Keto Puzzle Solved!!
- Rai Burns
- Aug 6, 2018
- 8 min read
Are you curious about how to go about starting (and surviving) a Ketogenic Diet? I have just the formula for you. Yes, you have to reduce a bit of carbs. NO, you will not feel tired from not having enough carbs! Take my advice, I am down almost 50lbs from changing just slight habits of mine. Without further adieu, I present you the Keto Diet Breakdown.
What is a Ketogenic diet?
The ketogenic diet (or keto diet, for short) is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers many health benefits. Ketogenic diets may even have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease. Here is a detailed beginner's guide to the keto diet.
The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low-carb diets. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain. Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has numerous health benefits.
Ketogenic Diets Can Help You Lose Weight
A ketogenic diet is an effective way to lose weight and lower risk factors for disease. In fact, research shows that the ketogenic diet is far superior to the often recommended low-fat diet. What's more, the diet is so filling that you can lose weight without counting calories or tracking your food intake.
1. Cut Back on Sugars and Starches
The most important part is to cut back on sugars and starches (carbs). When you do that, your hunger levels go down and you end up eating much fewer calories. Now instead of burning carbs for energy, your body starts feeding off of stored fat. Another benefit of cutting carbs is that it lowers insulin levels, causing your kidneys to shed excess sodium and water out of your body. This reduces bloat and unnecessary water weight. It is not uncommon to lose up to 10 pounds (sometimes more) in the first week of eating this way, both body fat and water weight.
2. Eat Protein, Fat and Vegetables
Each one of your meals should include a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables.Constructing your meals in this way will automatically bring your carb intake into the recommended range of 20–50 grams per day.
Protein Sources Meat:
Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, etc.
Fish and Seafood: Salmon, trout, shrimp, etc.
Eggs: Whole eggs with the yolk are best.
The importance of eating plenty of protein cannot be overstated. This has been shown to boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day. High-protein diets can also reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, reduce the desire for late-night snacking by half, and make you so full that you automatically eat 441 fewer calories per day — just by adding protein to your diet. When it comes to losing weight, protein is the king of nutrients. Period.
Low-Carb Vegetables
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Spinach
Tomatoes
Kale
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Swiss chard
Lettuce
Cucumber
Don’t be afraid to load your plate with these low-carb vegetables. You can eat massive amounts of them without going over 20–50 net carbs per day. A diet based mostly on meat and vegetables contains all the fiber, vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy.
Fat Sources
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Avocado oil
Butter
Eat 2–3 meals per day. If you find yourself hungry in the afternoon, add a 4th meal. Don’t be afraid of eating fat, as trying to do both low-carb AND low-fat at the same time is a recipe for failure. It will make you feel miserable and abandon the plan.
3. Lift Weights 3 Times Per Week
You don't need to exercise to lose weight on this plan, but it is recommended. The best option is to go to the gym 3–4 times a week. Do a warm-up and lift some weights.If you're new to the gym, ask a trainer for some advice. By lifting weights, you will burn lots of calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight. Studies on low-carb diets show that you can even gain a bit of muscle while losing significant amounts of body fat. If lifting weights is not an option for you, then doing some cardio workouts like walking, jogging, running, cycling or swimming will suffice.
The main goal of this plan is to keep carbs under 20–50 grams per day and get the rest of your calories from protein and fat.
10 Weight Loss Tips to Make Things Easier (and Faster)
Here are 10 more tips to lose weight even faster:
1. Eat a high-protein breakfast. Eating a high-protein breakfast has been shown to reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the day.
2. Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juice. These are the most fattening things you can put into your body, and avoiding them can help you lose weight.
3. Drink water a half hour before meals. One study showed that drinking water a half hour before meals increased weight loss by 44% over 3 months.
4. Choose weight loss-friendly foods (see list above). Certain foods are very useful for losing fat. Here is a list of the 20 most weight loss-friendly foods on earth.
5. Eat soluble fiber. Studies show that soluble fibers may reduce fat, especially in the belly area. Fiber supplements like glucomannan can also help.
6. Drink coffee or tea. If you're a coffee or tea drinker, then drink as much as you want as the caffeine can in them boost your metabolism by 3–11%.
7. Eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods. Base most of your diet on whole foods. They are healthier, more filling and much less likely to cause overeating.
8. Eat your food slowly. Fast eaters gain more weight over time. Eating slowly makes you feel more full and boosts weight-reducing hormones.
9. Weigh yourself every day. Studies show that people who weigh themselves every day are much more likely to lose weight and keep it off for a long time.
10. Get a good night's sleep, every night. Poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain, so taking care of your sleep is important.
How Fast You Will Lose (and Other Benefits)
You can expect to lose 5–10 pounds of weight (sometimes more) in the first week, then consistent weight loss after that.
I can personally lose 3–4 pounds per week for a few weeks when I do this strictly.
If you're new to dieting, then things will probably happen quickly. The more weight you have to lose, the faster you will lose it.
For the first few days, you might feel a bit strange. Your body has been burning carbs for all these years, so it can take time for it to get used to burning fat instead.
This is called the "low-carb flu" or “keto flu” and is usually over within a few days. Adding some extra salt to your diet can help with this.
After the first few days, most people report feeling very good, with even more energy than before.
A Sample Keto Meal Plan For 1 Week
To help get you started, here is a sample ketogenic diet meal plan for one week:
Monday
Breakfast: Bacon, eggs and tomatoes.
Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil and feta cheese.
Dinner: Salmon with asparagus cooked in butter.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Egg, tomato, basil and goat cheese omelet.
Lunch: Almond milk, peanut butter, cocoa powder and stevia milkshake.
Dinner: Meatballs, cheddar cheese and vegetables.
Wednesday
Breakfast: A ketogenic milkshake (try this or this).
Lunch: Shrimp salad with olive oil and avocado.
Dinner: Pork chops with Parmesan cheese, broccoli and salad.
Thursday
Breakfast: Omelet with avocado, salsa, peppers, onion and spices.
Lunch: A handful of nuts and celery sticks with guacamole and salsa.
Dinner: Chicken stuffed with pesto and cream cheese, along with vegetables.
Friday
Breakfast: Sugar-free yogurt with peanut butter, cocoa powder and stevia.
Lunch: Beef stir-fry cooked in coconut oil with vegetables.
Dinner: Bun-less burger with bacon, egg and cheese.
Saturday
Breakfast: Ham and cheese omelet with vegetables.
Lunch: Ham and cheese slices with nuts.
Dinner: White fish, egg and spinach cooked in coconut oil.
Sunday
Breakfast: Fried eggs with bacon and mushrooms.
Lunch: Burger with salsa, cheese and guacamole.
Dinner: Steak and eggs with a side salad.
Healthy Keto Snacks
In case you get hungry between meals, here are some healthy, keto-approved snacks:
Fatty meat or fish
Cheese
A handful of nuts or seeds
Cheese with olives
1–2 hard-boiled eggs
90% dark chocolate
A low-carb milkshake with almond milk, cocoa powder and nut butter
Full-fat yogurt mixed with nut butter and cocoa powder
Strawberries and cream
Celery with salsa and guacamole
Smaller portions of leftover meals
I'm at a restaurant....HELP!!
It is not very hard to make most restaurant meals keto-friendly when eating out.
Most restaurants offer some kind of meat or fish-based dish.
Order this, and replace any high-carb food with extra vegetables.
Egg-based meals are also a great option, such as an omelet or eggs and bacon.
Another favorite is bun-less burgers. You could also swap the fries for vegetables instead. Add extra avocado, cheese, bacon or eggs.
At Mexican restaurants, you can enjoy any type of meat with extra cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
For dessert, ask for a mixed cheese board or berries with cream.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions!
Here are answers to some of the most common questions about the ketogenic diet.
1. Can I ever eat carbs again?
Yes. However, it is important to significantly reduce your carb intake initially. After the first 2–3 months, you can eat carbs on special occasions — just return to the diet immediately after.
2. Will I lose muscle?
There is a risk of losing some muscle on any diet. However, the high protein intake and high ketone levels may help minimize muscle loss, especially if you lift weights.
3. Can I build muscle on a ketogenic diet?
Yes, but it may not work as well as on a moderate-carb diet. For more details about low-carb or keto diets and exercise performance, read this article.
4. Do I need to refeed or carb load?
No. However, a few higher-calorie days may be beneficial every now and then.
5. How much protein can I eat?
Protein should be moderate, as a very high intake can spike insulin levels and lower ketones. Around 35% of total calorie intake is probably the upper limit.
6. What if I am constantly tired, weak or fatigued?
You may not be in full ketosis or be utilizing fats and ketones efficiently. To counter this, lower your carb intake and re-visit the points above. A supplement like MCT oil or ketones may also help.
7. My urine smells fruity. Why is this?
Don't be alarmed. This is simply due to the excretion of by-products created during ketosis.
8. My breath smells. What can I do?
This is a common side effect. Try drinking naturally flavored water or chewing sugar-free gum.
9. I heard ketosis was extremely dangerous. Is this true?
People often confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis. The former is natural, while the latter only occurs in uncontrolled diabetes.
Ketoacidosis is dangerous, but the ketosis on a ketogenic diet is perfectly normal and healthy.
10. I have digestion issues and diarrhea. What can I do?
This common side effect usually passes after 3–4 weeks. If it persists, try eating more high-fiber veggies. Magnesium supplements can also help with constipation.
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