Want to Keto ?

I went on a Ketogetic diet for a 1.5 week period and lost 4.5 kgs in this period.

*Of all the weight which you lose, 1-2 kgs is the water weight which you'll regain after your Keto timeline.

Advantages over a Low Carb Diet

• You can eat a lot of fatty food on this diet (remember not to exceed your calorie intake).

• There are no cravings.

• You feel full all the time. Fat provides satiety.

• Weight loss is the fastest of all the other available diets.

• You don't give up to your cravings ( in case you have it for carbs) as you don't want to repeat the Keto flu phase again and wait for a week to get into Ketosis.

Who should go for a Keto diet?

People who want to lose weight fast and know how to maintain it in the long run should do it.

This isn't a magical diet. You'll gain weight faster if you start junking after your keto diet is over (your body becomes efficient in absorbing carbs after keto).
Weight loss is not a onetime goal. It's a way of living. Even if you lose weight by keto, you'll end up gaining more if you're not following a healthy lifestyle.

*It's very difficult for vegans to go on keto as your meals will reduce to bland vegetables, oil and whey protein.


Rules to follow

• You'll have to eat less than your maintenance calories for the day. You can't eat as much as you want.

• Calculate your maintenance calories from here-

IIFYM Calculator

• Set your Carbs to 5%, Protein to 30% and Fats to 65%.

• Use this macro-calculator for your maintenance calories-

Macro Calculator

• You can't eat a lot of protein. Your liver will convert this excess protein into glucose ( a process known as Gluconeogenesis). Hence, limit your whey protein consumption.

• Remember eating a lot of healthy fats. Drink oils if you're low on fat for the day. Eating nuts is controversial. I avoided them.

• Restrict your carbohydrate intake to less than 20g/ day. You can't have dairy products, fruits and vegetables (except Celery, Lettuce, Green leafy veggies, Beans, Broccoli, Avocado, Asparagus and Zucchini).

• Don't skip on veggies else you'll be constipated.
  
  
  
• Don’t fear Egg yolks. They are not harmful. I ate around 10-14 egg yolks everyday during this period.

• Use Cod liver oil capsules and a multivitamin to fulfil your micro-nutrient needs.

• You can eat any meat you want (poultry, fish and meat). Use bacon and chicken thighs generously as it's high in fat and relatively low in protein.

• Don't use processed meat. It is full of preservatives and other harmful stuff.

• Have around 3-4 litres of water every day.

The Keto Flu

This is the first 3-4 days on a keto diet which are accompanied with extreme lethargy. This is the period where your body shifts from Glucose to Ketone bodies as the primary fuel for metabolic processes.

• Don't quit. This will go away making you feel normal after the 4th day. This is totally normal.

• Hydrate yourself well. Add table salt to your water as kidneys excrete a lot of sodium on a ketogenic diet.

• Take bed rest. I was in bed for 12-14 hours during the first 3 days. Yes, you can stop going to the gym.

 My Keto Meal Plan

I used this app. to track my calories- 

HEALTHIFY ME


Breakfast

• 4 whole eggs ( full fried)

• 1 tsp Olive oil

Lunch

• Chicken ( 2 pieces ) stir fried 

• 2 whole eggs full fried

• 1 tsp Olive oil

• 1 tsp Virgin coconut oil

Evening Meal

•   4 whole eggs (half fried)

Meal after Gymming

• 1/2 scoop whey protein

• 1 tsp virgin coconut oil

Dinner

• Salad comprising of lettuce, broccoli, spinach, celery, beans

• 1 tsp Olive oil

* I used to add more oil and chicken kebabs if my macros deviated.

      * I drank 4-5 L of water every day.

Gymming on the Keto Diet

Decrease your weights and reps to 20% less of what you did on normal diet.
It is totally fine if you're not able to lift heavy on Keto.

Your muscles might look a bit smaller but you'll get back to a better shape once you shift back to a normal diet as you'll have much lesser body fat percentage then.

You can skip gym if you're feeling lethargic.

 Transition from Keto to a normal diet

Do this process slow.

Failing to do this will give you bloating and dyspepsia. Been there, experienced that.
Start with one scoop of whey protein and oats shake in the breakfast. Then gradually increase your carb intake in 4-5 days.

Can Keto diet give me acidosis or mess up with my Lipid profile?

No. If you're a normal person (non- diabetic) , trust your body to eliminate the extra acids and maintain the acid base balance. Hydration is the key.

Yes, it can mess up with your lipid profile in the long run as I feel. Go for regular lipid profile check-ups (maybe monthly) when on a Ketogenic diet.

Why I stopped on Keto and will I try Keto again?

Ketogenic diet is a FULL DAY JOB.

I had a busy internship posting coming up which forced me to stop Keto. 

I will go on Keto only if I want to lose weight fast and I have a lot of free time.