The keto diet (ketone) is a diet that includes only low-carbohydrate foods, moderate amounts of protein and high-fat foods.
Weight loss with this method is optimal for those people who are serious about 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 in diagnosed type 2 diabetes, although this disease is a contraindication to any other limited menu.
The essence of the keto diet: the body reaches a condition called ketosis, whose evolutionary significance is to survive in conditions of carbohydrate deficiency. For those who are losing weight, this is a chance to lose body fat, dry out and find a beautiful toned body.
Basic principles of diet
The diet got its name due to the ketone bodies that are formed in the human body only under certain conditions. These bodies are the result of liposuction, which is the process by which fat cells enter the bloodstream. There they are actively used as a source of energy because too few carbohydrates enter the body with food.
The basic principle of the keto diet is to create a calorie deficit by limiting or excluding carbohydrate foods from the menu. Protein and fat will partially replace the source of energy, but obviously they will not be enough for the normal and stable life of the whole organism, therefore fat depots will be used.
The difference between the keto diet and other weight loss diets is that the menu contains a lot of fat, not animal but vegetable fats, which are present in foods enriched with polyunsaturated acids.
Advantages and disadvantages of the keto diet
The type of dietary food in question has the following advantages:
- weight loss is fast and effective - it is not the fluid that leaves the body, but the fat after separation;
- by getting rid of fat deposits, a person manages to maintain the elasticity and strength of muscle tissue;
- there is no feeling of hunger and the desire to eat something harmful, which has a positive effect on the state of the psycho-emotional background;
- you don't need to keep counting calories.
The keto diet is not unique and therefore has some drawbacks:
- can not be observed for a long time, as excessive intake of protein and fat in the body against the background of virtually no carbohydrates will lead to problems in the functioning of internal organs and systems;
- during weight loss there is a deficiency of vitamins and fiber. What can provoke disorders of the intestines and immune system;
- Lack of carbohydrates negatively affects a person's mental abilities, which is why the keto diet is not recommended for those people who, due to the nature of the profession, are forced to engage in constant and intensive mental work.
In addition, while following the keto diet, a person who loses weight may experience increased drowsiness, rapid fatigue, apathy - in this state, work activity can also "sink".
Contraindications
In fact, there are many of them:
- kidney diseases of inflammatory, infectious nature and the presence of stones in the pelvis and cups of this paired organ;
- problems with liver function - 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, obstructed bile ducts;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- 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 for such weight loss.
White and black list products
Yes, carbohydrates should be completely excluded from the diet of those who lose 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.
White list allowed for use throughout the weight loss period of the keto diet:
- any meat, including pork, but low in fat / fat;
- chicken and quail eggs;
- oily fish (salmon, tuna, salmon, herring, etc. ) and all seafood;
- whole milk, but with a low percentage of fat - a maximum of 1, 5%;
- all kinds of nuts, including hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds;
- oranges and green apples, rarely grapefruits;
- a small amount of fresh vegetables, but low in starch, ie potatoes, corn and all legumes are excluded;
- fermented, low-fat dairy products without added flavors or colors.
Basically, such an extensive list of "white" products allows you to create a completely diverse and satisfying menu for each day. But you need to find out which products are strictly forbidden to use:
- potatoes and absolutely all cereals;
- chocolate and bananas;
- pastries (buttery and not) and grapes;
- bread and sugar.
When compiling a weight loss menu, you should take into account one caveat - you can consume carbohydrates per day, but not more than 50 g.
Adapting 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 one week for men and at least 5 days for women. The easiest days of adaptation are considered to be 1 and 2, during which the body consumes carbohydrates that have entered it before losing weight to get the necessary 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. Because the body has not yet adapted, it can begin to absorb protein from muscle tissue, as a result of which losers will experience weakness and even muscle pain.
The whole keto diet lasts a maximum of 3 weeks and it is most difficult to endure the first 7 days, because 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 the permitted products can make a very diverse menu, it is worth exploring an example for at least one day:
- in the morning - omelet of three chicken eggs with cream or scrambled eggs + 2 toasts with cheese + ½ grapefruit + tea without sugar;
- lunch - boiled chicken breast with arugula or Caesar salad without croutons and sauce + coffee without sugar;
- evening - roasted trout with onions or dill + mineral water.
In snacks between the main meals of the keto diet you can use nuts, cottage cheese, kefir, natural yogurt.
Recipes for keto diet
You can prepare delicious and suitable salads:
- boiled shrimp + arugula + boiled eggs + olive oil with a few drops of lemon;
- tomatoes + cucumbers + soft cheese (eg Adyghe cheese) + vegetable oil;
- boiled and fried in oil shrimp, mussels, octopus and squid + sprinkle with apple cider vinegar.
If we talk about hot dishes, then the following are suitable for the keto diet:
- Roasted fish in foil - it can be salmon, trout or mackerel. To it add only dill, a few slices of lemon and salt with ground black pepper.
- Roast meat with onions and dill fruits - everything is folded in a pan / baking dish, covered with thick 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 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 everything with greasy sour cream on top, bake 20 - 30 minutes on medium heat. And the omelet is even easier to prepare: you need to beat the 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 hot food for dinner or lunch.
expected result
Losing weight will be "spectacular"! 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 3 weeks. In this case, the muscles do not suffer, and the figure becomes taut, thin. The only thing that will be required to achieve such an effect is strict adherence to the rules of the considered method of weight loss and exercise.
The keto diet is considered very aggressive and difficult for the body, so it can not be carried out without prior consultation with a physician or physician in the presence of chronic pathologies. The course of such weight loss is carried out no more than 1 time in six months and you should leave the diet very carefully - adding 30 g of carbohydrates per day.
Losing weight with a diet without carbohydrates (keto) will definitely work, but only if you approach the preparation of your body responsibly and follow the recommendations in the menu. And exercise will help maintain muscles and prevent them from weakening and relaxing.