The fats that we all fear so much are actually not so scary.Moreover, it is fats that can become your helpers on the way to a slim figure.a paradox?Not at all!The carb-free ketogenic diet is solid evidence of this.
The keto diet, or low-carb ketone diet, is by no means a new trend.It was created almost a hundred years ago to treat children with epilepsy.The diet is based on fats with a moderate amount of protein and a small amount of carbohydrates.
The essence of diet
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for our body.That is why you can lose a few kilograms by giving up sweets and starchy foods.A ketogenic diet involves not only limiting the intake of carbohydrates, but also eliminating them completely.In this case, you will have a chance to lose a few kilograms, or much more.
how does this work
After stopping the intake of carbohydrates, the body resets its metabolism, making fat the main source of energy.Under these conditions, ketones (ketone bodies) begin to be produced from fats, which are a source of energy for the brain and nervous system.Hence the name of the diet - ketone.
We all love sweets, but it is very difficult to give them up.It is difficult for the body to understand that you are giving up carbohydrates of your own free will, so it starts to use up the emergency reserve in the form of fat.And we need it, because then we begin to actively lose weight.
Without carbohydrates in the diet for about 5-7 days, the body adapts to this state and starts the mechanism of ketosis.Fat becomes the main source of energy.Even a very small amount of carbohydrates in the first few days will bring your body out of ketosis.Therefore, it is important not to lie to yourself and not eat sweets, no matter how much you want.
Side effects
It is believed that you can eat 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day on a keto diet.If this figure exceeds 100 g, then ketosis will not be possible, that is, the body will not need to completely switch to fat as a source of energy.This means you will lose weight more slowly.
But on the other hand, for proper functioning, our gastrointestinal tract needs fiber (fibrous carbohydrates).Often, when vegetables (fiber) are completely excluded from the diet, problems such as constipation may arise.Therefore, in order not to harm yourself, you should still eat vegetables.Just choose green vegetables like cucumber or lettuce.
diet
The basis of the diet is fats and proteins.There are no carbohydrates, an exception can be made only for green vegetables in the amount of 20-50 g per day.
If you're new to the keto diet, know that in the beginning, while your body is learning to use fat for energy, it makes sense to use more protein and less fat (40% to 60%).But from the second week we burn protein and increase fats in the proportion of 1/3 protein + 2/3 fat.This is done so that the body, which has not yet been converted to fat, does not begin to use muscle proteins as a source of energy.
It is a misconception that calorie intake is not important when following a keto diet.As with everything, burning fat requires a negative energy balance, and you need to eat fewer calories than your body expends.However, following a keto diet in many cases is much easier than, for example, counting calories - it is enough to exclude foods containing carbohydrates and build the diet mainly on meat.
Basic rules
- Don't ignore fats.If you are restricting carbohydrates, you must provide an alternative fuel source, i.e. fat.Basically, you can eat all fats, such as fried chicken, fatty fish, steaks, whole or scrambled eggs, cheese, etc.But it is better to try to eat good fats found in oil (olive, sunflower, flaxseed, hazelnut, sesame, corn), seeds, avocado, olives;
- Choose the right alcohol.One of the benefits of the keto diet is that you can drink alcohol (in moderation, of course).Choose drinks that contain a minimum amount of sugar, such as rum, whiskey, brandy;
- Drink enough water.A rule that must be followed without a doubt.Dehydration can have extremely negative consequences, so always have a bottle of water with you;
- Be patient.At first, the weight comes off fairly quickly, but it's mostly due to water, not fat.The latter burns more slowly, so be patient so you don't give up halfway through.
Sample menu
- Breakfast- 2 eggs fried in vegetable oil, 30 g of cheese, 4 strips of bacon or kefir.Coffee with heavy cream.
- dinner- Big green salad (lettuce, cucumber, celery), prepared with 1 tbsp.L.Fat mayonnaise, 180 g of fried chicken breast, 30 g of cheese.Water or other sugar-free drink.
- Dinner- 180 grams of steak, fried or fried, mushrooms stewed in butter, broccoli.Water or other sugar-free drink.Coffee with heavy cream.