A Guide to the Keto Diet
The Keto diet is getting popular today for people who desire to lose weight and have been failing with other weight loss programs. In this method, you actually lose weight when the body uses the stored fats in it to give it energy, instead of using carbohydrates as its energy source. When body fats are burned so that the body will have energy, sooner or later, your body fats will get lower and you will begin to lose weight.
Starting a ketogenic diet begins by eating a high fat diet and a considerable amount of protein but carbohydrates are eliminated or kept at a very small amount. It has been suggested that the first two days of the ketogenic diet has to have a ration of 80:20 fat to protein ration with absolutely no carbohydrates. This ratio should be followed strictly in the first two days since this will bring your body into the ketogenic state. After the two days, the fat intake can be reduced and protein intake increased. Protein is important so your muscles do not suffer. Carbohydrates should still be at a minimum so you can go a ratio of 65:35:5 fat-protein-carb ratio. The reason why carbs are kept at a minimum because it is the one responsible for triggering the pancreas to release insulin which is responsible for storing calories as fat. So when carbohydrates are absent this will not happen, meaning, insulin will not be released to store the calories as fat.
The thing with carbohydrates is that it is also the source of body fuel and when this is absent, the body looks for an alternative source. If you are a fat person, then the body will use fats stored in your body to burn and give energy to the body. Ketosis is when the body uses the stored fats to give it energy. In this state body fat is lost since the body uses it for energy and your muscles are still maintained because of the presence of protein in your diet.
If you are able to sustain the fats-protein-carbohydrate ratio then you will be able to maintain the state of ketosis and be successful in your weight loss program. Eating fats to give your body energy is the rule of this diet, and when there is no longer energy to sustain it, it will start using the stored up fats in your body. The good thing about this diet is that you always feel full since fats take time to digest.
You can maintain this keto diet for the weekdays and then weekends can be your carbs up day. This is because you r body also needs other nutrients and with the presence of carbs, the insulin spike will help get nutrients in your body for muscle repair and growth and refill glycogen stores.