The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It can be effective for weight loss and certain health conditions, which has been found in many studies conducted. The keto diet is especially beneficial for losing excess body fat without starvation, as well as for improving type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. In this beginner's guide, you'll learn how to lose extra pounds and improve your overall health with the keto diet, so keep reading.
What is the keto diet?
Ketogenic diet means eating with very low in carbohydrates and high in fat. The keto diet involves drastically reducing your intake of carbohydrates and replacing them with fat, which puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
When you get into ketosis, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also converts fats into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain.
Although it sounds a bit counterintuitive to eat high fat, keep in mind that a ketogenic diet can cause significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with increased ketones, has numerous health benefits for your body.
There are different types of ketogenic diets, including:
- Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low carbohydrate, moderate protein and high fat diet. It usually contains 70% of fat, 20% of protein and only 10% of carbohydrates.
- Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet includes periods of higher carbohydrate intake, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.
- Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbohydrates before training.
- A high-protein ketogenic diet: This keto diet is similar to the standard diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbohydrates.
However, only the standard and high-protein ketogenic diets have been extensively studied. Cyclical and targeted ketogenic diets are more advanced methods and are primarily used by athletes.
Note: The information in this article is mostly about the standard ketogenic diet (SKD), although many of the principles apply to other versions as well.
Nutrition programs
tailored to your goals and lifestyle
Food is not just calories - it is information for your body. And when we make that information wrong every day, the body responds: fatigue, inflammation, excess fat and insulin resistance.
Fitt Pro Team nutrition programs – Bye Bye Weight, Hello Balance, as well as specialized plans for insulin resistance (IR) - they are not a diet. They are system reset. Precisely formulated meals that restore internal balance and activate natural weight loss mechanisms.
Without planning. No purchase. No cooking. 📦 Five carefully designed meals a day. 💡 Real food for real changes. 🛵 Delivery available in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Pančevo.
👉 Start the change now. Your body will know the difference.
Bye Bye Weight
Healthy and gradual weight loss - without starvation, loss of energy and disruption of daily functioning.
Hello Balance
A balanced diet for those who want order, variety, quality of food and a stable rhythm of meals every day of the week.
IR Hello Balance
Diet plan for insulin resistance - for stable sugar, better digestion, more energy and easier appetite control.
IR Bye Bye Weight
Weight loss program for insulin resistance - with reduced carbohydrate intake and glycemic load.
What is ketosis?
Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. It occurs when you significantly reduce your carbohydrate consumption, limiting your body's supply glucose, which is the main source of energy for cells.
As the word itself suggests, following a ketogenic diet is the most effective way to enter ketosis. Generally, this involves limiting your carbohydrate consumption to around 20 to 50 grams per day and filling up on fats through foods such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts and healthy oils.
It is also important that Reduce your protein consumption. This is because protein can be converted to glucose if consumed in large amounts, which can slow your transition into ketosis.
Practicing intermittent fasting can help you get into ketosis faster. There are many different forms of intermittent fasting, but the most common method involves restricting food intake to about 8 hours a day, and fasting the remaining 16 hours.
To determine if your body has entered ketosis, you can do various blood, urine, and breath tests that can show you the amount of ketones your body is producing. Certain symptoms may also indicate that you have entered ketosis, including increased thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination, and decreased appetite.
So, to summarize: ketosis is a metabolic state where your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. Changing your eating habits and practicing intermittent fasting can help you get into ketosis faster.
Keto diet and weight loss
Keto diet is an effective way to weight loss and risk factor reduction from illness. In fact, research shows that a ketogenic diet can be just as effective for weight loss as a low-fat diet.
One study of 34 older adults found that those who followed a ketogenic diet for 8 weeks lost nearly five times more total body fat than those who followed a low-fat diet. Best of all, the keto diet will fill you up so much that you'll lose weight without rigorous calorie counting!
Increased ketones, lower blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity can also play a key role in weight loss.
Keto diet for diabetes
Diabetes is characterized by changes in metabolism, high blood sugar levels and impaired insulin function. A ketogenic diet can help you lose excess fat, which is closely related to type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
One older study found that a ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by a whopping 75%. Another study of 349 people with type 2 diabetes found that those who followed a ketogenic diet lost an average of 12 kilograms over a period of 2 years. This is a very important benefit of the keto diet when considering the link between weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Read this article if you want to know all about diet for diabetics.
Handmade juices
delivered to your doorstep
Whether you want to cleanse your body, promote weight loss or strengthen your immunity - the right combination of cold-pressed juices can make a serious difference.
Our programs Detox, Slim and Immune they're not just tasty – they're functional. No added water, sugar or preservatives. Only raw, cold-pressed juices from the highest quality raw materials - precisely formulated to support your body in exactly what it needs.
📦 Delivery available in the territory Belgrade, Novi Sad and Pancevo
👉 Choose your support package and feel the effect of real nutrition in liquid form.
X/O Detox
Detox program of cold-pressed juices that supports the natural cleansing of the body and restores the feeling of lightness to the body.
X/O Slim
A program of juices with a reduced number of calories that contributes to weight loss, acceleration of metabolism and preservation of vitality.
X/O Immune
A program of functional juices that helps strengthen immunity and the body through carefully selected natural ingredients.
Other health benefits of the keto diet
Did you know that the keto diet actually originated as a treatment for neurological diseases like epilepsy? Studies have now shown that the diet can benefit a wide range of different health conditions that we will now list.
- Heart disease: A ketogenic diet can help improve risk factors such as body fat, HDL (good) cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood sugar.
- Alzheimer's disease: A keto diet can help reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and slow its progression.
- Epilepsy: Research has shown that the keto diet can cause a significant reduction in seizures in children with epilepsy.
- Parkinson's disease: Although more research is needed, one study indicated that the keto diet helped improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome: A ketogenic diet can help reduce insulin levels, which play a key role in polycystic ovary syndrome.
- Brain injuries: Some research suggests that diet may improve outcomes of traumatic brain injuries, although more research is needed.
Keep in mind that the research in many of these areas is far from complete and conclusive, so take this information with a grain of salt and use it only as an additional tool to be healthier.
Foods to avoid on the keto diet
Logically, any food that contains a lot of carbohydrates should be limited, and here is a list of foods that should be reduced or eliminated on the ketogenic diet:
- sweet foods: fruit juices, smoothies, cakes, ice cream, sweets, etc.
- cereals or starch: wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereals, etc.
- fruit: all fruit, except small portions of berries.
- beans or legumes: peas, beans, lentils, etc.
- root vegetables and tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
- low fat or diet products: low-fat mayonnaise, salad dressings and condiments.
- sauces: barbecue sauce, honey mustard, ketchup, etc.
- unhealthy fats: processed vegetable oils.
- alcohol: beer, wine, cocktails, etc.
- sugar-free diet food: sugar-free candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, desserts, etc.
Foods you should eat on a ketogenic diet
Yes, the list of forbidden foods on the ketogenic diet really seems intimidating, so the question arises: what are you actually allowed to eat? No worries! You should base most of your meals around these all-time favorites:
- meat: red meat, steak, ham, sausage, bacon, chicken and turkey
- fatty fish: salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel
- eggs
- butter and cream
- cheese: unprocessed cheeses such as cheddar, goat cheese, cream cheese or mozzarella
- nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc.
- healthy oils: extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil
- avocado: whole avocado or fresh guacamole
- low-carb vegetables: green vegetables, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc.
- spices: salt, pepper, herbs and spices
Healthy keto snacks
In case you get hungry between meals, here are some healthy, keto-approved snacks:
- a handful of nuts or seeds
- keto sushi snacks
- olives
- one or two hard-boiled eggs
- protein bars
- 90% dark chocolate
- full-fat Greek yogurt mixed with nut butter and cocoa powder
- peppers and guacamole
- strawberries and plain cream cheese
Keto diet tips and tricks
Although starting a ketogenic diet can be challenging, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to make it easier and last until the very end, that is, to your ideal number on the scale.
Start by familiarizing yourself with food labels and checking the amount of fat, carbohydrates, and fiber to determine how your favorite foods can fit into a ketogenic diet.
Planning and preparing meals in advance can also be beneficial and help you save extra time throughout the week.
Many websites, nutrition blogs, apps, and cookbooks offer keto-friendly recipes and meal ideas that you can use to create your own customized menu for each day.
Alternatively, some food delivery services even offer keto-friendly meals for a quick and ideal way to enjoy keto meals at home. FitProTeam was born out of the idea of helping people achieve their goals by making customized meals especially for you and delivering them to your doorstep everyday. Read the experience of users of our program, Milica Milić, who is in favor lost over 20 kilograms in a short time, contact us and tell us your problem, and we'll create a diet and prepare all the food for you: all you have to do is enjoy the delicious meals and watch the pounds disappear.
