Results Keto
When my best friend called to ask if I’d try a new diet/workout routine with her, I begrudgingly agreed. The first step? Pick a diet plan.
We settled on the ketogenic diet, or keto diet, as it’s commonly called. The keto diet involves cutting almost all carbs (including high-carb veggies) and refined sugars (including most fruits) from your diet and—here’s the kicker—replacing them with fats, instead.
Specifically, your daily caloric intake should consist of 60 to 75 percent fat, 15 to 30 percent protein and 5 to 10 percent carbs. (To put things in perspective: An average American’s diet consists of 34 percent fat, 16 percent protein and 50 percent carbs, according to the CDC.)
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MORE: 25 Incredible Keto Recipes Anyone Will Love
I know, I know—this sounds like the opposite of healthy diet advice. But the thinking is: If you starve your body of carbs, your body will have nothing to do but start using stored fat as fuel. After three or four days of eating 20 (or fewer) grams of carbs, your body supposedly enters a metabolic state called ketosis. When in ketosis, your body stops burning sugar and carbs for energy and starts burning through your fat reserves.
It sounded easy enough. I mean how bad can giving up pizza actually be? (Spoiler: hard AF.) But severe carb-deprivation side effects aside, keto has also given me some pretty impressive results.
Here’s a rundown of my first 10 days on the increasingly popular keto diet.
Day 1:
Because the keto diet isn’t exactly on-the-go friendly I meal prepped the day before to make sure my breakfasts and lunches would be ready for the week. I made a batch of bacon, egg and spinach muffins, stocked up on salad supplies and was ready to get this thing started.
Breakfast: One egg muffin consisting of one egg, one slice of bacon, a handful of spinach, a little shredded cheese and salt and pepper
Lunch: Mixed green salad with a strip of crumbled bacon, grilled chicken, a small handful of walnuts, feta cheese and olive oil and apple cider vinegar for dressing
Snacks: Two cheddar cheese sticks
Dinner: One salmon filet with lemon juice, salt and pepper and a heaping pileof kale and broccoli sautéed in grass-fed butter
How I felt: Pretty great, honestly. I never felt hungry. Plus, I got to eat bacon twice!
Day 2:
Breakfast and lunch: These were repeats of day one.
Dinner: Two links of organic andouille chicken sausage sautéed with a big handful of kale and broccoli
How I felt: I definitely started missing carbs on day two. I felt a little tired, but overall, still good.
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Day 3:
OK, let me begin my day three entry by introducing you to a little thing called the “keto flu.”
After a couple days of eating fewer than 20 grams of carbs a day, your body gets (understandably) confused. It’s been burning carbs and glucose for energy basically your entire life, and now you’re trying to tell it to stop doing what it has been programmed to do. It’s pissed, it wants its carbs back and it isn’t afraid to send you a very clear message about its state of distress.
I felt nauseated. I was exhausted. I wondered how I would possibly muster up the energy to roll out of bed and go to work. As a result of the keto-flu, I was too sick to eat breakfast or lunch, but I did force myself to stay hydrated by drinking loads of water.
Dinner: I crawled up the stairs to my apartment and lay on my couch for 30 minutes before I found the energy to stick a salmon filet in the oven. I spiralized some zucchini, sautéed it with spinach, butter and some salt and pepper.
Then I went to bed. At 6 p.m.
Day 4:
Breakfast: I was still definitely feeling the keto flu, but my nausea had subsided enough to eat one of the egg and bacon muffins I had made.
Lunch: I still wasn’t feeling hungry, so I guzzled down a glass of water and carried on.
Dinner: I read a bunch of blogs and Reddit threads that suggested I might be feeling lethargic because I simply wasn’t eating enough fat. So I dipped a small chicken breast filet in an egg, rolled it in Parmesan cheese, wrapped it in bacon and popped it in the oven. I put together a side salad of greens, cucumbers, walnuts and cheese to pair with my super-fatty, bacon-wrapped chicken.
How I felt: After dinner, I felt renewed. Not only was it delicious, but for the first time since starting this diet, I actually had enough energy to get a 30-minute workout in as well.
Day 5:
Breakfast: I woke up ravenous. So two bacon-egg muffins it was.
Lunch: A salad consisting of mixed greens, flaked salmon, a handful of blackberries, two strips of crumbled bacon and balsamic vinaigrette
Dinner: That Parmesan-crusted, bacon-wrapped chicken from last night was so damn good, I had it again.
How I felt: Keto is hard to get used to. I was still more tired than usual, but the worst flu-like symptoms had subsided and I was maintaining a high enough energy level to do light workouts, so I was pretty pleased.
MORE: 12 Hacks for Getting Your Cheese Fix the Healthy Way
Days 6-10:
I pretty much stuck with my bacon and egg breakfasts for the first 10 days. Lunches continued to be some variation of a salad or some organic meat and cheese. For dinner, I tried to pair a fatty meat with a nutrient-dense veggie that I would either cook in coconut oil or grass-fed butter. If I was feeling a little low-energy, I’d wrap my veggies in bacon or prosciutto and feel an instant energy boost.
Each day, my energy improved. By day 10, I was able to do my full workout routine without feeling like collapsing on my bed afterward. Many people tout the brain-boosting powers of keto as one of the biggest benefits of the diet. While my initial brain fog did subside after my bout of keto flu, I never really felt like my brain function vastly improved after almost two weeks of no carbs.
So will I continue to stick to the keto diet? Yes, but with a few tweaks.
My carb cravings lessened, but they never completely went away. There were some days when it literally took all the willpower I had not to order a pizza. I don’t think it’s entirely natural (or healthy) to starve your body of something it was designed to process for long periods of time. So I plan on adding in one or two carb days a week. And I don’t mean an all-out carb-binge day, but just a day where I can eat sweet potatoes or some whole-grain pasta. It’s all about balance, yeah?
Originally posted on SheKnows.
Our Ketogenic Calculator is based on the Ketogenic Ratio Formula (K/AK, Ketogenic/Anti-Ketogenic), which was originally used for epilepsy patients. The formula gives you the potential ketone ratio of any meal, depending on the macronutrients of the meal.
Keto Diet First Month Weight Loss
To keep yourself in a state of ketosis, you need to have a ketogenic ratio value of more than 1.5.
Macros
- calories
- g carbs (%)
- g protein (%)
- g fats (%)
How To Use The Keto Calculator
Almost all other keto calculators are nothing more than low carb calculators. They don’t meet the K/AK equation, as these calculators are not designed for the anti- ketogenic nature of proteins.
Keto Ratio Description
- Less than 1.5 – not a healthy balance. The body will not register ketones
- 1.5 To 1.6 – Mildly ketogenic where ketones will likely be registered
- 1.6 To 2.0 – A good state of ketosis where most people will register ketones
- More than 2.0 - Very ketogenic! Almost everyone will see ketones
Why Do We Say This is the BEST and Most ACCURATE Calculator?
- As we mentioned above, other calculators do not take into account the anti-ketosis ratio of protein. They simply list the entire protein amount as being ketosis friendly, which isn’t true.
- Our calculator will help you set up an appropriate and safe calorie deficit.
- By setting a safe amount of protein intake, you will keep your lean muscle and lose only unwanted fat.
- Our calculator determines your macro NEEDS based on your unique specifications, not simply some generic percentages.
When you keep carbs low you will lose weight. Eating enough protein will ensure that you lose only fat, while eating plenty of fat prevents you from feeling hungry and keeps you feeling satisfied with your food.
Why Does My Body Fat Matter? Can't I use My BMI?
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BMI and body fat are not the same measurements. Body fat measurements are needed to actually calculate lean tissue mass. This measurement allows the calculator to determine how much protein you can eat each day to stop you from losing muscle. Eating too much or too little protein can lead to unwanted, even dangerous, consequences.
Simple Proven Results Keto
You can get an accurate reading of your body fat with a DEXA scan. Almost all gyms and many doctors will provide this if you ask. If you can’t get a DEXA scan, use the old fashioned calipers which every gym will provide. You can use our body fat calculator if you are unable to get a measurement any other way.
Activity Level
In order to use our calculator, you will need to determine your normal, daily activity levels. Although you might have exceptions to the rule (a yearly company softball game does not make you an athlete), try to consider your overall activity level.
- Bed-rest (BMR): Basically, would apply only if you are bedridden. You can also choose this if you want to use just the BMR value for calculations.
- Sedentary: This means only life’s basic tasks, including doing dishes, cooking meals, mowing the lawn, etc. Unless you are breaking a sweat for 30 minutes each day, consider your activity levels to be sedentary.
- Lightly Active: This would mean exercise or light sports 1-3 days a week, easy jogging, walking briskly and other activities for 30 minutes or so each day. If you are on your feet most of the day, such as a store clerk or a teacher, you can consider yourself lightly active.
- Moderately Active: If you have an outside job that requires physical work, such as a construction worker, if you exercise at the gym regularly or do sports 4 to 5 days a week.
- Very Active: This category includes heavy physical work, regular exercise at a gym, or sports 6 to 7 Days a week. If you are a bike messenger, sanitation worker, or do spinning classes almost daily, you would fall under this category.
- Weight Training: Weight or strength training 3-4 times a week.
What Does the Calorie Deficit/Percentage Deficit Mean?
Most people choose the ketogenic diet because they want to lose weight. This means creating a deficit of calories. Health experts recommend cutting back 500 calories each day. One pound of body fat contains approximately 3500 calories. Cutting out 500 calories each day would result in a weight loss of about 1 pound per week.
However, a percentage based deficit makes more sense. As our bodies drop weight, we need fewer calories. This is why, after a period of time, people stop losing weight or lose it much more slowly. A percentage based deficit is based on how much body fat a person has.
The recommended deficit is 15 to 20%.
NB: 'Maintenance' and 'No Deficit' will yield the same result
Ketogenic/Anti-Ketogenic Nature Of Macronutrients
In case you are new to the keto diet plan, some foods are rather ketogenic, others are not. We call these keto-friendly foods and anti-ketogenic foods.
The basic macro intake you will be aiming for on the keto diet is approximately 70 to 75 percent of your calorie intake from fat, somewhere between 20-25 percent from protein, and then 5 to 10 percent of your daily calories will come from carbs.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are 100 percent anti-keto foods. Once digested these foods turn into glucose and raises insulin levels.
The end goal of a ketogenic diet is to be in a metabolic state known as ketosis. We do this by limiting carbs from the diet. The body actually has no need for carbs, but it does need a small amount of glucose.
Speaking only in the context of dieting, you can either increase dietary protein to cover the increased need for glucose or simply eat a few more grams of carbohydrates to provide them directly. Both have the same end result.
Somewhere between 15-50 grams per day will limit the need to break down protein and will allow protein requirements to be set lower than a diet providing essentially zero grams of carbohydrates per day.
Fats
Fats are about 90 percent keto friendly. Only 10 percent of fat will become glucose after digestion. Fat is not only tasty, but it’s good for you! Take a quick look at these facts:
- Very low fat diets are so tasteless and boring, almost no one sticks to them. They leave people hungry for more, while moderate amounts of fat blunt hunger pangs and leave you feeling more satisfied.
- Diets containing moderate amounts of fat cause people to stick to their diets.
- When moderate amounts of fat are consumed, blood sugar levels are more stable, causing people to snack less.
- Essential fatty acids, such as omega3’s, are more easily consumed in diets that contain moderate amounts of fat.
A minimum fat consumption ratio should be 0.22-0.33 g/lb. (0.48-0.72g/kg)
Proteins
Proteins are a bit of both, with about 46 percent of the food being keto friendly, and 58 percent of protein becoming glucose after digestion.
Compared to carbohydrates, increasing protein consumption tends to keep blood sugar (glucose) more stable while dieting. This is important because when blood sugar levels drop, it can spark feelings of hunger and cravings, especially for carbohydrates.
Assuming you are inactive, the minimum protein levels you should consumer are 0.55 g/lb for female and 0.65 g/lb (~1.2 g/kg and 1.4g/kg) of lean muscle mass.
**Warning** Eating too much protein will cause your body to produce glucose, which will prevent you from staying in a state of ketosis and weight loss. You can always check to see if you are still in ketosis by using keto strips or sticks.
Keep your carb consumption low, hit your protein goal, and eat enough fat to avoid feeling super hungry. You don't need to take in extra fat if you don't want to. If you are feeling lethargic, be certain that you are consuming plenty of electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals.
Is Being in Ketosis Necessary For Weight Loss?
As we mentioned above, the keto ratio was designed to help those with epilepsy, not as a weight loss diet. Being in a state of ketosis was a side effect, so to speak, more than something doctors were seeking.
By keeping carbohydrate consumption lower and protein intake moderate, you automatically accelerate fat oxidation and thus fat loss. Being in ketosis is NOT necessary for weight loss.
A ketogenic/low carb diet is about so much more than losing weight! It’s about lowering your insulin levels, increasing fat oxidation, and raising catecholamine’s.