Do ketogenic diets help you lose weight?

Is a ketogenic diet effective for weight loss? The answer depends on whether it achieves a reduction in total kilojoule intake or not.

What is a ketogenic diet?

A classical ketogenic diet follows a strict ratio for total grams of fat to combined grams of carbohydrate and protein and typically has 80-90% of total kilojoules coming from fat, which is very high fat. Carbohydrate intake varies from 20 to 50 grams a day, or 5-10% of total energy, while protein intakes are moderate.
The difference between a strict ketogenic diet and diets that are described as low-carb is that ketogenic diets specifically aim to achieve elevated blood levels of ketone bodies which are chemicals produced as a consequence of your body burning fat. Hence general low-carb diets are not as high in fat as classical ketogenic diets.
Research on the use of classical ketogenic diets for weight loss is limited. But there are many studies that compare lower-carb diets to other approaches.
These show that aiming for a carbohydrate restriction of 20-30 grams a day, without setting a daily kilojoule target, leads to 2-4 kilograms greater weight loss compared to a low kilojoule diet, in studies up to six months.
In longer studies with follow-up between one to five years there is no difference in weight loss. A review of weight loss diets with a moderate carbohydrate restriction (45% or less of total energy intake) compared to low fat diets (under 30% fat) found they were equally effective in reducing body weight in studies from six months to two years.

8 Ketogenic Foods that Can Help You Lose Your Weight

1. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is not only tasty, but is healthy too. It contains lots of proteins, unsaturated fatty acids and energy boosting vitamins including vitamin B-6 and iron too. Jim White says that the most important point that you need to take care of, while choosing peanut butter is to go for the one with no added sugars or oils. Natural versions of peanut butter help you keep your carbohydrates and calorie intake on the healthier side. You can store your peanut butter in the refrigerator and use it for months.

2. Salmon

Salmon is a very rich source of polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. According to Jim White, these fatty acids can only be consumed through food and they are very helpful in losing weight as the increased intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces inflammation which, in return, speeds up the weight loss process. Salmon is full of Vitamin E that also helps a lot to reduce inflammation and lose weight. You should eat at least one salmon fillet a week.

3. Macadamia Nuts

Almonds and walnuts are very popular healthy nuts and have a lot of benefits but macadamia nuts are of a great benefit in so many ways. They are full of monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E and fiber. These contents make them a great food to improve the blood sugar levels in our body. According to Jim White, they also contain good amounts of thiamine and other B vitamins that are energy boosting vitamins and can prepare your body for workouts. A handful of nut has 200 calories in it and one tablespoon of macadamia nut oil has 120 calories. So, you can use them instead of other high fatty foods rather than adding them up beside them. They can be used as a replacement for meat, cheese and butter.

4. Eggs

According to Jim White, eggs are the best source of proteins for the human body as our body as our body absorbs digests and uses protein from eggs better than it does from any other food. This means that eggs are an amazing food that helps you build up your muscles and speed up your metabolism. The best part about taking in proteins is that they take more time to travel from your stomach to your intestine that makes you stay fuller for a longer time and get rid of hunger cravings. Another important thing that you need to know about eggs is that egg yolks are also very important and should be eaten as they contain vitamins and antioxidants that aid the weight loss process. And more than half of the fatty acids present in the eggs are unsaturated. According to a study published in American Heart Journal in 2015, eggs are so healthy that even heart patients can eat three whole eggs each day without causing any increase in their cholesterol levels.

5. Coconut Oil

Apart from hundreds of its other benefits, coconut oil also provides a great help in losing weight. Jim White explains the reason why coconut oil is healthier when it comes to lose weight. He says that the saturated fats in coconut oil are there in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that might be more weight loss friendly than the fat contents in other vegetable oils that are in the form of long-chain triglycerides (LCTs).

6. Green Tea

We all know how popular green tea is, for aiding weight loss. Jim White says that green tea has a very high amount of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in it, which is a substance having an antioxidant activity even stronger than vitamin C and E. This helps a lot in losing weight. Jim White suggests substituting green tea with your daily coffee intake. This will reduce the amount of calories that you intake daily and will help your body fight against inflammation.

7. Avocado

Avocado is basically a fruit but has an extremely low amount of carbs in it. Jim White says that one avocado has only 17 grams of carbohydrates and 13 grams of filling fiber in it. A research published in the Nutrition Journal found that adding half an avocado to you lunch can help lose weight by increasing the sufficiency levels and making you stay fuller for a longer period. It also reduces your cravings for time as long as three hours after your meal.

8. Aged Cheese

Here is good news for all the cheese lovers. According to a research published in the British Journal of Nutrition, it was found that if you eat cheese in one meal, it makes you eat less in the other meal. The reason behind this is that cheese is full of fats and proteins. However, if you want to add cheese to your low carb diet, you can go for aged cheese like Brie, Parmesan, Gruyere, manchego and blue. Jim White tells the reason why aged cheese is preferred for losing weight. He says that the aging process makes them lose carbs. You can also go for aged varieties of cheddar and goat cheese.

30 Day Meal Plan - Week 5

Last two days on the diet, and here are the things you can try!

Day 1
Breakfast – Bacon and Eggs
Lunch – Mediterranean Style Halibut
Dinner – Red Beans with Rice
Dessert – Coffee Cake
Day 2
Breakfast – Strawberry and Roasted Oats
Lunch – Vegetable burritos
Dinner – Cheese and onion Quiche
Dessert –Chocolate Cheesecake

30 Day Meal Plan - Week 4

Congratulations, you have successfully completed 3 weeks of the ketogenic diet plan. During the last week of this diet, we are going to go slightly stricter with our meal plan. We are going to try as much as possible to skip breakfast and lunch. (If you cant, there is a dish mentioned for you) but we are going to fill our body with lots and lots of water. You can feel free to consume as much tea, coffee or fruit infused water, as you would like. Just use honey instead of refined sugar in your beverages. Dinners are going to be sumptuous and you can have ketogenic desserts too. Don’t worry, this isn’t as hard as it seems. Since your body is used to the discipline, week 4 will go by more easily than you think.

Day 1
Breakfast – Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
Lunch – Enchilada Orzo
Dinner – Plum pork Tenderloin
Dessert – Strawberry Brownies
Day 2
Breakfast – Tomato and Basil Sandwiches
Lunch – Vegetarian Buffalo Cauliflower Chili
Dinner – Fisherman Stew
Dessert – Big Philly Cheesecake
Day 3
Breakfast – Broiled Spanish Mackerel
Lunch – Baked Carp
Dinner – Herbed Chicken with Olives
Dessert – Dark chocolate Cupcakes
Day 4
Breakfast – Goat Cheese and Zucchini Frittata
Lunch – Chicken bake
Dinner – Toasted Herb Rice
Dessert – Unbaked Chocolate Cake
Day 5
Breakfast – Cream Cheese Omelet
Lunch – Korean Beef
Dinner – Cajun Shrimp and Rice
Dessert – Cheddar Pepper Biscuits
Day 6
Breakfast – Onion and Kale Frittata
Lunch – Parmesan Risotto
Dinner – Greek Salad with a Lemon and Vinegar Dressing
Dessert – Coffee muffin
Day 7
Breakfast – Omelet with Feta and Spinach
Lunch – Chicken Guadalajara
Dinner – Vegan Chili
Dessert – Cinnamon and coffee Cookies

30 Day Meal Plan - Week 2

Ok, so the week 1 went by easily. Now let’s keep week 2 a little simpler too. During week 2 all you have to do is be on track, slow and steady. Start off your days with some bulletproof coffee. Sounds weird? Well, it isn't! This coffee is a combination of coffee along with some butter, whole cream, and coconut oil. It may sound repulsive to you, but it tastes delicious in reality. This concoction can be had early in the mornings or during the evening time. If not, here is a list of breakfast items and other dishes for you to try in week 2.

Day 1
Breakfast – Boiled Eggs with Toast
Lunch – Vegetable Curry and Rice
Dinner – Hawaiian Pork
Dessert – Cream custard
Day 2
Breakfast – Tater Tot Egg Bake
Lunch – Juicy Beef Salad
Dinner – Herb Baked Salmon
Dessert – Dark Chocolate Cake
Day 3
Breakfast – Zucchini Pancakes
Lunch – Chicken and egg Salad
Dinner – Mixed Veggies with Rice
Dessert – Coconut Rice Pudding
Day 4
Breakfast – Apple Pie
Lunch – Bacon burritos
Dinner – Decadent Keto Meatloaf Recipe
Dessert – Tiramisu
Day 5
Breakfast – Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Sorghum
Lunch – Stuffed Bell Peppers
Dinner – Cheesy Tortellini
Dessert –Blackberry muffin
Day 6
Breakfast – Quinoa Breakfast Casserole
Lunch – Seafood Gumbo
Dinner – Meatloaf and Cheese
Dessert – Chocolate and Caramel Custard
Day 7
Breakfast – Apple Cherry Breakfast Risotto
Lunch – Leftover Meatloaf
Dinner – Shrimp Marinara
Dessert – Strawberry Cheesecake