When you are low in carbohydrates, your body needs an alternative source of energy to break down muscle protein proteins. If you eat enough protein, you can prevent muscle breakdown and switch your body to fat burning.
This is the essence of the ketogenic diet. It creates the illusion of starvation in the body, when in fact it gets enough energy from protein and fat. This diet causes ketosis, in which the body breaks down fat primarily as an energy source.
There is no definite answer to the question of which diet is most effective in burning fat. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of a ketogenic diet.
Disadvantages of a ketogenic diet
The main disadvantage of a ketogenic diet is that it severely restricts nutrition. You need to eliminate all carbohydrates, including vegetables and fruits, for ketosis to start quickly and permanently.
Disadvantages include the appearance of bad breath due to the abundance of protein in the diet.
Benefits of a keto diet
During a ketogenic diet, you consume your usual caloric intake (or slightly less) so you are not hungry. Once ketosis starts, you can diversify your diet with fibrous vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and asparagus.
Moreover, super-intense training is easier during a keto diet because the body has a fat store that is ready to be broken down. This is useful when preparing for a competition.
Finally, a ketogenic diet produces results much faster than any other diet.
Sample menu on ketogenic diet
Before we get to the daily sample menu, let's determine what can and cannot be eaten during a keto diet:
- May be: meat, fish, cheeses, eggs, oils, very low carb protein products;
- No: sugar, cereals, processed foods, fruits and vegetables, milk (due to lactose).
So now an example of a daily diet on a ketogenic diet:
Breakfast
- Bacon, eggs
- Late breakfast
- Cheddar cheese, ham
Dinner
- Salmon, avocado (or chicken with mayonnaise)
Before training
- Whey protein, creatine, BCAA, glutamine
After workout
- Whey protein, creatine, BCAA, glutamine
Dinner
- Steak with spinach and olive oil
Second dinner
- Boiled eggs, turkey breast (or casein protein)