What You Need to Know About the Ketogenic Diet and Weight Loss

If you’ve heard anything about the keto diet recently, it’s probably that it’s a super-strict eating plan with the potential to accelerate fat loss. However, what you may not know is that many different versions of the ketogenic diet exist. Some are more extreme than others, and some may be better for you than others. Even if you aren’t ready to commit to the most restrictive versions of the keto diet, understanding why this eating pattern produces such impressive results will help you design an approachable and effective version that works for you.

What Is the Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate and high-fat diet. It is similar to the Atkins diet, but includes more foods and less focus on protein intake. A ketogenic diet is a very low-carb diet with moderate amounts of protein. On a ketogenic diet, you would consume about 5 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, 15 percent from protein, and 80 percent from fat. There are many different variations of the keto diet, but the most common ones are the Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD), Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD), Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD), and High-protein Keto Diet (HPKD). The SKD is the most common form of the ketogenic diet, while the CKD is a variation that alternates between a ketogenic diet and a non-ketogenic diet.

The Importance of Fat and Carb Counting

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat and low-carb eating pattern designed to shift your body into ketosis, a metabolic state where your body is burning fat for energy instead of glucose. The carb content in this diet is kept very low, so that your body doesn’t have enough glucose to feed on. Instead, your body will rely on burning fat as the primary source of energy. For the most part, carbs are metabolized into glucose, which is the body’s main source of energy. This happens regardless of whether you’re eating healthy or unhealthy carbs. This means that regardless of whether the carbs you’re eating are nutritious or not, your body is going to turn them into glucose and use them for energy.

See why people are choosing the Keto Diet as part of their Weight Loss Plan (Click Here to Watch the Video)

The Keto Diet is High in Fat and Low in Carbs

The ketogenic diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. On a keto diet, you would consume less than 10% of your daily calories from carbohydrates. The rest of your calories would come from protein and fat. Typically, keto dieters aim to consume between 60 and 80 percent of their daily calories in the form of fat. Most of the fat you’ll be eating on a keto diet comes from healthful sources such as nuts, seeds, fish, avocados, and vegetable oils.

The Importance of Proteins and Fibre

While keto dieters should be consuming more fat, they need to be careful not to eat too much of it. In fact, eating too much fat can be just as harmful as eating too little. Too much fat can increase your risk of developing heart disease, which is why some keto dieters supplement their high-fat diet with fibre supplements. Fibres are non-digestible carbohydrate compounds that can help lower cholesterol levels and promote healthy gut bacteria. On a keto diet, you should aim to consume approximately 10 to 15 grams of fibre per day. By supplementing your diet with a fibre supplement, you can make sure that your fibre intake doesn’t fall below this critical level.

Limiting Your Intake of Protein and Fibre

One of the most important things to consider when designing your keto diet plan is your daily intake of protein and fibre. In order to successfully follow the keto diet, you should aim to keep your daily protein intake between one and one and a half grams per day per kilogram of body weight. In addition to keeping your protein intake at a healthy level, you should also avoid consuming too much fibre. Although fibre is an essential part of a healthy diet, eating too much of it can actually have negative side effects. Too much fibre can cause digestive issues, like bloating, cramping, and diarrhea. It can also prevent the proper absorption of nutrients from your food and supplements.

Knowing Which Foods Are Okay and Which to Avoid

If you’re going to follow the SKD, then you’ll want to pay careful attention to the foods you consume. Too many people who are new to the keto diet go overboard and start avoiding all the wrong foods. Too many carbohydrates and too little protein can be harmful to your health. Too much fat can be harmful to your health. By following the keto diet, you can boost your metabolism, lose weight, and lower your risk for many different diseases.

See why people are choosing the Keto Diet as part of their Weight Loss Plan (Click Here to Watch the Video)

Bottom line

If you’re interested in trying the keto diet, it’s important to understand that there are many different variations of keto diets. You can follow the most common version of the keto diet by consuming 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbohydrates each day. However, some keto dieters follow a more extreme version, consuming upwards of 90% fat and 0% carbohydrates each day. If you’re new to the keto diet and you’re not sure which variation is right for you, talk to your doctor first.