The keto diet. What is the ketogenic diet? In simple terms, it’s when you trick your body into using your own BODY FAT as its main source of energy instead of carbohydrates. The ketogenic diet is a very popular method to lose fat quickly and efficiently.
The science behind it
In order for your body to enter a ketogenic state, you must eat a high-fat, low-protein diet with NO or NO carbohydrates. The proportion should be around 80% fat and 20% protein. This will be the guideline for the first 2 days. Once in ketogenic state, you will need to increase protein intake and reduce fat, the ratio will be around 65% fat, 30% protein and 5% carbohydrates. Protein is increased to preserve muscle tissue. When your body eats carbohydrates, it triggers an insulin spike, which means the pancreas releases insulin (helps store glycogen, amino acids, and excess calories as fat), so common sense tells us that if we eliminate carbohydrates, insulin will not store excess calories as fat. Perfect.
Now your body doesn’t have carbohydrates as a source of energy, your body must find a new source. Fat. This works perfectly if you want to lose body fat. The body will break down body fat and use it for energy instead of carbohydrates. This state is called ketosis. This is the state you want your body to be in, it makes a lot of sense if you want to lose body fat while maintaining muscle.
Now to the part of the diet and how to plan it. You should eat AT LEAST one gram of protein per pound of LEAN MASS. This will help in the recovery and repair of muscle tissue after workouts and such. Do you remember the ratio? 65% fat and 30% protein. Well, if you weigh 150 pounds of lean mass, that means 150 g of protein a day. X4 (amount of calories per gram of protein) which is 600 calories. The rest of your calories should come from fat. If your calorie maintenance is 3,000, you should eat about 500 fewer, which would mean that if you need 2,500 calories a day, about 1,900 calories should come from fat! You must eat fat to fuel your body which will also burn body fat in return! That is the rule of this diet, you must eat fat! The advantage of eating dietary fats and the ketogenic diet is that you won’t feel hungry. Fat digestion is slow, which works in your favor and helps you feel “full.”
You’ll do this Monday through Friday and then “carb load” on the weekend. After your last workout on Friday, that’s when carb loading begins. You should have a liquid carbohydrate along with your post-workout whey shake. This helps create an insulin spike and helps you get the nutrients your body desperately needs for muscle repair and growth and to replenish glycogen stores. During this stage (carbohydrate loading) eat whatever you want: pizza, pasta, fries, ice cream. Anything. This will be beneficial for you because it will recharge your body for the next week and restore your body’s nutrient needs. Once Sunday begins, he goes back to the no-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet. Keeping your body in ketosis and burning fat for energy is the perfect solution.
Another benefit of ketosis is that once you get into ketosis and burn fat, your body will run out of carbs. Once you load up on carbs, you’ll look as full as ever (with less body fat!), which is perfect for those weekend beach or party times!
Now let’s recap on the diet.
-You must enter the state of ketosis by eliminating carbohydrates from the diet while eating moderate/low fat high protein.
-You must ingest fiber of some kind to keep your pipes as clean as ever, if you know what I mean.
-Once in ketosis, protein intake should be at least one gram of protein per pound of lean mass.
-That’s basically it! It takes dedication to go carb-free for the week, as many foods have carbs, but remember that you will be greatly rewarded for your dedication. You shouldn’t stay in ketosis for weeks at a time as it’s dangerous and will end up with your body resorting to using protein as a fuel source, which is a no no. Hope I helped and good luck with the diet!