Slimmestar Official site
Share this

Ketogenic diet to lose weight: a menu for every day

The keto diet

One of the ideal diets based on a good scientific and medical basis is ketogenic. Originally developed for the treatment of childhood epilepsy, this diet is low in carbohydrates, high in fat and moderate in proteins. This diet leads to ketosis, during which the body's own fats are burned.

The essence of ketosis

With a diet in which carbohydrate intake is limited, external resources for glucose production are excluded. The brain is forced to give the body a command to compensate for its absence, and its own fats act as a compensatory resource. They are converted into fatty acids and ketone bodies. It is the ketones that replace the missing glucose. An increase in your blood concentration is called ketosis. In fact, this is the process of survival of the body and salvation of the brain with insufficient intake of carbohydrates and outside fats.

The Keto diet for weight loss

Originally designed to prevent epileptic seizures, the ketone diet can be used as an effective weight loss system. Its use causes the liver to produce ketones and a sharp drop in insulin levels. Insulin is responsible for organizing fat deposits in the body. A drop in insulin concentration leads to weight loss: fat is not stored, but consumed by the body as energy.

Along with the main benefit of being in ketosis, this diet has extra properties:

  • reduces hunger;
  • the body contains a supply of a constant source of energy;
  • following a ketone diet can take a long time;
  • is ​​great for sports that require a lot of resistance, as it conserves glycogen stores.

The principle of Low Carb High Fat ("low carbohydrate, high fat"), first implemented by nutritionists in Sweden, became confirmation of the correctness of the idea of ​​"fatty" diets.

Planning a ketone diet

LCHF diets, which emerged in the early 2000s, have already proved their relevance and harmlessness to the organism.

BUCH works in a very similar way: the abbreviation means protein-carbohydrate alternation of foods. Due to this alternation, the body resorts to the emergency burning of stored glycogen and, subsequently, of the fats themselves.

In the classic keto antiepileptic diet, the ratio of fat to protein-carbohydrate is 4: 1. The keto version for weight loss is prone to a higher protein content and a lower carbohydrate content.

Avoiding foods rich in carbohydrates is a practical step. This:

  • sweet fruits and vegetables;
  • bakery products;
  • folder;
    • sugar
  • ;
  • vegetables with starch and legumes.

A large number of foods saturated with fats are introduced into the diet: cheeses, fatty cottage cheese and butter. Since MCFAs are preferred for the ketone diet, one option is a diet that includes coconut oil. In this product, the concentration of MCT (oil, consisting of elements of medium chain from 6 to 12 atoms in length) is maximum (15%).

For a daily ketone diet, 20-30 grams of carbohydrates are sufficient. This means net weight, ie net weight.

Calculating your NET carbohydrates is easy: subtract the fibers from your total carbohydrate intake.

There are no significant protein restrictions. Your intake should be within 25% of all foods consumed.

There are three types of ketone diet:

  1. Standard. This option involves an almost total rejection of carbohydrates during the period.
  2. Target. It allows the intake of small amounts of carbohydrates to restore glycogen after intense training or after physical activity.
  3. Loop. Presume the consumption of carbohydrates as needed, in direct relation to the degree of exhaustion of the body.

Stages of the diet

It will take the body a week to adapt to this diet. This process is carried out in three stages. The first two stages usually take two days and include:

  • twelve-hour glycogen production stage from the carbohydrates of the food consumed;
  • the body's use of glycogen stored in liver tissue and muscles.

There follows a stage lasting three to five days, during which the body tries to obtain the energy that is lacking in the proteins of the daily diet and in the muscles of the body. This stage is more difficult than the previous ones, both psychological and purely physically.

Products for the ketogenic diet

The next step is the end of adapting the metabolism to an artificially created extreme regime, burning your own supply of triglycerides and producing ketone bodies. With the onset of ketosis, the degradation of body proteins slows down.

Under these conditions, weight loss is 0. 5 to 2. 5 kg per week.

Planning for the first week involves eating 50/50 protein and fat. To maintain muscle mass and not expose body proteins to degradation, at least 4 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight must be eaten with food.

The second week assumes this proportion:

  • fats - 65-75%;
  • proteins - 25-30%;
  • carbohydrates - 5%.

Benefits of the Keto Diet

Although weight loss is comparable, the ketone diet has a number of advantageous differences from low calorie diets.

  • Reduces insulin levels more markedly.
  • Reduces sugar levels in the body, being an excellent prevention of diabetes and one of the methods of its treatment.
  • Promotes better brain performance, helping to avoid spikes in blood sugar levels and increasing the amount of beneficial fatty acids in this regard.
  • Weight loss during the ketone diet leads to blood pressure stabilization.
  • The condition of the skin improves, which is especially important for women.
  • There is a classic version of the diet that effectively neutralizes the development of epilepsy.
  • Excellent for endurance sports, as it conserves insulin stocks.

Contraindications and side effects

For most healthy people, practicing a ketogenic diet is safe. Along with this, in the presence of a number of diseases, prior consultation with a nutritionist is required.

Keto restrictions can be caused by:

  • taking antidiabetic medications;
  • high blood pressure;
  • the need to breastfeed;
  • the presence of liver disease, kidney disease or pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

The unusual side effects of ketone dieting include:

  • muscle cramps;
  • constipation;
  • drop in the level of physical resistance of those using the keto for the first time;
  • hair loss;
  • lack of breast milk or decreased quality during lactation;
  • worsening of symptoms of gallstone disease;
  • dyspepsia;
  • the appearance of itchy skin;
  • decreased mental alertness and prolonged ability to concentrate;
  • imbalance in the diet.

The Keto Diet Menu

To quickly enter a state of ketosis, your carbohydrate intake should be limited to a daily requirement of 15 grams. The diet involves obtaining these nutrients mainly from nuts, vegetables and dairy products.

So,What you can eat in the keto diet, food list:

  • meat, fish and eggs in any form - are the main suppliers of proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids;
  • seafood - due to its saturation with microelements;
  • green leaves rich in fibers;
  • ground vegetables;
  • dairy products - contain a lot of calcium, vitamins and minerals;
  • berries with low glycemic index - blackberries, raspberries;
  • low carbohydrate sweeteners;
  • coconut oil and other saturated fats;
  • sour apples, cherries, pomegranates.

How to replace bread

The question is what to eat instead of bread? This can be a thin toasted omelet made from eggs. You can also buy almond flour, coconut and make your "bread" with it. Fried cheese or plain cheese will also form the basis of a sandwich with vegetables, fish or meat.

Food distribution throughout the day

  • Breakfast. The approximate caloric content is in the range of 550-600 kcal. Cheese, vegetables, scrambled eggs or a protein shake. During breakfast, you should not consume more than 15 g of carbohydrates.
  • Lunch in terms of carbohydrates is limited to the same 15 g, but the caloric content is lower: 350–400 kcal. Lunch includes meat soup or meatball without pasta. Another option is rice and chicken breast.
  • Dinner is possible with meat or fish with green vegetables. Caloric content - 300 kcal.
  • Snacks in total should not bring more than 5 g of carbohydrates to the body. Includes cheese, fish, nuts, cottage cheese.

Rules for inserting ketosis

The following steps can help you to insert ketosis optimally:

  • refusal of frequent short-term snacks, leading to an increase in insulin;
  • dosed performance of physical exercises;
  • a menu prioritizing fat as the main source of energy in a ketogenic diet;
  • reduction of protein intake to 1. 5 g per 1 kg of body weight;
  • consumption of liquid carbohydrates in doses not exceeding 20 g per day;
  • significant fluid intake - up to four liters per day. In addition to water, you can drink green tea, coffee without sugar;
  • competent planning of energy consumption for the week.

The signs of ketosis are:

  • natural loss of appetite;
  • burst of energy and improved mood;
  • the appearance of the acetone smell in the mouth and body;
  • detecting the presence of ketones in the urine.

Testimonials from doctors about the cons of the ketone diet

The keto diet is categorically contraindicated in fermentopathies (conditions with deficiency of enzymes that break down fats and proteins), in chronic adrenal insufficiency, in chronic liver and renal failure. This load of protein and fat can simply be unbearable for people with similar pathologies.

Diseases of the liver, pancreas and gallbladder can also get worse or appear for the first time during a ketone diet.

A keto diet is also not suitable for people with high cholesterol levels, as it will cause an increase in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and, as a result, deterioration of the vascular condition. In addition, this method of losing weight is not suitable for some endocrinological diseases (eg, hypothyroidism).

But healthy people also need to be very careful when eating this type of food. Due to the change in diet to proteins and fats, the microbial landscape of the gut may change. Excess protein and a lack of vegetables and fruits can cause the growth of unwanted microflora in the intestines, causing bloating, constipation and poor digestion. Again, due to the restricted diet of vegetables and fruits, one can naturally fear hypovitaminosis and the lack of certain trace elements, which, in turn, can lead to a decrease in immunity.

There is only one conclusion: before deciding on a ketone diet, you need to consult a competent specialist on the subject to find out if it is safe for you, taking into account anamnestic data. And if a decision is made in favor of adhering to a diet, current monitoring of the patient's condition will still be necessary to prescribe vitamins, trace elements and probiotics, if necessary.

Summary:

  • The low-carbohydrate diet is noteworthy because it has a scientific basis and is empirically proven to be effective.
  • Compared to low-calorie protein diets, the results of this system are more human compared to the physical and mental resources of the body.
  • In the course of a diet, it is not difficult to calculate the table layout for each day and purchase the necessary quality products.
  • Such nutrition practically imposes no restrictions on the usual way of life.
  • Suitable both for men who do heavy physical work and are used to eating a lot of meat, and for women who solve their cosmetic problems.
  • The additional results of the diet are the prevention of pressure spikes, normalization of cholesterol levels and improved brain function.