy value of your usual menu using a calorie calculator.Thanks to the calculation, you will be able to know your average daily calorie intake.From the beginning of this diet, you need to reduce the calculated number of calories by 500-700.
2. It is important to remove alcoholic beverages from the diet, as they do not bring any benefits.
3. Foods containing carbohydrates must be removed.Vegetables are a source of carbohydrates, as the fiber present in these products is a complex carbohydrate.This is why vegetables are prohibited.It is allowed to eat a maximum of 200g of green vegetables per day.It can be greens or lettuce.
4. Protein foods should be the main source of nutrition.
5. It is allowed to consume vegetable fats.
6. The menu may include eggs, butter, nuts, fish and meat.It is very important to control your calorie intake.

Diet and exercise must be combined.Since the keto diet is one of the diets that does not reduce the amount of muscle tissue, but only fat, it becomes immediately obvious that after some time the body will become more prominent.To make you more attractive, it is important to exercise on sports equipment, which will speed up the fat processing process.

People who have never exercised intensely can consume up to 40 grams of pure carbohydrates during a ketogenic diet.

Efficiency

Considering that daily caloric intake is reduced by around 15%, switching to this diet allows you to quickly and effectively eliminate accumulated fat.After a week of following a diet, you can lose up to 3 kg without feeling hungry.

The nutrition program does not slow down the metabolic process, as it does not have a stressful effect on the body.Therefore, the lost weight does not come back even if the person switches to the same diet, including carbohydrates.

From the experience of many people, it can be said that in 3 weeks of following the keto diet, you can achieve a reduction of some sizes and lasting results.If in the future a person adheres to proper nutrition and consumes carbohydrates in normal quantities, weight loss will continue normally.

The difference between the keto diet and simple low-carb diets is its long duration and systematic nature.In the first week, the body gets used to the changes and feeds on reserves.In the second week, the process of burning subcutaneous fat begins.

The body prepares for ketosis in 4 steps:

1. Absolute glucose consumption.In the first half of the day after finishing the last meal, the body uses up glucose, which came from carbohydrates.
2. Complete waste of glycogen.Within 12 hours, the body processes the entire amount of glucose and then removes glycogen from the reserves of the muscles and liver.This phase lasts about 1-2 days.
3. Waste of protein and fat.This stage is the most difficult, as once all carbohydrate reserves have been exhausted, the body begins to process fatty acids, in addition to producing the necessary amount of proteins and glucose.At this stage, the body uses proteins as a source of energy.
4. Fat consumption.Approximately on the 7th day of keto nutrition, this process is observed.The body gets used to the carbohydrate deficiency and begins ketosis.The process of breaking down your own protein and dietary protein slows down and fat becomes the main source.

Menu of the week

Next, it is important to familiarize yourself with the menu for the week.

For breakfast you can eat the following foods:

• scrambled eggs from 3 eggs (per 180 g - 264 kcal);
• a serving of protein shake (30 g – 121 kcal);
• toast with cheese (50 g - 197 kcal);

The following foods are allowed at lunch:

• cooked dark rice (88 kcal per 30 g);
• boiled or fried chicken breast in olive oil (170 g - 276 kcal);
• hard cheese (per 30 g - 109 kcal);

For afternoon tea you can eat:

• almonds (per 30 g – 121 kcal);
• protein shake (per serving – 134 kcal);

For dinner you are allowed:

• salmon (per 130 g – 256 kcal);
• dark rice (30 g – 88 kcal);
• lettuce (30g);

For the second dinner you can eat:

• cottage cheese (100g);
• casein (30 g);

This nutrition program allows you to eat 1,938 kcal per day.With these products, the body receives 211 grams of proteins, 90 grams of fat and 81 grams of carbohydrates.This menu should not be considered a strict diet that cannot be interrupted or adjusted.This is an example menu that shows how much protein, fat and calories should be in your daily diet.

List of permitted and prohibited products

The following foods are allowed on the keto diet:

• fish (including fatty varieties);
• meat of any kind;
• cheese;
• cottage cheese (it is advisable to give preference to low-fat);
• nuts;
• eggs;
• vegetables (not all);
• dairy products.

Regarding vegetables, it is worth clarifying.They contain some carbohydrates, so it is important to control the total amount of calories (the amount consumed at a time should not exceed 40 grams).

Regarding meat and dairy products, it is important to say that these products can be consumed in any quantity.Among meats, the ideal is to give preference to chicken or turkey.Among dairy products, the most useful are skimmed milk, kefir and yogurt without additives.Among fish, it is best to eat herring and salmon.

The prohibited foods when following the keto diet are:

• bakery and confectionery products;
• bananas and sweet grapes;
• beet;
• carrot;
• potato;
• cereals;
• noodle;
• sugar.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Pros of the diet:

1. The most significant advantage of this diet is rapid fat burning.This is particularly important for athletes, as with other diets muscle mass is lost along with fat.When muscle mass levels drop, metabolism also slows down.
2. This diet can be followed by people who do not exercise.With this diet, the feeling of hunger does not appear and the calories do not disappear.We can say that the reduced amount of carbohydrates is replaced by fats.But it is worth remembering that the calorie content should not exceed the limits.In this sense, the consumption of fats and proteins must be controlled.
3. Another advantage of the diet is monitoring your appetite.With this diet, hunger is eliminated, as protein and fatty foods prevent you from starving and losing weight at the same time.The key point is that the weight does not come back after completing the diet.

Disadvantages of the diet:

1. Since only protein foods are consumed on the menu, negative aspects such as bloating, constipation and heaviness in the stomach can be observed.This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the foods allowed in the diet do not contain fiber (found in bread, vegetables, potatoes and fruits).To avoid digestion problems, you need to eat cabbage, apples and green grapes in very small quantities.
2. It is difficult to determine what the lack of glucose will entail.Everyone's body reacts differently to a deficiency of this element.Therefore, weakness and malaise may occur in the first week.For the results to be visible, it needs to last at least 3 weeks.

Contraindications

You cannot follow a diet in the following cases:

1. Diseases of diabetes mellitus, kidney pathologies, digestive system and intestines.
2. Work related to mental stress (lack of glucose will affect the quality of work).
3. Strong physical activity.

Reviews

• Review # 1: "For me, the diet turned out to be easy and very effective. I ate almost nothing except vegetables and fruits. In the first few days it was difficult to switch to a different diet; I felt weak and wanted to sleep. However, over time, my body adapted and it was easy for me to eat differently. I go in for sports, so I lost 5 kg in about a month, and the weight remained the same even after the diet."
• Review #2: "You can't stay on this diet for long, as stress arises from a lack of glucose. But I took vitamins that support the immune system and drank herbal tea to calm down. I was able to lose weight and get in shape in a short time. I think I'll turn to the keto diet from time to time."
• Review #3: "I followed this diet for fun. Almost without changing my diet, I managed to lose weight and start my metabolism. I reached a state of ketosis by reducing the amount of carbohydrates consumed. The body was full, there was no feeling of hunger and 7 kg were lost in a month. I think it is an excellent result and to this day I control the carbohydrates that the body receives."