The keto diet (ketone) is a diet that contains only low-carb foods, protein in moderation, and a lot of fatty foods.
Losing weight by this method is optimal for those people who are seriously involved in sports, but even if a person just wants to get rid of extra pounds, it will help him avoid weakness, apathy and drowsiness.
Interestingly, such a diet is allowed even with diagnosed type 2 diabetes, although this disease is a contraindication for any other limited menu.
The essence of the keto diet: the body reaches a state called ketosis, the evolutionary meaning of which is to survive in conditions of carbohydrate deficiency. For those who are losing weight, this is a chance to reduce body fat, dry out and find a beautiful relief body.
Basic principles of the diet
The diet got its name thanks to ketone bodies, which are formed in the human body only under certain conditions. These bodies are the result of liposis, which is the process by which fat cells enter the bloodstream. There they are actively used as a source of energy, since too little carbohydrates enter the body with food.
The basic tenet of the keto diet is to create a calorie deficit by limiting or excluding carbohydrate foods from the menu. Proteins and fats will partially replace the energy source, but they will obviously not be enough for the normal and stable life of the whole organism, therefore fat deposits will be used.
The difference between the keto diet and other diets for weight loss is that the menu contains a lot of fats, and not animals, but plant fats, which are present in foods enriched with polyunsaturated acids.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Keto Diet
The considered type of dietary food has the following advantages:
- weight loss occurs quickly and efficiently - it is not fluid that leaves the body, but fat after splitting;
- getting rid of fat accumulations, a person manages to maintain the elasticity and strength of muscle tissue;
- the feeling of hunger and the desire to eat something harmful are absent, which has a positive effect on the state of the psycho-emotional background;
- no need to keep counting calories.
The keto diet is not unique, and therefore has some disadvantages:
- it cannot be observed for a long time, since excessive intake of proteins and fats into the body against the background of a practically absence of carbohydrates will lead to problems in the work of internal organs and systems;
- during weight loss, there is a deficiency of vitamins and fiber. What can provoke disturbances in the functioning of the intestines and the immune system;
- a lack of carbohydrates negatively affects a person's mental abilities, therefore, the keto diet is not recommended for those people who, due to the nature of the profession, are forced to constantly and intensely engage in mental work.
In addition, while following the keto diet, a person losing weight may experience increased drowsiness, rapid fatigue, apathy - in this state, work activity can also "sink".
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 functionality 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 bend of the gallbladder, stones in it, blocked bile ducts;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- inadequate response of the body to animal protein.
The author of the weight loss method himself recommends that you be examined by a therapist 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 Black List Products
Yes, carbohydrates should be completely excluded from the diet of those who are losing weight, but in order not to seek information about the composition of a particular dish before each meal, it is worth remembering only two lists.
The white list allowed for use throughout the entire period of weight loss on the keto diet:
- any meat, including pork, but low in lard / fat;
- chicken and quail eggs;
- fatty fish (salmon, tuna, salmon, herring and others) and all seafood;
- whole milk, but with a small percentage of fat content - maximum 1. 5%;
- any 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 flavors or colors.
In principle, such an extensive list of "white" products allows you to create 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 cereals;
- chocolate and bananas;
- pastries (buttery and not) and grapes;
- bread and sugar.
When composing 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 distinctive feature of the keto diet is a fairly long period of adaptation of the body to a new diet. And, as a rule, it lasts at least a week for men and at least 5 days for women. The easiest days of adaptation are considered 1 and 2, during which the body consumes carbohydrates that have entered it before losing weight in order to obtain the required amount of energy.
The most difficult days are considered 3 - 5: there are no longer any reserves of carbohydrates, so the processing of proteins into glucose begins. Since the body has not yet adapted, it can begin to take protein from muscle tissue, as a result of which the losing weight will experience weakness and even muscle pain.
The whole keto diet lasts a maximum of 3 weeks and the most difficult thing is to withstand the first 7 days, because already on the 8th day the body's functionality will be fully restored, the process of burning fat will begin.
Sample menu for a week
Since a fairly diverse menu can be made from the permitted products, it is worth studying an example for at least one day:
- morning - an omelet of three chicken eggs with cream or scrambled eggs + 2 toast with cheese + ½ grapefruit + tea without sugar;
- lunch - boiled chicken breast with arugula or Caesar salad without croutons and sauce + coffee without sugar;
- evening - baked trout with onions or fennel fruits + mineral water.
In snacks between main meals on a keto diet, you can use nuts, cottage cheese, kefir, natural yogurt.
Keto diet recipes
You can prepare delicious and suitable salads:
- boiled shrimp + arugula + boiled eggs + olive oil with a few drops of lemon;
- tomatoes + cucumbers + soft cheese (for example, Adyghe cheese) + vegetable oil;
- shrimp, mussels, octopus and squid boiled and fried in butter + sprinkle with apple cider vinegar.
If we are talking about hot dishes, then the following are suitable for a keto diet:
- Baked fish in foil - this can be salmon, trout or mackerel. Only dill greens, a few slices of lemon and salt with ground pepper are added to it.
- Roast meat with onions and fennel fruits - everything is folded into a roasting pan / mold, poured with heavy cream and stewed in the oven or on the stove for an hour. It would be appropriate to serve fresh cucumbers or arugula leaves with this dish.
- You can make a casserole with cottage cheese and eggs, or make a fluffy omelet in the oven. In the first case, you need to mix 1 kg of cottage cheese with 5 eggs, put in a mold and pour over everything with fat sour cream on top, bake for 20 - 30 minutes on medium heat. And the omelet is even easier to prepare: you need to beat eggs and milk in equal amounts by volume, salt and pour into a mold. After 15 minutes in the oven, the mixture will be ready for a hot meal for dinner or lunch.
Expected Result
Losing weight will be "grandiose"! According to the reviews of those who have already lost weight on the keto diet, in a full 3 weeks it is possible to get rid of 7 - 12 kg. At the same time, the muscles do not suffer, and the figure becomes taut, slim. The only thing that will be required to obtain such an effect is to strictly follow the rules of the considered method of losing weight and play sports.
The keto diet is considered very aggressive and difficult for the body, so it cannot be carried out without first consulting a therapist or attending physician in the presence of chronic pathologies. A course of such weight loss is carried out no more than 1 time in six months, and you need to leave the diet extremely carefully - adding carbohydrates at 30 g per day.
Losing weight with a carbohydrate-free diet (keto) will definitely work, but only if you take a responsible approach to preparing your body and following the recommendations on the menu. And playing sports will help support the muscles and prevent them from weakening, becoming flabby.