Introducing Ketogenic Dieting
Have you often wondered what a ketogenic diet is (also known as keto diet)? Ketogenic dieting includes eating high in fat foods with little to no carbs. Yes that's right! It is hard to believe and that's why I decided to do some research.
Leaving carbs out of your diet and replacing it with fat causes your body to go into a metabolic state called ketosis.
“A metabolic state characterized by raised levels of ketone bodies in the body tissues, which is typically pathological in conditions such as diabetes, or may be the consequence of a diet that is very low in carbohydrates.”
With more fat than carbs in your system, the body becomes more efficient at burning fat for energy. It also supplies more energy for the brain by turning fat into ketones in the liver. (Source)
What is Ketogenic Dieting?
Ketogenic Dieting contains a 4:1 ratio by weight of fat to combined protein and carbohydrates. This is done by excluding high-carbohydrate foods such as starchy fruits and vegetables, bread, pasta, grains and sugar, while increasing the consumption of foods high in fat such as nuts, cream, and butter. (Source)
Drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat puts the body in a metabolic state called ketosis. With fewer carbs in your body and more fat, forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates.
How Ketogenic Dieting helps you with weight loss
Ketogenic Dieting causes the body to go into a metabolic state known as ketosis causing your body to become more efficient at burning fat for energy while also turning it into ketones in the liver. Ketones are passed through the brain and replaces glucose as an energy source so the body stops feeding on sugar.
The amount of fat intake in this diet is so filling that you can lose weight without tracking your food intake and calories. Research studies have shown that the ketogenic diets are far better than the most common low-fat diets. It has also been shown that people on the ketogenic diet lost 2.2 times more weight than those on a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. (Source)
There are several versions of the ketogenic diet including the Standard ketogenic diet, Cyclical ketogenic diet, Targeted Ketogenic diet, and High-protein ketogenic diet. You can find out more about these from Healthline, but from what I researched the Standard and High-protein ketogenic diets would probably be the most beneficial for weight loss.
==> Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD): 75% Fat, 20% Protein, and only 5% carbs
==> High-protein Ketogenic Diet: 60% Fat, 35% Protein, and 5% carbs
Foods you Should Eat for a Successful Keto Diet
** Unprocessed Cheese – Unprocessed cheese includes cheddar, goat, cream, blue cheese, and mozzarella.
** Avocados – You can peel, slice and eat fresh avocados on salads, sandwiches, or make fresh guacamole.
** Butter/Ghee & Cream – Try to stick with grass-fed rather than using processed. (Natural is always better)
** Eggs – It is best to use organic, pastured whole eggs.
** Fish high in fat – Fish that are higher in fat include salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel.
** Meat – Fatty meats such as red meat, steak, chicken, turkey, bacon…
** Healthy oils – Healthy oils can include avocado oil, organic coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil. You want saturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and healthy fatty acids from things that are omega-9 fats found in olive oil, avocados, and almonds (sprouted nuts and seeds).
** Low-carb vegetables – Watch out! There are many vegetables that are high in carbs. Almost all green vegetables, tomatoes, onions, and peppers are low-carb.
don'T EAT FOODS HIGH IN CARBS
** Sugary foods – Yes, unfortunately not eating sugary foods would be the hardest part for me. You should avoid eating cake, ice cream, candy, Little Debbie snacks, etc. ….. (all sugary foods). Also, avoid drinking soft drinks and Juice.
** High Carb Vegetables – These include potatoes, pasta, rice, tortillas, and wheat-base products. (Just pay close attention to the nutrition facts on labels before buying.
** Fruits – Can you believe it? I never looked at fruit hurting my diet, but there is a lot of sugar and carbs in fruits. Strawberries are your safest choice if you just gotta have your fruit.
** Beans – You should avoid eating peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas … the list goes on. Once again, pay close attention to the nutrition facts on labels. Most beans and legumes contain a lot of carbs.
** Low-fat/diet products – Did you think you were doing yourself a favor by eating those “Healthy Choice” diet foods? You should avoid eating low-fat and/or diet products that are highly processed and usually high in carbs.
** Alcohol – I hate to break it to you, but alcohol contains carbs. Most of the time, you can't find nutrition facts on alcohol bottles or we just chose to turn a blind eye on it because we don't want to know. Most all alcohol contains a lot of carbs and can ruin your keto diet plan.
** Sauces & Dressings – Watch out for salad dressings, marinades, and other sauces. Most of them contain a lot of carbs, unhealthy fats, and sugar.
** Unhealthy fats – When you hear about unhealthy fats they are referring to processed oils such as vegetable oils and oils found in mayonnaise. If it's not olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil, I'd stay away from it. Here's a video on how to make a low-carb keto mayonnaise that you can use as a replacement:
Is Ketogenic Dieting Healthy?
Ketogenic dieting actually has many health benefits. The diet was originally used as a medicine to treat children with epilepsy in the 1920's. Other therapeutic uses for the ketogenic diet included helping with the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, autism, brain cancer, headaches, neurotrauma, pain, Parkinson's disease and sleep disorders. (Source)
If your goal is to lose fat fast the ketogenic diet is the perfect diet for you. The reason why it is so effective is that when your body goes into ketosis and starts burning fat for energy, your body is burning up its own body fat as well as stops feeding on sugar. Ketogenic diets should not be ongoing but Dr. Axe suggests doing this diet for 3 or 6 months at a time and then start gradually adding some “Good” carbs back in to your diet.
Dr. Axe explains the health benefits of ketogenic dieting in the video below:
Treatment for Cancer: Cancer cells feed off of sugar. So when you are on a keto diet typically you are taking in 80% fat, 10% carbohydrates, and 10% protein. With the low intake of carbs and less sugar, cancer cells can't survive.
Treatment for Alzheimer's disease: The ketogenic diet is an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Your body starts burning its own body fat for energy. This process even continues while you're sleeping at nighttime. So your body is burning fat all day and night with this diet. What you may not know is, your body is not only burning the fat you've consumed that day, but it's also burning your own body fat making it the most effective way to burn fat fast.
What Others are Saying About Ketogenic Dieting
I can't copy what people are saying, but I can share success stories from people who also share before and after images from being on a ketogenic diet. Check it out in the links I've included below. You'll be amazed with what others are saying and how much ketogenic dieting has changed their lives.
Weight Loss Success Stories
Keto Diet Before and After with Photos
Keto Diet Weight Loss and Health Success Stories
More Success Stories that Will Blow Your Mind
“How I Lost 45 pounds Eating Bacon” (Not me)
7 Day Ketogenic Diet Plan for a Beginner – Starting Out Right
Monday
Breakfast: Keto smoothie = Frozen strawberries, unsweetened coconut milk, almond butter, stevia. (source)
Lunch: Chicken Salad with olive oil and avocado, add some feta cheese.
Dinner: Beef Thai Stir-Fry (Click for recipe)
Tuesday
Breakfast: Bacon, eggs, fresh avocado with chia seeds
Lunch: Plain Greek Yogurt with peanut butter, cocoa powder and stevia.
Dinner: Easy Buffalo Wings (Click for recipe)
Wednesday
Breakfast: Blueberries, bacon, and Fried eggs.
Lunch: Chicken salad made with homemade keto mayonnaise on a bed of butter lettuce; sprinkled with unprocessed cheese.
Dinner: Meatballs, cheddar cheese and green vegetables.
Thursday
Breakfast: Bacon, eggs, unprocessed cheddar cheese, and tomato omelet
Lunch: Go “nuts” for lunch! Grab a handful of Brazil Nuts, Macadamia Nuts, or Pecans with some guacamole and salsa served on celery.
Dinner: Sriracha “Spaghetti” + Meatballs (click for recipe)
Friday
Breakfast: Ham and Cheese omelet with tomatoes, onions, and peppers.
Lunch: Taco Egg Muffins (click for recipe)
Dinner: Keto Pressure Cooker Chicken with Garlic Butter (Click for recipe)
Saturday
Breakfast: Spinach and egg omelet with cheddar cheese
Lunch: Cole Slaw Keto Wraps (Click for recipe)
Dinner: Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs (Click for recipe)
Sunday
Breakfast: Plain Greek Yogurt with cottage cheese
Lunch: Dijon Herb Salmon Salad (Click for recipe)
Dinner: Low-Carb Noodle Bowl (Click for recipe)
FREE Recipe from “Keto Beginning”
GET THE RESULTS YOU CRAVE and become a fat burning machine! Order you “Keto Beginning” Kit today. You get a customized guide, 30-Day meal Plan, Weekly Shopping Lists, Recipes, and so much more! Click Below:
Caesar Salad Dressing
serving: 2 (50g per serving)
Calories: 233 | Calories from Fat: 232 | Total Fat: 25.8g | Saturated Fat: 3.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg
Sodium: 483mg | Potassium: 49mg | Total Carbs: 0.8g | Sugars: 0g | Fiber: 0g | Protein: 1.6g
CAESAR SALAD DRESSING
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons
- MCT oil
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 25 grams anchovy fillets
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- Himalayan rock salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Add all ingredients to the jug of your blender and blend until smooth.
This recipe is fabulous with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast!
Final thoughts
Whoever knew you could lose weight eating more fat? More fat and protein/ less carbs is the key method for a successful keto diet. The ketogenic diet is absolutely effective in the treatment of weight gain along with other benefits. It's recommended for a three to six month period because your body does need carbohydrates in order to function at its absolute best.
There are so many happy people that have had great success with this diet. If losing weight fast is your goal this may be the perfect diet for you. Get started the right way by ordering The Keto Beginning Kit today. It has some pretty awesome recipes and menu plans! To learn more about The Keto Beginning from my post For Keto Diet for Beginners, please visit.
Authors Note
I hope you enjoyed this article about “What is Ketogenic Dieting?”. It has been a learning experience for me as I've researched this great diet. I didn't know much about it and didn't understand how you could lose so much weight eating more fat, but now I understand a lot better and hope you do as well.
If you have a success story or have questions, or concerns you would like to share with us please leave it in the comment box below. We would love to hear about it and I will do my best to answer any questions you might have.
Thanks to you all for joining me here on my site. I wish you nothing but the best of health and happiness. My articles are for you. I want to help others feel great, look great, and be healthy doing it!
I highly recommend “The Keto Beginning” plan mentioned earlier. Please check it out. They even offer a bundle package!
HI Devara
Many thanks for a great blog and some fabulous pictures of great “good for you” food and recipes. I’d not heard of this diet before but my Mom is looking to lose weight so looking at all options and this is one that certainly appeals
Hello Hannah,
Thank you for visiting. I’m so glad you enjoyed the read and found it helpful. I know if I really needed to lose a lot of weight that I would definitely give it a try. If Dr. Axe believes in this diet then I know it must be a good one. I hope your mom will try it and be as successful with losing weight as so many others are. Please let me know how it goes. I would love to hear back from you!
Best of health,
Devara
I am from India and I came to know about keto dieting as one of the celebs made a drastic transformation by reducing about 60kgs weight and this thing attracted me as I am also a bit chubby and many a times I hear taunts from family and friends. I think this is a very new and creative approach here and I am very much impressed by how simply you explained the whole process here. I will definitely try to work on this, hope this helps.
Thank you for this wonderful post.
Hello Hari,
Thanks for visiting and the feedback. I enjoy hearing what others have to say. I hope you are successful with this diet. It seems that there are many people that have had great success from being on it.. I wish you the best of luck.
Please visit again soon.
Best of health,
Devara
Hi Devara, what a great article! I have always wanted to learn more about the Ketogenic Diet and here it is right in front of me. I wouldn’t have thought that fat is stored rather than carbohydrates, and how they can easily burn off fat, and being more energy to the brain. The fact that avocados are an option to eat makes me happy. I’m always including avocados into anything and everything, and I’m glad I wouldn’t have to give that up if I ever needed to go on this diet.
Thanks for going a step beyond and writing out a day by day meal plan, this will help many others have a place maker. Instead of searching where to begin, this already has it started for them. I learned a lot today, thank you very much.
Hello Michael,
I’m so glad to receive your feedback on my article. It lets me know I’m providing helpful information and will continue to do so. I absolutely love avocados as well. They are good on sandwiches, in salads, made into guacamole, you name it…
I’m glad you liked the 7 day menu I provided. I know how it is to start a new diet and having to search half a day for what to buy and how to prepare for it.
Helping others is my main goal here on my site, so this is just another way.
Thanks so much for your visit. Please stop by again soon for more of my great articles.
Best of health,
Devara
Wow! This is such a cool breakdown of this diet. I have many friends at work who have been on it, and subsequently lost a lot of weight, but I never understood how it really worked! Thanks for sharing and making it easy to understand and follow. I especially love the week long diet options you listed out!
Hi Jessica,
So happy you stop back by and enjoyed my newest article. Yes, the Keto Diet is an excellent diet meeting many people’s weight loss goals. I try to eat a low carb diet most of the time, but I’ve never tried this diet yet. With the health benefits that it offers, it may be worth trying even for those that don’t need to lose weight.
If you decide to take advantage of the week long diet I provided, please share your thoughts about it. I would love to hear back from you. You may also be interested in one of my most recent posts for “The Keto Beginning“program for beginners by Leanne Vogel.
Thanks for your feedback!
Have a great day!
Devara
Hi Devara,
Thanks so much for sharing this!! I had always thought of the ketogenic diet as being rather unhealthy but you’ve certainly smashed that myth!!
My wife and I have been mainly using a whole food plant based diet over the last year and we have never felt so energised and healthy!
I really do think the key to ANY diet is eating as many WHOLE foods rather than processed man made stuff. It means you can eat pretty much as much as you want, which is a big bonus for me!!
Thanks again,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for sharing your opinions about dieting. Yes, I think you are very right, a whole food diet is much better than anything processed. This is why so many pre-made frozen diet meals are not really helping people lose weight. I really believe it the Keto diet and the success people are having is pretty awesome too.
Since you’re diet consist of mainly whole foods, you may still be interested in one of my most recent post “The Keto Diet for Beginners“. Leanne Vogel has a great program called “The Keto Beginning” that offers great weekly meal plans that you and your wife may enjoy.
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Thanks for your feed back. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Best of Health,
Devara
Hi Devara,
That’s amazing thanks so much for sharing.
I will certainly check that out right now… and get my wife to check it out. She’s much more creative in the kitchen (I’d be happy to throw stuff in the pan and eat the same thing every day!!)
Mike
I’m always glad to help! I hope you enjoy your visit!
Thanks so much! Have a great day!
Devara
Great article!
I haven’t tried the keto diet personnally. I always say I’d love to, but I don’t like meat and fish lol! I eat a little bit of chicken but the fat/protein ratio would not do me any favours.
I’ve tried something similar before but the macros were opposite: high protein, moderate fat and very low carb. The goal was ketosis as well. After getting into ketosis, the weight just dropped off! The only problem for me is that such high protein intake was a lot to handle and I always felt sick. I’m getting ready to give keto a try after I’m done moving (fresh start!) to get rid of the last 10-15 lbs. I’ve already spotted a few veggie keto blogs to help 🙂 Good thing I like eggs!
I’ll bookmark this page as a reference, and tweak the menu a little bit to accommodate my needs. That natural mayo recipe will come in handy, as will the omelets!
For anyone wondering, keto works. I’ve seen people all around me drop 30+ pounds in a few months. The only thing to remember is to be careful once you go back to non-keto lifestyle.
Thanks Devara!
I’m glad to see that you read one of my Keto articles. The information I have provided in them are strictly from my research and talking with friends who are on keto diets. Thankfully I haven’t had a need to be on diets intended for a lot of weight loss. I mostly try to just maintain my weight, although for the summer months I like to be about 6 pounds lighter than I am now.
I’m not sure I could eat a diet that didn’t include fish or meat, but I sure do love my veggies.
I will try to help you out by including a menu primarily consisting of keto-friendly vegetables. I appreciate the idea. I wish you the best of luck with your weight-loss goals.
If you ever decide to take a diet supplement of some sort, please no that Vita Balance supplements are in veggie capsules. I know Slendarol herbal supplement is a real good one!
They also have one called The Keto Diet that I haven’t researched or written about yet if that sounds like something you might be interested in. “Keto Diet” is a natural blend of ingredients aimed specifically to assist the body in promoting a state of ketosis. The ketogenic diet is taking the fitness and wellbeing industry by storm, and keto supplements to support this are becoming wildly popular. Please let me know if your are interested and I’ll provide you with more information.
Thanks so much for your feedback and for giving me ideas for my future articles.
Best of health,
Devara
thank you for good website. i add this tip to your content
One of best ways for weight loss is keto diet
You are very welcome! Thank you for visiting! Please let me know if I can assist you with something. ?
Best wishes,
Devara