The keto diet (ketone) is a diet that includes only low-carbohydrate foods, protein in moderation, and many fatty foods.
Losing weight using this method is optimal for those who are serious about exercising, but even if a person is just looking to shed extra pounds, it will help them avoid weakness, apathy, and drowsiness.
Interestingly, such a diet is also allowed in diagnosed type 2 diabetes, although this disease is a contraindication to any other restricted menu.
The essence of the keto diet: the body enters a state called ketosis, the evolutionary importance of which is to survive in a condition of carbohydrate deficiency. For those who are losing weight, this is a chance to reduce body fat, dry out and find a nice relief body.
Basic principles of nutrition
The diet owes its name to the ketone bodies, which are only formed in the human body under certain conditions. These bodies are the result of liposis, which is where fat cells enter the bloodstream. There they are actively used as an energy supplier, since too few carbohydrates get into the body with food.
The basic idea of the keto diet is to create a calorie deficit by limiting or excluding foods that contain carbohydrates from the menu. Proteins and fats will partially replace the source of energy, but for a normal and stable life of the whole organism they will obviously not be enough, so fat deposits are used.
The difference between the keto diet and other weight loss diets is that the menu is high in fats and not animal but vegetable fats found in foods fortified with polyunsaturated acids.
Pros and Cons of the Keto Diet
The type of dietary food under consideration has the following advantages:
- Weight loss is quick and efficient - it is not fluid that leaves the body, but fat after it has been broken down;
- to get rid of accumulations of fat, a person manages to maintain the elasticity and strength of muscle tissue;
- the feeling of hunger and the desire to eat something harmful is absent, which has a positive effect on the state of the psychoemotional background;
- no need to constantly count calories.
The keto diet isn't unique, so it has several drawbacks:
- it can not be observed for a long time, since excessive absorption of proteins and fats in the body against the background of a practically absent carbohydrate intake leads to problems in the work of internal organs and systems;
- during weight loss there is a lack of vitamins and fiber. What can cause disorders of the intestinal function and the immune system;
- a lack of carbohydrates negatively affects a person's mental abilities, so the keto diet is not recommended for people who, due to the nature of the profession, are forced to do constant and intense mental work.
In addition, a person who loses weight may experience increased drowsiness, rapid fatigue, and apathy while on the keto diet - in this condition, work activity may also "decrease".
Contraindications
There are actually quite a few of them:
- kidney diseases of an inflammatory, infectious nature and the presence of stones in the pelvis and calyxes of this paired organ;
- Problems with the functioning of the liver - for example, already progressive hepatosis (a pathological condition in which the cells of an organ are surrounded by fat cells);
- Torsion or bending of the gallbladder, stones in it, blocked biliary tract;
- Pregnancy and breast feeding period;
- insufficient reaction of the body to animal protein.
The author of the weight loss method itself recommends that you have a therapist examine you or consult your family doctor before following the keto diet. Perhaps, hidden pathologies develop in the body, which can become a contraindication to such weight loss.
White and blacklist products
Yes, carbohydrates should be completely excluded from the diet of the weight loss. However, in order not to get information about the composition of a particular dish before each meal, you should remember only two lists.
The whitelist may be used during the entire weight loss period on the keto diet:
- All meat, including pork, but low in lard / fat;
- Chicken and quail eggs;
- oily fish (salmon, tuna, salmon, herring and others) and all seafood;
- Whole milk, but with a small percentage of fat - a maximum of 1, 5%;
- all nuts including hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds;
- Oranges and green apples, rarely grapefruits;
- a small amount of fresh vegetables, but low in starch, that is, potatoes, corn and all legumes are excluded;
- fermented milk products with a low fat content and no added flavoring or coloring.
In principle, such an extensive list of "white" products enables you to put together a completely varied and satisfying menu for every day. But you need to understand which products are strictly prohibited for use:
- Potatoes and absolutely all types of grain;
- Chocolate and bananas;
- Pastries (buttery and not) and grapes;
- Bread and sugar.
When compiling a menu for losing weight, you need to take into account one caveat: you can consume carbohydrates per day, but not more than 50 g.
Adaptation of men and women to a new diet
A special feature of the keto diet is that the body adapts to a new diet for quite a long time. And it usually takes at least a week for men and at least 5 days for women. The easiest adjustment days are considered 1 and 2, when the body consumes entered carbohydrates before losing weight to get the required amount of energy.
The most difficult days are 3 - 5: There are no more carbohydrate reserves, so the processing of proteins into glucose begins. Since the body has not yet adapted, it can begin to absorb protein from muscle tissue, causing weakness and even muscle pain as you lose weight.
The whole keto diet lasts a maximum of 3 weeks and the hardest thing is to endure the first 7 days, because already on the 8th day the body functionality is completely restored, the process of burning fat begins.
Sample menu for a week
Since a very varied menu can be put together from the approved products, it is worth studying an example for at least one day:
- in the morning - an omelette made from three chicken eggs with cream or scrambled eggs + 2 toasts with cheese + ½ grapefruit + tea without sugar;
- Lunch - boiled chicken breast with rocket or Caesar salad without croutons and sauce + coffee without sugar;
- Evening - baked trout with onions or fennel fruits + mineral water.
You can use nuts, cottage cheese, kefir, and plain yogurt in snacks between main meals on a keto diet.
Keto Diet Recipes
You can prepare delicious and suitable salads:
- boiled shrimp + arugula + boiled eggs + olive oil with a few drops of lemon;
- tomatoes + cucumber + soft cheese (for example, Adyghe cheese) + vegetable oil;
- Prawns, mussels, octopus and squid cooked and fried in butter + drizzle with apple cider vinegar.
When it comes to hot dishes, the following are suitable for a keto diet:
- Baked fish in foil - it can be salmon, trout or mackerel. Add only dill greens, a few lemon wedges and salt with ground pepper.
- Fry meat with onions and fennel fruits - everything is folded into a frying pan / shape, poured with cream and braised in the oven or on the stove for an hour. Fresh cucumbers or rocket leaves go best with this.
- You can make a casserole with cottage cheese and eggs, or make a fluffy omelette in the oven. In the first case, you need to mix 1 kg of cottage cheese with 5 eggs, put in a form and pour over everything with fatty sour cream, bake on medium heat for 20-30 minutes. And the omelette is even easier to prepare: you need to whip eggs and milk in equal amounts, season with salt and pour into a mold. After 15 minutes in the oven, the mixture is ready for a warm meal for lunch or dinner.
Expected result
Losing weight will be "great"! According to the reviews of those who have already lost weight on the keto diet, it is possible to get rid of 7-12 kg in a full 3 weeks. In this case, the muscles do not suffer, and the figure becomes toned and slender. To get such an effect, all you need to do is follow the rules of the considered method of losing weight and doing sports.
The keto diet is considered to be very aggressive and difficult for the body, so it cannot be carried out in chronic illnesses without first consulting a therapist or treating doctor. Such weight loss is carried out no more than once in six months, and you need to exit the diet very carefully - adding carbohydrates with 30 g per day.
Losing weight on a carbohydrate-free diet (keto) will definitely work, but only if you responsibly prepare your body and follow the recommendations on the menu. And exercising helps to support the muscles and keep them from weakening and going limp.