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

With long-term abstinence from sweets 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 diet program is becoming more and more popular.

Working principle

This is explained by the fact that in the process of burning fat, calorie intake is not lost, which is why muscle mass and a good metabolism are maintained.

The principle of this diet is as follows: so-called ketone bodies appear in the body during the process of lipolysis (excess fat enters the blood).In the future, the body uses these fats as energy.

Ketone bodies appear in the liver with limited glucose uptake.This phenomenon is the reason for the reduced consumption of carbohydrates (permitted no more than 100 grams per day).

If you do not take into account the fact that proteins and fats do not play a big role in the formation of ketone bodies, they can generally increase the calorie content of the menu.It is important to remember that every 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 fat burning process 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 find out the average daily calorie intake.From the beginning of following this diet, it is necessary to reduce the calculated number of calories by 500-700.
2. It is important to exclude alcoholic beverages from the diet, because they are not beneficial.
3. Food containing carbohydrates should be eliminated.Vegetables are a source of carbohydrates, because the fibers present in these products are complex carbohydrates.That's why vegetables are forbidden.It is allowed to eat a maximum of 200 g of green vegetables per day.This can be greens or lettuce.
4. Protein foods should be the main source of nutrition.
5. The consumption of vegetable fats is allowed.
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 tissue, it becomes immediately obvious that after some time the body will become more prominent.To make it more attractive, it is important to exercise on sports equipment, which will speed up the fat processing process.

People who have not previously engaged in intense physical exercise can consume up to 40 grams of pure carbohydrates during the ketogenic diet.

Efficiency

Given that the daily intake of calories is reduced by about 15%, switching to this diet enables quick and effective removal of accumulated fat.After a week of dieting, you can lose up to 3 kg without feeling hungry.

The nutrition program does not slow down the metabolic process, because it does not have a stressful effect on the body.Therefore, the lost weight does not return even if a 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 size reduction of a couple of sizes and long-lasting results.If a person in the future adheres to a proper diet and consumes carbohydrates in a normal amount, then weight loss will continue normally.

The difference between a keto diet and a simple low-carb diet is its longevity and systematicity.In the first week, the body gets used to the changes and feeds from its reserves.By the second week, the process of burning subcutaneous fat begins.

The body prepares for ketosis in 4 stages:

1. Absolute glucose consumption.For the first half of the day after the last meal, the body uses glucose that comes from carbohydrates.
2. Complete loss of glycogen.Within 12 hours, the body processes the entire amount of glucose, and then the body takes glycogen from muscle and liver reserves.This phase lasts about 1-2 days.
3. Protein and fat waste.This phase is the most difficult, because, having used up all carbohydrate reserves, the body switches to the processing of fatty acids, as well as to the production of the necessary amount of protein and glucose.In this phase, the body uses protein as a source of energy.
4. Fat consumption.Around day 7 of the keto diet, this process is observed.The body gets used to the lack of carbohydrates and ketosis begins.The process of breaking down own and dietary proteins slows down, and fats become the main source.

Menu for the week

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

You can eat the following foods for breakfast:

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

The following foods are allowed for lunch:

• boiled 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 portion – 134 kcal);

For dinner you are allowed to:

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

For the second dinner you can eat:

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

Such a diet program allows you to eat 1938 kcal per day.With such products, the body receives 211 grams of protein, 90 grams of fat and 81 grams of carbohydrates.This menu should not be considered a strict diet that cannot be disturbed or adjusted.This is a sample 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 oily species);
• meat of any kind;
• cheese;
• fresh cheese (it is recommended to give preference to low-fat);
• walnuts;
• 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 should not exceed 40 grams).

As for meat and dairy products, it is important to say that these products can be consumed in any quantity.As for meat, it is optimal to give preference to chicken or turkey.Of the dairy products, the most useful are low-fat milk, kefir and yogurt without additives.It is better to eat herring and salmon than fish.

Prohibited foods when following a keto diet are:

• bakery products and sweets;
• bananas and sweet grapes;
• turnip;
• carrot;
• potatoes;
• cereals;
• pasta;
• sugar.

Advantages and disadvantages

Diet benefits:

1. The most significant advantage of this diet is the rapid burning of fat.This is especially important for athletes, because other diets lose muscle mass along with fat.When your muscle mass level drops, so does your metabolism.
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 has been replaced by fats.But it is worth remembering that the calorie content should not exceed the limits.In this sense, the consumption of fat and protein should be controlled.
3. Another benefit of the diet is monitoring your appetite.This diet eliminates hunger, because protein and fatty foods prevent you from starving and lose weight at the same time.The key point is that the weight does not come back after the diet is over.

Disadvantages of 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 food allowed during the diet does not contain fiber (it is found in bread, vegetables, potatoes, fruit).To prevent digestion, you must eat cabbage, apples and sour grapes in very small quantities.
2. It is difficult to determine what a lack of glucose will mean.The bodies of all people react differently to the lack of this element.Therefore, weakness and malaise may occur in the first week.In order for the results to be visible, it is necessary to endure at least 3 weeks.

Contraindications

You cannot follow the diet in the following cases:

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

Reviews

• Review number 1: "For me, the diet was easy and very effective. I ate almost nothing but vegetables and fruits. The first days it was difficult to switch to another diet, I felt weak and wanted to sleep. However, over time my body adapted and it was easy for me to eat differently. I do sports, so I lost 5 kg in about a month, and the weight remained the same."
• Review #2: "You can't stay on a diet like this for long, because the stress is caused by the lack of glucose. But I took vitamins to 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 switch to a keto diet every now and then."
• Review number 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 I consumed. The body was full, there was no feeling of hunger, and I lost 7 kg in a month. I think this is an excellent result, and I still control carbohydrates to this day."